National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Vehicle Systems Analysis

Optimization and Distributed Computing

NREL's vehicle systems analysts use optimization tools and distributed computing capabilities to complement our modeling efforts.

Optimization

Beyond simulation and modeling, we use optimization tools to find the best combination of vehicle components and characteristics. For example, sometimes we find two or more vehicle design objectives—such as power and fuel economy—in competition. Optimizing often involves compromising some or all vehicle characteristics to find the most desirable overall effect.

Our optimization capabilities include both gradient-based (each value change occurs in a routine increment) and nongradient-based (value changes occur randomly) techniques.

To set up a framework for future analysis, we've also applied optimization tools to explore the unique capabilities of two vehicle models: CRUISE and PSAT. We linked tools from these models to better solve vehicle system problems.

See our publications about optimization for more information.

Distributed Computing

We use our distributed computing experience for optimizing vehicle system designs and evaluating the potential impact of new, advanced vehicle technologies. To handle the heavy demand for computer-intensive mathematical calculations, we can tap into the computational capability of NREL's distributed computing system, which makes the analysis process more efficient.