Discrete element method applied to multiobjective optimization of discharge flow parameters in hoppers

Multiobjective approach for optimization of the discharge flow parameters of viscoelastic frictional granular material in a wedge-shaped hopper with fixed outlet orifice is considered. The discharge time and the discharge flow rate are taken as optimality criteria, while the discharge mass of material and the shape of the hopper are considered as design variables. The discrete concept and numerical discrete element method (DEM) are applied to the analysis of granular flow. The filling problem considered as numerical generation of the initial conditions for discharge flow was initially solved. The presented DEM model was validated by examining the wall pressures and comparing them with the results of classical macroscopic pressure prediction. Variation of optimality criteria and Pareto set is demonstrated by the numerical results. Sensitivity of optimality criteria to interparticle friction is also investigated.     

Computation and visualization of discrete particle systems on gLite-based grid

Three-dimensional simulation of discrete particle systems is performed by the discrete element method (DEM) software on the gLite-based BalticGrid infrastructure. The performance of a parallel algorithm for particles exchanging processors is investigated by using a number of benchmarks. Polydispersed particle systems are visualized by a novel grid e-service VizLitG designed for convenient access and interactive visualization of remote data files located on the grid. Partial dataset transfer from the storage element is implemented in the visualization e-service. The efficiency tests of VizLitG are performed on the datasets of different sizes. Two granular problems associated with triaxial compaction and hopper discharge are solved.     

Simulating spin systems on IANUS, an FPGA-based computer

We describe the hardwired implementation of algorithms for Monte Carlo simulations of a large class of spin models. We have implemented these algorithms as VHDL codes and we have mapped them onto a dedicated processor based on a large FPGA device. The measured performance on one such processor is comparable to O(100) carefully programmed high-end PCs: it turns out to be even better for some selected spin models. We describe here codes that we are currently executing on the IANUS massively parallel FPGA-based system.     

Parallel discrete element simulation of poly-dispersed granular material

The paper presents parallel 3D DEM simulation of poly-dispersed material described by the normal size distribution. Static domain decomposition and message passing inter-processor communication have been implemented in the DEM code. A novel algorithm for moving particles that exchange processors has been incorporated in the domain decomposition framework. Parallel performance of the developed algorithm and software has been investigated by a series of benchmark tests conducting tri-axial compaction of material with different numbers of particles, heterogeneity ratios and compaction durations. The speed-up equal to 8.81 has been obtained on 10 processors of the distributed memory PC cluster. It has been shown that a drastic increase of computational expenses of simulation for the poly-dispersed material in terms of CPU time is associated with the increase of its heterogeneity. A contribution of the temporal evolution of microscopic behaviour has also been illustrated.     

Numerical simulation of the motion of granular material using object-oriented techniques

The objective of this contribution is to present a numerical simulation method to model the motion of a packed bed on a moving grate or in a rotary kiln using object-oriented techniques. The packed bed can be described as granular material consisting of a large number of particles. The method chosen is the Lagrangian time-driven method and it uses the position, the orientation, the velocity and the angular velocity of particles as independent variables. These are obtained by time integration of the three-dimensional dynamics equations which were derived from the classical Newtonian mechanics approach based on the second law of Newton for the translation and rotation of each particle in the granular material. This includes keeping track of all forces and moments acting on each particle at every time-step. Particles are treated as contacting visco-elastic bodies which can overlap each other. Contact forces depend on the overlap geometry, material properties and dynamics of particles and include normal and tangential components of repulsion force with visco-elastic models for energy dissipation through internal and surface friction. The resulting equations of particle motion are solved by the Gear predictor–corrector scheme of fifth-order accuracy.The simulation method is based on object-oriented methodologies and programmed in the programming language C++. This approach supports objects which can be used for three-dimensional particles of various shapes and sizes and for walls as boundaries. The programming modules are implemented in the TOSCA (tools of object-oriented software for continuum mechanic applications) software package which allows for a high degree of flexibility and for shortening the duration of the software development process. As methods for particle motion may deal with particles of different sizes and materials, the approach allows to describe transport processes in technical applications.     

Object-oriented design patterns in Fortran 90/95: mazev1, mazev2 and mazev3

This paper discusses the concept, application, and usefulness of software design patterns for scientific programming in Fortran 90/95. An example from the discipline of object-oriented design patterns, that of a game based on navigation through a maze, is used to describe how some important patterns can be implemented in Fortran 90/95 and how the progressive introduction of design patterns can usefully restructure Fortran software as it evolves. This example is complemented by a discussion of how design patterns have been used in a real-life simulation of Particle-in-Cell plasma physics. The following patterns are mentioned in this paper: Factory, Strategy, Template, Abstract Factory and Facade.

Program summary

Program title: mazev1, mazev2, mazev3Catalogue identifier: AEAI_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEAI_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 1958No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 17 100Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: Fortran 95Computer: PC/MacOperating system: Unix/Linux/Mac (FreeBSD)/Windows (Cygwin)RAM: These are interactive programs with small (KB) memory requirementsClassification: 6.5, 20Nature of problem: A sequence of programs which demonstrate the use of object oriented design patterns for the restructuring of Fortran 90/95 software. The programs implement a simple maze game similar to that described in [1].Solution method: Restructuring uses versions of the Template, Strategy and Factory design patterns.Running time: Interactive.References:

[1] 

E. Gamma, R. Helm, R. Johnson, J. Vlissides, Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object Oriented Software, Addison-Wesley, 1995, ISBN 0201633612.

     

The role of PASCAL in software engineering

The second of a series of papers on modern high-level programming languages for microprocessors introduces PASCAL, which was the first language to implement strong data typing and support for structured programming. The major language constructs — program structures, control structures, simple and structured data types etc. — are discussed with respect to their support for good software engineering practice. The development of a program to simulate the behaviour of a simple computer is outlined as a programming example.     

Library of sophisticated functions for analysis of nuclear spectra

In the paper we present compact library for analysis of nuclear spectra. The library consists of sophisticated functions for background elimination, smoothing, peak searching, deconvolution, and peak fitting. The functions can process one- and two-dimensional spectra. The software described in the paper comprises a number of conventional as well as newly developed methods needed to analyze experimental data.

Program summary

Program title: SpecAnalysLib 1.1Catalogue identifier: AEDZ_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEDZ_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 42 154No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 2 379 437Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: C++Computer: Pentium 3 PC 2.4 GHz or higher, Borland C++ Builder v. 6. A precompiled Windows version is included in the distribution packageOperating system: Windows 32 bit versionsRAM: 10 MBWord size: 32 bitsClassification: 17.6Nature of problem: The demand for advanced highly effective experimental data analysis functions is enormous. The library package represents one approach to give the physicists the possibility to use the advanced routines simply by calling them from their own programs. SpecAnalysLib is a collection of functions for analysis of one- and two-parameter γ-ray spectra, but they can be used for other types of data as well. The library consists of sophisticated functions for background elimination, smoothing, peak searching, deconvolution, and peak fitting.Solution method: The algorithms of background estimation are based on Sensitive Non-linear Iterative Peak (SNIP) clipping algorithm. The smoothing algorithms are based on the convolution of the original data with several types of filters and algorithms based on discrete Markov chains. The peak searching algorithms use the smoothed second differences and they can search for peaks of general form. The deconvolution (decomposition - unfolding) functions use the Gold iterative algorithm, its improved high resolution version and Richardson-Lucy algorithm. In the algorithms of peak fitting we have implemented two approaches. The first one is based on the algorithm without matrix inversion - AWMI algorithm. It allows it to fit large blocks of data and large number of parameters. The other one is based on the calculation of the system of linear equations using Stiefel-Hestens method. It converges faster than the AWMI, however it is not suitable for fitting large number of parameters.Restrictions: Dimensionality of the analyzed data is limited to two.Unusual features: Dynamically loadable library (DLL) of processing functions users can call from their own programs.Running time: Most processing routines execute interactively or in a few seconds. Computationally intensive routines (deconvolution, fitting) execute longer, depending on the number of iterations specified and volume of the processed data.     

A handy tool for history keeping of Geant4 tracks - J4HistoryKeeper

The Particle Flow Analysis (PFA) is currently under intense studies as the most promising way to achieve precision jet energy measurements required at the future linear e⁺e⁻ collider. In order to optimize detector configurations and to tune up the PFA it is crucial to identify factors that limit the PFA performance and clarify the fundamental limits on the jet energy resolution that remain even with the perfect PFA and an infinitely granular calorimeter. This necessitates a tool to connect each calorimeter hit in particle showers to its parent charged track, if any, and eventually all the way back to its corresponding primary particle, while identifying possible interactions and decays along the way. In order to realize this with a realistic memory space, we have developed a set of C++ classes that facilitates history keeping of particle tracks within the framework of Geant4. This software tool, hereafter called J4HistoryKeeper, comes in handy in particular when one needs to stop this history keeping for memory space economy at multiple geometrical boundaries beyond which a particle shower is expected to start. In this paper this software tool is described and applied to a generic detector model to demonstrate its functionality.     

An integrated runtime and compile-time approach for parallelizingstructured and block structured applications

In compiling applications for distributed memory machines, runtime analysis is required when data to be communicated cannot be determined at compile-time. One such class of applications requiring runtime analysis is block structured codes. These codes employ multiple structured meshes, which may be nested (for multigrid codes) and/or irregularly coupled (called multiblock or irregularly coupled regular mesh problems). In this paper, we present runtime and compile-time analysis for compiling such applications on distributed memory parallel machines in an efficient and machine-independent fashion. We have designed and implemented a runtime library which supports the runtime analysis required. The library is currently implemented on several different systems. We have also developed compiler analysis for determining data access patterns at compile time and inserting calls to the appropriate runtime routines. Our methods can be used by compilers for HPF-like parallel programming languages in compiling codes in which data distribution, loop bounds and/or strides are unknown at compile-time. To demonstrate the efficacy of our approach, we have implemented our compiler analysis in the Fortran 90D/HPF compiler developed at Syracuse University. We have experimented with a multi-bloc Navier-Stokes solver template and a multigrid code. Our experimental results show that our primitives have low runtime communication overheads and the compiler parallelized codes perform within 20% of the codes parallelized by manually inserting calls to the runtime library     

PASCAL过程蓝图

提出一种面向标准PASCAL语言的程序处理逻辑图形化表示法－PASCAL过程蓝图,这种工程化表示法支持逻辑和实现两个层次的程序抽象表示,是一种简单实用、容易理解、结构良好的程序设计工具。文中给出PASCAL过程蓝图的形式化模型、抽象逻辑结构图的图形表示方法,以及程序设计的基本过程。     

Programming continuous-system simulation in PASCAL

A complete continuous-system simulation package written in PASCAL graphically exhibits the anatomy and requirements of simulation software in general, and also the very real advantages and disadvantages of programming in PASCAL. To combine PASCAL's neat program/data structures and useful compiler checks with efficient number-crunching, it may be best to call FORTRAN procedures from a PASCAL main program.     

面向环境力学的离散元分析软件研发和工程应用

离散元计算分析软件对解决环境力学中的离散介质问题有至关重要的作用.针对环境灾害中的非规则颗粒单元,以圆球颗粒为基本单元,分别构造镶嵌组合单元、黏结组合单元、扩展圆盘单元和扩展多面体单元等,并在此基础上开发基于球形颗粒离散元方法的分析软件(Software of Spherical Particle-based Discrete Element Method,SDEM).该软件可模拟碎冰、岩石和道砟等颗粒材料的力学行为,能直观展现这些力学过程的发生、发展和演化;基于GPU的并行计算实现离散元大规模计算的高效性.对SDEM软件在地质灾害、工程海冰和铁路道床等领域的应用进行介绍.     

基于AOP的信息管理系统的研究与实现

面向对象的编程OOP（Object Oriented Programming）能够有效地解决面向过程语言的缺陷,现有的软件项目大都采用面向对象的编程范型。但是OOP不能解决由于横切属性带来的代码混乱和代码分散等诸多问题,导致系统的可读性和复用性差,因此引入了面向方面的编程AOP（Aspect—Oriented Programming）思想。该编程思想可使开发者有效地将业务关注点与横切关注点分离,解决OOP的难题。介绍了AOP技术中较成熟的语言——AspectJ及其相关概念,通过一个信息管理系统,展示AOP技术在处理横切关注点时发挥的优势。     

Tabu Search with two approaches to parallel flowshop evaluation on CUDA platform

The introduction of NVidia’s powerful Tesla GPU hardware and Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) platform enable many-core parallel programming. As a result, existing algorithms implemented on a GPU can run many times faster than on modern CPUs. Relatively little research has been done so far on GPU implementations of discrete optimisation algorithms. In this paper, two approaches to parallel GPU evaluation of the Permutation Flowshop Scheduling Problem, with makespan and total flowtime criteria, are proposed. These methods can be employed in most population-based algorithms, e.g. genetic algorithms, Ant Colony Optimisation, Particle Swarm Optimisation, and Tabu Search. Extensive computational experiments, on Tabu Search for Flowshop with both criteria, followed by statistical analysis, confirm great computational capabilities of GPU hardware. A GPU implementation of Tabu Search runs up to 89 times faster than its CPU counterpart.     

HASPRNG: Hardware Accelerated Scalable Parallel Random Number Generators

The Scalable Parallel Random Number Generators library (SPRNG) supports fast and scalable random number generation with good statistical properties for parallel computational science applications. In order to accelerate SPRNG in high performance reconfigurable computing systems, we present the Hardware Accelerated SPRNG library (HASPRNG). Ported to the Xilinx University Program (XUP) and Cray XD1 reconfigurable computing platforms, HASPRNG includes the reconfigurable logic for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) along with a programming interface which performs integer random number generation that produces identical results with SPRNG. This paper describes the reconfigurable logic of HASPRNG exploiting the mathematical properties and data parallelism residing in the SPRNG algorithms to produce high performance and also describes how to use the programming interface to minimize the communication overhead between FPGAs and microprocessors. The programming interface allows a user to be able to use HASPRNG the same way as SPRNG 2.0 on platforms such as the Cray XD1. We also describe how to install HASPRNG and use it. For HASPRNG usage we discuss a FPGA π-estimator for a High Performance Reconfigurable Computer (HPRC) sample application and compare to a software π-estimator. HASPRNG shows 1.7x speedup over SPRNG on the Cray XD1 and is able to obtain substantial speedup for a HPRC application.

Program summary

Program title: HASPRNGCatalogue identifier: AEER_v1_0Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEER_v1_0.htmlProgram obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. IrelandLicensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.htmlNo. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 594 928No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 6 509 724Distribution format: tar.gzProgramming language: VHDL (XUP and Cray XD1), C++ (XUP), C (Cray XD1)Computer: PowerPC 405 (XUP) / AMD 2.2 GHz Opteron processor (Cray XD1)Operating system: LinuxFile size: 15 MB (XUP) / 22 MB (Cray XD1)Classification: 4.13Nature of problem: Many computational science applications are able to consume large numbers of random numbers. For example, Monte Carlo simulations such as π-estimation are able to consume limitless random numbers forthe computation as long as hardware resources for the computing are supported. Moreover, parallel computational science applications require independent streams of random numbers to attain statistically significant results. The SPRNG library provides this capability, but at a significant computational cost. The library presented here accelerates the generators of independent streams of random numbers.Solution method: Multiple copies of random number generators in FPGAs allow a computational science application to consume large numbers of random numbers from independent, parallel streams. HASPRNG is a random number generators library to allow a computational science application to employ the multiple copies of random number generators to boost performance. Users can interface HASPRNG with software code executing on microprocessors and/or with hardware applications executing on FPGAs.     

Programming the 68000 in high-level language for VME

Many choices of VME hardware module now exist but software still continues to be the major cost in systems development. As development teams face more complex projects, productivity can be improved by four approaches: the use of standard system architecture, the use of software building blocks, the use of better tools and an increase in the level of software engineering management. Some characteristics of realtime systems programming are presented. Next an overview of the VMEbus is given. Then a target operating environment for 68000-based applications in PASCAL is described. The software components are called pSOS, pHILE and pROP. These provide the realtime executive or kernel, file management system and runtime support for PASCAL respectively. Languages other than PASCAL can be used with pSOS and pHILE, but a preference is expressed for PASCAL over the language C.