Multi-GPU unsteady 2D flow simulation coupled with a state-to-state chemical kinetics

Abstract

In this work we are presenting a GPU version of a CFD code for high enthalpy reacting flow, using the state-to-state approach. In supersonic and hypersonic flows, thermal and chemical non-equilibrium is one of the fundamental aspects that must be taken into account for the accurate characterization of the plasma and state-to-state kinetics is the most accurate approach used for this kind of problems. This model consists in writing a continuity equation for the population of each vibrational level of the molecules in the mixture, determining at the same time the species densities and the distribution of the population in internal levels. An explicit scheme is employed here to integrate the governing equations, so as to exploit the GPU structure and obtain an efficient algorithm. The best performances are obtained for reacting flows in state-to-state approach, reaching speedups of the order of 100, thanks to the use of an operator splitting scheme for the kinetics equations.