Energy Dissipation Burst on the Traffic Congestion

Abstract

We introduce an energy dissipation model for traffic flow based on the optimal velocity model (OV model). In this model, vehicles are defined as moving under the rule of the OV model, and energy dissipation rate is defined as the product of the velocity of a vehicle and resistant force which works to it. According to the results of numerical simulation on the periodic boundary condition, the energy dissipation depends on traffic conditions, such as congestion (traffic jam), and therefore depends on parameters and initial conditions of the system. The results of simulation indicate that, although the flux of vehicular transportation is not so different between at a state of free flow and that of congestion, the energy dissipation reveals a burst at a state of congestion. Additionally, how the burst behaves depends on how congestion appears.