COMMENTARY | HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
Moore’s Law and nuclear computing
Nuclear has benefited from the computational power of High-Performance Computing (HPC) with its ability to analyse complex data, simulate intricate processes, and optimise operations. Despite facing several challenges, Owen Thomas, founder of Red Oak Consulting, argues that the nuclear sector will continue to thrive as HPC invariably moves to the cloud
MOORE’S LAW, FORMULATED BY GORDON Moore in 1965, predicted that the number of transistors placed on a single square inch of an integrated circuit chip would double every two years, leading to an exponential increase in computing power. This Law has had profound implications for the development of High-Performance Computing (HPC), not least in the nuclear sector, and the evolution of cloud computing, shaping the landscape of modern technology. It is now well recognised that Moore’s Law is nearing its end. Since its formulation there has been about a one trillion-fold increase in the amount of computing power being used in predictive models. To improve these high-performance models further, we need exponentially more computing power. Without it, the necessary gains in accuracy will diminish. But, with increasing costs and shrinking space available for the growing number of semiconductor chips involved in HPC computers, all sectors, including nuclear, face a new dilemma. McKinsey estimates that global power consumption will triple by 2050. With the impact of climate change adding urgency to reducing energy use and energy waste, the nuclear industry is accelerating innovation to drive impact and outcomes at scale, and as the report states: ‘Technologies like CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation, and storage) and nuclear will likely see additional growth if renewables build-out remains constrained’.
In addition, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced
analytics, 3-D imaging, and the internet of things (IoT), supported by HPC, are all contributing to nuclear production to ensure a smoother transition to a more sustainable pathway. Moreover, HPC contributes to the optimisation of power generation and distribution systems, including nuclear power plants and smart grids. Advanced simulation tools allow engineers to design more efficient turbines, boilers, and cooling systems, thereby reducing energy losses and environmental impacts. In addition, real-time monitoring and control systems empowered by HPC are enhancing grid resilience, enabling rapid responses to outages, fluctuations, and even cyber threats.
HPC in practice in the nuclear sector The nuclear energy industry harnesses HPC across various sectors, spanning from research and education to enhancing nuclear power plant designs, predicting the behaviour of nuclear materials under extreme conditions with unprecedented accuracy, replacing real- world nuclear testing with virtual testing and, crucially, safety to reduce the probability of nuclear incidents. HPC assists ground-breaking research and development, accelerating the pace of discovery and enabling deeper insights into nuclear physics, materials science, and reactor engineering.
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With increasing costs and shrinking space available for the growing number of semiconductor chips involved in high performance computers, the nuclear sector faces a new dilemma
38 | March 2024 |
www.neimagazine.com
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