INDUSTRY

High Performance Computing (HPC) is giving people the ability to run very complex simulations that have the potential to answer difficult questions. The volume of data generated far exceeds the ability of people to interpret the results using traditional methods and tools. This is the challenge that the SC|05 HPC Analytics Challenge has set out to address and that Intelligent Light is answering with a powerful new tool within their FIELDVIEW post-processing and visualization solution. The new FIELDVIEW Advanced Technology Viewer allows users to ask entirely new questions using HPC simulations and to make a far greater impact with their results. Large, unsteady CFD simulations can be explored with fluid interaction, fidelity, and realism unachievable with existing technologies. The results can readily be shared with colleagues beyond the CFD community without sacrificing the quality of the user's experience. The new technology has placed Intelligent Light among the five finalists for the SC|05 HPC Analytics Challenge for which the top prize will be awarded at the SC|05 Conference. "We had an objective to encourage industry participation in the HPC Analytics Initiative at SC|05 and we are very pleased by the enthusiastic response to the HPC Analytics Challenge. The number of entries exceeded our expectations and the quality of submissions from both industry and research has been exceptional," said Tim Leite of the HPC Analytics Challenge Committee and Director of Education Programs at Visual Numerics, Inc. "We eagerly anticipate seeing the presentations of Intelligent Light along with all of the finalists and awarding the top prize at the SC|05 event in November." "The new FIELDVIEW ATViewer capability represents the industry's first commercial use of extract technology and leading edge graphics in a tool that is already a part of mission critical CFD workflows," said Steve Legensky, Intelligent Light's founder and general manager. "We are excited about this early validation of our ideas for solving the big data challenge presented by unsteady CFD and we look forward to SC|05 with great respect for the HPC community and the other participants." New power for renewable energy research In renewable energy research, wind power is a viable and attractive technology. Engineers and researchers are working aggressively to design highly efficient turbines for power generation. Their CFD simulations are complex as the conditions constantly change as rotors turn. The resultant datasets already exceed 60GB in size and are well on their way to exceeding 200GB within 2 years. Static images don't show dynamic airflows, and keyframe animations can take many hours or days to generate and don't allow the user to interact with the results. Using FIELDVIEW ATViewer, previously unobservable phenomena have been seen and the results from these large datasets are easily shared with colleagues across the country. "I was amazed when I started working with our data using the FIELDVIEW ATViewer. To see moving flows and to interact with the data at 15-20 fps is a fundamental change in the way we can work," said Dr. Earl Duque, leader of the Intelligent Light response to the HPC Analytics Challenge and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University. "I have been able to quickly see the development of unique airflows that affect the efficiency of rotor turbines. This has huge implications for the development of highly efficient wind energy, and more broadly, for the way that CFD is practiced and the impact it can have beyond the CFD community." The new capability is a tangible result of the success of the US Army SBIR phase II research funding program. FIELDVIEW ATViewer is a new tool within FIELDVIEW 11 that delivers benefits in a wide range of public and private sector research programs. Legensky is proud of the contribution to the SC|05 community. "We are genuinely honored to have been selected as a finalist for the SC|05 HPC Analytics Challenge and we look forward to demonstrating the technology at the SC|05 conference where all the finalists of the SC|05 HPC Analytics Initiative will be showcased."