Our researcher Xavier Sáez gave a plenary talk on “HPC for solving multi-physics problems” at the 6th International Workshop on Numerical Modelling of High-Temperature Superconductors (HTS) in Costa de Caparica, Portugal.
Xavier focused his speech on the importance of multi-physics simulations to capture all relevant phenomena to model and simulate complex systems, and the key role of High-Performance Computing (HPC) due to the high computing resources required in those simulations.
Xavier presented Alya, a simulation code for high performance computational mechanics developed at Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and some multi-physics practical cases solved by it that are representative of the engineering world and require the computing power of a supercomputer, such as a fluid-structure interaction, a low Mach combustion problem, and a coupled electro-mechanical contraction of the heart.
Xavier also explained the interest of our research group to collaborate with the HTS community to enable Alya to simulate the new HTS magnets for fusion reactors. These new magnets allow strengthening the magnetic field that confines the plasma and thus to build smaller and cheaper fusion reactors. In fact they are a reality since some private companies, such as Tokamak Energy, are wagering for these HTS magnets to generate fusion reactions since its design offers the most cost-effective solution.
The first International Workshop on Numerical Modelling of HTS was held in Lausanne (Switzerland) in 2010 with the aim of sharing problems and solutions in the development of efficient modelling tools of HTS in order to speed up the advances of this field and also to limit work duplication. The great success of the previous workshops and the development achieved by modelling has pushed to organize this new edition in Costa de Caparica, Portugal, from 26 to 29 June 2018.
The talks addressed a broad range of topics related to HTS: machines, quench, bulks and hybrid structures, ac losses, mechanical aspects, numerical modelling, 3D modelling, high field magnets, grid applications, Maglev, bearing and miscellaneous.
Finally, there was a pleasant Gala Dinner that took place at the Museum House José Maria da Fonseca, a family business with almost two centuries of history, and the oldest producer of Moscatel wine in Portugal.
