FORCE Tool Suite
The Framework for Optimization of ResourCes and Economics (FORCE) is a collection of software tools developed under the Integrated Energy Systems (IES) program to enable analysis of technical and economic viability of myriad IES configurations. Each of these tools is openly available and free to use.
For more information on using the FORCE tool suite in IES analysis (link).
FARM (Feasible System Actuator) is a RAVEN plugin using a linear state-space representation of process models to predict the system state and output in the future time steps, and to adjust actuation variables to avoid violation of implicit thermomechanical constraints for the individual subsystems and components. For more information and to access the plugin, see https://github.com/Argonne-National-Laboratory/FARM.
HERON (Holistic Energy Resource Optimization Network) is a modeling toolset and RAVEN plugin to accelerate stochastic technoeconomic assessment of the economic viability of grid-energy system configurations. HERON provides tools to generate workflows for grid-energy system portfolio optimization based on stochastically generated time-series and dispatch optimization. The stochastic histories are generated using models developed in RAVEN and are based on historical behaviors in specific markets and geographical regions. For more information and to access the toolset, see https://github.com/idaholab/HERON.
HYBRID is a repository containing a collection of transient process models written in the Modelica language. This repository contains detailed models of various nuclear reactors, energy storage processes, and ancillary processes (e.g., water desalination, hydrogen production) that can be used by researchers to understand the dynamic behavior, integration, and control of integrated energy systems across various time scales. For more information and to access the repository, see https://github.com/idaholab/HYBRID.
RAVEN (Risk Analysis Virtual ENvironment) is a flexible and multi-purpose uncertainty quantification, regression analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, data analysis and model optimization framework. RAVEN is used as an engine for the other software tools, providing quality-assured workflows for robust optimization, synthetic history sampling, multi-code calculations, and machine learning surrogate models. For more information and to access the framework, see https://github.com/idaholab/raven.
TEAL (Tool for Economic AnaLysis) is a RAVEN plugin that enables a workflow to compute the NPV (Net Present Value), IRR (Internal Rate of Return) and the PI (Profitability Index) for a candidate IES using RAVEN. TEAL is primarily used as a resource for HERON, but can also be used to analyze IES configurations with limited time resolution. For more information and to access the plugin, see https://github.com/idaholab/teal.
ORCA (Optimization of Real-time Capacity Allocation) is a modeling tool set to accelerate real-time control and optimization of digital twins, including virtual models of facilities, physical facilities and interconnections to allow optimal control of physical facilities using virtual models. ORCA is enabled by INL's RAVEN and DeepLynx software codes. For more information and to access the plug-in, see https://github.com/idaholab/ORCA.
