The Department of Aeronautics is advancing in computational engineering with dedicated Research Software Engineers.

In a significant stride towards pioneering research, Imperial College London’s Department of Aeronautics is leveraging computational engineering and High-Performance Computing (HPC) to drive forward significant advancements in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Central to these advancements are the Department’s state-of-the-art open-source tools, PyFR, Nektar++ and Xcompact3d, which are solvers dedicated to the study of fluid flows on supercomputers.

Securing substantial research funding in recent years underscores the Department’s commitment to innovative computational modelling and numerical methods, putting it on par with traditional experimental research.

In 2022, the Department hired its first in-house Research Software Engineer (RSE), Thibault Lestang, dedicated to enhancing CFD capabilities. Jamie Quinn, who joined in early 2024, continue to provide essential support, akin to workshop technicians assisting experimental research.

RSEs bring a combination of software engineering expertise and deep understanding of research needs, ensuring the maintenance and enhancement of computation tools, efficient management of large datasets, and seamless deployment across Imperial and national computing infrastructures. This support empowers academic staff to focus on their research and funding pursuits, while boosting productivity among PhD students. RSE’s also play a vital role in optimising the Department’s tools for the latest and future hardware advancements, reinforcing a sustainable data infrastructure.

Recent successes including the EPSRC-funded AI for Net Zero project and an eCSE project funded by ARCHER2, have facilitated the recruitment of additional RSEs – Lee Benson who is building a robust data infrastructure and Jacques Xing who is redesigning PyFR, Nektar++ and Xcompact3d for Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) architecture.

Professor Sylvain Laizet, Professor in Computational Fluid Dynamics expressed enthusiasm for the Department’s new direction: “I am delighted to see the recent investment by the Department for computational fluid dynamics via the creation of a pool of RSEs to support our ecosystem of open-source flow solvers. The investment will allow us to implement better software practices and leverage the latest supercomputers to produce world-class research.”

Future Direction

Looking ahead, the Department aims to establish a Continuous Integration infrastructure for its key tools, redesign Nektar++ and Xcompact3d for GPU-based systems, with support from the UKRI’s EXCALIBUR project, and promote best software practices among students and researchers. 

While current efforts primarily support academics, future collaboration with industry is anticipated. The Department has already secured industry support for the Nektar++ project from Rolls Royce, McLaren Racing and UKAEA, particularly in Fusion modelling.

These initiatives align the Department with current trends, ensuring it remains at the forefront of scientific research. 

For more information, visit PyFR, Nektar++, and Xcompact3d. Learn more about the ARCHER2 eCSE and EXCALIBUR projects.