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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 595 records · Page 33

Evaluation of Honeywell Recoverable Computer System (RCS) in Presence of Electromagnetic Effects

The design and development of a Closed-Loop System to study and evaluate the performance of the Honeywell Recoverable Computer System (RCS) in electromagnetic environments (EME) is presented. The development of a Windows-based software package to handle the time critical communication of data and commands between the RCS and flight simulation code in real-time, while meeting the stringent hard deadlines is also presented. The performance results of the RCS while exercising flight control laws under ideal conditions as well as in the presence of electromagnetic fields is also discussed.

Malekpour, Mahyar↗

Design analysis and computer-aided performance evaluation of shuttle orbiter electrical power system. Volume 1: Summary

Studies were conducted to develop appropriate space shuttle electrical power distribution and control (EPDC) subsystem simulation models and to apply the computer simulations to systems analysis of the EPDC. A previously developed software program (SYSTID) was adapted for this purpose. The following objectives were attained: (1) significant enhancement of the SYSTID time domain simulation software, (2) generation of functionally useful shuttle EPDC element models, and (3) illustrative simulation results in the analysis of EPDC performance, under the conditions of fault, current pulse injection due to lightning, and circuit protection sizing and reaction times.

Source record↗

Using Modeling and Simulation to Complement Testing for Increased Understanding of Weapon Subassembly Response.

As part of Sandia’s nuclear deterrence mission, the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP) aims to modernize the aging weapon system. Modernization requires requalification and Sandia is using high performance computing to perform advanced computational simulations to better understand, evaluate, and verify weapon system performance in conjunction with limited physical testing. The Nose Bomb Subassembly (NBSA) of the B61-12 is responsible for producing a fuzing signal upon ground impact. The fuzing signal is dependent upon electromechanical impact sensors producing valid electrical fuzing signals at impact. Computer generated models were used to assess the timing between the impact sensor’s response to the deceleration of impact and damage to major components and system subassemblies. The modeling and simulation team worked alongside the physical test team to design a large-scale reverse ballistic test to not only assess system performance, but to also validate their computational models. The reverse ballistic test conducted at Sandia’s sled test facility sent a rocket sled with a representative target into a stationary B61-12 (NBSA) to characterize the nose crush and functional response of NBSA components. Data obtained from data recorders and high-speed photometrics were integrated with previously generated computer models in order to refine and validate the model’s ability to reliably simulate real-world effects. Large-scale tests are impractical to conduct for every single impact scenario. By creating reliable computer models, we can perform simulations that identify trends and produce estimates of outcomes over the entire range of required impact conditions. Sandia’s HPCs enable geometric resolution that was unachievable before, allowing for more fidelity and detail, and creating simulations that can provide insight to support evaluation of requirements and performance margins. As computing resources continue to improve, researchers at Sandia are hoping to improve these simulations so they provide increasingly credible analysis of the system response and performance over the full range of conditions.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Compute Server Performance Results

Parallel-vector supercomputers have been the workhorses of high performance computing. As expectations of future computing needs have risen faster than projected vector supercomputer performance, much work has been done investigating the feasibility of using Massively Parallel Processor systems as supercomputers. An even more recent development is the availability of high performance workstations which have the potential, when clustered together, to replace parallel-vector systems. We present a systematic comparison of floating point performance and price-performance for various compute server systems. A suite of highly vectorized programs was run on systems including traditional vector systems such as the Cray C90, and RISC workstations such as the IBM RS/6000 590 and the SGI R8000. The C90 system delivers 460 million floating point operations per second (FLOPS), the highest single processor rate of any vendor. However, if the price-performance ration (PPR) is considered to be most important, then the IBM and SGI processors are superior to the C90 processors. Even without code tuning, the IBM and SGI PPR's of 260 and 220 FLOPS per dollar exceed the C90 PPR of 160 FLOPS per dollar when running our highly vectorized suite,

Stockdale, I. E.↗

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↗

Programs for Testing Processor-in-Memory Computing Systems

The Multithreaded Microbenchmarks for Processor-In-Memory (PIM) Compilers, Simulators, and Hardware are computer programs arranged in a series for use in testing the performances of PIM computing systems, including compilers, simulators, and hardware. The programs at the beginning of the series test basic functionality; the programs at subsequent positions in the series test increasingly complex functionality. The programs are intended to be used while designing a PIM system, and can be used to verify that compilers, simulators, and hardware work correctly. The programs can also be used to enable designers of these system components to examine tradeoffs in implementation. Finally, these programs can be run on non-PIM hardware (either single-threaded or multithreaded) using the POSIX pthreads standard to verify that the benchmarks themselves operate correctly. [POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface for UNIX) is a set of standards that define how programs and operating systems interact with each other. pthreads is a library of pre-emptive thread routines that comply with one of the POSIX standards.]

Katz, Daniel S.↗

Application of software technology to a future spacecraft computer design

A study was conducted to determine how major improvements in spacecraft computer systems can be obtained from recent advances in hardware and software technology. Investigations into integrated circuit technology indicated that the CMOS/SOS chip set being developed for the Air Force Avionics Laboratory at Wright Patterson had the best potential for improving the performance of spaceborne computer systems. An integral part of the chip set is the bit slice arithmetic and logic unit. The flexibility allowed by microprogramming, combined with the software investigations, led to the specification of a baseline architecture and instruction set.

Labaugh, R. J.↗

The Influence of Computer Architecture on Performance and Scaling for Hypersonic Flow Simulations

It is critical to understand how hypersonic simulation tools perform on a range of computational platforms. This information will aid in the acquisition of appropriate hardware and the potential refactoring of hypersonic codes to run on different systems. In this paper, we consider two representative high-speed reacting flow cases: a model Mach 8 hypersonic waverider glide vehicle and a model hydrocarbon-fueled hypersonic ramjet propulsion system. In both scenarios, the flow fields are in chemical non-equilibrium and are modeled by the multi-species reacting Navier-Stokes equations. For these simulations we use several hypersonic simulation tools, including US3D, Kestrel, FUN3D, and the JENRER© flow solver. We explore several high performance computing systems containing IntelR© XeonR© Platinum processors, AMD EPYCTM7702 processors, and NVIDIAR© Tesla V100 devices. We compare performance and strong scaling between the different systems.

CPU↗

BurstMem: A high-performance burst buffer system for scientific applications

The growth of computing power on large-scale systems requires commensurate high-bandwidth I/O systems. Many parallel file systems are designed to provide fast sustainable I/O in response to applications' soaring requirements. To meet this need, a novel system is imperative to temporarily buffer the bursty I/O and gradually flush datasets to long-term parallel file systems. In this paper, we introduce the design of BurstMem, a high-performance burst buffer system. BurstMem provides a storage framework with efficient storage and communication management strategies. Our experiments demonstrate that BurstMem is able to speed up the I/O performance of scientific applications by up to 8.5× on leadership computer systems.

Wang, Teng↗

Computer program for design and performance analysis of navigation-aid power systems

The paper examines the requirements, design rationale, operation, and verification of a computer program designated as design synthesis/performance analysis (DSPA) computer program, which is capable of performing all the calculations necessary to understand the overall characteristics of solar array/battery power systems for navigation-aid applications. Despite the uncertainties in the erratic solar array degradation data and the potential impact on actual battery behavior, verification of the DSPA is considered successful. The program is shown to have the capability of simulating the performance of solar array/battery navigation-aid power systems. It can also be used to synthesize power system designs and provide essential design and cost data.

Weiner, H.↗

Dynamics of aircraft antiskid braking systems

A computer study was performed to assess the accuracy of three brake pressure-torque mathematical models. The investigation utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series 10 airplane. The investigation indicates that the performance of aircraft antiskid braking systems is strongly influenced by tire characteristics, dynamic response of the antiskid control valve, and pressure-torque response of the brake. The computer study employed an average torque error criterion to assess the accuracy of the models. The results indicate that a variable nonlinear spring with hysteresis memory function models the pressure-torque response of the brake more accurately than currently used models.

Tanner, J. A.↗

Transforming Energy Through Computational Excellence: A View From NREL

At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory—computational science, high-performance computing, applied mathematics, advanced computer science, visualization, and data play a pivotal role in advancing energy abundance, affordability, security, and reliability. From fundamental scientifc discovery to systems engineering and analysis, NREL researchers tackle market-relevant challenges to develop solutions for an independent energy system that is reliable, resilient and secure. Collaborative partnerships with industry, government, and academia ensure that our research remains cutting edge, impactful, applicable, and aligned with real-world energy needs. This special issue of Computing in Science & Engineering highlights exemplary NREL projects where computational tools and methodologies drive discovery and accelerate innovation in scalable and integrated energy systems. The featured articles explore the role of computational modeling, high-performance computing, generative AI, and adaptive computing in advancing independent energy solutions, optimizing sustainability research, and enhancing decision-making for energy solutions using a broad mix of energy technologies. Here, these contributions demonstrate how NREL’s computational research bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementation, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to innovation, with a focus on translating computational excellence into real-world impact, thus accelerate progress toward national energy goals. By showcasing cutting-edge research at the intersection of computational science and energy systems, this issue aims to inspire and inform researchers, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to shaping a more reliable energy future.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Zero-G Thermodynamic Venting System (TVS) Performance Prediction Program

This report documents the Zero-g Thermodynamic Venting System (TVS) performance prediction computer program. The zero-g TVS is a device that destratifies and rejects environmentally induced zero-g thermal gradients in the LH2 storage transfer system. A recirculation pump and spray injection manifold recirculates liquid throughout the length of the tank thereby destratifying both the ullage gas and liquid bulk. Heat rejection is accomplished by the opening of the TVS control valve which allows a small flow rate to expand to a low pressure thereby producing a low temperature heat sink which is used to absorb heat from the recirculating liquid flow. The program was written in FORTRAN 77 language on the HP-9000 and IBM PC computers. It can be run on various platforms with a FORTRAN compiler.

Nguyen, Han↗

The National Risk Assessment Partnership’s integrated assessment model for carbon storage: A tool to support decision making amidst uncertainty

The US DOE-funded National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) has developed an integrated assessment model (NRAP-IAM-CS) that can be used to simulate carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection, migration, and associated impacts at a geologic carbon storage site. The model, NRAP-IAM-CS, incorporates a system-modeling-based approach while taking into account the full subsurface system from the storage reservoir to groundwater aquifers and the atmosphere. The approach utilizes reduced order models (ROMs) that allow fast computations of entire system performance even for periods of hundreds to thousands of years. The ROMs are run in Monte Carlo mode allowing estimation of uncertainties of the entire system without requiring long computational times. The NRAP-IAM-CS incorporates ROMs that realistically represent several key processes and properties of storage reservoirs, wells, seals, and groundwater aquifers. Results from the NRAP-IAM-CS model are used to quantify risk profiles for selected parameter distributions of reservoir properties, seal properties, numbers of wells, well properties, thief zones, and groundwater aquifer properties. A series of examples is used to illustrate how the risk under different storage conditions evolves over time, both during injection, in the near-term post injection period, and over the long term. Finally, it is also shown how results from NRAP-IAM-CS can be used to investigate the importance of different parameters on risk of leakage and risk of groundwater contamination under different storage conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

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↗

HPC Node Performance and Energy Modeling with the Co-Location of Applications

Multicore processors have become an integral part of modern large-scale and high-performance parallel and distributed computing systems. This advance became necessary as the demand for increased system performance has exceeded the limits that single core processors can provide. Unfortunately, applications co-located on multicore processors can suffer from decreased performance and increased dynamic energy use as a result of access to shared resources, such as memory. Consequently, it is increasingly important to characterize the performance of applications that execute on these architectures. This work investigates some of the disadvantages of co-location, and presents a methodology for building models capable of utilizing varying amounts of information about a target application and its co-located applications to make predictions about the target application’s execution time and the system’s energy use under arbitrary co-locations of a wide range of application types. The proposed methodology is validated on three different server class Intel Xeon multicore processors using eleven applications from two scientific benchmark suites. The model’s utility for scheduling is also demonstrated in a simulated large-scale high-performance computing environment through the creation of a co-location aware scheduling heuristic. This heuristic demonstrates that scheduling using information generated with the proposed modeling methodology is capable of making significant improvements over a scheduling heuristic that is naive to co-location interference.

performance modeling, energy modeling, resource ma↗

Anomalous And Normal High Performance Computing Datacenter Activities

This code provides annotation and an interface to 10+ hours of video activities in a high performance datacenter with 20+ different types of anomalous activities. The purpose is to enable machine learning for video surveillance systems in high performance computing centers. This is the first code of this type addressing the space of high performance computing datacenters.

Anderson, Matthew↗