Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Numerical software”

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 289 records · Page 16

hypredrive: high-level interface for solving linear systems with hypre

This software introduces a high-level interface designed to simplify solving linear systems using hypre, a renowned library for such computational challenges. It is crafted to be accessible and user-friendly, making the powerful capabilities of hypre available to a broader audience without requiring in-depth technical knowledge. The interface is characterized by its use of YAML for input, a format celebrated for its structured yet straightforward readability. This choice ensures that users can easily configure the software to meet their specific needs. Additionally, the software boasts an intuitive API that encapsulates hypre's functionalities, making it easier for users to interact with the process of solving linear systems. It is particularly beneficial for prototyping, offering a quick and efficient means to test various solver and preconditioner configurations. Furthermore, the software allows for the creation of an offline testing framework in which predefined linear systems are read from files and benchmarked with user-defined solution strategies. This makes it an invaluable tool for developers and researchers exploring and validating their computational models. Overall, the software serves as a bridge, bringing the advanced computational capabilities of hypre closer to users who may need more specialized technical expertise, thereby facilitating innovation and exploration in the field of numerical linear algebra.

Paludetto Magri, Victor↗

GR-Athena++: Puncture Evolutions on Vertex-centered Oct-tree Adaptive Mesh Refinement

Numerical relativity is central to the investigation of astrophysical sources in the dynamical and strong-field gravity regime, such as binary black hole and neutron star coalescences. Current challenges set by gravitational-wave and multimessenger astronomy call for highly performant and scalable codes on modern massively parallel architectures. We present GR-Athena++, a general-relativistic, high-order, vertex-centered solver that extends the oct-tree, adaptive mesh refinement capabilities of the astrophysical (radiation) magnetohydrodynamics code Athena++. To simulate dynamical spacetimes, GR-Athena++ uses the Z4c evolution scheme of numerical relativity coupled to the moving puncture gauge. We demonstrate stable and accurate binary black hole merger evolutions via extensive convergence testing, cross-code validation, and verification against state-of-the-art effective-one-body waveforms. GR-Athena++ leverages the task-based parallelism paradigm of Athena++ to achieve excellent scalability. We measure strong-scaling efficiencies above 95% for up to ~1.2 × 10 4 CPUs and excellent weak scaling is shown up to ~10 5 CPUs in a production binary black hole setup with adaptive mesh refinement. GR-Athena++ thus allows for the robust simulation of compact binary coalescences and offers a viable path toward numerical relativity at exascale.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

RANSBox: A zero-dimensional modular software package for Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes modeling

RANSBox is a zero-dimensional software package for Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to support common implementation of RANS models across a variety of host codes with different numerical schemes and code bases. Herein this work describes the key features of RANSBox including “model-agnostic integration,” which allows new models to be implemented in RANSBox and quickly deployed to host codes without additional changes to the host code base. Three one-dimensional test problems with analytical asymptotic properties are described which can be used to verify correctness of RANSBox integration. Results for these problems are then compared across different RANS models in a single code and across different codes with a common RANS model. By using a common model implementation in RANSBox, host codes with different numerical schemes and formal orders of accuracy are demonstrated to predict the expected behavior for the three test problems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

CG-Kit: Code Generation Toolkit for performant and maintainable variants of source code applied to Flash-X hydrodynamics simulations

CG-Kit is a new Code Generation tool-Kit that we have developed as a part of the solution for portability and maintainability for multiphysics computing applications. The development of CG-Kit is rooted in the urgent need created by the shifting landscape of high-performance computing platforms and the algorithmic complexities of a particular large-scale multiphysics application: Flash-X. To efficiently use computing resources on a heterogeneous node, an application must have a map of computation to resources and a mechanism to move the data and computation to the resources according to the map. Most existing performance portability solutions are focussed on abstracting the expression of computations so that a unified source code can be specialized to run on different resources. However, such an approach is insufficient for a code like Flash-X, which has a multitude of code components that can be assembled in various permutations and combinations to form different instances of applications. Similar challenges apply to any code that has composability, where a single specified way of apportioning work among devices may not be optimal. Additionally, use cases arise where the optimal control flow of computation may differ for different devices while the underlying numerics remain identical. This combination leads to unique challenges including handling an existing large code base in Fortran and/or C/C++, subdivision of code into a great variety of units supporting a wide range of physics and numerical methods, different parallelization techniques for distributed and shared memory systems and accelerator devices, and heterogeneity of computing platforms requiring coexisting variants of parallel algorithms. All of these challenges demand that scientific software developers apply existing knowledge about domain applications, algorithms, and computing platforms to determine custom abstractions and granularity for code generation. There is a critical lack of tools to tackle those problems. CG-Kit is designed to fill this gap by providing a user with the ability to express their desired control flow and computation-to-resource map in the form a pseudocode-like recipe. It consists of standalone tools that can be combined into highly specific and, we argue, highly effective portability and maintainability toolchains. Here we present the design of our new tools: parametrized source trees, control flow graphs, and recipes. The tools are implemented in Python. They are agnostic to the programming language of the source code targeted for code generation. In conclusion, we demonstrate the capabilities of the toolkit with two examples, first, multithreaded variants of the basic AXPY operation, and second, variants of parallel algorithms within a hydrodynamics solver, called Spark, from Flash-X that operates on block-structured adaptive meshes.

Algorithmic portability↗

Scientific Core Library Stack (SCLS) v2026

SCLS (Scientific Core Library Stack) is an opinionated build and packaging system for scientific computing libraries developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It produces a coherent, reproducible stack of numerical libraries — including BLAS/LAPACK, MPI, sparse direct and iterative solvers, graph partitioners, and parallel I/O libraries (e.g., PETSc, SLEPc, HDF5, NetCDF, MUMPS, OpenBLAS) — that work together without manual repair by downstream scientific software. From a single recipe-and-flavor model, SCLS produces native RPM packages for RHEL-family Linux, DEB packages for Debian/Ubuntu, direct Unix-style prefix installs for HPC and locked-down environments, and native macOS builds. Multiple build "flavors" (e.g., GCC+OpenBLAS, GCC+MKL, Intel+MKL, debug) coexist in distinct prefixes on the same host. Compared to general-purpose meta-build frameworks, SCLS is deliberately curated rather than infinitely configurable. It enforces deterministic, audit-friendly behavior: explicit build dependencies, no silent feature autodetection, a clear open-source license policy, and rpath-based runtime linkage so installs integrate cleanly with standard package-manager workflows.

Messe, Christian [Lawrence Berkeley National Labor↗

Modeling Partial Reflection Paths for Infrasound Analysis

Numerical methods enabling simulation of scattered and partially reflected infrasonic propagation paths produced by interaction with fine-scale structure in the middle atmosphere have been implemented in the infraGA ray tracing software. This capability enables simulation of ensonification in the classical stratospheric “shadow zone” that has been observed during the Humming Roadrunner and LSECE surface explosion campaigns as well as in other data sets. In the case of LSECE, a pair of stations roughly 140 kilometers east of the source location observed arrivals with celerities (horizontal group velocities) slightly slower than observed stratospheric paths at similar azimuths. The arrivals exhibited increasing trace velocity later in the wavetrain indicating a steepening of the arrival path for longer or slower propagation paths. Simulation of partially reflected paths using the updated infraGA software methods finds good agreement between observed and predicted infrasonic ensonification at these locations within the stratospheric shadow zone. Further development of the partial reflection physics and comparison with other data sets is needed to more robustly understand how such anomalous infrasonic signals can be predicted; however, the demonstration of this capability is a promising first step in such analyses.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Large language model evaluation for high–performance computing software development

We apply AI-assisted large language model (LLM) capabilities of GPT-3 targeting high-performance computing (HPC) kernels for (i) code generation, and (ii) auto-parallelization of serial code in C ++, Fortran, Python and Julia. Our scope includes the following fundamental numerical kernels: AXPY, GEMV, GEMM, SpMV, Jacobi Stencil, and CG, and language/programming models: (1) C++ (e.g., OpenMP [including offload], OpenACC, Kokkos, SyCL, CUDA, and HIP), (2) Fortran (e.g., OpenMP [including offload] and OpenACC), (3) Python (e.g., numpy, Numba, cuPy, and pyCUDA), and (4) Julia (e.g., Threads, CUDA.jl, AMDGPU.jl, and KernelAbstractions.jl). Kernel implementations are generated using GitHub Copilot capabilities powered by the GPT-based OpenAI Codex available in Visual Studio Code given simple + + prompt variants. To quantify and compare the generated results, we propose a proficiency metric around the initial 10 suggestions given for each prompt. For auto-parallelization, we use ChatGPT interactively giving simple prompts as in a dialogue with another human including simple “prompt engineering” follow ups. Results suggest that correct outputs for C++ correlate with the adoption and maturity of programming models. For example, OpenMP and CUDA score really high, whereas HIP is still lacking. We found that prompts from either a targeted language such as Fortran or the more general-purpose Python can benefit from adding language keywords, while Julia prompts perform acceptably well for its Threads and CUDA.jl programming models. Finally, we expect to provide an initial quantifiable point of reference for code generation in each programming model using a state-of-the-art LLM. Overall, understanding the convergence of LLMs, AI, and HPC is crucial due to its rapidly evolving nature and how it is redefining human-computer interactions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Numerical Methods to Evaluate Hyperelastic Transducers: Hexagonal Distributed Embedded Energy Converters

Hexagonal distributed embedded energy converters, also known as hexDEECs, are centimeter-scale energy transducers that leverage variable capacitance to generate electricity when their hyperelastic structure is dynamically deformed. To better understand, characterize, and optimize hexDEEC designs, a series of numerical methods and techniques were developed to model the hyperelastic mechanics of hexDEECs, electrostatic properties, and electricity generation characteristics. The numerical methods developed for the hyperelastic structural analysis were corroborated by empirical results from another study, and the models and equations for capacitance, electrostatic forces, and electrical potential energy were derived from fundamental electrostatic equations. These methods and techniques were implemented within the STAR-CCM+ multiphysics software Version 2020.3 (15.06.008) environment. Results from this analysis revealed methodologies and techniques necessary to model the energy converters, which will enable future exploration and optimization of more specific designs and corresponding applications.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

MAPPRAISER: A massively parallel map-making framework for multi-kilo pixel CMB experiments

Forthcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarized anisotropy experiments have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the Universe and fundamental physics. The sought-after, tale-telling signatures will be however distributed over voluminous data sets which these experiments will collect. These data sets will need to be efficiently processed and unwanted contributions due to astrophysical, environmental, and instrumental effects characterized and efficiently mitigated in order to uncover the signatures. This poses a significant challenge to data analysis methods, techniques, and software tools which will not only have to be able to cope with huge volumes of data but to do so with unprecedented precision driven by the demanding science goals posed for the new experiments. A keystone of efficient CMB data analysis is solvers of very large linear systems of equations. Such systems appear in very diverse contexts throughout CMB data analysis pipelines, however they typically display similar algebraic structures and can therefore be solved using similar numerical techniques. Linear systems arising in the so-called map-making problem are one of the most prominent and common ones. In this work we present a massively parallel, flexible and extensible framework, comprised of a numerical library, MIDAPACK, and a high level code, MAPPRAISER, which provide tools for solving efficiently such systems. Here, the framework implements iterative solvers based on conjugate gradient techniques: enlarged and preconditioned using different preconditioners. We demonstrate the framework on simulated examples reflecting basic characteristics of the forthcoming data sets issued by ground-based and satellite-borne instruments, executing it on as many as 16,384 compute cores. The software is developed as an open source project freely available to the community at: https://github.com/B3Dcmb/midapack.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Solving complex eigenvalue problems on a quantum annealer with applications to quantum scattering resonances

Quantum computing is a new and rapidly evolving paradigm for solving chemistry problems. In previous work, we developed the Quantum Annealer Eigensolver (QAE) and applied it to the calculation of the vibrational spectrum of a molecule on the D-Wave quantum annealer. However, the original QAE methodology was applicable to real symmetric matrices only. For many physics and chemistry problems, the diagonalization of complex matrices is required. For example, the calculation of quantum scattering resonances can be formulated as a complex eigenvalue problem where the real part of the eigenvalue is the resonance energy and the imaginary part is proportional to the resonance width. In the present work, we generalize the QAE to treat complex matrices: first complex Hermitian matrices and then complex symmetric matrices. These generalizations are then used to compute a quantum scattering resonance state in a 1D model potential for O + O collisions. These calculations are performed using both a software (classical) annealer and hardware annealer (the D-Wave 2000Q). The results of the complex QAE are also benchmarked against a standard linear algebra library (LAPACK). Furthermore, this work presents the first numerical solution of a complex eigenvalue problem of any kind on a quantum annealer, and it is the first treatment of a quantum scattering resonance on any quantum device.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DFT-based QM/MM with Particle-Mesh Ewald for Direct, Long-Range Electrostatic Embedding

In this work, we present a DFT-based, QM/MM implementation with long-range electrostatic embedding achieved by direct real-space integration of the particle mesh Ewald (PME) computed electrostatic potential. The key transformation is the interpolation of the electrostatic potential from the PME grid to the DFT quadrature grid, from which integrals are easily evaluated utilizing standard DFT machinery. We provide benchmarks of the numerical accuracy with choice of grid size and real-space corrections, and demonstrate that good convergence is achieved while introducing nominal computational overhead. Furthermore, the approach requires only small modification to existing software packages, as is demonstrated with our implementation in the OpenMM and Psi 4 software. After presenting convergence benchmarks, we evaluate the importance of long-range electrostatic embedding in three solute/solvent systems modeled with QM/MM. Water and BMIM/BF 4 ionic liquid were considered as "simple" and "complex" solvents respectively, with water and p-phenylenediamine (PPD) solute molecules treated at QM level of theory. While electrostatic embedding with standard real-space truncation may introduce negligible error for simple systems such as water solute in water solvent, errors become more significant when QM/MM is applied to complex solvents such as ionic liquids. An extreme example is the electrostatic embedding energy for oxidized PPD in BMIM/BF 4 for which real-space truncation produces severe error even at 2-3 nm cutoff distances. This latter example illustrates that utilization of QM/MM to compute redox potentials within concentrated electrolytes/ionic media requires carefully chosen long-range electrostatic embedding algorithms, with our presented algorithm providing a general and robust approach.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Dynamic calibration of differential equations using machine learning, with application to turbulence models

We present a methodology for calibration of parametric ordinary and partial differential equation models, using off-the-shelf software for back-propagation in Neural Networks (NN). As a prototypical example, we consider calibration of a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence closure model, against ground truth data from direct numerical simulations (DNS) of two different turbulent flows. Numerical time integration is represented as a custom NN, where only the RANS model parameters are trainable. A loss function is defined to quantify the mismatch between the NN prediction and the ground truth over a predefined, finite time integration window. This loss function is then minimized using a gradient descent method utilizing the back-propagation algorithm. Furthermore, this dynamic approach to training is to be contrasted with a static approach, wherein a least square regression estimate for parameters is obtained in the limit of an infinitesimal time integration window. In a first test of static and dynamic approaches against ground truth data generated by the model, the former proves to be significantly faster and more accurate than the latter at recovering the parameters. When both calibration approaches are tested against DNS data, for which it is known that the model cannot achieve a perfect fit, the static approach yields a good prediction only for short times, while the dynamic approach results in physical and stable predictions over the entire integration window. After optimization of the dynamic approach for time step, spatial resolution, stability, and physics-based constraints, we obtain a 50% improvement of outcomes over those obtained from the existing, manually calibrated set of parameters, demonstrating the merits of this systematic and automated procedure.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Quantification and evaluation of strain reduction from small-bubble gas injection in Spallation Neutron Source target vessels

Small-bubble gas injection has been routinely utilized in the operation of Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) mercury targets since 2017 to mitigate cavitation-induced erosion damage to target vessels. Strain measurements of target vessels collected in-situ during initial operation with gas injection were used to study the gas injection effect on the structural response of targets to proton pulses. A significant strain reduction owing to gas injection was found by comparing the strain measurement data during operation with and without gas injection. The research presented here focuses on quantifying strain reductions in SNS targets and evaluating the effect of small-bubble gas injection by comparing different bubbler types and target designs. The strain measurement results show the gas injection significantly reduced strain in SNS target vessels; strain values decreased by 30% to 80% for targets operating with gas injection. Stress and strain responses of SNS targets were simulated to numerically evaluate the gas injection effect. Based on the predicted stresses with and without gas injection, the fatigue lifetimes of SNS jet-flow design target were estimated using fe-safe fatigue analysis software. The simulations show these reductions should improve the fatigue life of target vessels and allow SNS targets to meet their fatigue design goal.

Fatigue life estimation↗

Thermal-Fluid and Thermal-Structural Response of the T-Tube Modular Divertor to Spatiotemporally Varying Heat Loads

Tungsten (W) is the leading candidate for divertor target plates because of its high melting point (>3000°C), thermal conductivity, and ultimate tensile stress. While W and its alloys are the only solid materials that can survive the high heat fluxes incident on the divertor, W’s low-ductility high ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of ~600°C and relatively low recrystallization temperature (RT) of ~1300°C pose structural (among other) challenges. The objective of this work is to estimate the thermal-fluid and thermal-structural performance of the helium (He)-cooled T-tube divertor, which was originally developed by the Advanced Reactor Innovation and Evaluation Study (ARIES) using numerical simulations. Here, predictions of temperature distributions across the plasma-facing structural component and surface pressures from computational fluid dynamics simulations are used to determine stress distributions using commercial structural finite element modeling software over a range of fusion-relevant conditions. The maximum allowable incident heat fluxes are determined based on the temperature limits imposed by the ITER elastic Structural Design Criteria for In-vessel Components (SDC-IC) and the maximum RT over a range of He mass flow rates and presented in the form of performance design charts. Our recent work found that thermal- structural criteria accounting for the low ductility of W in a finger-type modular divertor constrain the maximum incident heat fluxes to values well below the ITER specifications, and those based on considering only the RT demonstrate that integrated thermal-fluid and elastic structural performance evaluation are required for accurate assessment of divertor performance. This novel analysis of the T-tube considers how nonuniform and transient incident heat fluxes affect its thermal-fluid and thermal-structural performance, as well as the effect of volumetric heating, which can be as great as 27% of the power incident on the divertor surface. The W tile of the T-tube, with its relatively large plasma-facing area of ~15 cm 2 , will likely experience significant spatial variations in incident heat flux. This work therefore assesses whether steady-state incident heat flux profiles with a peak of 10 MW/m 2 and maximum heat flux gradients of 200 MW/m 2 per m exceed the structural limits imposed by the ITER elastic SDC-IC and the maximum RT over a range of fusion-relevant conditions. The effect of transient heat fluxes typical of plasma detachment and reattachment from the target plate due, for example, to gas injection are also evaluated

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Scalable Data-Intensive Geocomputation: A Design for Real-Time Continental Flood Inundation Mapping

The convergence of data-intensive and extreme-scale computing enables an integrated software and data ecosystem for scientific discovery. Developments in this realm will fuel transformative research in data-driven interdisciplinary domains. Geocomputation provides computing paradigms in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for interactive computing of geographic data, processes, models, and maps. Because GIS is data-driven, the computational scalability of a geocomputation workflow is directly related to the scale of the GIS data layers, their resolution and extent, as well as the velocity of the geo-located data streams to be processed. Unique in high user interactivity and low end-to-end latency requirements, geocomputation applications will dramatically benefit from the convergence of high-end data analytics (HDA) and high-performance computing (HPC). The application level challenge, however, is to identify and eliminate computational bottlenecks that arise along a geocomputation workflow. Indeed, poor scalability at any of the workflow components is detrimental to the entire end-to-end pipeline. Here, we study a large geocomputation use case in flood inundation mapping that handles multiple national-scale geospatial datasets and targets low end-to-end latency. We discuss benefits and challenges for harnessing both HDA and HPC for data-intensive geospatial data processing and intensive numerical modeling of geographic processes. We propose an HDA+HPC geocomputation architecture design that couples HDA (e.g., Spark)-based spatial data handling and HPC-based parallel data modeling. Key techniques for coupling HDA and HPC to bridge the two different software stacks are reviewed and discussed.

Liu, Yan↗

Implementing Ordinary Differential Equation Solvers in Rust Programming Language for Modeling Vehicle Powertrain Systems: Preprint

Efficient and accurate ordinary differential equation (ODE) solvers are necessary for powertrain and vehicle dynamics modeling. However, current commercial ODE solvers can be financially prohibitive, leading to a need for accessible, effective, open-source ODE solvers designed for powertrain modeling. Rust is a compiled programming language that has the potential to be used for fast and easy-to-use powertrain models, given its exceptional computational performance, robust package ecosystem, and short time required for modelers to become proficient. However, of the three commonly used (>3,000 downloads) packages in Rust with ODE solver capabilities, only one has more than four numerical methods implemented, and none are designed specifically for modeling physical systems. Therefore, the goal of the Differential Equation System Solver (DESS) was to implement accurate ODE solvers in Rust designed for the component-based problems often seen in powertrain modeling. DESS is a text-based software package that provides a flexible framework for building and solving systems of ODEs. This allows DESS to be included as a dependency for automotive powertrain models that require a variety of solvers and solver configurations. Seven explicit ODE solver methods have been implemented in DESS: Euler’s, Heun’s, midpoint, Ralston’s, classic Runge-Kutta, Bogacki-Shampine, and Cash-Karp. These represent five fixed-step methods and two adaptive-step methods. This paper shows that the solver implementations increase accuracy and computational efficiency compared to Euler's method when modeling a system of three thermal masses in Rust. DESS also includes features designed for modeling component-based physical systems. Users can define relationships between nodes in their system, which the package then translates into a system of equations, leading to simpler and more intuitive code. In the case of a three-thermal-mass system, the user can specify node thermal properties (e.g., thermal capacitance), how nodes are interconnected, and thermal conductance between nodes rather than providing a system of equations. The core contribution from this work is an open-source, text-based Rust package with ODE solvers for automotive powertrain modeling to support cost-free, fast, and accurate simulation.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Asymptotic hydrogen redistribution analysis in yttrium-hydride-moderated heat-pipe-cooled microreactors using DireWolf

Yttrium hydride (YH x ) is one of the materials being considered for moderating thermal and epithermal nuclear microreactors. One potential issue with YH x use is that the hydrogen redistributes in the hydride when thermal and concentration gradients are present. This hydrogen redistribution leads to spatial gradients in the hydrogen concentration, thus affecting neutron transport in the reactor. Here, by building upon observations in prior works, this paper aims to gain a better understanding of the reactivity feedback associated with such hydrogen redistributions. In particular, we wish to understand the sign (+/–) of the hydrogen redistribution neutronic feedback, its order of magnitude, and its underlying physical causes. To achieve this goal, the DireWolf multiphysics software driver was used to solve the coupled radiation transport, heat transfer, heat pipe two-phase flow, and hydrogen redistribution equations for the Simplified Microreactor Benchmark Assessment (SiMBA) problem, a full-core microreactor numerical benchmark developed at Idaho National Laboratory.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗