"Adjoint-Based Aerodynamic Design of Complex Aerospace Configurations," presented Eric Neilsen

Abstract:  

An overview of 20 years of adjoint-based aerodynamic design research at NASA Langley Research Center is presented. Adjoint-based algorithms provide a powerful tool for efficient sensitivity analysis of complex large-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Unlike alternative approaches that computational expense that scales with the number of design parameters, adjoint techniques yield sensitivity derivatives of a simulation output with respect to all input parameters at the cost of a single additional simulation. With modern large-scale CFD applications often requiring millions of computing hours for a single analysis, the efficiency afforded by adjoint methods is critical in realizing a computationally tractable design optimization capability for such applications.

Bio: 

Eric Nielsen is a research scientist with the Computational AeroSciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech and has worked at NASA's Langley office for the past 23 years.

Dr. Nielsen specializes in the development of computational aerodynamics software for the world's most powerful computer systems. The software has been distributed to thousands of organizations around the country and supports major national research and engineering efforts at NASA, in industry, academia, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies. He has published extensively on the subject and has given presentations around the world on his work. Dr. Nielsen is a recipient of NASA's Exceptional Achievement and Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medals and NASA Langley's HJE Reid Award for best research publication.

"High-Performance Computing for NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC)," presented by Dana Hammond

Abstract: 

Although emerging extreme-scale computing systems are evolving toward exascale, productivity in extreme-scale scientific application development has not kept pace. This brief talk provides a high-level overview of the High-Performance Computing drivers at NASA Langley, the workforce and skills needed to address future Agency Missions, and opportunities for collaboration.