Automation and Control in Transport

Automation and Control in Transport reviews the significant advances in transport automation and control. All the present and future foreseeable modes of transport, particularly railways, are treated mathematically. Topics range from dynamic systems to route capacity, vehicle spacing, traffic congestion and regulation, and traffic surveillance and control. Vehicle detection and identification, sorting and marshalling, control of acceleration and power, steering, and control of braking are also given consideration. This volume consists of 16 chapters and begins with a discussion of the dynamic behavior of a system (that is, how it responds to changing situations) from the point of view of control engineering. Open-loop systems, closed-loop systems, and the use of a phase-plane diagram to represent the response of a control system are described. The chapters that follow focus on the capacity of a transport system based on the laws for vehicle following, signaling as a means of controlling vehicle spacing in railways, and traffic regulation to address problems of congestion. The reader is also introduced to the use of computers to aid in traffic surveillance and control, means for detecting and identifying the presence of a vehicle, and communication of control signals to moving vehicles. The book concludes by assessing future prospects for transport automation and control. This book will be of interest to traffic engineers as well as students and practitioners of mechanical engineering.