Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Parallel connection”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13

A Data Parallel Multizone Navier-Stokes Code

We have developed a data parallel multizone compressible Navier-Stokes code on the Connection Machine CM-5. The code is set up for implicit time-stepping on single or multiple structured grids. For multiple grids and geometrically complex problems, we follow the "chimera" approach, where flow data on one zone is interpolated onto another in the region of overlap. We will describe our design philosophy and give some timing results for the current code. The design choices can be summarized as: 1. finite differences on structured grids; 2. implicit time-stepping with either distributed solves or data motion and local solves; 3. sequential stepping through multiple zones with interzone data transfer via a distributed data structure. We have implemented these ideas on the CM-5 using CMF (Connection Machine Fortran), a data parallel language which combines elements of Fortran 90 and certain extensions, and which bears a strong similarity to High Performance Fortran (HPF). One interesting feature is the issue of turbulence modeling, where the architecture of a parallel machine makes the use of an algebraic turbulence model awkward, whereas models based on transport equations are more natural. We will present some performance figures for the code on the CM-5, and consider the issues involved in transitioning the code to HPF for portability to other parallel platforms.

Jespersen, Dennis C.↗

Reverse time migration: A seismic processing application on the connection machine

The implementation of a reverse time migration algorithm on the Connection Machine, a massively parallel computer is described. Essential architectural features of this machine as well as programming concepts are presented. The data structures and parallel operations for the implementation of the reverse time migration algorithm are described. The algorithm matches the Connection Machine architecture closely and executes almost at the peak performance of this machine.

Fiebrich, Rolf-Dieter↗

rustpix

rustpix is a high-performance, open-source Rust library with first-class Python bindings (via PyO3) for processing pixel-detector data in neutron imaging. It targets time-stamping detectors such as Timepix3 (TPX3) at ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source (VENUS beamline), where each detected neutron deposits charge across a cluster of pixels within a very high-rate event stream (96M+ hits/sec). rustpix parses TPX3 event data in parallel using memory-mapped I/O, offers four interchangeable clustering algorithms (ABS adjacency-based search, DBSCAN, graph/union-find connected components, and a parallel grid method), and extracts weighted, super-resolved centroids to produce neutron-event lists. A streaming architecture lets it process files larger than available memory. rustpix is distributed as a pip-installable Python package (with NumPy integration), Rust crates, a command-line tool, and an interactive GUI; it writes HDF5, Apache Arrow, and CSV; and it is designed to extend to TPX4 and other detector types. Released as open-source under the MIT License.

Zhang, Chen [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL),↗

Partitioning problems in parallel, pipelined and distributed computing

The problem of optimally assigning the modules of a parallel program over the processors of a multiple computer system is addressed. A Sum-Bottleneck path algorithm is developed that permits the efficient solution of many variants of this problem under some constraints on the structure of the partitions. In particular, the following problems are solved optimally for a single-host, multiple satellite system: partitioning multiple chain structured parallel programs, multiple arbitrarily structured serial programs and single tree structured parallel programs. In addition, the problems of partitioning chain structured parallel programs across chain connected systems and across shared memory (or shared bus) systems are also solved under certain constraints. All solutions for parallel programs are equally applicable to pipelined programs. These results extend prior research in this area by explicitly taking concurrency into account and permit the efficient utilization of multiple computer architectures for a wide range of problems of practical interest.

Bokhari, S.↗

Microfabricated ion trap chip with an integrated microwave antenna

An ion trap chip, which may be used for quantum information processing and the like, includes an integrated microwave antenna. The antenna is formed as a radiator connected by one of its ends to the center trace of a microwave transmission line and connected by its other end to a current return path through a ground trace of the microwave transmission line. The radiator includes several parallel, coplanar radiator traces connected in series. The radiator traces are connected such that they all carry electric current in the same direction, so that collectively, they simulate a single, unidirectionally flowing sheet of current. In embodiments, induced currents in underlying metallization planes are suppressed by parallel slots that extend in a direction perpendicular to the radiator traces.

Nordquist, Christopher↗

Partitioning problems in parallel, pipelined, and distributed computing

The problem of optimally assigning the modules of a parallel program over the processors of a multiple-computer system is addressed. A sum-bottleneck path algorithm is developed that permits the efficient solution of many variants of this problem under some constraints on the structure of the partitions. In particular, the following problems are solved optimally for a single-host, multiple-satellite system: partitioning multiple chain-structured parallel programs, multiple arbitrarily structured serial programs, and single-tree structured parallel programs. In addition, the problem of partitioning chain-structured parallel programs across chain-connected systems is solved under certain constraints. All solutions for parallel programs are equally applicable to pipelined programs. These results extend prior research in this area by explicitly taking concurrency into account and permit the efficient utilization of multiple-computer architectures for a wide range of problems of practical interest.

Bokhari, Shahid H.↗

Measuring Multiple Resistances Using Single-Point Excitation

In a proposed method of determining the resistances of individual DC electrical devices connected in a series or parallel string, no attempt would be made to perform direct measurements on individual devices. Instead, (1) the devices would be instrumented by connecting reactive circuit components in parallel and/or in series with the devices, as appropriate; (2) a pulse or AC voltage excitation would be applied at a single point on the string; and (3) the transient or AC steady-state current response of the string would be measured at that point only. Each reactive component(s) associated with each device would be distinct in order to associate a unique time-dependent response with that device.

Hall, Dan↗

Cross-fertilization between connectionist networks and highly parallel architectures

The theoretical and practical connections between connectionist schemes such as neural-network computers and traditional symbolic processing architectures involving a high degree of parallelism are explored, reviewing the results of recent investigations. Topics addressed include data flow, data structure, and control flow; conventional pointers; associative addressing; hashing and reduced representations; the problem of binding values to variables; and levels of parallelism. It is concluded that connectionism is more closely related to traditional computer science and technology than is generally admitted; more cooperation between followers of the two approaches is recommended.

Barnden, John↗

Computer based analyses of the response of box type structures to random pressures.

Analysis of the vibration of the internal structure of a relatively simple flight vehicle structural model consisting of a multicellular box in which two parallel outer face plates (skins) are connected together by several internal plates (ribs) which are parallel to each other and normal to the face plates. Such a box is representative of a wing or stabilizer structure. Three representations of the structure were considered in the computation. The simplest model which can account for the coupling between the face plates and the ribs is a two-dimensional assembly of beams. A more realistic, yet still simple, three-dimensional model has been developed using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The third computational method employed was the NASTRAN finite-element displacement method. The computational results are compared with experimental data.

Clarkson, B. L.↗

Parallel adaptive mesh refinement techniques for plasticity problems

The accurate modeling of the nonlinear properties of materials can be computationally expensive. Parallel computing offers an attractive way for solving such problems; however, the efficient use of these systems requires the vertical integration of a number of very different software components, we explore the solution of two- and three-dimensional, small-strain plasticity problems. We consider a finite-element formulation of the problem with adaptive refinement of an unstructured mesh to accurately model plastic transition zones. We present a framework for the parallel implementation of such complex algorithms. This framework, using libraries from the SUMAA3d project, allows a user to build a parallel finite-element application without writing any parallel code. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach on widely varying parallel architectures, we present experimental results from an IBM SP parallel computer and an ATM-connected network of Sun UltraSparc workstations. The results detail the parallel performance of the computational phases of the application during the process while the material is incrementally loaded.

Barry, W. J.↗

Three-dimensional object tracking system and method employing plural sensors and plural processors for performing parallel processing

A multiple sensor/multiple processor 3-D tracking system includes multiple sensor (camera) and DSP combinations and a controller connected so as to create a parallel computer from the multiple DSPs. The camera/DSP combinations and the controller are connected together to form a ring. For 3-D position measurement and tracking applications, each camera/DSP combination is programmed with an identical program to function as a node in a true parallel computer, and the transformation equations are solved in a distributed fashion using the entire parallel machine. The distributed processor processes the camera x and y point measurements in a distributed and parallel fashion to yield a solution to the coordinate transformation equations much more quickly than is possible with multiple camera/DSP combinations and a single processor.

Welch, Sharon S.↗

Integral Kernel Methods for Nonlinear Parabolic-Elliptic Systems

Nonlinear parabolic-elliptic systems arise in many physical, biological, and chemical phenomena such as chemotaxis, ion transport, self-gravitating particles, and Brownian vortices. Existing methods struggle with the strong coupling and high nonlinearity and nonlocality of some of these systems, especially the ill-conditioned, convection-dominated problems. To overcome numerical difficulties, current approaches rely on initial guesses, preconditioning, or iterative techniques with no convergence guarantees. They might suffer from poor scalability, large memory usage, and difficulty to parallelize. Inspired by the connection of parabolic-elliptic systems to stochastic processes, we introduce a novel meshless, monolithic, and fully explicit method that naturally encapsulates the elliptic and parabolic operators into a single step which updates each node deterministically with global information. By being fully quadrature-based, it avoids solving systems of discretized equations and does not utilize initial guesses or preconditioning, while requiring little memory and being easy to parallelize. We first derive the method in an integral kernel formulation with quadratic complexity in the number of integration nodes and then leverage kernel-independent fast multipole methods (FMM) to present a scalable algorithm with linear complexity. We provide numerical examples for the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations in one, two, and three dimensions, together with the derivation of the integral kernel for each case. Furthermore, the examples demonstrate the fast convergence and scalability of the FMM-accelerated algorithm, as well as its suitability for convection-dominated problems, making it competitive against traditional PDE solvers.

PDE systems↗

Multi-Kilowatt Power Module for High-Power Hall Thrusters

Future NASA missions will require high-performance electric propulsion systems. Hall thrusters are being developed at NASA Glenn for high-power, high-specific impulse operation. These thrusters operate at power levels up to 50 kW of power and discharge voltages in excess of 600 V. A parallel effort is being conducted to develop power electronics for these thrusters that push the technology beyond the 5kW state-of-the-art power level. A 10 kW power module was designed to produce an output of 500 V and 20 A from a nominal 100 V input. Resistive load tests revealed efficiencies in excess of 96 percent. Load current share and phase synchronization circuits were designed and tested that will allow connecting multiple modules in parallel to process higher power.

Pinero, Luis R.↗

Mapping unstructured grid problems to the connection machine

We present a highly parallel graph mapping technique that enables one to solve unstructured grid problems on massively parallel computers. Many implicit and explicit methods for solving discretizated partial differential equations require each point in the discretization to exchange data with its neighboring points every time step or iteration. The time spent communicating can limit the high performance promised by massively parallel computing. To eliminate this bottleneck, we map the graph of the irregular problem to the graph representing the interconnection topology of the computer such that the sum of the distances that the messages travel is minimized. We show that, in comparison to a naive assignment of processors, our heuristic mapping algorithm significantly reduces the communication time on the Connection Machine, CM-2.

Hammond, Steven W.↗

Rapid characterization and failure analysis of 6276 rooftop-harvested photovoltaic connectors

Photovoltaic (PV) connectors, which link modules in series and connect PV strings in parallel, have increasingly been recognized as a primary contributor to PV system failures and a source of numerous fire incidents. However, publicly available data on the rates and types of connector failures are scarce, primarily due to the proprietary nature of the information and the need for comprehensive analysis. This study represents the first large-scale investigation of harvested PV connectors, drawing from a dataset of 6276 connectors from residential rooftop solar systems across the United States. The outcome of this work is twofold: 1) we have established a rapid characterization method for large populations of harvested connectors, incorporating visual inspection, resistance measurements, and X-ray imaging; and 2) the analysis made possible by our rapid-processing method has revealed, for a population of connector models provided by a single rooftop installer, failure statistics and insights for various connector makes and models, installation practices, operating currents, and internal component displacements. This research identifies common failure modes that could be considered in future connector designs standards, and operations and maintenance practices, to ultimately improve the reliability of this vital component of PV infrastructure.

MC4↗

Point Defects Control Guest Molecule Diffusion in the 1D Pores of Zn(tbip)

Molecular diffusion plays a critical role in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) within the application of kinetic chemical separations. We carefully study in this work the unexpected role of point defects for short-chain alkanes diffusing in Zn(tbip), an MOF with rigid one-dimensional (1D) channels. Inside a defect-free Zn(tbip), guest molecules are expected to follow single-file diffusion along 1D channels. It has been found previously by Heinke et al. that these parallel 1D channels are connected for molecular diffusion. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that linker vacancy defects could arise under experimentally relevant conditions by removing a pair of linkers. Further climbing-image nudged elastic band (cNEB) DFT calculations indicate that hopping of short-chain alkanes between adjacent 1D channels over defect windows can occur at moderate temperatures. In addition to providing insights into connected adjacent 1D channels in Zn(tbip), Heinke et al. also inferred that most 1D pores are blocked from a microkinetic model. Additionally, we explored the influence of hydrolyzed linker created by the formation of linker removal inside 1D pores. Our DFT calculations show that the linkers can effectively block the pores and the linker diffusion in 1D channels is slow. Our results, for the first time, offer a mechanistic explanation of the unexpected molecular diffusion behavior in this MOF with 1D channels.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A new HVdc Substation Architecture with Higher Power Transfer Capability

The power transferred through high voltage direct current transmission (HVdc) systems is increasing with increased resilience and reliability needs as well as large scale deployment of renewable energy systems. In this paper, a new HVdc substation (SS) architecture with higher power transfer capability is proposed. The HVdc converters or valve groups (VG) are connected in series and parallel fashion such that the total power rating of the SS is increased. The control challenges associated with such SS architecture are identified and appropriate control modifications are proposed. The same is verified through PSCAD based simulations.

Jaldanki, Sreenivasa↗

Design, Control, and Protection of a 13.2 kV, 1 MVA Solid State Transformer for Electric Vehicle Extreme Fast Charging Station

In this article, a medium-voltage (MV) ac-dc solid state transformer (SST) for electric vehicle (EV) extreme fast charging (XFC) station is proposed. The SST adopts a cascaded H-bridge (CHB)-based structure where the active front end (AFE) power stages are connected in input-series followed by dual active bridge (DAB) converters connected in an output-parallel configuration providing galvanic isolation through a high-frequency transformer (HFT). The SST is rated for 1 MVA and connects directly to a three-phase 13.2 kV MV ac grid through ac switchgear and outputs 750-V dc. At the dc bus, several dc/dc converters are connected, each of which can charge an EV based on its battery capacity. A novel decentralized control architecture of the SST is adopted in this work which simplifies the MV dc link voltage and module-level power balancing. In addition, the local and central protection designs of the SST are presented which identify and respond to the internal fault of the system. Finally, the experimental validations of the SST hardware prototype are presented up to the rated voltage. Furthermore, this article details the design and implementation of the MV SST addressing the challenges of an isolated MV class power converter for connecting directly to the MV ac grid with unique controller architecture, distributed protection framework, and SST constructional features.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗