Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Parallel Programming Models for a Finite Element Simulation Algorithm

In this paper we compare efficiency of two versions of a parallel algorithm for finite element compressible fluid flow simulations on unstructued grids. The first version is based on the explicit model of parallel programming (with message-passing paradigm), while the second incorporates the implicit model (in which data-parallel programming is used). Time discretization of the compressible Euler equations is organized with a linear, implicit version of the Taylor-Galerkin time scheme, while finite elements are employed for space discretization of one step problems. The resulting nonsymmetric system of linear equations is solved iteratively with the preconditioned GMRES method.