Algorithms and Application of Sparse Matrix Assembly and Equation Solvers for Aeroacoustics

An algorithm for symmetric sparse equation solutions on an unstructured grid is described. Efe cient, sequential sparse algorithms for degree-of-freedom reordering, supernodes, symbolic/numerical factorization, and forward/backward solutionphasesarereviewed. Threesparsealgorithmsforthegeneration and assembly ofsymmetric systems of matrix equations are presented. The accuracy and numerical performance of the sequential version of the sparse algorithms are evaluated over the frequency range of interest in a three-dimensional aeroacoustics application. Results show that the solver solutions are accurate using a discretization of 12 points per wavelength. Results also show that the e rst assembly algorithm is impractical for high-frequency noise calculations. The second and third assembly algorithms have nearly equal performance at low values of source frequencies, but at higher values of source frequencies the third algorithm saves CPU time and RAM. The CPU time and the RAM required by the second and third assembly algorithms are two orders of magnitude smaller than that required by the sparse equation solver. A sequential version of these sparse algorithms can, therefore, be conveniently incorporated into a substructuring (or domain decomposition ) formulation to achieve parallel computation, where different substructures are handled by different parallel processors.