Project Title:

Design Study to Implement NASTRAN on Massively Parallel Computers

07.10-1212
900322
Design Study to Implement NASTRAN on Massively Parallel Computers

Abstract:

The finite-element analysis approach for performing structural analysis has been
an efficient and comprehensive approach for many years. The NASA developed structural
analysis program NASTRAN is in the forefront for such analyses. A design that will
allow NASTRAN to execute efficiently on computers that have a massively parallel
architecture will be studied. This effort will include an analysis of the capabilities
of existing computers with a massively parallel architecture, determination of efficient
matrix algorithms, determination of areas of code that could be executed in parallel,
determination of possible parallelization at the NASTRAN command language level,
and defining required additional NASTRAN I/O functions and executive control functions
to allow for optimal parallelization techniques to be installed in NASTRAN. Determination
of such a design is na innovative effort because the study and design considerations
that are required for optimal use of parallel processing capabilities are unique
and differ from those used on vector and serial processing computers.
NASTRAN is heavily used by governmental agencies (NASA, Navy, Air Force, Army, etc.),
aerospace companies, automobile companies, scientific laboratories and a host of
engineering companies, and therefore, commercial applications of a  parallel version
of NASTRAN will certainly be desired and useful in the future.
finite element, structural analysis, NASTRAN