Nonlinear MPC for the improvement of dispersion of freeway traffic emissions

In this paper a model-based traffic control is used to design variable speed limits and onramp metering rates in order to reduce road traffic generated area-wide emissions near freeways. First an area-wide emission model is proposed and next a nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) approach is applied. The objectives of the MPC controller considered are the emissions, dispersions of emissions in a public area near a freeway, travel times, or the combination of these performance indicators. We compare different controlled scenarios with respect to the uncontrolled case and with respect to each other. The simulation-based case studies indicate that balanced solutions can be obtained using the proposed nonlinear MPC control strategy.