Optimization as a Tool for Automotive Design

The automobile plays a very important role in the American way of life. The private passenger car has been for generations an expression of a basic American freedom called mobility. In our generation society as a whole, through the federal government, has imposed constraints on the expression of this mobility freedom. These constraints have been imposed in the form of regulations concerning safety, environment and energy. Accordingly, the modern automobile must then be designed to achieve competing objectives in the presence of severe constraints.

Discussed here are modern optimization methods which can be useful in this design environment. Included in the discussion are the very powerful Generalized Reduced Gradient and Method of Multipliers algorithms. Mechanical component and system design examples are given which demonstrate the utility of the optimization approach. Particular attention is given to the engine as a major automotive component. For example, the selection of gear ratios, manifold pressures and shift points during acceleration for minimum fuel consumption is discussed