IBM researchers working with Dallara have demonstrated a machine-learning model that evaluates race-car diffuser designs in about ten seconds, compared with several hours for conventional computational fluid dynamics. In a comparison using an LMP2-like car, both approaches selected the same optimal design. The model learned from Dallara's engineering-validated simulations and was tested on held-out examples.
The Gauge-Invariant Spectral Transformer, or GIST, uses both mesh coordinates and their connections to represent detailed aerodynamic surfaces. The work includes Cristiano Malossi's team at IBM Research Zurich. These are preliminary simulation results for design screening; performance on unfamiliar vehicles still needs validation. Quantum computing is a proposed future direction, not part of the demonstrated acceleration.
