Application of Parallel Processing Technology in Complex Helicopter Analysis. Phase 1.

Abstract : Complex Helicopter Analysis codes, such as the Second Generation Comprehensive Helicopter Analysis System (2GCHAS), have been developed to provide a common framework for interdisciplinary design and analysis of rotorcraft systems. A major limitation on the effectiveness of the second generation comprehensive analysis codes is the slow processing speed that results from the computational intensity of the analysis software. The goal of phase I effort is to carefully define the specification for the parallelization opportunities in 2GCHAS, and apply the parallel processing techniques on a sample analysis to demonstrate a proof of concept. The Onyx Computer System from Silicon Graphics Inc. was chosen as the target machine for this effort as it has 4 processors and was available to ART. The tasks performed during the Phase I Base effort went beyond meeting the Phase I objectives and included the following: (1) Port of the most recent version of 2GCHAS Analysis to the Silicon Graphics Computer System. (2) Parallelize multicase analysis in 2GCHAS. (3) Choose an appropriate analysis component for parallelization in a single case analysis. (4) Parallelize Linearization Analysis and thereby reduce the overall runtime of a single case Linear System analysis. (5) Identify candidates for future parallelization in 2GCHAS. In addition, efforts had been made to improve the eigenanalysis solution method. The result obtained from the Phase I effort showed over an order of magnitude reduction in the overall runtime for the sample problems due to parallelization, better RDB implementation, less overhead in a process invocation, improved analysis algorithm and faster machine speed.