Effect of gravitational force upon traffic flow with gradients

Kazuhito Komada, Shuichi Masukura and Takashi Nagatani

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2009, vol. 388, issue 14, 2880-2894

Abstract: We study the effect of gravitational force upon traffic flow on a highway with sag, uphill, and downhill. We extend the optimal velocity model to take into account the gravitational force which acts on vehicles as an external force. We study the traffic states and jamming transitions induced by the slope of highway. We derive the fundamental diagrams (flow-density diagrams) for the traffic flow on the sag, the uphill, and downhill by using the extended optimal velocity model. We clarify where and when traffic jams occur on a highway with gradients. We show the relationship between densities before and after the jam. We derive the dependence of the fundamental diagram on the slope of gradients.

Keywords: Vehicular dynamics; Gravitational force; Gradient; Hill; Traffic jam; Phase transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:388:y:2009:i:14:p:2880-2894

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2009.03.029

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