Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2021
26th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
A Simple Physical Model to Study the Relationship Between the Individual Automobile Properties and the Collective Traffic Behavior
Submission Author:
Maurício Santos , PE
Co-Authors:
Maurício Santos, Fernando Wesley Cavalcanti de Araujo, Guilherme Medeiros Soares de Andrade, Fabio Magnani
Presenter: Maurício Santos
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2021.COB2021-0350
Abstract
The physical parameters of automobiles (e.g, mass and drag coefficient) are important factors that influence their acceleration and energy consumption. However, automobiles do not travel alone. Their behavior also depends on the traffic conditions. Traffic is a complex system composed by many vehicles that interact at any given instant in a way the individual properties strongly influence the collective behavior. In general, there is a limitation in the way the studies are performed. Since the engine, vehicle, and traffic are compartmentalized in their areas of study, the correlation between the individual cars and the collective traffic is not fully analyzed. In this study, it is proposed a simple traffic model that takes into account the mass, aerodynamic drag, engine power, maximum speed allowed by law, strategies to avoid a collision, and the driver’s wish to accelerate. The scenario of simulation is a single-lane oval track, where different number of vehicles are placed. The results of the simulation with different traffic conditions reproduce the fundamental relationship between density, speed, and traffic flow with a triangular shape. Furthermore, the densities of vehicles on the track are also related with restriction in traveling speed. In the free traffic state, the speed limit of the track (defined by law) is the main cause of speed restriction, while in congested traffic the safety is the major responsible for vehicle behavior. Besides, doubling the mass and maximum acceleration desired by the driver results in a difference of 1.7% and 3.1% in the maximum traffic flow, while increasing the maximum deceleration desired by the driver decreased the maximum traffic flow by 55%. However, all parametric studies displayed meaningful differences in the energy analysis.
Keywords
complex system, traffic model, Fuel consumption, fuel economy, engine model
