Main Page

Extreme-Scale Parallel Mesh Generation & Adaptation

	CDT3D Meshes using speculative execution model at the chip level

Overview

Finite Element Mesh Generation is a critical component for many (bio-) engineering and science applications. The goal of this project is to deliver a novel Telescopic framework for highly scalable and energy efficient codes. Domain-and application-specific knowledge and run-time system support are combined to improve accuracy of FE computations. CRTCLab is developing a novel framework for highly scalable and energy efficient high quality mesh generation for the Finite Element Analysis in three and four dimensions. CRTC effort and focus is on research activities that combine domain-and application-specific knowledge with run-time system support to improve energy efficiency and scalability of parallel FE mesh generation codes. Traditionally, parallel FE mesh generation methods and software are developed without considering the architectural features of the supercomputer platforms on which they are eventually used for production. The main reason is the complexity of sequential, and moreover parallel, mesh generation algorithms. As a result, it is too expensive, in terms of labor and time, to customize the performance of parallel mesh generation software for specific supercomputing architectures. Target (bio-)engineering applications are:

CRTC's sub-group for Extreme Scale Parallel Mesh Generation & Adaptation, from left to right: Nikos Chrisochoides, Kevin Garner, Dana Hammond (TM from NASA/LaRC), Christos Tsolakis and Polykarpos Thomadakis.

We have assembled a team of established leaders (see External Collaborators) that are currently developing state-of-the-art work on mesh generation and adaptivity issues relevant to NASA’s CFD 2030 Vision and will broadly impact end-user productivity of users throughout DoD and NASA.

Objectives

1. Design a multi-layered algorithmic and software framework for 3D tetrahedral anisotropic parallel mesh generation methods using state-of-the-art functionality supported by methods implemented in AFLR and CRTC’s telescopic approach for parallel mesh generation.
2. Development of error-based metrics to drive an anisotropic adaptive process
3. Design a power-aware parallel runtime software system for extreme-scale adaptive CFD computations including: (i) mesh generation & adaptation, and (ii) consistent error-based metrics for adaptation of any CFD discretization with localizable error estimates.