Conflict Entropy-Based Optimization of Vehicle Scheduling in Tunnel Traffic Networks

Area of Science:

• Transportation Engineering
• Traffic Management Systems
• Operations Research

Background:

• Long and large tunnels present significant safety and efficiency challenges for transportation scheduling due to complex environments and multi-vehicle coordination needs.
• Existing research often lacks integration between path planning and dynamic traffic, timetable and path coordination, and comprehensive conflict management.
• Advancing the Transportation Power Strategy necessitates improved solutions for tunnel traffic scheduling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive optimization model for construction vehicle scheduling in tunnel traffic networks.
• To address shortcomings in path planning, timetable-path coordination, and conflict management within tunnel environments.
• To enhance the safety and efficiency of transportation scheduling in long and large tunnels.

Main Methods:

• Proposed an adaptive social force-BPR path planning model with collision compensation, optimizing weights using the improved Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) algorithm.
• Established a constraint system for paths, spatio-temporal logic, and three conflict types (crossing, head-on, congestion).
• Utilized an improved Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) for collaborative optimization of departure intervals and paths, incorporating a conflict entropy repair operator.

Main Results:

• The optimized model achieved a minimum total scheduling time of 136 minutes and only 2 conflicts, completely avoiding high-risk head-on and congestion conflicts.
• Optimal parameters identified include a repulsion coefficient (k_f) of 20 for the social force model and a maximum departure interval of 8 minutes.
• The conflict entropy repair operator effectively quantified conflict chaos and guided scheduling adjustments using a 'priority ranking-dynamic delay' logic.

Conclusions:

• The developed vehicle scheduling scheme provides scientific and feasible technical support for coordinated construction vehicle operations in long and large tunnels.
• The research contributes to the theory of tunnel traffic scheduling by integrating path planning, scheduling, and conflict resolution.
• The findings support the safe and efficient operation of transportation systems within challenging tunnel infrastructures.