Fujitsu x86 HPC Cluster System Deployed by the Japan Automobile Research Institute for Crash Simulations

Tokyo, September 30, 2010

Fujitsu announced today that the Japan Automobile Research Institute has deployed Fujitsu's x86 HPC cluster system as its new computing system for car crash simulations. The new system will be operational from October 1, 2010.

The new system, which is a x86 HPC cluster system comprised of Fujitsu's PRIMERGY BX922 S2 Server Blades, will run the non-linear dynamic structure analysis software⁽¹⁾ LS-DYNA and other programs to perform the simulations.

With the deployment of the new system, calculation speeds will increase by up to 30-fold compared to the previous server. Furthermore, the new system will enable large-scale crash simulations and the development of more accurate computerized human body models that come even closer to real-life situations. Simulation results obtained from the new system will provide the automobile industry with valuable information for the development of safer automobiles.

In collaboration with companies in the automobile and auto-related industries, the Japan Automobile Research Institute is committed to the development and improvement of car crash safety devices for a safer automotive world.

Background to Deployment

The Japan Automobile Research Institute is a test-research organization founded on the vision of a better automotive society. It carries out leading-edge research, generating and disseminating results that meet the current needs of society. One of its research groups focuses on vehicle safety and conducts research, within others, on the safety and injury mechanisms of passengers and pedestrians involved in car accidents. The group conducts computer simulations that recreate real-life scenarios, and perform tests using actual vehicles and crash test dummies. The achieved results are then spread within the automotive industry. As simulations allow the collection of more data than tests using crash test dummies, there are high expectations regarding the use of simulations to enhance vehicle safety towards the future. In order to meet these expectations, the Japan Automobile Research Institute demanded a computer system that could perform both large-scale simulations of car crashes and develop highly-accurate computerized human body models. Thus, the Japan Automobile Research Institute selected Fujitsu's x86 HPC cluster system, which delivers the environment required to perform high-precision, large-scale crash simulations.

Simulation of head-on car crash Visual of accurate human body models - testing pressure on bending the knee

New x86 HPC Cluster System

The new system is a Linux cluster system comprised of 15 Fujitsu PRIMERGY BX922 S2 computing nodes (30 CPUs, 120 cores) running on the Intel® Xeon® X5677 (3.46 GHz) processors. The nodes are connected using InfiniBand™ QDR⁽²⁾ high-speed interconnects, delivering a high-performance parallel computing environment. The car crash simulations will primarily be performed using LS-DYNA non-linear dynamic structure analysis software.

With the deployment of the new system, the calculation speed of simulations will increase by up to 30-fold compared to that of a competitor's SMP⁽³⁾ server which was used previously. In addition to reducing pure calculation costs, the new system will enable simulations of vehicles containing passengers, whereas the previous system could only perform simulations of just the vehicle. The new system will also enable the creation of computerized human body models that more accurately replicate the effects of car crashes on people than previous models.

With a wealth of experience and expertise in LS-DYNA that extends back nearly twenty years, Fujitsu is able to deliver total support for both hardware and the OS, including verification of analytical precision, technical support, and consulting for workflow improvements. Fujitsu's support allowed the Japan Automobile Research Institute a smooth transition from the old system to the new system.

Through its x86 HPC cluster system and broad product line, superior services organization, and the expertise accumulated from over three decades in providing high-performance computing support, Fujitsu is committed to providing customers with high-performance technical computing systems and comprehensive support for their R&D and analysis operations.