Regular Article

A continuum model with traffic interruption probability and electronic throttle opening angle effect under connected vehicle environment

¹ School of Transportation and Civil Engineering and Architecture, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, Guangdong, P.R. China
² School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, Guangdong, P.R. China

^a e-mail: ctwtwu@scut.edu.cn

Received: 9 October 2019
Received in final form: 15 January 2020
Published online: 18 March 2020

Abstract

The electronic throttle system is the key component of the intelligent control system of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). Although CAVs are expected to be commercialized in the near future, in practice the disturbances and interruptions are not uncommon along the road. In this paper, we propose a new continuum model considering the traffic interruption probability and the electronic throttle opening angle effect. Based on the linear stability analysis, the stability condition of the proposed model is obtained. The KdV-Burgers equation of the new continuum model is further obtained in the nonlinear analysis. The density solution obtained by solving the above equation can be used to describe the evolution characteristics of traffic flow near the neutral stability curve. Results show that the traffic interruption probability and the electronic throttle opening angle effect has a considerable impact on the stability of traffic flow.