Freeway ramp metering control made easy and efficient

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple and efficient model-free control approach for freeway ramp metering, utilizing new estimation techniques to avoid complex parameter identification, demonstrated through extensive computer simulations.

Contribution

It presents a novel, straightforward control method for ramp metering that eliminates the need for complex system identification, simplifying implementation.

Findings

Successful application of model-free control to ramp metering

Effective estimation techniques for noisy signal differentiation

Extensive simulations validate the approach

Abstract

"Model-free" control and the related "intelligent" proportional-integral (PI) controllers are successfully applied to freeway ramp metering control. Implementing moreover the corresponding control strategy is straightforward. Numerical simulations on the other hand need the identification of quite complex quantities like the free flow sp\^eed and the critical density. This is achieved thanks to new estimation techniques where the differentiation of noisy signals plays a key r\^ole. Several excellent computer simulations are provided and analyzed.