Down To The Atom

Abstract

This paper focuses on supercomputing that is more commonly associated with electrical rather than mechanical engineering. A vast range of mechanical engineering problems-issues of optimization, friction, turbulence, combustion, manufacturing processes, events at the molecular or atomic level, events that involve multiple physics phenomena, and processes that involve many orders of magnitude of space and time-require advanced computational resources to simulate them with high fidelity. Researching processes from the smallest practical level to the largest requires immense calculating resources. Companies, universities, and government agencies are building larger and faster computers to push research and analysis to new levels of complexity. If MEMS switches worked as advertised in civilian and military communications, not only could the radios and phones use less power and therefore be lighter and cheaper to manufacture and operate, but they could also function across a greater frequency range than they do now. Computational engineering and science are seen as a very important tool in moving forward with mechanical systems, design, and technology.