{"671814":{"#nid":"671814","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI, Georgia Tech Use Quantum Computing to Optimize CFD Applications ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhile quantum computing is still in its early stages, it has the power to unlock unprecedented speed and efficiency in solving complex computational fluid dynamics (CFD) problems that could revolutionize several industries, including the defense space.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) are exploring how the powerful processing capabilities of quantum computers can expedite CFD\u2019s resource-intensive simulations used in aircraft design, weather prediction, nuclear weapons testing and more. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThrough a collaboration between GTRI and Georgia Tech, we are developing an application of quantum computing to solve proof-of-principle problems in computational fluid dynamics that could streamline efficiencies and reduce costs across numerous industries,\u201d said Bryan Gard, a GTRI senior research scientist who is leading this project.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EQuantum computing offers a new way of doing computations using the principles of quantum mechanics, a science that explores the behavior of tiny particles such as atoms and photons. Computers and software that are built on the theories of quantum mechanics can process a large amount of information simultaneously and much faster than classical computers. That is because unlike classical computers, which use bits that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EClassical bits are similar to regular on\/off switches, which can only exist in one state at a time. Qubits, meanwhile, can exist in multiple states at once thanks to a property in quantum mechanics known as superposition. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBecause CFD involves complex simulations of how fluids, such as air or water, move and interact with different surfaces, classical computers often struggle with the immense number of calculations needed for such detailed simulations. The ability for quantum computers to process information in parallel could significantly speed up these simulations and produce more accurate results.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cSay you are examining how air flows over a plane wing and you want to identify the large- and small-scale dynamics of that interaction,\u201d explained Gard. \u201cThis type of problem would be very hard for a classical computer to handle because it wouldn\u2019t be able to examine those large- and small-scale aspects simultaneously.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe team has split its research into two parts. The parts that involve linear differential equations are solved on a quantum computer and the other, non-linear parts are handled conventionally on a classical machine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe reason for this division is that as the problem scales up on classical supercomputers, the communication between nodes becomes inefficient, creating a bottleneck. Even though quantum computers are not yet large-scale, they can handle certain parts of the problem without facing the same communication challenges, Gard explained.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThese principles could help organizations strategically allocate resources and avoid costs associated with manufacturing and testing potentially flawed designs. In the defense realm, an example of this can be seen with designing aircraft.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EInstead of the conventional methods of building and testing structures in a wind tunnel, quantum-enhanced CFD would allow engineers to analyze stresses, assess designs and predict performance more efficiently and cost effectively. This becomes particularly relevant at high speeds, where factors such as air flows and turbulence pose additional challenges for running accurate simulations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cIt all comes down to money, as with everything else,\u201d said Gard. \u201cIf you could save yourself a lot of time and money by running this simulation, which you couldn\u0027t do before, then it would allow you to allocate your resources more effectively.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor this project, GTRI is collaborating with Spencer Bryngelson, an assistant professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering who has expertise in computational physics, numerical methods, fluid dynamics and high-performance computing. Zhixin Song, a graduate student at Georgia Tech who is researching quantum algorithms for CFD, has also contributed.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis project is particularly interesting because although it is challenging, it could have outsize performance gains if one can find the right tools for the job, meaning the right quantum algorithm to solve the right fluid dynamics problem,\u201d Bryngelson said. \u201cGTRI and Georgia Tech have already made progress in this area, and also work well together, so it has been a good experience.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe project has been supported by GTRI\u2019s Independent Research and Development (IRAD) Program, winning an IRAD of the Year award in fiscal year 2023, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWriter: Anna Akins\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003EPhotos: Christopher Moore\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003EArt Credit: Img2Go.com, Adobe\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003EGTRI Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cspan\u003EAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emillion of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) are exploring how the powerful processing capabilities of quantum computers can expedite CFD\u2019s resource-intensive simulations used in aircraft design, weather prediction, nuclear weapons testing and more. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) are exploring how the powerful processing capabilities of quantum computers could streamline efficiencies and reduce costs across numerous industries."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2024-01-03 14:55:56","changed_gmt":"2024-01-03 15:02:25","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-01-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-01-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672651":{"id":"672651","type":"image","title":"AI-generated graphic of complex CFD simulations","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe ability for quantum computers to process a large amount of information simultaneously could significantly speed up complex CFD simulations and produce more accurate results (Credit: AI art generator Img2Go.com).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1704293609","gmt_created":"2024-01-03 14:53:29","changed":"1704293733","gmt_changed":"2024-01-03 14:55:33","alt":"AI-generated graphic of complex CFD simulations","file":{"fid":"255928","name":"output_3156885427_0_v2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/03\/output_3156885427_0_v2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/03\/output_3156885427_0_v2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":254103,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/03\/output_3156885427_0_v2.jpg?itok=qEAy1Ap_"}},"672650":{"id":"672650","type":"image","title":"GT\u0027s Quantum Computing Research Team","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe team leading this project includes, from left to right: Bryan Gard, a GTRI senior research scientist; Spencer Bryngelson, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Computational Science and Engineering; and Zhixin \u0022Jack\u0022 Song, a Georgia Tech graduate student who is researching quantum algorithms for CFD (Photo Credit: Christopher Moore, GTRI).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1704293415","gmt_created":"2024-01-03 14:50:15","changed":"1704293588","gmt_changed":"2024-01-03 14:53:08","alt":"GT\u0027s Quantum Computing Research Team","file":{"fid":"255927","name":"2023_1212_IMAGE__QOCFD shoot_Gard Bryan _008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/03\/2023_1212_IMAGE__QOCFD%20shoot_Gard%20Bryan%20_008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/03\/2023_1212_IMAGE__QOCFD%20shoot_Gard%20Bryan%20_008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1469485,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/03\/2023_1212_IMAGE__QOCFD%20shoot_Gard%20Bryan%20_008.jpg?itok=71XjDk20"}}},"media_ids":["672651","672650"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"690","name":"darpa"},{"id":"7141","name":"IRAD"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"193392","name":"quantum algorithms"},{"id":"4359","name":"quantum computing"},{"id":"193393","name":"computational fluid dynamics"},{"id":"193394","name":"defense space"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}