Engineers and analysts in the UK can now access XFlow Computational Fluid Dynamics [CFD] software as an online HPC service, powered by an 8,000-core server cluster, for the first time. For engineers in sectors such as manufacturing, design, science and architecture, the service will enable access to greater compute power than is possible on a personal desktop PC or local workstations; it will enable them to create more complex fluid flow simulations and help to reduce the time taken to analyse compute-intensive CFD simulations.

Live since July 2013, the service has already been tested and has shown almost linear speed increases up to 1000 cores, and is currently already being used by an international car manufacturer.

To complement the CFD HPC analysis service, engineers can also access Dragon HPC visualisation technology connected locally to the enCORE cluster via a high speed Ethernet. Ideal for engineers working in sectors such as aerospace, automotive and construction, access to Dragon HPC visualisation technology enables the manipulation of large data sets and creation of complex visualisations remotely.

“XFlow is a transient solver which creates a lot of information,” says Matt Hieatt, commercial director of FlowHD, which re-sells XFlow in the UK and Ireland. FlowHD also provides local expertise for implementation, training and support. Hieatt continues: “Running XFlow on a powerful server cluster such as enCORE is essential for speed of analysis. Importantly, if a user needs to post-process 100-150Gb data, it might take 5-6 hours to download on a local desktop PC. The added complementary functionality of Dragon HPC is essential so that users can post-process remotely and immediately.”

As well as traditional licensing, XFlow is available using a token licensing system that allows the software to be used from any location and across enCORE on a completely pay per use basis. This makes it totally unique in its flexibility of use, from small local jobs on a desktop machine up to large analysis across HPC, the token pool can be used for either. Jerry Dixon, enCORE New Business Development manager for OCF says: “XFlow generates a lot of data for users which often puts it out of reach for customers. Operating the software as a service, using our enCORE HPC-on-Demand service, puts it back into the hands of thousands of engineers.”

enCORE HPC-on-Demand service The enCORE HPC-on-Demand service is built and operated by OCF plc. It uses processing power from Blue Wonder”, an IBM System x iDataPlex cluster comprising 8,000 Intel Xeon E5-2670 processor cores. The cluster is based at the Hartee Centre, a collaboration between the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) and private sector partners.

XFlow XFlow is a next generation CFD software system from Next Limit Technologies that uses a proprietary, particle-based, meshless approach which can easily handle traditionally complex problems. The XFlow approach to CFD enables complex modeling and analysis in a straightforward way, avoiding the traditionally time consuming meshing process. For engineers and analysts who require quick and accurate feedback on flow, thermal, and acoustic behaviour, XFlow is a CFD software system that enables users to solve problems involving moving boundaries, free surface and fluid structure interaction on complex geometric domains.