HYDRODYNAMIC APPROACHES

THE APPLICATION IS DISCUSSED OF FLUID FLOW PRINCIPLES TO THE TRAFFIC STREAM. REGARDING TRAFFIC AS A HYDRODYNAMIC FLOW BASES THE ANALYSES ON A PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION EXPRESSING THE CONSERVATION OF MATTER AND AN ASSUMED EMPIRICAL RELATION BETWEEN THE FLOW AND CONCENTRATION. THE SOLUTION OF THE EQUATION INDICATES THAT DISCONTINUITIES IN THE TRAFFIC FLOW ARE PROPAGATED IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO SHOCK WAVES IN THE THEORY OF COMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS. AN APPROACH IS PRESENTED TO THE BEHAVIOR OF SHOCK WAVES IN THE TRAFFIC STREAM. THE LIGHTHILL-WHITHAM AND RICHARDS THEORIES ARE COMPARED.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr79/79-001.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 4 FIG. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board

  2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC    20418
• Authors:
  • Pipes, L A
• Publication Date: 1964

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: p. 1-5
• Monograph Title: AN INTRODUCTION TO TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 79
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Flow; Fluid dynamics; Hydrodynamics; Mathematical analysis; Partial differential equations; Shock waves; Theory; Traffic congestion; Traffic flow; Traffic flow theory; Traffic surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fluid flow; Traffic studies
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00227256
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 17 2001 12:00AM