NETL contributed to the success of the Exascale Computing Project (ECP), which earned an Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

The ECP Leadership Team was recognized for completing a seven-year, $1.8 billion initiative that included contributions from nearly 3,000 multidisciplinary researchers and other staff. NETL supported the ECP by leading the development of MFIX-Exa.

A multiphase computational fluid dynamics code, MFIX-Exa leverages high-performance computing (HPC) to minimize the risk and accelerate the deployment of emerging technologies.

Different phases of matter interact physically and chemically in power generation systems. For instance, coal and air will react to produce heat, flue gas and solid coal ash. Understanding these complex interactions, known as multiphase flow, is important for the operation of efficient energy systems.

“MFIX-Exa provides a deeper understanding of complex multiphase flows,” said NETL researcher Jordan Musser, principal investigator for the MFIX-Exa project.

“Some researchers are using MFIX-Exa to conduct small-scale, high-fidelity simulations to investigate detailed physicochemical phenomena. Meanwhile, other researchers are modeling large-scale engineering systems to assess performance. In both cases, we’re able to use supercomputers to provide insight into dynamic flows, making MFIX-Exa a valuable tool not only for scientific exploration but also for design, optimization and scale-up,” Musser said.

Exascale computing is a type of high-performance supercomputing that can solve one exaflop — or one quintillion operations — per second, providing scientists with a tool to address large challenges.

Work undertaken through the ECP resulted in the development and enhancement of 25 scientific application codes to provide breakthrough simulation results on exascale computers. Additionally, more than 70 software technology products were delivered in an integrated package widely used by the HPC community.

Large-scale commercial deployment of emerging technologies requires an understanding of how to scale laboratory designs of multiphase flow reactors to industrial sizes. The direct scale-up of such reactors is known to be unreliable, and current approaches require building and testing physical systems at increasingly larger intermediate scales.

In addition, the cost in both dollars and development time building and extensively testing systems at multiple intermediate scales is prohibitive.

High-fidelity computational tools that use supercomputing can be used to model emerging technologies to enable the design and optimization of these systems. “We take great pride in contributing to the success of the exascale supercomputing project,” Musser said.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory dedicated to advancing the nation's energy future by creating innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of energy systems and natural resources. With laboratories in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission while fostering collaborations that will lead to a resilient and abundant energy future for the nation.