Modelling and experimental facilities
High performance computing
IRIDIS 4 supercomputer
- 12,200 cores (250 TFlops)
- 16*2.6 GHz cores per node;
- 4 GB of memory per core;
- 4 high-memory nodes with 256 GB of RAM;
- 24 Intel Xeon Phi Accelerators (25 TFlops);
- 1.04 PB of storage with Parallel File System;
- Infiniband network for interprocess communication;
In 2009, the University of Southampton invested over £3M for the upgrade and provision of high performance computing facilities.
This included the acquisition of IRIDIS 3 which was the most powerful university-owned supercomputer in the UK (74th in the world as of 31 March 2010, source: www.top500.org).
IRIDIS 3 consists of 1008 compute nodes. Each node has 2 Intel Nehalem Quad-core processors, giving 8 cores per node and 8064 processor-cores total.
Individual workstations
Dual Intel QuadCore/OctaCore PC workstations with nVidia GPUs (16 to 128 Gb RAM, Windows 7 64, high-performance Intel SSD)
Synology drives
Computational physics simulation software applications
These applications are available on individual PC workstations, IRIDIS 4 and IRIDIS 3 supercomputer (Linux and Windows HPC)
- ABAQUS/Standard & ABAQUS/Explicit (www.simulia.com)
- COMSOL Multiphysics (www.comsol.com)
- ANSYS (www.ansys.com)
- ANSYS Fluent (www.ansys.com)
- STAR-CCM+, STAR-CD (www.cd-adapco.com)
Pre-processing, post-processing and scientific visualisation
- ScanIP, ScanCAD (www.simpleware.com)
- SolidWorks (www.solidworks.com)
- Rhinoceros (www.rhino3d.com)
- Tecplot 360 (www.tecplot.com)
- AVIZO Standard, Wind, Earth, Fire, Green (www.vsg3d.com)
- Paraview (www.paraview.org)
Programming and high-performance libraries
- Intel Fortran, C++, Python
- NAG
Symbolic and numerical mathematics
- Mathematica (www.wolfram.com)
- Global Optimization for Mathematica (www.loehleenterprises.com)
- Matlab (www.mathworks.com) & numerous toolboxes
Equipment
- Atomic Force Microscopy
- Nanoindenter
- RAMAN microscopy
- ZETA APS for particle characterisation
- Capillary electrophoresis for solution characterisation
- EDIC (Episcopic differential interference conhust microscope)
- TEM of 0.21nm resolution with EDS
- µ-VIS Computer Tomography Centre
- Optical microscopy & image analysis including 3D optical measurement of surface form
- Scanning electron microscopy (including high resolution field emission) with wavelength dispersive and energy dispersive X-ray analysis and EBSP
- Non-contact optical profilometry
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM) for topography and mechanical characterisation of surfaces
- Nanoindenter stylus calibration by metrological AFM
- X-ray diffraction at ambient and elevated temperatures
- Residual stress by RAMAN microscopy
- Nanoindenter (depth sensing indentation) for modulus and hardness measurement
- Micro indenter with depth sensing for hardness measurement
- Scratch testing for evaluation of coating failure. System has multi-pass facilities for examination of build-up of damage and acoustic emission for detection of failure events
- Bend/tensile testing for adhesion measurement and work of fracture at ambient and elevated temperature
- Residual stress measurement by X-ray diffraction at ambient and elevated temperature
- Rockwell indentation test for adhesion measurement
- Scratch test and model abrasion test system with friction and acoustic emission measurement to detect failure of coatings. Steady or ramped loads from 2-200 N with single or repeat pass testing