IBM-LEAD AERODYNAMICS CONSORTIUM RECEIVES NASA FUNDING

On May 2, 1994, NASA selected a research consortium headed by IBM to conduct research and establish a parallel computing testbed for problems in aerodynamics. The selection marks the first time NASA is using a cooperative agreement as a joint venture to conduct computer research. The project is part of NASA's High Performance Computing and Communications program.

As part of the $22.4 million award, a new eight-node IBM SP2 system will be installed at Rice University. In addition, a 48-node SP2 will be installed at NASA Langley Research Center and a 160-node SP2 will be installed at NASA Ames Research Center. The SP2 is one of the latest machines in IBM's massively parallel series. (See July 1993 Parallel Computing Research article on the SP1 at Argonne National Laboratory. Argonne's SP1 will be upgraded to an SP2 by the end of the year.)

Alan Carle, John Dennis, and Virginia Torczon of the CRPC and Andrew Meade of the Rice Department of Mechanical Engineering will apply ADIFOR and the parallel direct search method to computational problems in aerospace engineering. In addition to Rice and IBM, the consortium members are Boeing Computer Services, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lockheed, Centric Engineering, and Intelligent Aerodynamics. Overall, the cooperative agreement will further enhance the competitiveness of U.S. aircraft manufacturers and establish a new market for IBM's scalable parallel machines.

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