Calibration and validation of a macroscopic multi-lane traffic flow model using a differential evolution algorithmCalibration and validation of a macroscopic multi-lane traffic flow model using a differential evolution algorithm Πλήρης Δημοσίευση σε Συνέδριο Conference Full Paper 2017-11-132017enThe calibration and validation of second-order macroscopic traffic flow models constitutes a difficult task; and in fact, relatively few calibration results for such macroscopic traffic flow models have been reported so far. This work evaluates a multi-lane second-order macroscopic gas-kinetic traffic (GKT) flow model and its numerical discretization, using real traffic data from a motorway network in the U.K.; where recurrent congestion originated from high on-ramp flows during the morning peak hours is occurring. In the model, the lane-changing terms, simulating lane-changes due to vehicle interactions as well as spontaneous ones, are introduced as source and sink terms in the model equations. The model provides the ability to use different calibration parameters per lane. A high-order finite volume scheme is implemented for spatial discretization, while time integration is based on a high-order implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta method. A relatively new optimization algorithm, namely a parallel, metamodel-assisted Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm, is employed for the calibration of the model parameters by searching for the global optimal solution. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed model is reasonably accurate in reproducing traffic dynamics in the multi-lane framework, while the DE algorithm can be effectively used for its calibration, as well as for other similar macroscopic models.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 321132, project TRAMAN21. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/96th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research BoardProceedings of the 96th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board Porfyri_et_al_TRB_2017.pdfChania [Greece]Library of TUC2017-11-13application/pdf2.1 MBfree Porfyri Kalliroi Πορφυρη Καλλιρροη Delis Anargyros Δελης Αναργυρος Nikolos Ioannis Νικολος Ιωαννης Papageorgiou Markos Παπαγεωργιου Μαρκος Transportation Research Board Macroscopic traffic flow model Multi-Lane Calibration Validation Differential 24 evolution algorithm