Title: What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers | MIT Technology Review

Main Heading: What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers

Web Page Topics Index:
1. Introduction
2. The Dawn of Exascale Computing
3. Exploring New Frontiers in Science and Engineering
4. Simulating the Evolution of Galaxies
5. Advancing Aerodynamics in Aircraft Design
6. Understanding Turbulence in Fluid Dynamics
7. Applications in Climate Modeling and Nuclear Fusion
8. Using Frontier Supercomputer
9. Future Exascale Supercomputers
10. Challenges in Energy Efficiency

Content:

What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers | MIT Technology Review

Computing

Scientists have begun running experiments on Frontier, the world’s first official exascale machine, while facilities worldwide build other machines to join the ranks.

By Sophia Chen
Archive page September 21, 2023

A view of Frontier, an exascale-class machine at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of our series here.

It can be difficult to wrap your brain around the number-crunching capability of the world’s fastest supercomputer. But computer scientist Jack Dongarra, of the University of Tennessee, puts it this way: “If everybody on Earth were to do one calculation per second, it would take four years to equal what that computer can do in one second.”

The supercomputer in question is called Frontier. It takes up the space of two tennis courts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the eastern Tennessee hills, where it was unveiled in May 2022. Here are some more specs: Frontier uses approximately 50,000 processors, compared with the most powerful laptop's 16 or 24. It consumes 20 million watts, compared with a laptop’s 65 or so. It cost $600 million to build.

When Frontier came online, it marked the dawn of so-called exascale computing, with machines that can execute an exaflop—or a quintillion (10^18) floating point operations a second. Since then, scientists have geared up to make more of these blazingly fast computers: several exascale machines are due to come online in the US and Europe in 2024. But speed itself isn’t the endgame. Researchers are building exascale computers to explore previously inaccessible science and engineering questions in biology, climate, astronomy, and other fields. In the next few years, scientists will use Frontier to run the most complicated computer simulations humans have ever devised. They hope to pursue yet unanswered questions about nature and to design new technologies in areas from transportation to medicine.

Evan Schneider of the University of Pittsburgh, for example, is using Frontier to run simulations of how our galaxy has evolved over time. In particular, she’s interested in the flow of gas in and out of the Milky Way. A galaxy breathes, in a way: gas flows into it, coalescing via gravity into stars, but gas also flows out—for example, when stars explode and release matter. Schneider studies the mechanisms by which galaxies exhale. “We can compare the simulations to the real observed universe, and that gives us a sense of whether we’re getting the physics right,” Schneider says. Schneider is using Frontier to build a computer model of the Milky Way with high enough resolution to zoom in on individual exploding stars. That means the model must capture large-scale properties of our galaxy at 100,000 light-years, as well as properties of the supernovas at about 10 light-years across. “That really hasn’t been done,” she says. To get a sense of what that resolution means, it would be analogous to creating a physically accurate model of a can of beer along with the individual yeast cells within it, and the interactions at each scale in between.

Stephan Priebe, a senior engineer at GE, is using Frontier to simulate the aerodynamics of the next generation of airplane designs. To increase fuel efficiency, GE is investigating an engine design known as an “open fan architecture.” Jet engines use fans to generate thrust, and larger fans mean higher efficiency. To make fans even larger, engineers have proposed removing the outer structural frame, known as the nacelle, so that the blades are exposed as in a pinwheel. “The simulations allow us to obtain a detailed view of the aerodynamic performance early in the design phase,” says Priebe. They give engineers insight into how to shape the fan blades for better aerodynamics, for example, or to make them quieter. Frontier will particularly benefit Priebe’s studies of turbulence, the chaotic motion of a disturbed fluid—in this case, air—around the fan. Turbulence is a common phenomenon. We see it in the crashing of ocean waves and in the curl of smoke rising from an extinguished candle. But scientists still struggle to predict how exactly a turbulent fluid will flow. That isContent (continued):

Applications in Climate Modeling and Nuclear Fusion

In addition to simulating the evolution of galaxies and advancing aerodynamics, exascale supercomputers like Frontier also find applications in climate modeling and nuclear fusion research. Climate scientists can leverage the immense computational power to simulate complex climate systems and gain insights into the Earth's changing climate patterns. These simulations help in understanding and predicting weather patterns, studying the impacts of climate change, and developing strategies for mitigation and adaptation.

Similarly, researchers in nuclear fusion are utilizing exascale supercomputers to model and simulate the behavior of plasma in fusion reactors. Fusion, the process that powers the sun, has the potential to provide clean and limitless energy. However, achieving controlled fusion reactions is a complex challenge. Exascale supercomputers enable scientists to simulate plasma behavior, optimize reactor designs, and investigate the conditions required for sustained fusion reactions.

Using Frontier Supercomputer

The Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is currently being utilized by scientists and researchers across various fields. Its massive computational capabilities and high-resolution simulations open up new avenues for scientific exploration and technological advancements. Frontier's architecture and design allow it to tackle complex problems that were previously infeasible due to computational limitations. As more exascale supercomputers come online in the near future, the possibilities for scientific breakthroughs and innovation are boundless.

Future Exascale Supercomputers

The development and deployment of exascale supercomputers are poised to continue in the coming years. Several projects are underway in the United States and Europe to build additional exascale machines. These machines will further push the boundaries of computational capabilities, enabling even more intricate simulations and data analysis. The future of supercomputing holds immense potential for scientific discoveries, technological advancements, and societal progress.

Challenges in Energy Efficiency

While exascale supercomputers offer unprecedented computational power, they also come with challenges, particularly in terms of energy consumption and efficiency. Building and operating these massive machines require substantial amounts of electricity. As the demand for computational resources increases, it is crucial to develop energy-efficient designs and technologies to minimize the environmental impact of supercomputing. Researchers and engineers are actively working on optimizing the power consumption of exascale systems and exploring alternative energy sources to ensure sustainable and responsible computing.

Conclusion

The world of supercomputing is entering an exciting phase with the advent of exascale machines like Frontier. These powerful computing systems have the potential to revolutionize scientific research, engineering design, climate modeling, and various other fields. The ability to perform complex simulations and analyze massive datasets opens up new frontiers of knowledge and innovation. As we look ahead, the continuous development of exascale supercomputers will shape the future of computing and drive advancements that were once unimaginable.

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