Title
Phase Diagram Analysis Based on a Temporal-Spatial Queueing Model
Abstract
In this paper, we propose a simple temporal-spatial queueing model to quantitatively address some typical congestion patterns that were observed around on/off-ramps. In particular, we examine three prime factors that play important roles in ramping traffic scenarios: the time $\\tau_{\\rm in}$ for a vehicle to join a jam queue, the time $\\tau_{\\rm out}$ for this vehicle to depart from this jam queue, and the time interval $T$ for the ramping vehicle to merge into the mainline. Based on Newell's simplified car-following model, we show how $\\tau_{\\rm in}$ changes with the main road flow rate $q_{\\rm main}$. Meanwhile, $T$ is the reciprocal of the ramping road flow rate $q_{\\rm ramp}$. Thus, we analytically derive the macroscopic phase diagram plotted on the $q_{\\rm main}$-versus- $q_{\\rm ramp}$ plane and $ \\tau_{\\rm in}$-versus-$T$ plane based on the proposed model. Further study shows that the new queueing model not only reserves the merits of Newell's model on the microscopic level but helps quantify the contributions of these parameters in characterizing macroscopic congestion patterns as well. Previous approaches distinguished phases merely through simulations, but our model could derive analytical boundaries for the phases. The phase transition conditions obtained by this model agree well with simulations and empirical observations. These findings help reveal the origins of some well-known phenomena during traffic congestion.
Year
DOI
Venue
2012
10.1109/TITS.2012.2203305
IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems
Keywords
Field
DocType
traffic congestion,phase diagram,phase diagram analysis,ramping vehicle,ramping traffic scenarios,automobiles,queueing theory,phase diagrams,traffic flow,ramping road flow rate qramp,on-off ramps,jam queue,temporal-spatial queueing model,newell simplified car-following model,macroscopic phase diagram,road flow rate qmain,road traffic,macroscopic congestion patterns,ramping,merging,traffic flow theory,queuing theory
Reciprocal,Traffic flow,Phase transition,Simulation,Queue,Phase diagram,Queueing theory,Engineering,Newell's car-following model,Traffic congestion
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
13
4
1524-9050
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
2
0.44
6
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Chen X111414.01
Li Li2581109.68
Li Zhiheng37713.27