Grid Computing: "Solutions and Benefits"

Background

The EU-funded FlowGrid project started in September 2002 and completed in December 2004 with a vision to revolutionise the way Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are set up, executed and monitored on geographically and organisationally dispersed computing resources. The objective of the FlowGrid project is to establish a CFD Virtual Organisation, by setting up a GRID infrastructure and by developing, deploying and sharing, software, computing resources and knowledge. Symban formed a consortium of six European organisations for the development, implementation and validation of client software (APUS-CFD), portal, middleware (flowserve) and their grid-enabled parallel solver.

The FlowGrid solution to Industrial Problems

Computational GRIDs suit CFD simulations because resources for CFD simulations are transient. Although most organisations plan in advance on their computing requirements, it is always certain that these resources become either insufficient (due to the need for exploring larger problems) or they stay idle a great proportion of their operational life. With the GRID, they will be able to access computation and information (software) power when they need it. The FlowGrid system should obtain results faster, and allow the choice of greater mesh density and therefore increased accuracy; alternatively, it will allow the simulation of more possibilities during the same computer time and obtain better optimization of the designed system. Overall, the FlowGrid system together with the user-friendly client will provide the following benefits:

  • Faster and better designs
  • Lower risk
  • Faster 'time to market', and
  • Reduced costs
The system can be used by researchers, analysts, designers and field engineers involved in conceptual studies of new designs, detailed product development, scale-ups, troubleshooting and system retrofitting. Computational Grids are ideal for CFD simulations since in general the computational resources planned for such simulations become either insufficient or underutilized most of the operational time. The primary advantage of bundling such resources into a CFD Virtual Organization is the flexibility in providing computational power. Each member organization makes their computers available to other members, and as a consequence the peak demands of all participants average out. This provides a basis for more accurate capacity planning and a cost-efficient operation.

In FlowGrid, a network of six CFD-centers (among them four industrial users) have established a Virtual Organization. In addition to sharing computational resources, the technology partners (Symban and ZIB) developed frontend, middleware and grid-enabled CFD solvers, and expanded common activities in the area of CFD and Grid computing.
Further objectives of the FlowGrid project include:

  • Enabling an easy access of CFD solutions on the Grid
  • Assessing the performance of the parallel versions of the APUS solver by running real industrial applications on parallel distributed computers
  • Validation of computational results with experimental counterparts
  • Collaboration with other European Grid projects
  • Promotion of the development and uptake of Grid standards

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