Optimal-Control Suggestion for Congestion on Freeways using Data Assimilation of Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a real-time data assimilation method using distributed fiber-optic sensing to optimize traffic control on freeways, significantly improving throughput and speed during congestion.

Contribution

It proposes a novel data assimilation approach for real-time traffic monitoring and optimal control estimation, enabling effective congestion mitigation strategies.

Findings

Optimal control varies with traffic state, especially congestion level.

VSL alone improves throughput by 5-14%.

Combined VSL and inflow control enhance throughput by 10-15% and mean speed by 20-30%.

Abstract

This paper presents the optimal-control suggestion for congestion on freeways using data assimilation (DA) of distributed fiber-optic sensing (DFOS). To simultaneously maximize throughput and avoid/mitigate congestion, it is necessary to execute optimal control for the current traffic state as active transportation and demand management (ATDM) according to multi-objective optimization with real-time monitoring data. However, optimal control cannot be estimated due to intermittent observed data obtained from conventional sensors. To solve the issue, this paper proposes the ATDM optimal control estimation with DA of DFOS, which can monitor traffic flow in real time without dead zones. Our real-time DA method enables us to estimate the effectiveness of control scenarios by simulation. This paper also provides a method to uniquely determine the optimal-control solution among the Pareto solutions for multi-objective optimization. Throughput and mean speed across the entire road are considered as the objective functions. Variable speed limit (VSL) and inflow control are taken as ATDM examples. Validation results on a Japanese freeway show that (i) the optimal control scenario varies depending on the traffic state, especially congestion level; (ii) optimal control considering VSL alone improves throughput by 5-14% while the improvement rate for mean speed is 0-8%; (iii) throughput and mean speed are improved by 10-15% and 20-30%, respectively when VSL and inflow control are considered. This paper also implies the importance of balance management for the lane occupancy and proactive optimal control before congestion occurs.