Parallel CPU–GPU computing technique for discrete element method

Abstract

The efficiency of the simulations with the discrete element method (DEM) is significantly improved using a novel computational strategy. The new method is developed with a focus on platforms equipped with multi-core central processing units (CPU) and general-purpose graphics processing units (GPU). The DEM calculations are performed in parallel on the CPU and on the GPU using pre-calculated Verlet lists with a posteriori analysis of their consistency. The operations related to the search for possible contacts are performed on the CPU, whereas the processing of interactions, and integration of motion, are executed on the GPU. Performance analysis done for various types of tasks has shown that the new method allows to significantly decrease the average computational time and to utilize available computational resources more efficiently compared to the sequential CPU–GPU execution mode. Furthermore, due to more efficient calculations, the overall energy requirement for the proposed strategy does not exceed the demand for conventional sequential CPU–GPU computations.