Sparse solvers have applications in the entire FVM and FEM space that further expands the applicability of our project to a large number of fields involved with modeling and simulation. For instance, the models used by circuit simulation, heat transfer, and structural mechanics can all be represented by very large sparse matrices. Accelerated sparse solvers will allow engineers to more quickly turn around designs with increased detail and accuracy. Large sparse matrices commonly arise in other fields involving statistics and optimization where a large amount number of elements have various interactions. For example, electrical power systems, traffic flow optimization, economics, search index rankings, and the modeling of chemical processes are just a small sample of fields where the interaction of a large number coupled elements are represented through sparse matrices. Accelerated sparse solvers and decompositions will allow scientists to rapidly study larger problems in less time. Sparse computations arise in finite element and finite volume methods (FEM, FVM) common in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) space, an area where NASA has many important efforts especially related to space missions and weather prediction. For example, the CFD code Overflow is widely used by NASA when designing launch and re-reentry vehicles and is used to study the air loads on the NASA space shuttles. The INS3D code is used by the space directorate to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for steady-state and time varying flow, which has been used to study the gravitational effects of blood flow in the human brain. NASA also has a vested interest in CFD-based weather prediction models. For example, the NASA Finite Volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) and Parallel Ocean Program (POP) codes are large-scale climate prediction models important for analyzing weather effects such as global warming and hurricane predictions.
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