Recent progress and challenges in exploiting graphics processors in computational fluid dynamics

TL;DR

This paper surveys recent advancements and ongoing challenges in leveraging GPU computing to accelerate computational fluid dynamics simulations, highlighting performance improvements, case studies, and future directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of GPU acceleration techniques in CFD, including case studies, implementation strategies, and discussion of remaining challenges.

Findings

GPU-based solvers outperform CPU counterparts in simple tests

GPU acceleration benefits laminar, turbulent, and reactive flows

Remaining challenges include algorithm redesign and new strategy development

Abstract

The progress made in accelerating simulations of fluid flow using GPUs, and the challenges that remain, are surveyed. The review first provides an introduction to GPU computing and programming, and discusses various considerations for improved performance. Case studies comparing the performance of CPU- and GPU- based solvers for the Laplace and incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are performed in order to demonstrate the potential improvement even with simple codes. Recent efforts to accelerate CFD simulations using GPUs are reviewed for laminar, turbulent, and reactive flow solvers. Also, GPU implementations of the lattice Boltzmann method are reviewed. Finally, recommendations for implementing CFD codes on GPUs are given and remaining challenges are discussed, such as the need to develop new strategies and redesign algorithms to enable GPU acceleration.