Blaze-DEMGPU: Modular high performance DEM framework for the GPU architecture

Abstract

Blaze-DEMGPU is a modular GPU based discrete element method (DEM) framework that supports polyhedral shaped particles. The high level performance is attributed to the light weight and Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) that the GPU architecture offers. Blaze-DEMGPU offers suitable algorithms to conduct DEM simulations on the GPU and these algorithms can be extended and modified. Since a large number of scientific simulations are particle based, many of the algorithms and strategies for GPU implementation present in Blaze-DEMGPU can be applied to other fields. Blaze-DEMGPU will make it easier for new researchers to use high performance GPU computing as well as stimulate wider GPU research efforts by the DEM community. Keywords: DEM, GPU, Polyhedra, Particle transport