BFT 4053
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Types of flow
• Uninterrupted flow - flow regulated by
vehicle-vehicle interactions and interactions
between vehicles and the roadway. (example,
vehicles traveling on an interstate highway)
• Interrupted flow - Flow regulated by an
external means, such as a traffic signal. (Under
interrupted flow conditions, vehicle-vehicle
interactions and vehicle-roadway interactions
play a secondary role in defining the traffic
flow)
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Speed-Flow-Density Relationship
• Speed, flow, and density are all related to each
other.
• Under uninterrupted flow conditions, speed,
density, and flow are all related by the following
equation:
q = kv
• Where:
q = flow (vehicles/hour), k = Density (vehicles/mile,
vehicles/kilometer), v = Speed (miles/hour, kilometers/hour)
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Greenshield’s Model
• Able to develop a model of uninterrupted
traffic flow that predicts and explains the
trends that are observed in real traffic flows.
• While Greenshield’s model is not perfect, it is
fairly accurate and relatively simple.
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Greenshield assumption
• Under uninterrupted flow
conditions, speed and
density are linearly related. Speed
• This relationship is
expressed mathematically
and graphically below. (See A = free flow
figure) speed
• Where:
v = speed (miles/hour,
kilometers/hour)
A,B = constants determined
from field observations Density
k = density (vehicles/mile,
vehicles/kilometer)
Greenshield assumption
• Inserting Greenshield’s speed-
density relationship into the
Flow = q dq/dk = A – 2Bk
general speed-flow-density
(maximum flow)
relationship yields the following
equations: setting dq/dK = 0
yields:
q = (A-Bk)k or k = A/(2B)
q = Ak – Bk2
Where:
q = flow (vehicles/hour)
A,B = constants
k = density (vehicles/mile,
vehicles/kilometer) Density = k
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• Substituting the
optimum speed and
density into the speed- V = Speed
flow-density
relationship yields the
maximum flow.
q = (A – Bk)k
q = Ak – Bk2 , k = A/2B
= A (A/2B) – B(A/2B)2
= A2/2B – BA2/4B2
q = density
= A2/4B
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Reductions in speed cause the The slope of the line Curved portions of the
slopes of the lines to flatten represents the speed of the trajectories represent vehicles
vehicle undergoing speed changes
such as deceleration.
headway
• Acceleration causes the time-
space curve for the
accelerating vehicle to bend
until the new speed is attained.
Spacing • Curves that cross indicate that
the vehicles both shared the
same position at the same
time.
• Unless passing is not
permitted, crossed curves
indicate collisions.
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EXAMPLE
LOOK AT PAGE 224 (EXAMPLE 6.2)
Speed, v Density, k
(km/h), yi (veh/km),
xi
53.2 20
Use the regression analysis to
48.1 27
fit these data to the
greeshields model 44.8 35
40.1 44
37.3 52
35.2 58
34.1 60
27.2 64
20.4 70
17.5 75
14.6 82
13.1 90
11.2 100
8.0 115
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Greenberg model
Greenberg model
• Greenberg assumed a logarithmic relation between speed
and density.
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Example 6.3
GREENBERG MODEL
Shock Waves
• A shock wave propagates along a line of
vehicles in response to changing conditions at
the front of the line.
• Shock waves can be generated by collisions,
sudden increases in speed caused by entering
free flow conditions, or by a number of other
means.
• Basically, a shock wave exists whenever the
traffic conditions change.
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Shock waves
• The equation that is used to estimate the propagation velocity of shock
waves is given below.
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q, flow
Max flow
Original flow
A
Crawl
speed
B
Bottleneck flow
Shock
speed
K, density
• Then:
qB/kB = vB and qA/kA = vA
• Therefore
speed of shock waves, uw = (qB – qA) / (kB – kA)
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5 4 3 2 1
6 5 4 3 2 1
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Example
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A, approaching 1000 40 25
B, middle 1100 20 55
C, downstream 1200 30 40
50
45
A
40
35 C
30
v (mph)
25 B
20
15
10
5
0
0 20 40 60 80
k (vph)
Shockwave
1400
front of platoon 40 mph 30 mph
C 20 mph
1200
A B
Shockwave rear
1000 of platoon
v (mph)
800
600
400
200
0
0 20 40 60 80
k (vph)
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From equation:
uw = (qB – qA) / (kB – kA)
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Shockwave propagation
• Assume greenshield traffic flow model vf represents
the mean free speed and kj the jam density.
Vi = vf (1 – ki/kj)
If x = ki/kj
Therefore, Vi = vf (1 – x)
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uw = vf [1 – (x1 + 1)]
= - (vf) (x1)
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EXAMPLE
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Solution (a)
• From equation uw = vf(1 – 2x1). Where x1 = ki/kj
k x uw
Solution (b)
• Shock wave cause by stopping
uw = vf [1 – (x1 + 1)]
= - (vf) (x1)
x1 = 40/220 = 0.1818
Therefore uw = - (45)(0.1818)
= -8.18 (moving upstream)
t = 5/60 = 1/12 hr
Therefore queue length = 1/12 (8.18)
= 0.68 mi
The number of vehicles in the line = (0.68)(220)
= 150
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Solution (c)
• Shock wave causing by start
Uw = - vf(1-v2/vf) = - vf + v2 = - (vf – v2)
= - (50 – 25)
= - 25 mph upstream
• The starting wave will overtake the stopping wave
at relative speed of -25.0 – (-8.18) = -16.82 mph
• Time to dissipate the line of 0.68 miles =
0.68/16.82 = 0.041 hr = 2.43 minutes
• Point on the roadway will be 0.68 x 0.041 = 1.01
miles upstream from the point of incidents
Try this
• Studies have shown that the traffic flow on a
single-lane approach to a signalised intersection
can be described by the Greenshiled model. If the
jam density on the approach is 130 veh/mi,
determine the velocity of the stopping wave
when the approach signal changes to red if the
density on the approach is 45 veh/mi and the
space mean speed is 40 mi/h. at the end of the
red interval, what length of the approach
upstream from the stop line will vehicles be
affected if the red interval is 35 sec
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References
• http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanu
al/Chapters/trafficflowtheory/Glossary/index.
htm
• Traffic and Highway Engineering : Nicholas
Garber and Lester A. Hoel (2010)
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