Optimization of a parametric product design using techno-economic assessment and environmental characteristics with application to an electric traction motor

Accelerating the development of clean energy technologies is required to move towards a sustainable future. New design approaches are being proposed to help accelerate these developments. This study proposes and improves a novel design framework that incorporates life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) with an optimization-based design model of a discrete product at early stage. Objective functions for mass, energy consumption, and two metrics relating to manufacturer and consumer economic interests are considered; these objectives are minimized using a Pareto-like approach. An electric traction motor for an electric vehicle is used as a discrete product case study. The approach demonstrates the utility of considering four-objectives in the design problem, uncertainty analysis via Monte Carlo simulation, and the power of employing LCA and TEA methods. Future work may explore a broader range of objective functions to cover different challenges that inhibit the development of clean energy technologies.