Altair HPC

High Performance Computing (HPC) refers to the practice of using powerful computing resources such as supercomputers or clusters of interconnected computers, to solve complex computational problems and perform computationally intensive tasks. Essentially, HPC refers to a network of several computers aggregating their computational power to perform complex calculations at high speeds. HPC encompasses the various paradigms of parallel programming, their related programming languages, application programming interfaces (APIs) and the dedicated software tools. HPC systems typically consist of a large number of interconnected computing nodes; each equipped with high-performance processors, a significant amount of memory, and fast interconnects. If one were to compare the processing power of supercomputers with that of desktops or laptops, HPC can be one million times faster than PCs. HPC is valuable for its ability to deliver faster and more precise results, particularly in areas such as weather forecasting, car crash simulations, and complex phenomena modelling. HPC enables the tackling of larger problems, whether it's simulating intricate domains or processing vast datasets (as seen in the Big Data trend). HPC is particularly well-suited for algorithms that can be parallelized, such as image and video processing, where operations like pixel or voxel (voxels are essentially 3D pixels, but instead of being squares, they are the smallest cubes) filtering can be executed independently in parallel.

Here are a few use cases related to HPC in the automobile, aerospace, and heavy engineering industries:

Automobile Industry

• Crash Simulation: HPC is used to simulate car crashes and analyze their impact on vehicle structures. It helps assess safety features, optimize vehicle design, and meet regulatory requirements.
• Aerodynamics and CFD: HPC facilitates computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to study airflow around vehicles, reducing drag, improving fuel efficiency, and enhancing aerodynamic performance.
• Engine Design and Optimization: HPC enables detailed simulations of combustion processes, optimizing engine designs for improved performance, emissions reduction, and fuel economy.
• EMI / EMC: Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) have become key topics with the proliferation of connected devices, both for component integration and satisfying EMC regulatory requirements. Autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), simulation and multi-physics workloads chew through enormous amounts of data which requires powerful, scalable computing with the right workload configuration and optimization tools to keep it running smoothly.

Aerospace Industry

• Aircraft Design and Optimization: HPC plays a crucial role in aerodynamic simulations, structural analysis, and optimization of aircraft designs. It helps enhance fuel efficiency, reduce weight, improve safety, and optimize performance.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): HPC is utilized to simulate and analyze airflow around aircraft surfaces, wings, and control surfaces. This aids in optimizing aerodynamics, reducing drag, and improving fuel efficiency.
• Noise and Vibration Analysis: HPC facilitates the analysis and modelling of noise and vibration characteristics in aircraft, helping engineers identify and mitigate potential noise and vibration issues.
• Antenna Performance: Installed antenna performance on any platform and virtual flight / drive test to evaluate received power along trajectories, radar cross-section to check the material with witch the target is made, absolute size of the target to check the target's reflectivity. radio coverage and planning radomes - protecting antennas, contributing to aerodynamic efficiency, and delivering the desired electromagnetic transparency

Heavy Engineering Industry

• Structural Analysis and Simulation: HPC enables accurate and detailed structural analysis of large-scale engineering projects, such as bridges, dams, and offshore structures. It helps assess structural integrity, safety factors, and optimize designs for robustness.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA): HPC is utilized for FEA simulations to analyze the behaviour and performance of complex structures under various loads and conditions. This aids in predicting material responses, optimizing designs, and ensuring structural reliability.
• Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI): HPC enables simulations involving the interaction between fluids and structures, as encountered in offshore platforms, dams, and fluid flow systems. It helps engineers understand complex phenomena, optimize designs, and mitigate potential risks.
• Discrete Element Method: Used to perform bulk and granular material simulation. It helps to simulate and analyze the behaviour of coal, mined ores, soils, fibers, grains, tablets, powders, and more. It gives insight about how those materials will interact with their equipment during a range of operation and process conditions. Leading companies in the heavy equipment, off-road, mining, steel making, and process manufacturing industries use Discrete element method to understand and predict granular material behaviours, evaluate equipment performance, and optimize processes

Altair HPC Solutions
Altair is a global technology company that offers a range of software and cloud solutions, including products related to HPC. Altair HPC is not a standalone, specific solution, but rather a suite of software solutions and tools that can be utilized within a HPC paradigm. Altair offers various HPC-related products, such as Altair PBS Works, Altair Accelerator, Altair HyperWorks Unlimited, and Altair PBScloud.io, which enable users to leverage HPC capabilities for simulation, analysis, and data processing.

Altair HPC solutions are designed to optimize job scheduling, resource management and workload distribution across HPC clusters. They provide tools for efficient parallel processing, fast inter connectivity, and workload optimization to achieve high-performance computing.

HPC Deployment
There are two ways Altair HPC solutions can be deployed – on premise (traditional way) or on the cloud. If it deployed on-premises, the onus is on the customer to install and manage it. This provides greater control and flexibility, but it also requires a significant upfront investment in hardware and software. Additionally, on-premises HPC systems can be more difficult to scale and update as needs change.

HPC Cloud is a cloud-based solution that is hosted and managed by Altair. This provides a more scalable and flexible option, as users can easily add or remove resources as needed. Additionally, cloud-based HPC systems are typically more cost-effective than on-premises solutions.

Here are some of the factors to consider when choosing a deployment option for Altair HPC:

• Budget: On-premises deployment is typically more expensive than cloud deployment.
• Needs: Do you need a high degree of control, performance, or security?
• Experience: Does your team have the experience to manage an on-premises system?
• Flexibility: One of the most salient features of cloud computing is scalability and flexibility. You need to consider whether you need the ability to scale your HPC resources up or down as needed.

Altair HPC solutions are designed to optimize job scheduling, resource management and workload distribution across HPC clusters. They provide tools for efficient parallel processing, fast inter connectivity, and workload optimization to achieve high-performance computing.

Altair partners with third-party cloud providers to offer cloud-based HPC capabilities. Altair's cloud solutions, such as HyperWorks Unlimited and PBScloud.io, leverage the infrastructure and resources of these cloud providers to deliver scalable, on-demand HPC resources to users. By leveraging third-party cloud infrastructure, Altair provides flexibility and accessibility to users who may not have access to on-premises HPC resources or who prefer the scalability and convenience of the cloud.

Altair's collaboration with cloud providers allows users to access HPC capabilities without the need for significant upfront investment in hardware and infrastructure. They can provision and manage HPC clusters, submit jobs, and utilize high-performance computing resources.

DesignTech Systems and Altair HPC
In India and abroad, Altair HPC is popular for the suite of simulation and modelling software it offers. If you want to know more about how Altair HPC can benefit your company, please let us know. We are Business Partners of Altair Engineering in India and Singapore for their suite of solutions for CAE, Data Analytics & IoT. We have the expertise to guide you properly for your HPC requirements.