The Network for Innovative Sustainable Transport Co-Simulation (NIST-CS) has demonstrated how co-simulation can help disparate research teams come together to solve multidisciplinary problems
A network funded by the N8 Research Partnership – the collective body for the North’s eight research intensive universities – is bringing together multiple disciplines that will contribute to decarbonising the UK’s transport sector.
The Network for Innovative Sustainable Transport Co-Simulation (NIST-CS) is one of four research communities supported through the N8 Collabor8 Fund. This fund was established to mobilise proactive researcher-led communities of scale across the N8 and create a culture shift in collaborative working.
Led by Dr David Golightly from Newcastle University, and Dr Zhongbei Tian, formerly of the University of Liverpool and now based at the University of Birmingham, NIST-CS connects partners from across the N8 and beyond. Its formation was driven by the need for collaborative, multidisciplinary research into the interconnected factors of transport planning being deployed to meet net zero targets. It does this via a focus on a co-simulation approach, pioneered by Newcastle University.
NIST-CS is dedicated to establishing, coordinating, and enhancing capabilities and expertise in system co-simulation. The network’s goal is to optimise decarbonised transport solutions for the UK, addressing the issue holistically.
Traditionally, different aspects of transport planning would be modelled in isolation, making collaborative efforts challenging due to the use of disparate simulation software. NIST-CS is advocating a technique that enables different teams to collaborate through a common simulation interface, allowing seamless integration of separate simulations.
Their technical work has focused on delivering proof of concept through a collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle. Each university contributes its unique expertise: Leeds examines transport timetabling; Liverpool focuses on powering transport; and Newcastle studies driver performance. Using Newcastle’s co-simulation approach, these teams are able to address important issues in the decarbonisation of the transport sector simultaneously.
As a demonstration of this co-simulation technique, the three universities have worked together on a simulation of the Merseyrail network, which is able to calculate the impact of changing factors such as train timetables on power requirements, allowing conclusions to be drawn on the most environmentally friendly ways to timetable railways.
The co-simulation exemplifies the universities’ ability to collaborate on complex, multidisciplinary engineering projects, and has led to each team gaining a more comprehensive understanding of factors beyond their specific research areas.
An event held in June at Newcastle University, made possible by the Collabor8 award, gathered around 50 researchers and industry representatives to explore the potential of co-simulation for transport decarbonisation. This forum allowed researchers to showcase their own simulations – including applications in rail, aircraft scheduling and urban parcel deliveries – and discuss collaborative opportunities on interconnected research areas.
The aims of the event were to promote the value and methods of a co-simulation approach for transport decarbonisation and sustainability, share breaking work in simulation across all aspects and modes of transport, and explore the opportunities for future collaboration across N8 and beyond.
Professor John Fitzgerald, Dean (Strategic Projects), Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering at Newcastle University, set the scene, outlining some of the challenges with co-simulation and encouraging the audience to consider: what the desired outcomes of the co-simulation were, what models were needed and who owns them, how the models were expressed, and how meaningful results have been ensured. Keynote speaker Dr Claudio Gomez of Aarhus University in Denmark, then presented the techniques and applications of co-simulation.
One of the projects presented explored the feasibility of Functional Mock-up Units (FMU)-based co-simulation for rail decarbonisation. Four institutions worked together to generate the next iteration of the Newcastle model, generating minimum viable product power outputs and systems effects and to learn more about FMU in the process. The team found that conceptual integration was key, along with scheduling resources, finding common ground and establishing smaller technical working groups.
Other presentations looked at a range of simulation topics including agent-based modelling to assess provision for electric vehicles, and sustainable travel; simulation for optimised airport operation; logistics operations; and sustainable logistics. A vital part of the day was the contribution from industry speakers, including representatives from Atkins Realis and Enotrac, who set the scene in terms of what the transport sector needs, and emphasising the importance of prioritising projects where co-simulation can add the greatest value.
The event closed with a set of reflections from both academic and industry representatives, which emphasised the wealth of opportunities for cross-sector collaboration that arise from the use of co-simulation approaches, and the importance of considering the human and behavioural element when modelling transport systems.
Stephen Parkinson, Research Partnership Manager at N8, said:
“We are extremely pleased to have been able to support the establishment of the NIST-CS network, via our Collabor8 Fund. We are very encouraged by the way that the community has grown over the past two years, not just within the N8 universities but also with industry partners, transport authorities, and researchers across the UK and beyond.
“We look forward to supporting the network as it continues to develop to tackle shared challenges to deliver on transport decarbonisation as a vital component of achieving the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
Dr David Golightly, Human-Systems Integration Lecturer at Newcastle University, said:
“This event was about bringing together people with a shared interest in co-simulation in transport decarbonisation. Our ambition is to establish a knowledge-sharing network across the N8 universities, and beyond, exchanging models and best practice to reach solutions. We hope the event has inspired researchers across different universities and research disciplines to identify areas in which they can collaborate to solve complex problems.
“Through co-simulation, this kind of interdisciplinary collaboration has the potential to create more efficient and comprehensive solutions to complex problems, benefitting researchers of all disciplines and leading to better research outcomes.”
Dr Zhongbei Tian, Assistant Professor in Transport Energy Systems at the University of Birmingham, said:
“Following the event, NIST-CS will continue to provide practical guidance for researchers on utilising co-simulation for multidisciplinary research projects. This work aims to inspire and enable further collaborative efforts, reinforcing the N8 Collabor8 Fund’s mission to create a culture shift in collaborative working across the North of England’s research-intensive universities.”
Find out more about the Network for Innovative Sustainable Transport Co-Simulation here.