Numerical Tool Optimization for Advanced Rocket Nozzle Performance Prediction

A number of Altitude-Compensating Nozzle concepts have been developed through the years, to reduce nozzle performance losses. One of the most promising concepts is the dual- bell nozzle, where the flow is capable of auto-adapting at low and high altitude without the use of mechanical devices. This paper focuses on the optimization and validation of an in- house solver for the prediction of the flow field in advanced rocket nozzles, with emphasis on dual-bell rocket nozzles. Numerical efforts are concentrated on predicting transition from one operating mode to the other, since low and high altitude operating modes are both well known stable conditions. Both steady state and transient problems are considered and the performances of different numerical schemes are investigated

Efficient N-to-M Checkpointing Algorithm for Finite Element Simulations

In this work, we introduce a new algorithm for N-to-M checkpointing in finite element simulations. This new algorithm allows efficient saving/loading of functions representing physical quantities associated with the mesh representing the physical domain. Specifically, the algorithm allows for using different numbers of parallel processes for saving and loading, allowing for restarting and post-processing on the process count appropriate to the given phase of the simulation and other conditions. For demonstration, we implemented this algorithm in PETSc, the Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation, and added a convenient high-level interface into Firedrake, a system for solving partial differential equations using finite element methods. We evaluated our new implementation by saving and loading data involving 8.2 billion finite element degrees of freedom using 8,192 parallel processes on ARCHER2, the UK National Supercomputing Service

GEMS: A Fully Integrated PETSc-Based Solver for Coupled Cardiac Electromechanics and Bidomain Simulations

Cardiac contraction is coordinated by a wave of electrical excitation which propagates through the heart. Combined modeling of electrical and mechanical function of the heart provides the most comprehensive description of cardiac function and is one of the latest trends in cardiac research. The effective numerical modeling of cardiac electromechanics remains a challenge, due to the stiffness of the electrical equations and the global coupling in the mechanical problem. Here we present a short review of the inherent assumptions made when deriving the electromechanical equations, including a general representation for deformation-dependent conduction tensors obeying orthotropic symmetry, and then present an implicit-explicit time-stepping approach that is tailored to solving the cardiac mono- or bidomain equations coupled to electromechanics of the cardiac wall. Our approach allows to find numerical solutions of the electromechanics equations using stable and higher order time integration. Our methods are implemented in a monolithic finite element code GEMS (Ghent Electromechanics Solver) using the PETSc library that is inherently parallelized for use on high-performance computing infrastructure. We tested GEMS on standard benchmark computations and discuss further development of our software

Flexible, Scalable Mesh and Data Management using PETSc DMPlex

Designing a scientific software stack to meet the needs of the next-generation of mesh-based simulation demands, not only scalable and efficient mesh and data management on a wide range of platforms, but also an abstraction layer that makes it useful for a wide range of application codes. Common utility tasks, such as file I/O, mesh distribution, and work partitioning, should be delegated to external libraries in order to promote code re-use, extensibility and software interoperability. In this paper we demonstrate the use of PETSc's DMPlex data management API to perform mesh input and domain partitioning in Fluidity, a large scale CFD application. We demonstrate that raising the level of abstraction adds new functionality to the application code, such as support for additional mesh file formats and mesh re- ordering, while improving simulation startup cost through more efficient mesh distribution. Moreover, the separation of concerns accomplished through this interface shifts critical performance and interoperability issues, such as scalable I/O and file format support, to a widely used and supported open source community library, improving the sustainability, performance, and functionality of Fluidity

A Distributed Approach to solve Power Flow problems in new emerging scenarios

Distributed Computing is growing up in interest in many applied fields of scientific research. Power system operation is becoming increasingly complex due to the Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) integration at various voltage levels. In this context, the need to automate grid operation is ever fundamental in order to ensure adequate levels of reliability, flexibility and cost effectiveness of power systems. This report shall be intended as a support for the understanding of methodological aspects and principles for the solution of power flow equations through a distributed approach, in a context where multiple interacting entities share a portion of their grids and want to align their computation in an automated way. The aim is both to give the reader a comprehensive overview of the software used for the implementation, the Portable Scientific Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation - PETSc, and the principles followed to build the Distributed Power Flow Solver as well as the specific features that make it different from other distributed solvers available in the literature. Additionally, two frameworks are presented as potential applications for the model. The European transmission networks level, in the context of capacity calculation, and the transmission-distribution networks coupling. In the beginning a short literature review on both frameworks is presented.JRC.C.3-Energy Security, Distribution and Market