"Numerical Simulation of Diffusion Flames"
| The last years of my study of mathematics at the University of Heidelberg, 1991-1993, I was working as a scientific assistant in the working group of Prof. Bader. My job involved the parallelization of a solver for unsymmetric matrices on a distributed memory computer, the Transputer System T800. This job was part of a project, supported by the DFG, for parallel simulation of diffusion flames, the bunsen burner. |
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| CO2 Production of a diffusion flame (G. Bader, E. Gehrke) |
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Fascinated by the entire obective of the project,
I gained an insight into the complexity of combustion simulations.
I learned about strength and weakness of sequential and parallel
numerical solution methods applied in this context. Naturally above
all, I learned about advantages and disadvantages of different Krylov
Subspace methods used to solve the extremely large and sparse equation
systems arising from linearization of the conservation equations
by Newton's method. Parallelizing the Quasi Minimum Residual, QMR, I started writing my work of diploma about Krylov Subspace methods and the parallelization strategies applied for the QMR. In those years, my interest in combustion simulations arised and grew. The connection of mathematics, physics and chemical physics as well as the demand to the technical realization, the interdisciplinarity of the subject, were reasons for this interest. Besides, I realized the possibilities and the challenge of computer simulations. For example the reduction of pollutant emissions and fuel consumption, questions arising through the growing environmental awareness of the people and the awareness of the restrictions of natural raw materials. When starting my work on the simulation of premixed flames in a town gas burner I learned more about the large range of applications of numerical simulations. This project was supported by the BMBF in the context of a composite project for support of solving relevant problems in mathematics and industry. A composition of articles about the whole range of applications treated in this composite project can be found for the interested reader in:
"Mathematik — Schlüsseltechnologie für die
Zukunft" So far to the background of the painting of a "Diffusion flame on a Transputer System" provided on the index page.
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