DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF SECOND-GENERATION ANALOG MERGING CONTROLLERS

THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING IS DOCUMENTED OF ANALOG RAMP CONTROLLERS CONSTRUCTED TO FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS BASED ON A MULTI-LEVEL CONTROL CONCEPT. IN THIS CONCEPT, THE USER CAN EXERCISE VARYING DEGREES OF CONTROL DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF CONTROL DESIRED AND AT A MINIMIZED COST. THE COMPLETE SET OF CONTROLLER FUNCTIONS AND OPERATIONS ARE DEFINED. THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION IS MERGING CONTROL USING GAP ACCEPTANCE PRINCIPLES WITH PROVISION FOR OPERATION IN A FIXED METERING MODE DETERMINED BY SEVERAL OVERRIDES AND ALSO INCLUDES MULTIPLE VEHICLE RELEASE OPTIONS. CONTROLLERS WERE CONSTRUCTED TO FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS BASED ON THE ABOVE PRINCIPLES. DESIGN AND FUNCTIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN THE CONTROLLERS PRECLUDED MEANINGFUL ANALYSES TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VARIOUS CONTROL CONFIGURATIONS. REVISED FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS BASED ON SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CONTROLLER OPERATION ARE PRESENTED. PROPER CONSIDERATION OF THESE WITH RATHER RIGID SPECIFICATION OF THE PRECISION REQUIRED IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE VARIOUS PARAMETERS AND COMPONENT RELIABILITY SHOULD PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT RAMP MERGING CONTROLLERS FOR OPERATION OF ISOLATED FREEWAY RAMPS. /BPR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M Research Foundation

  College Station, TX  United States  77843

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas State Department of Highways & Public Transp

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Buhr, J H
  • Brewer, K A
  • McCasland, W R
  • Whitson, R H
• Publication Date: 1970-7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analog computers; Control; Costs; Freeways; Gap acceptance; Merging traffic; Specifications
• Uncontrolled Terms: Controllers
• Old TRIS Terms: Analog systems
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224952
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Report/Paper Numbers: 3522-082
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 28 1970 12:00AM