Exploring the effect of guide walls and velocity standard deviation on emergency evacuation process by DEM simulation

초록

This study investigates how exit angle, velocity heterogeneity, and inflow conditions jointly influence one-way emergency evacuation. Building on a validated social-force Discrete Element Method (DEM), we extend the model by introducing controllable inflow regimes (steady and unsteady) and desired-velocity variability characterized by the standard deviation. Simulations were conducted for exit angles of 0 degrees, 45 degrees, and 75 degrees under different crowd densities to analyze their combined effects on evacuation performance and the emergence of the Faster-is-Slower (FIS) phenomenon. The results show that wider exit angles enhance flow efficiency at high densities but can trigger FIS at lower thresholds. Velocity heterogeneity increases flow fluctuations under unsteady inflow but shows little effect in steady conditions. These results extend DEM-based evacuation models by clarifying the coupled influence of guide wall angle and velocity on collective escape dynamics, providing mechanistic insight into a mouse-inspired agent system and a conceptual basis for future evacuation research.

키워드