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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.

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At least 361 records · Page 20

Energy-efficient scientific computing using chemical reservoirs

The rapid growth of computing demands driven by scientific computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements has exposed the limitations of traditional digital processing systems. These systems are nearing physical energy barriers, making significant gains in energy efficiency increasingly unattainable. As we advance toward post-exascale computing, disruptive approaches are critical to overcoming these limitations. Among emerging analog solutions, biochemical computing offers a transformative path for achieving orders-of-magnitude improvements in energy efficiency. By leveraging the natural optimization capabilities of chemical reaction networks (CRNs), biochemical systems have the potential to meet high-performance computing needs through natural scalability. However, numerous challenges remain, including theoretical limitations in mapping computational problems to CRNs and practical barriers in implementing biochemical computing devices. In this paper, we present a framework for chemical computation using biochemical systems and introduce key components of our approach for energy-efficient scientific computing. We showcase the feasibility of this framework by solving a system of ordinary differential equations by emulating a chemical reservoir device, demonstrating its potential for addressing modern computing challenges. This work lays a foundational step toward harnessing the computational power of chemistry to design energy-efficient, scalable, high-performance next-generation computing systems.

Johnson, Connah G. M. [Pacific Northwest National ↗

Computer program provides linear sampled- data analysis for high order systems

Computer program performs transformations in the order S-to W-to Z to allow arithmetic to be completed in the W-plane. The method is based on a direct transformation from the S-plane to the W-plane. The W-plane poles and zeros are transformed into Z-plane poles and zeros using the bilinear transformation algorithm.

Bunn, D. B.↗

An XML-Based Protocol for Distributed Event Services

A recent trend in distributed computing is the construction of high-performance distributed systems called computational grids. One difficulty we have encountered is that there is no standard format for the representation of performance information and no standard protocol for transmitting this information. This limits the types of performance analysis that can be undertaken in complex distributed systems. To address this problem, we present an XML-based protocol for transmitting performance events in distributed systems and evaluate the performance of this protocol.

Smith, Warren↗

Combining high performance simulation, data acquisition, and graphics display computers

Issues involved in the continuing development of an advanced simulation complex are discussed. This approach provides the capability to perform the majority of tests on advanced systems, non-destructively. The controlled test environments can be replicated to examine the response of the systems under test to alternative treatments of the system control design, or test the function and qualification of specific hardware. Field tests verify that the elements simulated in the laboratories are sufficient. The digital computer is hosted by a Digital Equipment Corp. MicroVAX computer with an Aptec Computer Systems Model 24 I/O computer performing the communication function. An Applied Dynamics International AD100 performs the high speed simulation computing and an Evans and Sutherland PS350 performs on-line graphics display. A Scientific Computer Systems SCS40 acts as a high performance FORTRAN program processor to support the complex, by generating numerous large files from programs coded in FORTRAN that are required for the real time processing. Four programming languages are involved in the process, FORTRAN, ADSIM, ADRIO, and STAPLE. FORTRAN is employed on the MicroVAX host to initialize and terminate the simulation runs on the system. The generation of the data files on the SCS40 also is performed with FORTRAN programs. ADSIM and ADIRO are used to program the processing elements of the AD100 and its IOCP processor. STAPLE is used to program the Aptec DIP and DIA processors.

Hickman, Robert J.↗

A perspective on future directions in aerospace propulsion system simulation

The design and development of aircraft engines is a lengthy and costly process using today's methodology. This is due, in large measure, to the fact that present methods rely heavily on experimental testing to verify the operability, performance, and structural integrity of components and systems. The potential exists for achieving significant speedups in the propulsion development process through increased use of computational techniques for simulation, analysis, and optimization. This paper outlines the concept and technology requirements for a Numerical Propulsion Simulation System (NPSS) that would provide capabilities to do interactive, multidisciplinary simulations of complete propulsion systems. By combining high performance computing hardware and software with state-of-the-art propulsion system models, the NPSS will permit the rapid calculation, assessment, and optimization of subcomponent, component, and system performance, durability, reliability and weight-before committing to building hardware.

Miller, Brent A.↗

miniVite: A Graph Analytics Benchmarking Tool for Massively Parallel Systems

Benchmarking of high performance computing sys-tems can help provide critical insights for ef?cient design of computing systems and software applications. Although a large number of tools for benchmarking exist, there is a lack of rep-resentative benchmarks for the class of irregular computations as exempli?ed by graph analytics. In this paper, we propose miniVite as a representative graph analytics benchmark tool to test a variety of distributed-memory systems. Graph clustering, popularly known as community detection, is a prototypical graph operation used in numerous scienti?c computing and analytics applications. The goal of clustering is to partition a graph into clusters (or communities) such that each cluster consists of vertices that are densely connected within the cluster and sparsely connected to the rest of the graph. Modu-larity optimization is a popular technique for identifying clusters in a graph. Ef?cient parallelization of modularity optimization-based algorithms is challenging. One successful approach was conceived in Vite, a distributed-memory implementation of the Louvain algorithm that incorporates several heuristics. We introduce miniVite as a representative but simpli?ed variant of Vite, to serve as a prototypical graph analytics benchmarking tool. Unlike other graph-based methods such as breadth-?rst search and betweenness centrality, miniVite represents highly complex computational patterns stressing a variety of system features, which can provide crucial insight for co-design of future computing systems.

community detection, parallel, MPI↗

A Sparse Distributed Gigascale Resolution Material Point Method

In this paper, we present a four-layer distributed simulation system and its adaptation to the Material Point Method (MPM). The system is built upon a performance portable C++ programming model targeting major High-Performance-Computing (HPC) platforms. A key ingredient of our system is a hierarchical block-tile-cell sparse grid data structure that is distributable to an arbitrary number of Message Passing Interface (MPI) ranks. We additionally propose strategies for efficient dynamic load balance optimization to maximize the efficiency of MPI tasks. Our simulation pipeline can easily switch among backend programming models, including OpenMP and CUDA, and can be effortlessly dispatched onto supercomputers and the cloud. Finally, we construct benchmark experiments and ablation studies on supercomputers and consumer workstations in a local network to evaluate the scalability and load balancing criteria. We demonstrate massively parallel, highly scalable, and gigascale resolution MPM simulations of up to 1.01 billion particles for less than 323.25 seconds per frame with 8 OpenSSH-connected workstations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

A new approach to the pulsed thermocouple for high gas temperature measurements

Pulsed thermocouple systems can be used to measure gas temperatures above the melting point of the thermocouple by various techniques of short term of intermittent exposure of the thermocouple operating at lower temperatures. An approach is described which uses a thermocouple cooled by a small jet of inert gas. When a measurement is to be made, the cooling jet is turned off and the thermocouple allowed to heat up to near its melting point, at which time the cooling is reapplied. The final temperature which the thermocouple should have attained is then calculated by extrapolating an exponential curve fit to the data. Temperature measurements can be recorded and displayed in near real time by using modern high-speed computing systems to perform these calculations. Examples of the technique applied to high temperature jet engine combustor development are presented.

Glawe, G. E.↗

A new approach to the pulsed thermocouple for high gas temperature measurements

Pulsed thermocouple systems can be used to measure gas temperatures above the melting point of the thermocouple by various techniques of short term or intermittent exposure of the thermocouple operating at lower temperatures. This paper describes an approach which uses a thermocouple cooled by a small jet of inert gas. When a measurement is to be made, the cooling jet is turned off and the thermocouple allowed to heat up to near its melting point, at which time the cooling is reapplied. The final temperature which the thermocouple should have attained is then calculated by extrapolating an exponential curve fit to the data. Temperature measurements can be recorded and displayed in near real time by using modern high-speed computing systems to perform these calculations. Examples of the technique applied to high temperature jet engine combustor development are presented.

Glawe, G. E.↗

10 Years Later: Cloud Computing is Closing the Performance Gap

Can cloud computing infrastructures provide HPC-competitive performance for scientific applications broadly? Despite prolific related literature, this question remains open. Answers are crucial for designing future systems and democratizing high-performance computing. We present a multi-level approach to investigate the performance gap between HPC and cloud computing, isolating different variables that contribute to this gap. Our experiments are divided into (i) hardware and system microbenchmarks and (ii) user application proxies. The results show that today’s high-end cloud computing can deliver HPC-competitive performance not only for computationally intensive applications, but also for memory- and communication-intensive applications – at least at modest scales – thanks to the high-speed memory systems and interconnects and dedicated batch scheduling now available on some cloud platforms.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Computational Intelligence and Its Impact on Future High-Performance Engineering Systems

This document contains presentations from the joint UVA/NASA Workshop on Computational Intelligence held at the Virginia Consortium of Engineering and Science Universities, Hampton, Virginia, June 27-28, 1995. The presentations addressed activities in the areas of fuzzy logic, neural networks, and evolutionary computations. Workshop attendees represented NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, industry, and academia. The workshop objectives were to assess the state of technology in the Computational intelligence area and to provide guidelines for future research.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗

Realizing High-Performance Parallel Computing Final Report CRADA No. TC-0319-92

The objectives of this project were to improve the programming environment for scientific applications on shared-memory (SMP) and massively-parallel (MMP) computer systems and to develop high-performance, parallel rational drug design applications. The collaborators, IBM Corp., BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals (BNP), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), each brought unique expertise to the project. IBM contributed state-of-the-art SMP and MMP computer systems; BNP provided proprietary quantum mechanical and statistical mechanical molecular dynamics codes and experimental data; and LLNL contributed its high-performance Sisal compilers, runtime systems, and programming tools.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The Installation of Direct Water-Cooling Systems to Reduce Cooling Energy Requirements for High-Performance Computing Centers

A large cluster of High-Performance Computing (HPC) equipment at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California was retrofitted with an Asetek cooling system. The Asetek system is a hybrid scheme with water-cooled cold plates on high-heat-producing components in the information technology (IT) equipment, and with the remainder of the heat being removed by conventional air-cooling systems. In order to determine energy savings of the Asetek system, data were gathered and analyzed two ways: using top-down statistical models, and bottom-up engineering models. The cluster, “Cabernet”, rejected its heat into a facilities cooling water loop which in turn rejected the heat into the same chilled water system serving the computer-room air handlers (CRAHs) that provided the air-based cooling for the room. Because the “before” and “after” cases both reject their heat into the chilled water system, the only savings is due to reduction in CRAH fan power. The top-down analysis showed a 4% overall energy savings for the data center (power usage effectiveness (PUE) —the ratio of total data center energy to IT energy— dropped from 1.60 to 1.53, lower is better); the bottom-up analysis showed a 3% overall energy savings (PUE from 1.70 to 1.66) and an 11% savings for the Cabernet system by itself (partial PUE of 1.51). Greater savings, on the order of 15-20%, would be possible if the chilled water system was not used for rejecting the heat from the Asetek system. About 37% of the heat from the Cab system was rejected to the cooling water, lower than at other installations.

Earni, Shankar↗

High performance processors for real-time flight simulation

In order to meet the requirements of the NASA Langley Research Center for simulating the increased complexity and higher performance of modern aircraft, a flight simulation computing system with very high scalar performance is needed. The requirements and proposed response, probable areas of difficulty, planned implementation, and current status and plans are reviewed. A solution utilizing centralized minisupercomputers coupled with a proven real-time network technology will provide engineers and research scientists with the tools required for high-performance flight simulation. Subsequent to testing and verification of the initial simulation, general-purpose configuration management software with a nonconfiguration dependent serial highway driver software will be integrated to support any arbitrary combination of simulation sites.

Cleveland, Jeff I., II↗

Data and Thread Placement in NUMA Architectures: A Statistical Learning Approach

Nowadays, NUMA architectures are common in compute-intensive systems. Achieving high performance for multi-threaded application requires both a careful placement of threads on computing units and a thorough allocation of data in memory. Finding such a placement is a hard problem to solve, because performance depends on complex interactions in several layers of the memory hierarchy. In this paper we propose a black-box approach to decide if an application execution time can be impacted by the placement of its threads and data, and in such a case, to choose the best placement strategy to adopt. We show that it is possible to reach near-optimal placement policy selection. Furthermore, solutions work across several recent processor architectures and decisions can be taken with a single run of low overhead profiling.

data↗

High performance computing applications in neurobiological research

The human nervous system is a massively parallel processor of information. The vast numbers of neurons, synapses and circuits is daunting to those seeking to understand the neural basis of consciousness and intellect. Pervading obstacles are lack of knowledge of the detailed, three-dimensional (3-D) organization of even a simple neural system and the paucity of large scale, biologically relevant computer simulations. We use high performance graphics workstations and supercomputers to study the 3-D organization of gravity sensors as a prototype architecture foreshadowing more complex systems. Scaled-down simulations run on a Silicon Graphics workstation and scale-up, three-dimensional versions run on the Cray Y-MP and CM5 supercomputers.

Ross, Muriel D.↗

Programming Abstractions for Managing Workflows on Tiered Storage Systems

Scientific workflows in High Performance Computing (HPC) environments are processing large amounts of data. The storage hierarchy on HPC systems is getting deeper, driven by new technologies (NVRAMs, SSDs, etc.) There is a need for new programming abstractions that allow users to seamlessly manage data at the workflow level on multi-tiered storage systems, and provide optimal workflow performance and use of storage resources. In previous work, we introduced a software architecture Managing Data on Tiered Storage for Scientific Workflows (MaDaTS) that used a Virtual Data Space (VDS) abstraction to hide the complexities of the underlying storage system while allowing users to control data management strategies. In this article, we detail the data-centric programming abstractions that allow users to manage a workflow around its data on the storage layer. The programming abstractions simplify data management for scientific workflows on multi-tiered storage systems, without affecting workflow performance or storage capacity. We measure the overheads and effectiveness introduced by the programming abstractions of MaDaTS. Our results show that these abstractions can optimally use the storage capacity in lesser capacity storage tiers, and simplify data management without adding any performance overheads.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

Towards understanding HPC users and systems: A NERSC case study

High performance computing (HPC) scheduling landscape currently faces new challenges due to thechanges in the workload. Previously, HPC centers were dominated by tightly coupled MPI jobs. HPCworkloads increasingly include high-throughput, data-intensive, and stream-processing applications. Asa consequence, workloads are becoming more diverse at both application and job levels, posing newchallenges to classical HPC schedulers. There is a need to understand the current HPC workloads andtheir evolution to facilitate informed future scheduling research and enable efficient scheduling in futureHPC systems.In this paper, we present a methodology to characterize workloads and assess their heterogeneity,at a particular time period and its evolution over time. We apply this methodology to the workloads ofthree systems (Hopper, Edison, and Carver) at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center(NERSC). We present the resulting characterization of jobs, queues, heterogeneity, and performance thatincludes detailed information of a year of workload (2014) and evolution through the systems’ lifetime(2010–2014).

Rodrigo, Gonzalo P.↗