Multi-scale CAFE framework for simulating fracture in heterogeneous materials implemented in fortran co-arrays and MPI

Anton Shterenlikht, Lee Margetts, Jose D. Arregui-Mena, Luis Cebamanos

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fortran coarrays have been used as an extension to the standard for over 20 years, mostly on Cray systems. Their appeal to users increased substantially when they were standardised in 2010. In this work we show that coarrays offer simple and intuitive data structures for 3D cellular automata (CA) modelling of material microstructures. We show how coarrays can be used together with an MPI finite element (FE) library to create a two-way concurrent hierarchical and scalable multi-scale CAFE deformation and fracture framework. Design of a coarray cellular automata microstructure evolution library CGPACK is described. A highly portable MPI FE library ParaFEM was used in this work. We show that independently CGPACK and ParaFEM programs can scale up well into tens of thousands of cores. Strong scaling of a hybrid ParaFEM/CGPACK MPI/coarray multi-scale framework was measured on an important solid mechanics practical example of a fracture of a steel round bar under tension. That program did not scale beyond 7 thousand cores. Excessive synchronisation might be one contributing factor to relatively poor scaling. Therefore we conclude with a comparative analysis of synchronisation requirements in MPI and coarray programs. Specific challenges of synchronising a coarray library are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of PAW 2016
Subtitle of host publication1st PGAS Applications Workshop - Held in conjunction with SC 2016: The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages1-8
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781509052141
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 30 2017
Externally publishedYes
Event1st PGAS Applications Workshop, PAW 2016 - Salt Lake City, United States
Duration: Nov 14 2016 → …

Publication series

NameProceedings of PAW 2016: 1st PGAS Applications Workshop - Held in conjunction with SC 2016: The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis

Conference

Conference1st PGAS Applications Workshop, PAW 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySalt Lake City
Period11/14/16 → …

Funding

FundersFunder number
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/H010947/1, EP/P034446/1

    Keywords

    • Computer aided engineering
    • Mechanical engineering
    • Microstructure
    • Parallel algorithms
    • Parallel programming
    • Scientific computing
    • Supercomputers

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