The new high performance computer Hyperion with its 3500 cores and 30,000 GB of RAM will vastly impact the quality of the research and teaching across the University.
What is high-performance computing?
The ‘Hyperion’ high-performance computer (HPC) can be thought of as a collection of many PCs linked together via a special network featuring an extremely high throughput and very low latency.
The HPC will bring together over 3,500 computing cores with a total of 30,000 GB of RAM memory.
Over the last three decades, high-performance computers have been used to help innovate across a range of sectors and markets – from helping to discover new sources of renewable energy and improve cancer screening techniques, to tracking real-time stock trends, analysing human behaviour and rendering incredible new special effects in feature films.
Other examples of the HPC being used in practice include:
- detecting credit card fraud
- providing self-guided technical support
- teaching self-driving vehicles
- improving cancer screening techniques
- discovering behavioural patterns in society and individuals
- tracking real-time stock trends and automate trading
- enabling faster, more accurate patient diagnosis.
What is the meaning behind ‘Hyperion’?
The name Hyperion, which in Greek mythology is the name of one of the twelve Titans, was selected after a University-wide naming contest. It is also the name of the tallest tree on earth standing at 379.7 feet north of San Francisco, USA.
How will the HPC be applied to current and future research at City?
Hyperion will be available across all five Schools and will vastly impact the efficiency, speed and quality of the research we’re able to conduct across the University.
The research it currently supports includes
- multiphase flows (for example generation of sprays in injectors)
- geoscience flows
- development of micro-turbines for efficient energy generation
- new platform for wind and solar generation offshore
- analysis of medical images for the early detection of cancer and modelling of cancer and of its progression.
How can students take advantage of this new facility?
City will encourage the use of HPC across the university. All projects in Engineering including group and individual project at all levels from BEng to MEng and Master programmes will have access to Hyperion.
Significantly, the HPC will have a large impact on Computer Science courses with special emphasis on the Data Science MSc.
In addition, all doctoral research involving computing will also massively benefit from the HPC. Finally, City will organise dedicated CPD courses to provide basic tools for HPC at both basic and advanced level to.