Network for Innovative Sustainable Transportation Co-Simulation (NIST-CS) - Second Stage

Start date: 1 April 2013
End date: 31 August 2024
Value: £6500
Partners and collaborators: University of Liverpool University of Newcastle
Primary investigator: Dr Zhiyuan Lin
External primary investigator: Dr Zhongbei Tian, University of Liverpool
Co-investigators: Professor Ronghui Liu
External co-investigators: Dr David Golightly, Newcastle University
Postgraduate students: N/A

Transport contributes for 27% of UK's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and providing lower-carbon mobility is essential to achieving Net Zero goals by 2050. This might be accomplished by moving to lower carbon modes of mobility (e.g., from road to rail or by increasing active travel), by improving engineering and innovation, or by carbon-optimizing transportation operations.

The NIST-CS network has two objectives: first, to build a community capable of addressing the technical challenges of integrating diverse decarbonisation models, and second, to broaden that community's understanding of a variety of factors that must be understood in order to maximise simulation impact.

In addition to formal networking events, the actions of phase 1 have identified a larger group of academic and industry/policy partners who may be involved going ahead. We have identified three common study issues (operation, energy, and human behaviour) for decarbonizing multimodal modes of transportation, such as road, rail, and water. The theme leaders have been selected to form a core group of members who have organised events and encouraged networks.

We have identified a study need in our understanding of the interplay and optimisation of the multimodal transport operation, energy, and human aspects after six months of activities and conversations. The primary goal is to enable multidisciplinary academics to work together to produce a proof of concept for a co-simulation tool that can incorporate several simulation models to handle interaction and related transport issues.

On the basis of the second phase's technological pilot work, we will deploy unique techniques to cut greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on transport operations and energy management. This will not only investigate the technical needs for multi-disciplinary simulation, but it will also serve as a demonstration that we will utilise as an engagement tool with the broader network to highlight potential for collaboration in co-simulation for transport decarbonisation.

We will build a concrete demonstration of the value of co-simulation, and collaborative working across N8 partners. This will be delivered through collaborative simulation work from three N8 institutions (Liverpool [power optimisation], Leeds [timetable optimisation], Newcastle [co-simulation platform; human performance] working together to solve a common problem.