A mixed-flow model for heterogeneous vehicles enforcing a movement control protocol utilizing a vehicular size-based equilibrium speed function

Heliyon. 2024 Jan 4;10(2):e23975. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e23975. eCollection 2024 Jan 30.

Abstract

This work addressed the effect of heterogeneous vehicle sizes on traffic flow fields by introducing a movement control protocol. Considering a continuum traffic model, a new equilibrium velocity function that is dependent on traffic density was introduced to account for the effect of vehicle size. The established model showed a quantitative comparison between the Optimal Velocity and Full Velocity Difference models. A neutral stability test was carried out to evaluate the model's capability of neutralizing flow fields. The density wave behavior near a critical point was portrayed by deducing the Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers equation through a nonlinear analysis. A series of numerical simulations, the outcomes of which agreed well with the analytical results, was performed to observe the overall flow field scenario.

Keywords: Diverse vehicle capability; Equilibrium speed function associated with vehicle's sizes; Mixed-flow macroscopic traffic model.