Computational Facilities

The machines available in the lab change as more powerful facilities are acquired. One of our first computers, a DEC Alpha, was bought in 1997 and was the first full workstation in our lab used exclusively for CFD, running Windows NT version 4.0. With 512 MB of RAM and using the Fluent CFD Package we could tackle a 44-sphere simulation of a tube with over 250,000 control volumes.

We use GAMBIT model-building and meshing software to construct the geometries for our models of packed tubes. Recently, we have experimented with using AutoCAD to more easily manipulate the packing cylinders, and then importing into GAMBIT to fine tune the model and mesh it ready for solution in Fluent. Here on the right Winnie Nabea contemplates her latest attempt at a 2-inch tube packed with 1/2-inch Raschig rings.

Once the models have been built and meshed, they are imported into Fluent CFD software for solution and post-processing. The memory in our desktop workstations, 2 GB, with Windows XP Pro operating system, allows geometries to be handled up to approximately 6 million control volumes, when using a turbulent model including energy equations. For larger models, or for faster running times, we run in batch mode on Linux servers. Here on the left Amanda Gurnon is working on display of results from a 72-sphere conduction heat transfer simulation using 15 million cells that have been downloaded from the server to the local machine for post-processing.

Our group currently owns three Sun Microsystems SunFire X2200 M2 x64 Servers, each comprised of two AMD Opteron Model 2218 dual core 2.6 GHz processors with 8 GB of RAM, a 250-GB hard drive and more importantly running Gambit64 under a Linux operating system. This increases the size of models that we can run and we are able to simulate full beds of spheres and cylinders with either increased numbers of particles or increased mesh density. Other similar servers on the WPI campus are also available on a "first-come first-served" basis. We also have access to a 16-processor SGI Altix 350 machine if needed.