A Continuum model for pedestrian flow with explicit consideration of crowd force and panic effects

Haoyang Liang, Jie Du and S.C. Wong

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 2021, vol. 149, issue C, 100-117

Abstract: This paper proposes a second-order pedestrian model that comprises two types of equations: continuity equation and a set of transport equations. To complete the model, we develop Eikonal equations to explicitly consider the effects of the collective decisions of individuals and crowd pressure on pedestrian dynamics. Then, the crowd movement is simulated using a set of partial differential equations under appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Based on the stability requirements derived by performing a standard linear stability analysis, suitable parameters are selected to test the model in a numerical example. The proposed second-order system is then solved using the characteristic-wise third-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO3) scheme, and the Eikonal equations are solved using the fast sweeping method. The numerical results indicate the effectiveness of the model because the derived local flow-density relationship produces a second peak in the high-density region, which is consistent with previous empirical studies. Besides, the applicability of the model to an unstable condition is verified through the simulation of complex phenomena such as stop-and-go waves. Furthermore, the estimate of crowd pressure in the simulation results can be used as a risk-level indicator for crowd management and control.

Keywords: Pedestrian flow; Higher-order traffic model; Crowd force; Numerical solution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261521000849
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:transb:v:149:y:2021:i:c:p:100-117

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

DOI: 10.1016/j.trb.2021.05.006

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological is currently edited by Fred Mannering

More articles in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().