AMD equips the world's largest supercomputer for research in the chemical industry
BASF has launched a new supercomputer at its headquarters in Ludwigshafen, to replace the existing one. With 3 petaflops of computing power, this new supercomputer is considerably more powerful than its predecessor that reached 1,75 petaflops of computing power.
The new supercomputer was manufactured by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and runs on AMD processors . To cool and maintain a suitable temperature, it uses a hot water cooling system. This system absorbs heat directly from where it is generated within the supercomputer and transfers it to the outside, reducing energy consumption and operating costs. Named Quriosity, like its predecessor, this new supercomputer is currently the world's largest supercomputer used in industrial chemical research.
BASF also relies on additional cloud computing power when you need it
In addition to its own on-site supercomputer, BASF also plans to use computing power in the cloud. This hybrid solution will offer them greater technical and operational flexibility, allowing them to handle requests that require exceptionally large processing power, and to work on special tasks that their own supercomputer is not designed for.
As a digital tool, a supercomputer represents an enormous time saving. It can perform calculations that in the past would have taken around a year , but which can now be completed in just a few days. This reduces product development time. Modeling, virtual experiments, and simulations are becoming increasingly complex and require more computing power than before.
The Quriosity supercomputer has been deployed at BASF since 2017. Since then, it has performed an average of 20.000 tasks per day and is used by more than 400 employees worldwide. In the personal care business area, for example, the supercomputer's complex simulations help researchers better understand the composition of personal care products and more accurately predict which cosmetic ingredients harmonize optimally to achieve the desired effect. The simulations also help plan and optimize reaction processes. For example, the distribution of substances and temperature in a reactor can be simulated, and this information can be used to continuously improve production.
At an early stage of plant protection product development, BASF's Quriosity supercomputer can quickly identify suitable compounds that are effective and environmentally friendly. But the supercomputer is also used in projects outside of research and development. For example, it helps to optimize the fluid dynamics of plant components in production operations.
