CONTROL CONSIDERATIONS FOR SHORT-HEADWAY ACGV SYSTEMS

TEN PROPOSED CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED AND GUIDED VEHICLES (ACGV) ARE EVALUATED WITH REFERENCE TO HEADWAY AND VELOCITY MAINTENANCE, MERGING OF CARS FROM A SIDING ONTO THE MAIN LINE, AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE. TWO BASIC TYPES OF SHORT-HEADWAY CONTROL SYSTEMS ARE IDENTIFIED: THOSE WHICH EMPLOY MODIFIED CONVENTIONAL BLOCK CONTROLS AND THOSE WHICH USE INNOVATIVE DIGITIAL PROCESSING. THE EVALUATION REVEALED THAT BLOCK CONTROLS ARE INADEQUATE FOR MAINTAINING SHORT HEADWAYS IN AN ACGV CONFIGURATION. HEADWAY REGULATION REQUIREMENTS, VEHICLE CONTROLLER DYNAMICS, AND MERGING PROBLEMS ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. ALTHOUGH CONVENTIONAL BLOCK CONTROLS ARE INAPPLICABLE FOR SHORT-HEADWAY OPERATIONS, THEY POSSESS DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES OF FAIL-SAFE RELIABILITY AND PROVEN EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD. POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS TO THE CONVENTIONAL SYSTEM ARE EXPLORED WITH REFERENCE TO THE THEORETICAL CAPACITY, HEADWAY REGULATION, COLLISION AVOIDANCE, AND VELOCITY COMPUTING CIRCUITRY. CANDIDATE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS ARE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED; VARIOUS COMPUTER DESIGNS ARE DISCUSSED WITH REFERENCE TO INTERFACE AND SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. /UMTA/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • PROJ NO TRD-73
• Corporate Authors:

  Johns Hopkins University

  Urban Systems Lab
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • HINMAN, E J
• Publication Date: 1971-10

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automatic control; Command guidance; Communications; Computers; Control systems; Guideways; Headways; Personal rapid transit; Vehicles
• Old TRIS Terms: Command systems
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Terminals and Facilities; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226467
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 7 1972 12:00AM