iPod Supercomputer to Make Climate Science Energy-Efficient
by Anonymous - May 14th, 2008
in
Three researchers at the DOE Berkeley Lab have gotten techie attention because they found a way to build the world's most accurate and efficient climate prediction supercomputer by using the same microprocessor technology of the iPod.
But there's something more fascinating about why the research was needed in the first place.
The super machines used to predict climate change today are the Hummers of the computer world.
They're veritable electricity-guzzlers -- both from the megawatts they consume directly and for the gigantic cooling systems that are needed to deal with the mass heat they generate.
Still, the computers aren't powerful enough to handle rigorous climate observation.
According to the The Berkeley Lab researchers, the world needs a whole new class of supercomputers that are 1,000 times more potent than the ones used today.
The biggest problem with current machines involves cloud simulations -- the bread and butter of climate modeling. They can't model them in the detail that's called for.
So the researchers argue for a giant, one-kilometer cloud model as a fix. But that would cost $1 billion to build using today's machines and would require 200 megawatts of electricity to run -- enough juice to power a small city of 100,000 residents.
Enter iPod.
In the end, the researchers concluded that a supercomputer using about 20 million low-power "iPod" microprocessors would deliver the results and cost just $75 million to construct.
Best of all, the machine would consume less than four megawatts of power.
And the idea is moving ahead. The Berkeley Lab has already signed a collaboration agreement with Tensilica Inc. -- a global leader in processor technology -- to help design the new energy-efficient supercomputer, and it's working with scientists at Colorado State University to get a prototype system up and running.
At least in the world of supercomputers, the Hummer-to-Prius transition seems to be under way.
Source: Science Daily
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The fastest type of computer. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations. For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer. Other uses of supercomputers include animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, and petroleum exploration.
The chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power to execute many programs concurrently.
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