Hybrid (OpenMP and MPI) Parallelization of MFIX: A Multiphase CFD Code for Modeling Fluidized Beds

Abstract

We describe the effort and experience in generating a hybrid parallel version of MFIX (Multiphase Flow with Interphase eXchanges), a code for modeling reactive multiphase flow in fluidized beds. The code uses portable OpenMP and MPI in a unified source code. The resulting parallel code has been ported to Beowulf Linux clusters, SGI shared memory multiprocessors, Compaq SC clusters, and an IBM SP. We present hybrid parallel performance results specifically on the 32-way node of IBM SP. This experience is relevant, as most modern high-performance computing (HPC) systems are clusters of SMP nodes. 1. BACKGROUND Fluidized bed reactors have a long history of application in many industrial processes, e.g., in the chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, mineral and fossil fuel processing industries