Advanced computing is becoming an integral part of all major DOE science and engineering research programs. Use of High-performance computing is revolutionizing the process of scientific inquiry. New strategies for research technologies are being unveiled at an increasingly faster pace, allowing models of complex processes to be examined in incrementally greater detail and to be compared with experimental data much more rapidly and thoroughly than in the past.
These new strategies will continue to accelerate the course of scientific discovery in the design and operation of complex technical systems. Included are high-end computing to allow higher-fidelity models of complex physical phenomena, advances in collaborative environments, visualization of complex data sets, data mining techniques, and management of very large data sets and databases.
In order for the INL to keep pace and effectively support DOE programs well into the 21st century, it is essential we develop our own capability to utilize advanced computing tools. The Advanced Scientific Computing and Collaboration Initiative has been established to enable the INL to develop and apply the revolutionary computing tools needed to perform leading-edge scientific research, engineering, and operations to address critical national needs. These resources will be appropriately integrated to support INL missions and develop new computing-focused programs to enhance the opportunities for all laboratory programs.
The INL’s major research initiatives will require order-of-magnitude enhancements in computing capability and connectivity to achieve defined mission goals. The Advanced Scientific Computing and Collaboration Initiative is a concerted effort to develop the next-generation computing infrastructure and capabilities at the INL. The Initiative involves engaging in and conducting research to expand and apply the tools and technologies required for collaborative scientific research, engineering, and operations in domains such as environmental management, next generation nuclear reactor systems, and national security and defense.
- For the Subsurface Science Initiative – faster machines, more efficient processing modes, and more effective numerical techniques are necessary to understand and model the complexity associated with the fate and transport of contaminants. This mission related need for predictive modeling and visualization capabilities is critical to ensuring the appropriate and timely environmental management of the DOE’s nuclear legacy.
- The INL Generation IV nuclear energy systems program – increased capabilities in advanced computing and collaboration will be essential tools for supporting simulation-based design, computational reactor physics and thermal performance, as well as to manage the large databases required to efficiently analyze fuel-cycle options and to design the next generation of nuclear reactors.
INL plans to demonstrate notable progress in expanding communications related infrastructure and the implementation of improvements in support of high-performance computing. Partnerships with universities, other national laboratories, other federal agencies, and international research institutes will be formed or enhanced to bring together the required capabilities in advanced computing, visualization, intelligent systems, and human interfaces to develop and implement these revolutionary technologies.
In order to form an integrated solution for advanced computing, the Advanced Scientific Computing and Collaboration Initiative will work with all other INL initiatives to systematically identify the scientific challenges faced, and the resulting computing requirements and strategies needed to coordinate investments from a laboratory-wide standpoint. A common long-term planning methodology will also be employed to more clearly portray the laboratory-wide advanced computing investment needs, and to better support the prioritized funding of these activities.
- Contact:
- Eric Greenwade, 526-1276, Send E-mail