A Study on Bus Convoy Energy Consumption using Monte Carlo Analysis

Abstract

This paper introduces an energy consumption model for convoys of busses arriving to a bus stop with limited parking space. As the busses arrive randomly and stay for a fixed amount of time, the Monte Carlo analysis was used to determine the traffic flow and congestions. Simulation results with actual-size busses demonstrate that in a high-density traffic, convoy configurations would always yield higher energy efficiency and lower system energy dissipations. However, in low-density traffic, only for stop times of less than 5 minutes, convoys were more energy efficient compared to non-convoy bus arrivals. It was also observed that when stop times were increased beyond 5 minutes, individual arrival model yielded lower energy consumption. Simulation results and analysis are provided for various bus convoys and stop times.