An efficient parallel algorithm of variational nodal method for heterogeneous neutron transport problems

The heterogeneous variational nodal method(HVNM)has emerged as a potential approach for solving high-fidelity neutron transport problems.However,achieving accurate results with HVNM in large-scale problems using high-fidelity models has been challenging due to the prohibitive computational costs.This paper presents an efficient parallel algorithm tailored for HVNM based on the Message Passing Interface standard.The algorithm evenly distributes the response matrix sets among processors during the matrix formation process,thus enabling independent construction without communication.Once the formation tasks are completed,a collective operation merges and shares the matrix sets among the processors.For the solution process,the problem domain is decomposed into subdomains assigned to specific processors,and the red-black Gauss-Seidel iteration is employed within each subdomain to solve the response matrix equation.Point-to-point communication is conducted between adjacent subdomains to exchange data along the boundaries.The accuracy and efficiency of the parallel algorithm are verified using the KAIST and JRR-3 test cases.Numerical results obtained with multiple processors agree well with those obtained from Monte Carlo calculations.The parallelization of HVNM results in eigenvalue errors of 31 pcm/-90 pcm and fission rate RMS errors of 1.22%/0.66%,respectively,for the 3D KAIST problem and the 3D JRR-3 problem.In addition,the parallel algorithm significantly reduces computation time,with an efficiency of 68.51% using 36 processors in the KAIST problem and 77.14% using 144 processors in the JRR-3 problem.

An MPI parallel DEM-IMB-LBM framework for simulating fluid-solid interaction problems

The high-resolution DEM-IMB-LBM model can accurately describe pore-scale fluid-solid interactions,but its potential for use in geotechnical engineering analysis has not been fully unleashed due to its prohibitive computational costs.To overcome this limitation,a message passing interface(MPI)parallel DEM-IMB-LBM framework is proposed aimed at enhancing computation efficiency.This framework utilises a static domain decomposition scheme,with the entire computation domain being decomposed into multiple subdomains according to predefined processors.A detailed parallel strategy is employed for both contact detection and hydrodynamic force calculation.In particular,a particle ID re-numbering scheme is proposed to handle particle transitions across sub-domain interfaces.Two benchmarks are conducted to validate the accuracy and overall performance of the proposed framework.Subsequently,the framework is applied to simulate scenarios involving multi-particle sedimentation and submarine landslides.The numerical examples effectively demonstrate the robustness and applicability of the MPI parallel DEM-IMB-LBM framework.

Volumetric lattice Boltzmann method for pore-scale mass diffusionadvection process in geopolymer porous structures

Porous materials present significant advantages for absorbing radioactive isotopes in nuclear waste streams.To improve absorption efficiency in nuclear waste treatment,a thorough understanding of the diffusion-advection process within porous structures is essential for material design.In this study,we present advancements in the volumetric lattice Boltzmann method(VLBM)for modeling and simulating pore-scale diffusion-advection of radioactive isotopes within geopolymer porous structures.These structures are created using the phase field method(PFM)to precisely control pore architectures.In our VLBM approach,we introduce a concentration field of an isotope seamlessly coupled with the velocity field and solve it by the time evolution of its particle population function.To address the computational intensity inherent in the coupled lattice Boltzmann equations for velocity and concentration fields,we implement graphics processing unit(GPU)parallelization.Validation of the developed model involves examining the flow and diffusion fields in porous structures.Remarkably,good agreement is observed for both the velocity field from VLBM and multiphysics object-oriented simulation environment(MOOSE),and the concentration field from VLBM and the finite difference method(FDM).Furthermore,we investigate the effects of background flow,species diffusivity,and porosity on the diffusion-advection behavior by varying the background flow velocity,diffusion coefficient,and pore volume fraction,respectively.Notably,all three parameters exert an influence on the diffusion-advection process.Increased background flow and diffusivity markedly accelerate the process due to increased advection intensity and enhanced diffusion capability,respectively.Conversely,increasing the porosity has a less significant effect,causing a slight slowdown of the diffusion-advection process due to the expanded pore volume.This comprehensive parametric study provides valuable insights into the kinetics of isotope uptake in porous structures,facilitating the development of porous materials for nuclear waste treatment applications.

THE NONLINEAR STABILITY OF PLANE PARALLEL SHEAR FLOWS WITH RESPECT TO TILTED PERTURBATIONS

The nonlinear stability of plane parallel shear flows with respect to tilted perturbations is studied by energy methods.Tilted perturbation refers to the fact that perturbations form an angleθ∈(0,π/2)with the direction of the basic flows.By defining an energy functional,it is proven that plane parallel shear flows are unconditionally nonlinearly exponentially stable for tilted streamwise perturbation when the Reynolds number is below a certain critical value and the boundary conditions are either rigid or stress-free.In the case of stress-free boundaries,by taking advantage of the poloidal-toroidal decomposition of a solenoidal field to define energy functionals,it can be even shown that plane parallel shear flows are unconditionally nonlinearly exponentially stable for all Reynolds numbers,where the tilted perturbation can be either spanwise or streamwise.

Numerical Simulation of the Parallel Gap Resistance Welding Process of a Solar Cell and Mo/Pt/Ag Interconnector

Energy for space vehicles in low Earth orbit(LEO) is mainly generated by solar arrays, and the service time of the vehicles is controlled by the lifetime of these arrays, which depends mainly on the lifetime of the interconnects. To increase the service life of LEO satellites, molybdenum/platinum/silver(Mo/Pt/Ag) laminated metal matrix composite(LMMC) interconnectors are widely used in place of Mo/Ag LMMC and Ag interconnectors in solar arrays. A 2D thermal-electrical-mechanical coupled axisymmetric model was established to simulate the behavior of the parallel gap resistance welding(PGRW) process for solar cells and Mo/Pt/Ag composite interconnectors using the commercial software ANSYS. The direct multicoupled PLANE223 element and the contact pair elements TARGE169 and CONTA172 were employed. A transitional meshing method was applied to solve the meshing problem due to the ultrathin(1 μm) intermediate Pt layer. A comparison of the analysis results with the experimental results revealed that the best parameters were 60 W, 60 ms, and 0.0138 MPa. The voltage and current predicted by the finite element method agreed well with the experimental results. This study contributes to a further understanding of the mechanism of PGRW and provides guidance for finite element simulation of the process of welding with an ultrathin interlayer.

The Alternating Group Explicit Iterative Method for the Regularized Long-Wave Equation

An Alternating Group Explicit (AGE) iterative method with intrinsic parallelism is constructed based on an implicit scheme for the Regularized Long-Wave (RLW) equation. The method can be used for the iteration solution of a general tridiagonal system of equations with diagonal dominance. It is not only easy to implement, but also can directly carry out parallel computation. Convergence results are obtained by analysing the linear system. Numerical experiments show that the theory is accurate and the scheme is valid and reliable.

PARALLEL REGION PRESERVING MULTISECTION METHOD FOR SOLVING GENERALIZED EIGENPROBLEM

The parallel multisection method for solving algebraic eigenproblem has been presented in recent years with the development of the parallel computers, but all the research work is limited in standard eigenproblems of symmetric tridiagonal matrix. The multisection method for solving the generalized eigenproblem applied significantly in many science and engineering domains has not been studied. The parallel region preserving multisection method (PRM for short) for solving generalized eigenproblems of large sparse and real symmetric matrix is presented in this paper. This method not only retains the advantages of the conventional determinant search method (DS for short), but also overcomes its disadvantages such as leaking roots and disconvergence. We have tested the method on the YH 1 vector computer, and compared it with the parallel region preserving determinant search method the parallel region preserving bisection method (PRB for short). The numerical results show that PRM has a higher speed up, for instance, it attains the speed up of 7.7 when the scale of the problem is 2 114 and the eigenpair found is 3, and PRM is superior to PRB when the scale of the problem is large.

Type Synthesis of 4-DOF Parallel Kinematic Mechanisms Based on Grassmann Line Geometry and Atlas Method

Many methods are proposed to deal with the type synthesis of parallel kinematic mechanisms（PKMs）, but most of them are less intuitive to some extent. Thus, to propose a concise and intuitive type synthesis method for engineering application is a very challenging issue, which should be further studied in the field. Grassmann line geometry, which can investigate the dimensions of spatial line-clusters in a concise way, is taken as the mathematic foundation. Atlas method is introduced to visually describe the degrees of freedom（DOFs） and constraints of a mechanism, and the dual rule is brought in to realize the mutual conversion of the freedom-space and constraint-space. Consequently, a systematic method based on Grassmann line geometry and Atlas method is generated and the entire type synthesis process is presented. Three type 4-DOF PKMs, i.e., 1T3R, 2T2R and 3T1R（T： translational DOF; R： rotational DOF）, are classified according to the different combinations of the translational DOFs and rotational DOFs. The type synthesis of 4-DOF PKMs is carried out and the possible configurations are thoroughly investigated. Some new PKMs with useful functions are generated during this procedure. The type synthesis method based on Grassmann line geometry and Atlas method is intuitive and concise, and can reduce the complexity of the PKMs＇ type synthesis. Moreover, this method can provide theoretical guidance for other PKMs＇ type synthesis and engineering application. A novel type synthesis method is proposed, which solves the existing methods＇ problems in terms of complicated, not intuitive and unsuitable for practical application.

Influence of heterogeneity on rock strength and stiffness using discrete element method and parallel bond model

The particulate discrete element method(DEM) can be employed to capture the response of rock,provided that appropriate bonding models are used to cement the particles to each other.Simulations of laboratory tests are important to establish the extent to which those models can capture realistic rock behaviors.Hitherto the focus in such comparison studies has either been on homogeneous specimens or use of two-dimensional(2D) models.In situ rock formations are often heterogeneous,thus exploring the ability of this type of models to capture heterogeneous material behavior is important to facilitate their use in design analysis.In situ stress states are basically three-dimensional(3D),and therefore it is important to develop 3D models for this purpose.This paper revisits an earlier experimental study on heterogeneous specimens,of which the relative proportions of weaker material(siltstone) and stronger,harder material(sandstone) were varied in a controlled manner.Using a 3D DEM model with the parallel bond model,virtual heterogeneous specimens were created.The overall responses in terms of variations in strength and stiffness with different percentages of weaker material(siltstone) were shown to agree with the experimental observations.There was also a good qualitative agreement in the failure patterns observed in the experiments and the simulations,suggesting that the DEM data enabled analysis of the initiation of localizations and micro fractures in the specimens.

Parallelized Implementation of the Finite Particle Method for Explicit Dynamics in GPU

As a novel kind of particle method for explicit dynamics,the finite particle method(FPM)does not require the formation or solution of global matrices,and the evaluations of the element equivalent forces and particle displacements are decoupled in nature,thus making this method suitable for parallelization.The FPM also requires an acceleration strategy to overcome the heavy computational burden of its explicit framework for time-dependent dynamic analysis.To this end,a GPU-accelerated parallel strategy for the FPM is proposed in this paper.By taking advantage of the independence of each step of the FPM workflow,a generic parallelized computational framework for multiple types of analysis is established.Using the Compute Unified Device Architecture(CUDA),the GPU implementations of the main tasks of the FPM,such as evaluating and assembling the element equivalent forces and solving the kinematic equations for particles,are elaborated through careful thread management and memory optimization.Performance tests show that speedup ratios of 8,25 and 48 are achieved for beams,hexahedral solids and triangular shells,respectively.For examples consisting of explicit dynamic analyses of shells and solids,comparisons with Abaqus using 1 to 8 CPU cores validate the accuracy of the results and demonstrate a maximum speed improvement of a factor of 11.2.

A New Method for Type Synthesis of 2R1T and 2T1R 3-DOF Redundant Actuated Parallel Mechanisms with Closed Loop Units

The current type synthesis of the redundant actuated parallel mechanisms is adding active-actuated kinematic branches on the basis of the traditional parallel mechanisms,or using screw theory to perform multiple getting intersection and union to complete type synthesis.The number of redundant parallel mechanisms obtained by these two methods is limited.In this paper,based on Grassmann line geometry and Atlas method,a novel and effective method for type synthesis of redundant actuated parallel mechanisms(PMs)with closed-loop units is proposed.Firstly,the degree of freedom(DOF)and constraint line graph of the moving platform are determined successively,and redundant lines are added in constraint line graph to obtain the redundant constraint line graph and their equivalent line graph,and a branch constraint allocation scheme is formulated based on the allocation criteria.Secondly,a scheme is selected and redundant lines are added in the branch chains DOF graph to construct the redundant actuated branch chains with closed-loop units.Finally,the branch chains that meet the requirements of branch chains configuration criteria and F&C(degree of freedom&constraint)line graph are assembled.In this paper,two types of 2 rotational and 1 translational(2R1T)redundant actuated parallel mechanisms and one type of 2 translational and 1 rotational(2T1R)redundant actuated parallel mechanisms with few branches and closed-loop units were taken as examples,and 238,92 and 15 new configurations were synthesized.All the mechanisms contain closed-loop units,and the mechanisms and the actuators both have good symmetry.Therefore,all the mechanisms have excellent comprehensive performance,in which the two rotational DOFs of the moving platform of 2R1T redundant actuated parallel mechanism can be independently controlled.The instantaneous analysis shows that all mechanisms are not instantaneous,which proves the feasibility and practicability of the method.

LOCAL AND PARALLEL FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR THE MIXED NAVIER-STOKES/DARCY MODEL WITH BEAVERS-JOSEPH INTERFACE CONDITIONS

In this paper, we consider the mixed Navier-Stokes/Darcy model with BeaversJoseph interface conditions. Based on two-grid discretizations, a local and parallel finite element algorithm for this mixed model is proposed and analyzed. Optimal errors are obtained and numerical experiments are presented to show the efficiency and effectiveness of the local and parallel finite element algorithm.

Algebraic Method‑Based Point‑to‑Point Trajectory Planning of an Under‑Constrained Cable‑Suspended Parallel Robot with Variable Angle and Height Cable Mast

To avoid impacts and vibrations during the processes of acceleration and deceleration while possessing flexible working ways for cable-suspended parallel robots(CSPRs),point-to-point trajectory planning demands an under-constrained cable-suspended parallel robot(UCPR)with variable angle and height cable mast as described in this paper.The end-effector of the UCPR with three cables can achieve three translational degrees of freedom(DOFs).The inverse kinematic and dynamic modeling of the UCPR considering the angle and height of cable mast are completed.The motion trajectory of the end-effector comprising six segments is given.The connection points of the trajectory segments(except for point P3 in the X direction)are devised to have zero instantaneous velocities,which ensure that the acceleration has continuity and the planned acceleration curve achieves smooth transition.The trajectory is respectively planned using three algebraic methods,including fifth degree polynomial,cycloid trajectory,and double-S velocity curve.The results indicate that the trajectory planned by fifth degree polynomial method is much closer to the given trajectory of the end-effector.Numerical simulation and experiments are accomplished for the given trajectory based on fifth degree polynomial planning.At the points where the velocity suddenly changes,the length and tension variation curves of the planned and unplanned three cables are compared and analyzed.The OptiTrack motion capture system is adopted to track the end-effector of the UCPR during the experiment.The effectiveness and feasibility of fifth degree polynomial planning are validated.

CONTINUATION METHOD APPLIED IN KINEMATICS OF PARALLEL ROBOT

Continuation method solving forward kinematics problem of parallel robot was discussed. And through a coefficient-parameter continuation method the efficiency and feasibility of continuation method were improved. Using this method all forward solutions of a new parallel robot model which was put forward lately by Robot Open Laboratory of Science Institute of China were obtained. Therefore it provided the basis of mechanism analysis and real-time control for new model.

Space decomposition based parallelization solutions for the combined finiteediscrete element method in 2D

The combined finiteediscrete element method （FDEM） belongs to a family of methods of computationalmechanics of discontinua. The method is suitable for problems of discontinua, where particles aredeformable and can fracture or fragment. The applications of FDEM have spread over a number of disciplinesincluding rock mechanics, where problems like mining, mineral processing or rock blasting canbe solved by employing FDEM. In this work, a novel approach for the parallelization of two-dimensional（2D） FDEM aiming at clusters and desktop computers is developed. Dynamic domain decompositionbased parallelization solvers covering all aspects of FDEM have been developed. These have beenimplemented into the open source Y2D software package and have been tested on a PC cluster. Theoverall performance and scalability of the parallel code have been studied using numerical examples. Theresults obtained confirm the suitability of the parallel implementation for solving large scale problems. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improvement Detecting Method of Optical Axes Parallelism of Shipboard Photoelectrical Theodolite Based on Image Processing

An improvement detecting method was proposed according to the disadvantages of testing method of optical axes parallelism of shipboard photoelectrical theodolite (short for theodolite) based on image processing. Pointolite replaced 0.2'' collimator to reduce the errors of crosshair images processing and improve the quality of image. What’s more, the high quality images could help to optimize the image processing method and the testing accuracy. The errors between the trial results interpreted by software and the results tested in dock were less than 10'', which indicated the improve method had some actual application values.

EXPANDABLE PARALLEL FINITE ELEMENT METHODS FOR LINEAR ELLIPTIC PROBLEMS

In this article,two kinds of expandable parallel finite element methods,based on two-grid discretizations,are given to solve the linear elliptic problems.Compared with the classical local and parallel finite element methods,there are two attractive features of the methods shown in this article:1)a partition of unity is used to generate a series of local and independent subproblems to guarantee the final approximation globally continuous;2)the computational domain of each local subproblem is contained in a ball with radius of O(H)(H is the coarse mesh parameter),which means methods in this article are more suitable for parallel computing in a large parallel computer system.Some a priori error estimation are obtained and optimal error bounds in both H^1-normal and L^2-normal are derived.Finally,numerical results are reported to test and verify the feasibility and validity of our methods.

Global SH-wave propagation in a 2D whole Moon model using the parallel hybrid PSM/FDM method

We present numerical modeling of SH-wave propagation for the recently proposed whole Moon model and try to improve our understanding of lunar seismic wave propagation. We use a hybrid PSM/FDM method on staggered grids to solve the wave equations and implement the calculation on a parallel PC cluster to improve the computing efficiency. Features of global SH-wave propagation are firstly discussed for a 100-km shallow and900-km deep moonquakes, respectively. Effects of frequency range and lateral variation of crust thickness are then investigated with various models. Our synthetic waveforms are finally compared with observed Apollo data to show the features of wave propagation that were produced by our model and those not reproduced by our models. Our numerical modeling show that the low-velocity upper crust plays significant role in the development of reverberating wave trains. Increasing frequency enhances the strength and duration of the reverberations.Surface multiples dominate wavefields for shallow event.Core–mantle reflections can be clearly identified for deep event at low frequency. The layered whole Moon model and the low-velocity upper crust produce the reverberating wave trains following each phases consistent with observation. However, more realistic Moon model should be considered in order to explain the strong and slow decay scattering between various phases shown on observation data.

A GPU-Based Parallel Algorithm for 2D Large Deformation Contact Problems Using the Finite Particle Method

Large deformation contact problems generally involve highly nonlinear behaviors,which are very time-consuming and may lead to convergence issues.The finite particle method(FPM)effectively separates pure deformation from total motion in large deformation problems.In addition,the decoupled procedures of the FPM make it suitable for parallel computing,which may provide an approach to solve time-consuming issues.In this study,a graphics processing unit(GPU)-based parallel algorithm is proposed for two-dimensional large deformation contact problems.The fundamentals of the FPM for planar solids are first briefly introduced,including the equations of motion of particles and the internal forces of quadrilateral elements.Subsequently,a linked-list data structure suitable for parallel processing is built,and parallel global and local search algorithms are presented for contact detection.The contact forces are then derived and directly exerted on particles.The proposed method is implemented with main solution procedures executed in parallel on a GPU.Two verification problems comprising large deformation frictional contacts are presented,and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is validated.Furthermore,the algorithm’s performance is investigated via a large-scale contact problem,and the maximum speedups of total computational time and contact calculation reach 28.5 and 77.4,respectively,relative to commercial finite element software Abaqus/Explicit running on a single-core central processing unit(CPU).The contact calculation time percentage of the total calculation time is only 18%with the FPM,much smaller than that(50%)with Abaqus/Explicit,demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed method.

Estimates of Convergence Rate of Parallel Multisplitting Itertive Methods

This paper givers an estimated formula of convergence rate for parallel multisplitting iterative method.Using the formula,we can simplify and unify the proof of convergence of PMI_method.