www.usinenouvelle.

com
www.industrie-techno.com

3510 . special feature magazine n 2 . april 6 2017 . not to be sold separately

AUTOMOTIVE, SHIPBUILDING, AEROSPACE

SIMULATING
ELECTRICAL
SySTEMS
 CEA at the heart of innovation
for extreme computing
and Big Data

CEA and Bull are co-designing exascale technologies

1

Harnessing exascale computing and data processing

will open unexplored perspectives for the numerical
simulation of complex physical phenomena and
industrial objects, by 2020 and beyond.
In order to tackle this challenge, CEA, in partnership
with Atos, is co-designing technologies to:
Reduce energy consumption
Process and manage massive flows of data
Increase performance, efficiency and modularity of
supercomputer architectures
Design fault-tolerant architectures TERA 1000, developed in partnership with Atos/Bull
according to CEA requirements and installed in 2016,
1 - At the scale of a billion of billions of operations per second (exaFlops) and is foreshadowing exascale supercomputers.
memory bytes (exaBytes).

CEA boosts industrial innovation

Located at CEA Bruyres-
le-Chtel site, TGCC (CEA
Numerical simulation of
Very Large Computing combusion in an helicopter
Centre) hosts CCRT turbo-engine TURBOMECA
(Computing Centre for
Research and Technology), a shared infrastructure
optimized for HPC. CCRT partners receive 1.5 Pflops of
computing power, as well as services and expertise Aero-acoustic numerical simulation
on an automotive interior ventilation
supported by CEA HPC team skills an essential asset for system VALEO
their numerical simulations.

CCRT partners
Airbus Safran Launchers, Areva, Cerfacs, EDF, IFPEN,
Simulation of surface
Ineris, IRSN, LOral, SafranTech, SAFRAN Aero Boosters, currents on an aircraft nose
SAFRAN Aircraft Engines, SAFRAN Helicopter Engines, radome - THALES
SOLEIL,Thales, Thales Alenia Space, Valeo, CEA as well as
FranceGnomique consortium (supported by French
government PIA).
2

To know more www-ccrt.cea.fr Contact christine.menache@cea.fr

 SIMULATION

www.usinenouvelle.com
www.industrie-techno.com

Supplment du xxx . xx xxxxx 2017 . ne peut tre vendu Sparment

The PPS 5000

AUTOMOTIVE, SHIPBUILDING, AEROSPACE
thruster
SIMULATING
ELECTRICAL currently being
SySTEMS tested by Safran
Aircraft Engines.

Sommaire NEW FIELDS

ESSENTIALS
A year of simulation P. 4 OF APPLICATION
COMPETITION

L
Diota - Numerical simulation trophies ets not make the mistake of thinking that mode-
grand prize winner P. 6 ling and simulation serve only to replace expen-
INTERVIEW sive physical tests. The renowned epidemiologist
Thierry Breton, CEO of Atos P. 8 Franck Varenne listed twenty uses, classified into
five families, of numerical models at the first scien-
DOSSIER SETTING SIGHTS ON ELECTRIC PROPULSION
tific colloquium on modeling, held at the CNRS in
THE CAR INDUSTRY
December 2016. These five families are: observation/
Winning the race for battery life P. 12
experimentation, intelligible presentation, theorization,
AERONAUTICS
discussion, and decision-making. Numerical simula-
Focus on electric planes P. 18
tions wealth of uses makes it an essential discipline
SPACE
for researchers and manufacturers, helping them iden- AURLIE
Accelerating the launch of satellites P. 22
tify the challenges for more sustainable, eco-friendly BARBAUX
SHIPBUILDING
transport and industry. ASSISTANT EDITOR
The quest for compact systems P. 24
We examine these diverse challenges throughout this
MAINTENANCE special issue, especially in our report on the craze for
The digital twin: a protective brother P. 26 electric transport: testing new energy sources, deve-
RESEARCH loping new types of battery, making fuel cells more
Numerical simulation - The heart of IRTs P. 28 compact, optimizing the size of thermal propulsion
ENERGY systems, reducing the time it takes to put satellites into
Designing more energy efficient orbit, simulating airflows around hybrid planes, optimi-
supercomputers P. 34 zing composites for marine power, and tracking down
SUCCESS STORY heat energy (calories) in 3D electrical components.
The Cosmo Company designs computer New fields of application for simulation are constantly
models of complex systems P. 36 emerging, especially in production pro-
PORTFOLIO cesses by optimizing 3D printing. Combi- New fields of application
Trompe-lil P. 38
ned with big data, simulation is now used for simulation are
TOOL for preventative maintenance via digital constantly emerging,
Optimizing 3D printing P. 42
twins, developing multimodal transport, especially in production
and modeling complex systems such as
processes.
power grids and transport networks.
Prsident, directeur de la publication : Julien Elmaleh
Directrice gnrale dlgue : Isabelle Andr
Simulation is even moving beyond the physical sciences
Directeur du ple industrie : Pierre-Dominique Lucas to help develop multidisciplinary design methods.
Directrice de la rdaction : Christine Kerdellant
Directrice adjointe de la rdaction : Anne Debray
We should not overlook the energy cost of these
Rdacteur en chef dition : Guillaume Dessaix capabilities. The race towards exascale computing
Direction artistique : Eudes Bulard power must therefore be accompanied by a search
Coordinatrice ditoriale : Aurlie Barbaux
Ont particip ce numro : Claire Laborde et for greater energy efficiency. This is a challenge for
Rebecca Lecauchois (secrtariat de rdaction) ; manufacturers and other stakeholders. The issue here
Capucine Ragot et Sylvie Louvet (maquette)
LUsine Nouvelle n 3510 Cahier numro 2 is not about increasing or limiting computing power,
6 avril 2017 (commission paritaire n 0712T81903) but rather reflecting on how to make better use of it,
Ne peut tre vendu sparment
Une publication du groupe Gisi, Antony Parc II - said Alain Fuchs, president of the CNRS, in his opening
10 place du Gnral-de-Gaulle - BP 20156 - 92186 Antony Cedex address at the first numerical simulation colloquium
Impression : Roto France Impression 77185 Lognes
Photo de couverture : D.R. last December. A great deal of work lies ahead.

LUSINE NOUVELLE I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017 3

 SIMULATION
Modeling Takes a Close
Look at Itself
In December of 2016, in what was a world
first, the French National Center for Scientific
Research (CNRS) and the French Academy
of Technology organized an unprecedented
modeling colloquium. The purpose of which
was to reflect on the successes and especially
the limitations of numerical models. There
has never been a colloquium to critically
examine and ask general questions about
numerical modeling. In scientific circles, it
remains a technical subject, said Alain Pav,
a lecturer/researcher, biological modeling
expert, member of the French Academy of
Technology, and the colloquiums co-
organizer. This first colloquium carefully put
to one side controversial issues such as the
validity of
The issue here is not particular
about limiting or models -
developing computing especially in
power, but rather economics -
reflecting on how to the
make better use of it. transparency
of simulation
tools on the market, and ethical questions.
These issues will be studied at the next
colloquium, planned for the end of 2017.
Speakers sought to answer three simpler
questions: Do we need ever more computing
power? Should models be simplified or made
more complex? Can modeling be a vehicle of
communication between scientific,
technological, and economic players? To a
great extent, these questions contain their
own answers, said Pav. Yet these are not
bland topics, as Alain Fuchs - president of
the CNRS - observed during his introductory
address at the colloquium: The issue here is
not about limiting or developing computing
power, but rather reflecting on how to make
better use of it, Fuschs said from the
outset, before alerting attendees to
numerical simulations false charms,
especially in its scientific field of expertise:
Molecular simulation has been slightly
oversold to the pharmaceuticals industry.
Could this be another topic for the next
colloquium? aurlie BarBaux
LAuReNT PASCAL ; D.R.
4
Pangeas compute blades are connected by almost 120 km of optical fibers.
Algorithms
6.7 PETAFLOPS FOR TOTAL
In 2016, Total tripled the capacity and 9.2 petabytes of storage. The
of its Pangea supercomputer from latest version uses M-Cell techno-
2.3 to 6.7 petaflops. In November logy and has an extra 4,608 nodes
2016, this computer was placed 16th based on Intels Xeon E5-2600 V3
on the Top500 list, which ranks all processor - i.e. 110,592 computing
the worlds supercomputers accor- cores and an additional 589 terabytes
ding to their computing power. This of memory. Its storage capacity has
power will help us improve our per- been increased to 18.4 petabytes.
formance and cut costs, said Arnaud This increased power will enable
Breuillac, president of exploration Total to use algorithms developed
& production at Total. Pangea is a by its R&D department. These algo-
decision-support tool for oilfield rithms are used to image increasingly
exploitation and management. The complex zones and numerically simu-
previous version - built from SGIs late oilfields, integrating 3D seismic
Ice X supercomputer - had 110 Intel data relating to an area on a given
Xeon E5-2670 V1 processing cores timescale. Jean-Franois Prevraud
Computing
THE WORLDS MOST
POWERFUL
SUPERCOMPUTER IS
100% CHINESE
The worlds most powerful supercomputer is
Chinese. The Sunway Taihulight supercompu-
ter has a total of 40,960 processors. Whats
distinctive is that they are ShenWei - i.e. the sunway taihulight supercomputer has
100% Chinese - rather than Intel processors. a theoretical performance of 125.4 petaflops.
These ShenWei processors were developed
by the Chinese National Center for High- supercomputer is three times more powerful
Performance Systems Engineering Research than the Chinese Tianhe-2 system, which
(NRCPC). Each processor has 3 teraflops of was until now the worlds top-ranked super-
power and 260 cores. This supercomputer computer. It is also five times more powerful
is housed at the National Supercomputing than the fastest US system - Titan - which
Center in Wuxi, near Shanghai and has a is currently ranked third in the world. Japan
theoretical performance of 125.4 petaflops has announced its intention to develop a
(millions of billions of floating point opera- 130-petaflop supercomputer with Fujistu by
tions per second). The Sunway Taihulight 2018. Juliette raynal
 SIMULATION

Industry
A LABORATORY
FOR NAVAL SHIPBUILDING
DCNS, Centrale Nantes engineering school
and the University of Nantes have set up a
joint laboratory of marine technology (JLMT)
to innovate in the field of naval shipbuilding.
The laboratory will have a budget of 4.5 mil-
lion euros for its operations over a three-year
period. It will support the teams at Centrale
Nantes and the University of Nantes, which
also receive funding from the French National
Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the
research and technology departments of DCNS
Research. Some thirty researchers will focus
on three scientific topics: simulators for naval
ccrT
COBALT TRIPLES
THE POWER OF ARAIN
CCRT, the consortium set up
to provide high performance
computing resources, has acquired
Bulls Cobalt supercomputer,
capable of 1,479 petaflops at peak
power, three times more powerful
than the current computer
installed in 2012 (420 teraflops).
DCNS, Centrale Nantes and the University of Nantes The CCRT is a partnership
formalize the set up of the JLMT on October 14, 2016. between the CEA and 13 French
manufacturers requiring large
hydrodynamics; multiphysics modeling for scientific computations, including
numerical simulation of innovative structures Airbus Defence and Space, Areva,
and materials; and additive manufacturing of EDF, Herakles, LOral, Safran,
large-scale components. A. B. Thales, Snecma, Turbomeca
and Valeo.

Software
RESEARCH CHAIR ON DIGITAL METALLURGY
AT MINES PARISTECH
Industrialists have known for thirty years
how to simulate materials at the macro
level. However, it is now known that the
properties of metal parts (resistance to
fatigue, corrosion, etc.) depend on their
microstructure, which can be modi-
fied by a large number of mechanisms
(heat treatments, deformations, etc.). To
study and simulate these evolutions in a
software program, Mines ParisTech recent-
A simulator to better compensate for vibrations
FRAuNHOFER ; D.R.
ly created the Digimu chair. Headed by
Marc Bernacki, a teacher at the Schools
Materials Training Center (Cemef ), and
with a budget of 1.23 million euros over
four years, it brings together eight partners,
six of whom are industrialists (ArcelorMittal,
Areva, Ascometal, Aubert &Duval, CEA and
Safran), as well as Transvalor, Mines Paris-
Techs valuation and transfer subsidiary that
publishes the software. A. B.
When the engines start up, the whole cargo begins
to vibrate. All vessel components run the risk of
being damaged, including the electrical connectors,
the powertrain, pipes, floors, ceilings and even the
ships hull. To limit potential damage, particularly
with the help of active devices to offset the
vibrations, the German laboratories of Fraunhofer
Adaptronics Alliance have developed a simulation
software program. This embedded system
simulates the vibrations along with the effects
of adaptronics systems capable of reducing
them, using sensors to measure the local vibrations
and produce counter-vibrations. The simulator
Business
HPE TAKES OVER
SILICON GRAPHICS
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
has bought Silicon Graphics, once
the top contender in high
performance computing, for
275 million dollars. The star
of computing in the 1980s and
1990s, the American enterprise
had already been taken over by
Rackable in 2009, after filing for
bankruptcy. The acquisition of the
business and its 1,100 employees
across the world offers HPE a
means to consolidate its position,
especially in the public sector and
life sciences research areas.
Start-up
SIMFORHEALTH
SIMULATES HEALTH
Located in Bordeaux, France,
Interaction Healthcare is a start-
up to keep an eye on. Specializing
in digital simulation of clinical
cases, the company raised
5 million euros in 2016 from
the investment fund Audacia,
Bpifrance and Frances Nouvelle
Aquitaine region. Its purpose:
to develop Simforhealth, an
immersive and interactive serious

dispenses with the need for costly prototypes

and can be used in other fields besides game approach to training health
shipbuilding. ThIerry LucaS care professionals.

LUSiNe NOUveLLe I SPECIAL FEATuRE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017 5

 SIMULATION
Diota was rewarded for its augmented reality software dedicated to industry.
Competition
DIOTA - NUMERICAL SIMULATION
TROPHIES GRAND PRIZE WINNER
T he winners of the 2017 Numerical
Simulation Trophies, organized by
Usine Digitale in partnership with Tera
tec were revealed at the cole Polytech
nique on 28 June 2016. Jean Gonnord,
former head of the numerical simulation
program at the French Atomic Energy
and Alternative Energy Commission
(CEA), received the simulation Person
of the Year trophy. The other five prize
winners were as follows:
GRAND PRIZE DIotA
Diota was set up in 2009 and has be
come wellknown with its augmented
reality software designed for industry,
which operates without markers. This
software immediately identifies any
object whose 3D model is in its library,
whereas other software programs have
to spatially locate before recognizing
objects. The technology was developed
in partnership with the CEA. The other
benefit of this software is that augmented
reality applications can be created in a
few clicks. With customers including To
tal, Diota hopes to become the European
leader in industrial augmented reality
within the next two years. The company
6
is well on the way to achieving its goal.
Catia Composer, Dassault Systmes
design software, already features a Diota
button for exporting CAD models to an
augmented reality application. Further
announcements are expected with lea
ding software vendors.
StARt-UP tRoPHY REAlIZ3D
Imagine you could visit the apartment or
house of your choice before it was even
built. Realiz3D, a Parisbased startup,
offers precisely this service without any
need to install customers software. You
can explore properties in 3D, choose
options, view the rendering, and find
out the cost all on a simple tablet.
Realiz3D developed its cloud compu
ting servers and very greedy algorithm
for graphics processing in collaboration
with the French Institute for Research
in Computer Science and Automation
(INRIA). The companys platform has
35.4 teraflops of computing power,
which is enough for 200250 users at
once. Around thirty customers from
the construction industry, including
Bouygues and Vinci, are already using
Realiz3D, available since 2013.
INNoVAtIoN tRoPHY
NUmtEcH
Numtechs online NOA (news on your
atmosphere) service, available on the
Fitbit and Runtastic platforms, provides
a health index according to air quality,
weather risks, and users geolocation
and health status. We calculate air
quality to a resolution of 510 meters,
said Pierre Beal, Numtechs CEO. This
provides data about your particular street
rather than the one next to it. Weather
and pollutantdispersion data relies on
a modestsized intensive computing
platform (20 teraflops). Airquality fore
casts are then finetuned using a big
data platform.
SmE tRoPHY NExIo
Nexio Technologies, a Toulousebased
SME, has specialized in reducing com
puting time in order to make a name
for itself in electromagnetic simulation.
Nexio was one of the first companies
to offer a modelreduction technique
based on adaptive cross approximation
(ACA). In this way model size, and hence
computing time, have been reduced ten
fold. With help from the French General
Directorate for Armament and the HPC
SME Program, Nexio has integrated
parallel computing techniques to distri
bute operations over several processors.
A feat that has caught the eye of a major
Japanese group, interested in the simu
lation of electromagnetic fields on an
entire plane.
collABoRAtIoN tRoPHY
oNERA AND ANDHEo
Computing time is now 300 times fas
ter, with only a tiny loss of accuracy. A
new milestone has been reached in the
area of multiphysics simulation thanks
to a partnership between the French
Aerospace Research Agency (ONERA)
and the SME Andheo. Aerothermal cou
pling, an innovative technique developed
by ONERAs researchers, was at the ori
gin of this project. The Safran Group soon
expressed interest in the technique, and
Andheo applied the methods developed
by ONERAs researchers. Flight simula
tion, including takeoff, cruising, changes
in altitude, and landing, now takes just
two hours. An overall view of engine
stress is enabling Safran to finetune its
analyses. tHE EDItoRIAl StAFF
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 simulation
INTERVIEW
WE Will BuilD
Quantum
ComPutERs
For thierry Breton, CEO of Atos, training
new generations of engineers in quantum
computing and artificial intelligence is more
than a need its a duty.
INTERVIEWED BY AuRlIE BARBAux AND PAscAl GATEAuD
People have been talking about an Airbus of high-performance
computing. The project is backed by France, Italy, spain and
luxembourg, with Atos playing a central role. How far have we
got with this?
Europe has decided to accentuate the roll-out of super-
computers (HPCs). The pioneering countries you mentioned
supported the idea and weve done everything to bring
in Germany too. The European Commission is aiming to
create a major European HPC industry by developing an
ecosystem that includes semiconductors. The Commission
also wants to raise awareness of HPCs as a major driver
of productivity and innovation by promoting their use in
research institutes and universities. The purpose is to work
out new uses, algorithms and applications, especially in the
field of artificial intelligence. As the world number three and
leading European manufacturer of supercomputers, Atos is
obviously a major stakeholder in this project.
Atos invests heavily in R&D. What are your main research
topics?
Atos has 16 R&D centers worldwide and invests 300 million
Euros a year in research and development. We establish our
research areas and needs up to 2025-2030 with our clients.
Whether companies or governments, our partners know how
to anticipate the volume of data they will have to process.
teams must be trained to work as
though we already had quantum
computers. this year, were launching
our first quantum learning machines
to train our own engineers.
8
We will shortly achieve exascale computing power (a billion
billion operations per second) and our electronic circuits will
soon be at the limits of Moores Law. Computer cores will be
so dense that well have reached the limit of matter. And so
much heat will be given off that it will be impossible to cool
supercomputers. Its now that we need to start working on
the next generation, i.e. quantum computers.
How are we preparing for quantum computing?
Teams must be trained to work as though we already had
quantum computers. Were already one of the first companies
able to simulate quantum computers in our high-performance
systems. This year, were launching our first quantum learning
machines to train our own engineers. These machines simu-
late up to 40 qubits (quantum bits), which, according to the
principle of superposition, can simultaneously have the values
of 0 and 1 in quantum computing. This exponentially increases
quantum computers processing capacity. The difficulty lies
in making these qubit sets, which encounter decoherence
problems in preserving the quantum laws of superposition
and entanglement. As soon as a system is entangled with
other external systems, it loses its quantum capacity. Daniel
Estves team at the French Atomic Energy and Alternative
Energies Commission (CEA), one of Atos Quantums scientific
councils, is working to make hybrid quantum circuits,
coupling superconducting qubits and qubits created from
diamond impurities. His teams are striving to produce new
generations of circuits that operate as long as possible without
decoherence. Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, with
which we have links, is working on another type of technology:
photonic computers at room temperature.
What is the next stage?
Our objective is to train new generations of engineers for
the arrival of these quantum computers, sometime between
2025 and 2035. Although quantum computers will have
extraordinary computing power, theyll probably be coupled
or connected to a HPC. And Atos will build them; its what
we do. This is also a European sovereignty issue. For the
time being, however, there is no language, programming, or
interface. We therefore need to train young scientists to think
with almost infinite computing power and have a different
understanding of modeling, simulation, and programming.
We are of course also working on cryptology. This is because
when the first quantum computer becomes operational, it will
be so powerful that it will be able to crack all RSA encryption
algorithms, which form the basis of many current security
systems. An Atos team is studying algorithms that can resist
attack from quantum computers. This is obviously of interest
to the French Network and Information Security Agency
(ANSSI), with which we collaborate. We must get ready to
protect 5G communications, which will be arriving in 2019
or 2020. Quantum-safe algorithms should be ready before
the arrival of quantum computers.
Who is funding this quantum computing research?
The US National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department
of Defense fund our American competitors. The Chinese

have government funding. Our research is done with a
small amount of external funding. Were following with
interest the European Commissions initiatives, not only for
developing standard HPCs but also for quantum computing.
The Commission, which has launched a quantum sensors
and computers program with over 1.3 billion euros of fun-
ding, is fully aware that quantum physics will be one of the
21st centurys real technological and scientific revolutions.
Artificial intelligence is expected to be one these 21st-century
revolutions. Do you see an ethical problem with it?
Artificial intelligence certainly raises issues since it will
provide ever greater capacity to assist decision-making. We
PAsCAl GuittEt
need to integrate this capacity. There are obviously important
political aspects, especially with regard to protecting privacy
and individuals. Bioethics is becoming an essential matter
lusINE NouVEllE i sPECiAl FEAtuRE MAGAZiNE N 2 i APRil 6 2017
simulation
for medical applications. Artificial intelligence such as that
developed by Atos, i.e. mainly for industrial use, is not at this
stage. Once weve achieved the computing power expected
by 2025-2030, well have completely changed our capacity
to anticipate and will need specialists and users fully trained
in this new environment. From an ethical perspective, theres
obviously a risk while this knowledge and control of its use
is in the hands of a few people. But Ive been following these
issues for a long time and remain basically optimistic. Lets
remember that were dealing with long cycles. Technological
changes are never achieved in less than 25 years, i.e. a gene-
ration. Lets face up to our responsibilities, its up to us to
train and raise the awareness of those who will come after us.
This duty to hand on to the next generation is, in a nutshell,
the history of scientific and technological development and,
indeed, the history of humankind.
9
D.R.

10
 SimULatiOn

TransporT

Setting SigHtS
On eLeCtRiC
PROPULSiOn
Driven by environmental constraints, electric propulsion
is now essential in every sector: from the car
and aeronautics industries to shipbuilding and the space
industry. Now its time to optimize electric propulsion
by simulating systems.
by gUiLLaUme LeCOmPte-bOinet

t
ransport, and not just the car industry, is in-
creasingly backing electric power. Manufacturers,
laboratories, technological research institutes,
and universities are all working to find reliable
electric drivetrain and propulsion solutions for
cars, ships, satellites, and other aircraft. There are plenty of
challenges. We need to switch to new generation batteries,
adapt fuel cells, integrate these new systems into cabins
and ships hulls, and ensure they are completely safe. Every
means of transport has specific obstacles to be overcome.
In the car industry, battery life and cost must be drastically
improved. Faster positioning of electric-powered satellites is
required in the space industry. And one of the shipbuilding
industrys constraints is electrical-equipment size. Manu-
facturers and laboratories are using numerical simulation
tools for this work to partly do without expensive physical
tests. Some tasks, such as modeling system architecture, can
be done using existing tools on the market, such as Catia
The HY4 is and Dymola. But for most simulation, manufacturers and
an electrically research centers have to develop their own codes using gene-
powered
4 passenger ric Matlan or Comsol tools. Whether for simulating airflows
aircraft in the aeronautics industry or batteries electrochemistry in
developed the car industry, the issues are too specific for commercial
by DLR, software. More and more partnerships are therefore springing
the German
aerospace
up between industry and research laboratories, sometimes
research even leading to the establishment of research chairs.
center.

Lusine nouveLLe i SPECiAL FEATURE MAGAZiNE N 2 i APRiL 6 2017 11

 simulation

i
THE CAR INDUSTRY f they still needed any convincing, the pollution peaks
experienced in Frances big cities this winter should

WinninG tHe Race

reinforce car manufacturers in their decision to opt
for electric cars. According to Volkswagen, which has
announced plans to launch around thirty electric car

foR BatteRy life

Modeling batteries and fuel cells will play
a vital role in car manufacturers progress
over the next five years.
By Guillaume lecompte-Boinet
models by 2025, this will be a major growth market. The
French manufacturer Renault, which has long believed
in electric cars and has invested 4 billion euros in them
since 2010, has just launched the Zo 3. Renault expects
to sell over 100,000 Zo 3s by 2020, and has already sold
24,000 Zo 2s in 2016 and a total of 50,000 Zos since
launching this model.
In the US, Tesla and Panasonic have invested 5 billion
dollars in a huge battery factory, while Daimler plans to
steal a march on Tesla by releasing a dozen electric car
models between now and 2020-2025. Chinese car manu-
facturers are also making rapid progress. Toyota, one of the
PAgECRAn

trailblazers with its hybrid vehicles, did not hesitate about

launching into highly advanced fuel cell technology with

12
 simulation

Zo 3s secrets
Renault redoubled Whereas Renaults star electric
its inventiveness car, the Zo 2, only had an nEDC
to extend (new European Driving Cycle)
the Zo 3s range.
This model can rated range of approximately
now be driven 200 km, i.e. without using
400 km without on-board electrical accessories
recharging (air conditioning, radio, etc.),
the battery.
the Zo 3s nEDC range
is 400 km (270-300 km
in normal conditions). Renault
has reworked all the Zos main
components to achieve this
result. its lithium-ion battery
capacity was increased from
22 kWh to 41 kWh and is just
21 kg heavier (total battery
weight: 300 kg). Weve also
increased engine efficiency,
explained Marc Soulas, Renaults
vice-president for electric-vehicle
engineering. Renaults teams
made the engine more compact
by optimizing its power
electronics, for example by using
a wound rotor and low-friction
bearings. One of the new Zos
secrets is its built-in Chameleon
charger for alternating current
(AC) battery charging. A power
inverter between the battery
and engine converts the batterys
direct current into alternating
current. This system
is 3-4 times cheaper and
the Chameleon charger has
enabled us to add 30 km
to the Zos range, said Soulas.
Another innovation is a reversible
heat pump to control
the air-conditioning system,
which has given another 15 km
of range. Renault has also gained
approximately 20 km
by developing a new more
efficient regenerative braking
system. This recovers energy,
which is continuously converted
by the Chameleon system
and stored in the battery.

its Mirai. We sold 3,000 Mirai models in 2016 and bank
on selling 30,000 by 2020, said Gerald Killmann, vice-
president R&D of Toyota Motor Europe. In a sign of the
times, the French government has just decided to abolish
the environmental bonus for hybrid vehicles (except for
rechargeable models) and focus this tax incentive on 100%
electric cars.
Modeling to limit Risks
But despite these announcements, it should not be
forgotten that this very new markets future involves
tackling a few challenges. When it comes to elec-
tric cars, its quite simple: we need to increase battery
life, reduce charging time without impairing battery life,
and of course lower the price and hence cut costs, said
Marc Soulas, Renaults vice-president for electric-vehicle
engineering. Generally speaking, buyers look at the cost of
a vehicle before taking an interest in its pollution level. And
travelers want to know if they will be able to charge their car
battery without spending the night in a hotel. Renault has
surpassed a symbolic milestone by practically doubling the
Zos range to almost 300 km in normal driving conditions
(400 km, according to the New European Driving Cycle
[NEDC]). Weve worked on all the main drivechain com-
ponents: battery, engine, and charging system, said Soulas
[see box below].
Due to the complexity of what happens inside batteries,
numerical simulation is essential to make lithium-ion
batteries more compact and increase their life without
threatening safety. An electrochemical reaction
simulation issues occurs between lithium-ion batteries two elec-
Increasing lithium-ion trodes (the positive anode and negative cathode)
battery life thanks to active materials, which enable lithium
Testing new types of
ions to migrate from one electrode to the other.
battery and their The anode is made of a nickel/manganese/cobalt
components ceramic compound, while graphite is generally used
Making fuel cells more for the cathode. Migration must be quick and comple-
compact and cheaper tely reversible if batteries are to have a long enough

lUSINE NoUvEllE i SPECiAL FEATURE MAgAZinE n 2 i APRiL 6 2017 13

 simulation

Were also studying lithium-sulfur technology

cdRic cHaZel,
CNRS researcher and RS2E networks
intellectual property manager
(17 universities, 3 technology transfer
centers, and approximately 15 industrial
partners)
What is the role of numerical simulation in
your battery research?
We need to understand ion diffusion
and transport properties in electrodes
and electrolytes according to the
electrochemical system. Simulation
helps give us a quicker understanding
of how a batterys active materials
behave.
What type of simulation do you carry out?
We carry out infinitely small
calculations on a space-time scale of
0.1 nanometer and 100 picoseconds.
This helps us bring to light promising
active materials for various
applications and hence increase
battery life. The more the active
material functions at high potential,
the better the battery will perform.
But some phenomena have to be
modeled on a larger space-time scale
(10 nanometers and
100 nanoseconds). We also work on
an even bigger space-time scale
(1 micrometer and 0.1 seconds), for
example, to improve characterization
of phenomena at the interfaces of
various materials.
What practical results do you expect to
obtain from this?
Were carrying out fundamental
theoretical research to find the best
active materials for improving battery
performance. Our industrial partners
will then have the major task of
working out dimensions. This is
when we move into the engineering
phase. For this work, we all meet up
every six months with 15 or so
industrial partners, including Renault,
Airbus, and the RS2E network. There
are still a lot of real-life experiments
to be carried out!
What are the alternatives to lithium-ion
batteries?
Were exploring several avenues of
research at the Laboratory for
Reactivity and Solids Chemistry
(LRCS) in Amiens: lithium-air
batteries, of course - which still need
a lot of research - as well as lithium-
sulfur batteries. This technology is
very promising for both the car and
aeronautics industries. Were also
studying a battery that self-charges by
light.

life. A batterys properties, its power and energy density,
depend on the active materials, explained Cdric Chazel, a
CNRS researcher and RS2E networks intellectual property
manager. Chazel works at the Laboratory for Reactivity and
Solids Chemistry (LRCS) in Amiens, especially on modeling
lithium-ion batteries by coding in tools such as Matlab
and Comsol. One of the key issues in our modeling work
is studying active materials diffusion mechanisms, said
Julien Marie, team leader of Renaults battery development
project. Active materials migrate through layers of alumi-
num and copper, which form a very complex environment.
Due to a lack of simulation tools on the market, Renaults
simulation work is the result of codes developed in-house.
Renault has used data from PhD theses it funded. One goal
is to make the top of batteries less bulky so that they lie as
flat as possible and are better integrated into the chassis.
Researchers are also trying to optimize the amount of active
materials according to the battery life and power desired.
Basically, the more active materials there are in batteries,
the heavier they are and the longer battery life they have.
For this reason, hybrid vehicles rechargeable batteries
have very thin cells, short charging time, but less battery
life. We constantly have to trade off all these factors, said
Marie. Experiments to vary the composition of active mate-
rials have also been carried out. For example, increasing
it is highly reactive and may endanger passengers. Another
avenue that has been explored is enriching graphite with
silicon, again to store more lithium. But here too, there are
material stability issues.
New Avenues of Research Worth Exploring
Safety is at the heart of all these challenges. We can all
recall cases of lithium-ion batteries exploding or catching
fire, whether in Boeing 787s or smartphones. For this reason,
simulation is also used to sort out thermal issues. During
motorway journeys, drivers need to recharge their car battery
quickly, which means having an appropriate, effective cooling
system, said Marie. Renaults teams are working on these
issues, especially via Catia numerical-design tools to simulate
heating/cooling cycles. Renault has also developed its own
tools that engineers code in Matlab. We specify the physical
laws and the system calculates everything automatically,
said Marie. Based on these calculations, Renault is expected
to opt for a liquid (water or fluid) cooling system for the Zo
rather than an air-cooling system.
Other teams are using entropimetry to measure battery
charge and health status. Rachid Yazami, a CNRS resear-
cher on a temporary assignment at Nanyang Technological
University in Singapore, is working in this field. Analyzing
entropy/enthalpy charts enables us to establish with great
D.R.

the amount of nickel in order to store more lithium. But precision not only a batterys health status but also to some
manufacturers need to keep checks on this cocktail since extent its history, i.e. the conditions in which it has aged.

14
 simulation

fuel cells - a credible alternative

Toyota took a rather wild gamble
in marketing an electric car
powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.
This technologys only
by-product is water. After several
years development, Toyota
designed the first prototypes
on big SUV models in 2008.
The key issue was having a
compact size for when we want to
incorporate it into smaller sedan
cars, explained gerald Killmann,
vice-president R&D of Toyota 700 bars in complete safety. We Toyotas Mirai
Motor Europe. Toyota continued designed the fuel cell ourselves, has just two
hydrogen fuel
its research, modeling areas such said Killmann. The Mirai has just cells for a
as computational fluid dynamics two fuel cells - compared to four lighter engine
(CFD), electrochemistry, and in the first prototypes - to make
mechanics, generally using its the engine a few kilos lighter.
in-house code in MATLAB and Research was also carried out
Catia. This resulted in the Mirai, on the electrolyte membrane,
which has been on the market making it two-thirds thinner so
since 2015. it takes just that hydrogen can circulate more
a few minutes to fill up the Mirai easily. Toyota has made the fuel
with hydrogen for a range cell 48% lighter and 26% more
of approximately 500 km. One powerful. Many challenges still
of the critical issues in fuel-cell need to be tackled, above all
cars is their hydrogen tank, which the price since the Mirai currently
has to store 5 kg of hydrogen at costs almost 80,000 euros.

Simulating thermodynamic diagrams enables us to predict
battery lifespan, explained Yazami.
All this research will eventually enable batteries to be
recharged faster in complete safety. But thats not all since
modern electric vehicles also feature power electronics,
which helps reduce heat loss while also enabling more
electrical power to pass through the same volume. Power
electronics is one factor influencing charging capacity.
Silicon chips are commonly used in todays car industry.
But new gallium-based components will be arriving from
2020-2022 onwards. These components will take things
to the next level, increasing battery performance by 10-20%.
To achieve this goal, Renault is working with the French
Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA),
research laboratories, and components manufacturers such
as STMicroelectronics and Infineon on new component
architecture (rectifiers, transistors, power inverters, etc.).
Were currently at the stage in which these new generation
components are only just coming out of research laborato-
ries, said Soulas.
One of the issues occupying manufacturers and resear-
chers is whether or not there is a credible alternative to
lithium-ion technology, which has an energy density of
150-200 Wh/kg. Several avenues are emerging, the most
promising of which is lithium-air technology. Lithium-
air batteries are said to provide almost ten times more
energy density than lithium-ion batteries, as well as being
2-3 times lighter. Electric cars fitted with this technology
could see their range soar to over 600 km. Lithium-air
batteries represent a half-way house between lithium-ion
batteries and fuel cells, said Chazel, whose laboratory
(LRCS) is also working on this technology. The LRCS is
TOyOTA ; DAViD DEWhURST PhOTOgRAPhy

modeling oxygen diffusion in porous carbon electrodes, as

new gallium-based components will be arriving
from 2020-2022 onwards. these components will
take things to the next level, increasing battery
performance by 10-20%.
well as migration to the other electrode, and management
of humidity problems linked to the introduction of oxygen.
Its still very hard to tell if this technology will replace
lithium-ion batteries since research on cell optimization
has so far been unsuccessful, said Yazami. It will probably
be almost another ten years before lithium-air batteries are
ready for mass production.

16
 AT THE HEART OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

Mastering technology Support for SME

Industrial Research Teaching and training
Dissemination across industries International cooperations

SIMULATION
INDUSTRIAL
COMPANIES
TECHNOLOGY
COMPANIES

HPC
BIG DATA
RESEARCH
& INNOVATION
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Contacts & Information
jean-pascal.jegu@teratec.fr Tel. +33 (0)9 70 65 02 10
2 rue de la Piquetterie - 91680 Bruyres-le-Chtel - France www.teratec.eu
 simulation

Although oneras distributed propulsion plane (see top) is still at the planning stage, siemens extra 330Le and Airbuss e-Fan are already in test flights.

t
AeronAutics he aeronautics industry has long drawn attention
to the figure of 3%, which is roughly the share

FOCUS ON ELECTRIC
of greenhouse gases emitted by air transport.
Although this figure may seem low, climate
change means aircraft and components manu-

PLANES
facturers have no choice but to continue their efforts to make
planes more energy efficient. Great progress has been made
in this field and modern Airbus A350 aircraft are 60% more
energy efficient than their equivalent model in the 1970s.
But the number of planes worldwide is due to double over
the next twenty years, meaning that these efforts will soon
Researchers and manufacturers are working be wiped out. Unless, that is, the aeronautics industry and
hard to drastically reduce aircraft pollution. researchers find a winning formula.
The most obvious line of research to stop pollutant emis-
Hybridization seems to be the most sion is to switch over to all-electric aircraft, which operate on
promising and achievable solution. an apparently simple principle: the propeller is driven by an
electric motor powered by a battery or fuel cell. Airbus and
by Guillaume lecompte-boinet Boeing have already worked on this concept by developing
light aircraft prototypes. The most well-known model is

18
 simulation

La rfrence des professionnels de lindustrie

pour comprendre et agir avant les autres
We can only model
what we already know
24 h
24

What are the main challenges?

Jean
Hermetz,
assistant director of Oneras
system design and performance
evaluation department (DCPS)
Generally speaking, CFD is
well under control. Thanks
in particular to our wind
tunnels enabling us to
check simulation results,
weve made enormous
progress. Were constantly
improving the codes.
But were still running into
difficulties with some
types of airflow modeling,
Le web abonns Lhebdomadaire Industrie Explorer
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et dans le monde et des services

What can simulation do for which have forced

electric-propelled planes?
Simulation has a key role,
which is why Onera
specializes in it. Were
working on computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) using
our exclusive elsA tool.
Airbus and Safran are using
the elsA code to model
airflows. Were also
simulating flight
us to carry out real
experiments.
so theres constant toing and
froing between simulation and
experimentation?
Its essential. We can only
model what we already
know! For things we know
nothing about, experiments
are required. For the
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mechanics, i.e. various
combined forces and their
impact on places. Finally,
weve designed dedicated
flight dynamics tools to
simulate flight control laws.
Ampre distributed
propulsion project, we
carried out wind-tunnel
tests to confirm numerical
calculations, which we
completed last February.
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JE RGLE PAR :
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Airbuss E-Fan (weighing 550 kg), which flew across the
Carte bancaire N
English Channel in 2015. In July 2016, Siemens flew its Expire n Date et signature
Extra 330LE aerobatic plane (weighing 1 metric ton) fitted Notez les 3 derniers chires
gurant au verso de votre carte
with a prototype 260 kilowatt-electric motor. In 2016, Air- rception de facture
bus and Siemens joined forces to carry out joint research Je recevrai une facture acquitte

Mme M. Nom :
on hybrid electric planes, aiming to achieve power in excess
of 10 megawatts. By 2030, we hope to be flying a hybrid Prnom :

electric plane that can carry up to 100 passengers over a Fonction :

distance of 1,000 km, said Frank Anton, head of eAircraft Socit :

at Siemenss research center. This means getting a plane into Adresse :

the air that is 50 times heavier than the Extra 330. Code postal : Ville :

One of the problems with all-electric aircraft is that li- Tl. :

thium-ion batteries, which the E-Fan is fitted with, do not Activit :

have enough density compared to kerosene. You need a Siret :

60 kg battery to obtain the same energy density as 1 kg of Code NAF:

kerosene, said Jean Hermetz, assistant director of the sys- Email : @

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Lusine nouveLLe i SPECiAL FEATURE MAGAZiNE N 2 i APRiL 6 2017 19

 simulation

Hybrid plane architecture

Developing electric-propelled
planes will involve a hybrid phase,
as in the car industry. Several
types of architecture are being
studied, the first of which
involves turning a propeller by
either a gas turbine engine or
electric motor in parallel
configuration. Planes are electric
propelled during take-off and
landing, while thermal power
takes over during a flights cruise
phase. The second type of
architecture is continuous power
by an internal combustion engine
and electric motor on the same
propeller shaft, with tasks shared
similarly to parallel architecture.
Both concepts require batteries
Architecture of an internal combustion engine and electric motor to store electrical power and
on the same propeller shaft. release it at the right time.
Finally, researchers and aircraft
manufacturers are also working
on a third option called serial
architecture. This involves
turning a propeller using
an electric motor that is itself
powered by either a fuel cell (very
likely scenario) or standard gas
turbine engine. This removes
the need for a battery, which is
replaced by a power electronics
device to optimize management
of the propulsion system.
Unlike the first two options,
the internal combustion engine
is disconnected from the
propeller. if the fuel-cell option
is chosen, this third alternative
will definitely be the most
eco-friendly solution since planes
will be truly zero emission.

aviation fuel. Unless, that is, batteries are improved. As
part of the RSE2 network, Airbus is working on lithium-
air batteries with the Laboratory for Reactivity and Solids
Chemistry (LRCS) in Amiens. These batteries are said to pro- planes airflow
vide ten times more energy density and are also three times
lighter [see page 16]. This is a key point for the aviation
industry. Many challenges still need to be tackled for this
technology to reach maturity. In the meantime, hybridization batteries
seems to be the compromise solution to achieve sufficient
energy density.
Distributed Propulsion by a series of Motors
Onera is testing a distributed propulsion concept as part
of its Ampre project. Thirty or so small electric motors are
distributed along the planes airfoil. The advantage of these
motors is that they can be used to control the plane (which
avoids any need for wings with moveable flaps) and also
improve aircraft lift at low speed. Onera carries out a great
deal of numerical simulation [see interview on previous
page] and is now specializing in it. One of Oneras main
research areas is fluid dynamics, studying airflows all along
the fuselage.
by 2030, we hope to be flying
Oneras research carried out using its in-house Elsa
siMuLAtion issues simulation tool, aims to extract characteristic quantities
Simulating hybrid in pressure, speed, etc., fluctuations. Interpretation
of these fluctuations will help evaluate plane lift and
Studying the impact of drag data. Oneras Ampre project seeks to prove that
electromagnetic waves excellent results can be obtained in boundary layer
Developing lithium-air absorption. The boundary layer is the thin (barely a
few centimeters thick) air layer between air stuck
to the fuselage, circulating at the same speed as the
plane, and external air at zero speed. If we can absorb this
boundary layer via the motors, we can recover unused energy
and improve overall propulsive efficiency, explained Hermetz.
Research in progress includes work on fuel cells, especially
electron exchange with the electrolyte membrane. The Safran
Group, Airbus, Onera, and the French Atomic Energy and
Alternative Energies Commission are carrying out research
to bring this technology to aircraft. One project is modeling
a complete system, including a fuel cell, using Catia finite
element meshing, which divides what must be modeled
into small elements, reducing it to a point cloud. Hydrogen
tanks are also a special focus of research since hydrogen is
a flammable gas.
Another less well-known but nevertheless very strategic
project is electromagnetic compatibility. By integrating more
and more electric power, aircraft manufacturers will have to
redesign the architecture of future planes to protect onboard
equipment (especially avionics). Onera and Safran are actively
D.R. ; jAN GREUNE / SiEMENS

a hybrid electric plane that can carry up
to 100 passengers over a distance
of 1,000 km.
Frank anton, head of eAircraft at Siemens
working on this issue. Onera has developed a calculation chain
to determine electrical systems radiation levels and study their
repercussions on planes. This is absolutely essential since
aircraft manufacturers may have to shield or move critical
equipment. Simulation projects are far from over.

20
Platinum Sponsors : Gold Sponsors :
Partenaire
Caf Europen
de la Recherche :
21
Silver Sponsors :
 simulation

SPACE

ACCELERATING
THE LAUNCH
OF SATELLITES
computer modeling is the core technological
challenge facing electric satellites in order
to reduce transfer time into orbit and enhance
engine design.
by Guillaume lecompte-boinet

W
ill 100% electric satellite propulsion someday
replace todays chemical thrusters? In all
likelihood, yes they will, but probably not
completely. Nevertheless, each year electric-
powered satellites are becoming increasingly
common and may well account for more than 50% of market
share in the near future. The latest development in the family
is Eutelsat 172B, built by Airbus Defence and Space (ADS)
based on the Eurostar E3000 EOR platform. The 3.4-ton
satellite, slated to be put in geostationary orbit in April of this
year, will have 13 kilowatts of embedded power and operate
entirely on xenon-powered ion engines for transfer into orbit
and station-keeping throughout the satellites useful life span.
This is the first fully electric European satellite, declares
ADS. The advantages of electric propulsion are now well
known: a 40%-50% increase in mass compared with che-
mical thrusters and less bulk, allowing more room for the
payload. By comparison, to embed an equivalent payload, the
chemical version of Eutelsat 172B would weigh 5.5-6 tons!
At only 3.5 tons, the electric platform can travel with ano-
ther satellite in the Ariane 5 nosecone, thereby significantly
cutting launch costs.
But there is however, one major drawback: positioning an
electric satellite takes between six months with a Hall effect
plasma engine and nine months with an ion engine. Though
they are extremely energy efficient, electric engines have much
less push than propellant-powered engines: about 100-150
millinewtons compared with 400 newtons for a chemical
thruster, i.e. a ratio of 1 to 4,000. The space industrys leading
challenge is to shorten the time periods, particularly by means Two electric propulsion satellites:
the Eutelsat 172B (above)
of digital simulation, as physical tests are considerably more and the Smart-1. The blue light
complicated to perform in space. To diminish the duration under the Smart-1 is emitted
of orbital transfer, one can either increase engine power or by xenon atoms.

22
 simulation

thanks to simulation, we can save

two weeks or even up to one month
on orbital transfer time.
Didier leboulch, manager of R&d and product policy
at Thales Alenia space

use more engines, keeping in mind that the electric power

available on satellites depends directly on the capacity of their
solar panels, explains Nicolas de Chanaud, deputy manager
of the Safran Aircraft Engines electric propulsion program.
The satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space (TAS), which
developed the all-electric Spacebus Neo platform, also designed
a rolling solar generator system similar to window blinds.
The generators will be slightly less efficient, but the surface
is greater, and will therefore be more powerful, explains
Didier Leboulch, manager of R&D and product policy at TAS.
The PPS 5000 thruster, currently being tested by SAE,
Reducing positioning time posts 5 kW of power.
Computer modeling is required to optimize these techno-
logical breakthroughs and work is currently under way on safran aircraft engines
engines at Safran Aircraft Engines [see insert]. For satellite
manufacturers, it is crucial to streamline the satellites path establishes a chair of modeling
between its ejection from the launcher and its final orbit The topic is of such critical manager of sAes electric
36,000 kilometers from Earth. Thanks to simulation, importance for space propulsion propulsion program.
we can save two weeks or even up to one month on manufacturers that a research The research agenda includes
tHe cHallenGes
orbital transfer time, emphasizes Didier Leboulch. oF simulation chair has been established developing new design
These complex calculations, carried out by TAS using to study plasma thrusters and methodologies to achieve
Reduce by a few days
coding developed in-house, involves modeling all or even a few weeks their digital simulation. The chair a better balance between
the phenomena that affect the satellite during flight: the time required to was officially inaugurated simulation and physical testing,
gravity gradients, propulsion, the Earths gravity, solar position electric satellites on January 27th by safran Aircraft which is very costly. Today we
pressure, etc. Due to their slowness, electric satellites Improve engine engines (sAe), the plasma are bench testing our pps 5000
must contend with more random factors than their output physics Laboratory (Lpp) engine over a period of more than
chemical counterparts. The manufacturers and the at cole polytechnique 15,000 hours, with end-of-life
French Space Agency (Cnes) have developed calculation and cerfacs, a research center performances evaluated by
codes to simulate satellite tracking. The point is to control specializing in digital modeling, simulation and by tests, says
the trajectory using equations from celestial mechanics while to continue sAe research nicolas de chanaud. furthermore
taking the constraints arising from low-thrust positioning and highlight it in Avip modeling sAe has assumed the leadership
into account: limiting the amount of time spent in radiations software. designed by safran of the european cheops
belts, remaining visible to certain ground stations, etc., adds Aircraft engines, Avip (consortium for Hall effect
Thomas Linart, head of the Cnes propulsion department. is dedicated to optimizing in orbit propulsion system)
Other simulation projects focus on the effects of particle the efficiency of the electric program. One of the consortiums
discharge from the engines. These phenomena have to be thruster and simulating its life objectives is to develop
controlled, particularly to check for potential deterioration of cycle. We have also developed simulation tools for future
the solar panels caused by particles, notes Thomas Linart. models within the framework engines, for example, 20-kW
Optimizing the trajectory is essential for another reason: the of a scientific interest grouping and 500-W pps drives
engine does not follow a linear path into orbit. It moves in (Gis) with our historic partners: (the pps 5000 posts 5 kW).
spirals from its apogee to its perigee; engine thrust is quite the national center of space cheops is also seeking to make
efficient at the apogee and virtually non-existent at the peri- Research (cnes), the national headway in the design of a dual
AiRbus defence And spAce ; esA ; d.R.

gee. It is therefore necessary to simulate the thrusts in order center for scientific Research plasma engine that could thrust
to save xenon and determine the best launch strategy for a (cnRs) including the Lpp 10% more than current machines
given architecture. The Cnes is also conducting research in and the national Office during launch into orbit; once
simulating satellite lifespan increases and orbit corrections, of Aerospace studies and in orbit, it would consume
which take longer than with chemical thrusters. Ultimately, Research (Onera). The chair will 10% less energy and require less
manufacturers and laboratories hope to halve the time supplement this work, drive, thereby reducing xenon
required for positioning. says nicolas de chanaud, deputy consumption.

luSinE nouvEllE i speciAL feATuRe MAGAZine n 2 i ApRiL 6 2017 23

 simulation

Using simulation to make sure its ships are functioning correctly allows DCNS to avoid costly tests in real conditions.

e
SHIPBUILDING lectricity and ships go back a long way. From the
19th century and throughout the 20th century,

THE QUEST FOR propulsion architecture in all classes of subma-

rine and surface ship has included electricity. The
ocean liner Normandie in the 1930s, the latest

COMPACT SYSTEMS huge cruise ship (Harmony of the Seas) to emerge from STX
Frances shipyard, and DCNSs submarines and frigates all
feature electric engines. Weve been fitting our submarines
and surface ships with electric engines for a long time, said
Jacques Jourden, director of engineering at DCNSs Nantes-
Indret site (Loire-Atlantique).
Ships have been fitted with electric Things started, and for good reason, with nuclear-propelled
propulsion systems for many years. submarines. DCNS has been developing hybrid designs used
especially for Fremm frigates since the 2000s. Ships are
R&D is focusing on equipment powered by electric engines when doing less than 15 knots,
dimensions and new energy sources. whereas gas turbines take over once they exceed this speed.
In Mistral-class projection and command ships, pods (electric
By Guillaume lecompte-Boinet
propeller engines housed in nacelles) outside the hull ensure
100% electric propulsion. Nevertheless, a diesel engine and
D.R.

24

alternator are required to power them. This system provides
great maneuverability and is now widely used in commercial,
exploration, and offshore vessels.
Quieter and More Compact
Electric propulsion has many benefits for the shipbuilding
industry. First, this technique makes ships relatively silent,
meaning that cruiseship passengers can sleep soundly and
the military can avoid detection. Sound waves generated by
two-stroke diesel engines can be heard miles away whereas
electric propulsion, even when coupled with a diesel engine
or gas turbine, is much quieter. Vibrations are of smaller
magnitude and noise-dampening systems are easier to size.
Another important aspect for the shipbuilding industry is
that electric propulsion saves on servicing since the engines
require almost no maintenance. Furthermore, back-up heat
engines, which run smoothly and at a constant speed, wear
out less. For a similar type of mission, we need less installed
capacity than ships propelled entirely by heat engines, said
Jourden. But coupled thermal-electric systems are by nature
very bulky as they require diesel alternators, multiple electric
cabinets, converters, electric engines, etc. For this reason,
DCNS has no current plans to fit ships under 5,000 tons
with 100% electric propulsion, including projection and
command ships, since there is not enough space.
the idea is to use simulation
to check the propulsion systems
overall performance.
Jacques Jourden,
director of engineering at DCNSs Nantes-Indret site
LUSINe NoUveLLe I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017
simulation
no archinaute without
modeling
The Archinaute, an unusual ship that converts wind
power into electricity, as yet exists only on paper.
But Charles-Henri Viel, its designer, hopes to build
a full-scale prototype this year. Two levels
of modeling have already been completed. Viel
developed algebraic equations to simulate the ships
wind resistance, before using Heliciel software
to validate wind turbine and propeller size for a given
power. The prototype will require more complex
calculations, said Viel. This involves developing
a simulation tool from scratch, in this case
with the National Institute of Advanced Technology
of Brittany (Ensta) in Brest.
Numerical simulation may make
simulation issues shipbuilders task easier, especially
Optimizing dimensions for military ships, where space ma-
of thermal electricity nagement is a central issue. DCNS
systems
uses tools such as Dymola (Dassault
Testing various default Systmes) and Simulink (in Matlab,
events
a generic tool) to optimize the size
Testing new energy of propulsion equipment and adjust
sources its control and regulation laws. The
idea is to use simulation to check the
propulsion systems overall performance, said Jourden. This
research avoids large numbers of expensive sea trials and
also enables trials in degraded mode, for example, simulating
equipment breakdown or a heavy swell. Shipbuilders can thus
check that control and regulation laws are adjusted correctly.
At the same time, DCNS is conducting research on two
topics for the future: replacing lead batteries by lithium-ion
batteries and fuel cells. The idea is to improve the autonomy
of standard Scorpne-class submarines, increasing how long
they spend under water before resurfacing from four days
to three weeks. Here too, simulation will help control pro-
pulsion-system performance and electric-equipment sizing.
Modeling Cooling Systems
DCNS is also working on superconductivity, which could
theoretically make the mass and volume of standard ma-
chinery (except for cooling systems) 1.5-2 times smaller.
Nevertheless, thermal engineering remains one of the main
obstacles to overcome before ships can one day be fitted
with superconductor engines. Very low temperature has to
be maintained via a helium cooling system. For example,
this type of engine could be powered by a fuel cell. All this
involves extensive design studies and modeling of cooling
system reliability and availability, said Jourden.
25
 sIMULATION

MainTenance

THE DIGITAL TWIN:

A PROTECTIVE
BROTHER
Manufacturers can now use big data to
simulate the actual state of their equipment.
A key to optimizing maintenance.
By MARINE PROTAIs

A
new era for industrial maintenance has arrived.
At Safran, engineers examine their 29 Leap
engines in flight, even thousands of kilometers
away, on their computer screens. Each engine
has a digital twin. The term was introduced by
Nasa to describe a dynamic 3D digital shuttle replica based
on data from equipment sensors and contextual informa-
tion. In the case of an engine, the live simulation is fed by
a stream of data pertaining to temperature, rotation speed
and oil consumption, together with real-time information on
weather, atmospheric pollution, flight route, etc. Safran stores
a total of 400 megabytes of data per day for each engine in
its data lake, which serves as an information reservoir to
update the digital twins of its engines. Big data is the key to
improving maintenance management.
Gone are the days of preventive maintenance based on
average periods of utilization. Through the digital twin,
which duplicates the actual state of equipment and analyzes
its huge amount of corresponding data, managers can opt
instead for predictive maintenance. This technology has
become possible through the recent emergence of the indus-
trial internet, which has increased the number of sensors and
data storage platforms. If an engine has flown under optimal
conditions, we check its digital twin to be sure it has not been
damaged and we can postpone the planned maintenance
operation, notes Cline Briquet, head of Leap Analytics at
Until now, simulation was focused
on design. The industrial internet makes
it possible to use it in operation.
Thanks to its virtual twin, the Safran Leap engine is sent to maintenance
only when a fault is detected.
Safran. On the other hand, if the engine manufacturers teams
detect an anomaly in the digital twin, they can schedule a
maintenance operation to avoid a breakdown. More efficient
maintenance management allows the company to cut costs.
a new business model
Contrary to other data analysis tools, the digital twin allows
analysts to visualize the machinery and even look inside. It is
possible to identify precisely the component that presents an
anomaly instead of taking the equipment apart. When we
take back engines to make technical improvements, we can
identify the family of engines we are targeting more quickly,
which allows us to segment the fleet according to the specific
uses of our engines, says Cline Briquet.
Digital twins have reconfigured the playing field for simu-
lation. Digital equipment can be subjected to all sorts of
treatment that could be inflicted on its physical counterpart.
We can replay a breakdown in the digital twin to understand
its root cause, explains ric Bantegnie, vice president of the
embedded systems business unit of the U.S. software company
Ansys. And run failure-resolution scenarios before modifying
PAScAl GUittEt

This shift is very recent. the physical object and explore possible solutions. Industrial
internet platforms like PTCs ThingWorx and Siemens Mind-
ric Bantegnie, Vice President of the Embedded Systems Business Unit at Ansys Sphere combine the data produced by the various information

26
 sIMULATION

The Bugey
plant (ain)
already has
a reactor
behavior
simulator.

seeing double at French nuclear

installations
By 2020, EDF intends to produce cost of the refitting project,
an initial series of digital twins estimated at 51 billion euros
of the nuclear reactors it operates over the period 2012-2025,
in France. the aim is to facilitate according to Pierre Broux,
maintenance, notably by carrying director of the groups industrial
out a major refitting program digital transition. the oldest
to extend the lifespan of nuclear reactors will be the first to be
installations beyond forty years. digitally duplicated using laser
system software applications with data collected in the field, the twins will enable the energy scanners and 3D photographs.
thus enabling simulations while in operation. Until now, operator to monitor the actual EDF has not yet decided whether
simulation was focused on design. This shift is very recent, state of the plants and share it will produce a digital twin
says ric Bantegnie. the information with its for each of its 58 reactors
The Ansys specialist expects digital twins to come into subcontractors. the 1 million or whether a single referent
widespread use within the next three years. They offer euro price tag for each digital twin per power plant family
advantages to all manufacturers with assets in operation, twin will be included in the overall would suffice.
particularly those with a long lifespan that change according
to use: production machines, airplanes, trains and oil rigs.
Digital twins are particularly relevant for pump manufac-
turers. The pumps may be buried underground in The model has definite advantages, but it also raises the
the desert or under ice, and age at different rates THE CHALLENGE question of who owns the data that feeds the digital twin
depending on the installation. The American com- To shift from preventive and how can that data be exchanged? The users of the
pany Flowserve is one of the first manufacturers to maintenance, in which equipment own the data, declares Hadrien Szigeti, a
have signed a contract in late 2016 with Ansys and interventions are strategic analyst at Dassault Systmes. But there is a
determined by typical
General Electric to develop digital twins of its pumps. equipment use, to legal loophole with respect to its sale. There is no prac-
Not only do digital twins optimize maintenance predictive, more targeted tical guide to exchanging it. For the moment, airline
operations, they also change the companys business maintenance, adapted to companies contractually agree to communicate data to
model. A manufacturer that can predict equipment each piece of equipment Safran. They see an advantage in doing so, because it
and its specific use.
failure, find the cause and determine the best possible means optimizing their maintenance operations, says
solution can offer a new after-sales service. This is all part Cline Briquet. Hence more flight time. In the long run,
of a broader trend: manufacturers sell hours of service more however, users such as airline companies may come up with
than products, points out Laurent Germain, an IoT expert a way to commercialize the data. The value of a data twin is
at the U.S. software company PTC. anything but virtual.

LuSine nouveLLe i SPEciAl FEAtURE MAGAZiNE N 2 i APRil 6 2017 27

 siMulATiOn

RESEARCH

nuMericAl
siMulATiOn - The
heArT OF irTs
With eight Technological Research Institutes (IRTs),
France finally has the equivalent of Germanys
Fraunhofer Institutes, only theyre better. IRTs
were set up between 2012 and 2013 under the
Investment for the Future (PIA) program and
will receive 940 million euros over ten years. IRTs
organize shared public-private research in eight
areas: digital technology (IRT B<>Com); microbiology
and infectious diseases (IRT Bioaster); factories of
the future (IRT Jules Verne); materials, metallurgy SystemX
designed
and processes (IRT M2P); nanoelectronics (IRT a model for
Nanoelec); railway systems (IRT Railenium); optimizing
aeronautics, space, and embedded systems (IRT routes
combining
Saint-Exupry); and digital engineering of complex trains and
systems (IRT SystemX). Companies and public buses
for the SNCF.
research laboratories pool human resources and
equipment to carry out collaborative research
projects, sharing the resulting intellectual property
rights. And its an approach that works. In four years, RT SySTEmX TRACING OUT mULTImODAL
Frances IRTs which bring together 444 industrial mOBILITy ROUTES
and 100 academic partners, i.e. almost 1,500 people Set Up 31 October 2012
have already achieved 106 technology transfers, Current Projects 21, including 4 European projects
registered 155 patents, initiated 715 scientific Completed Projects 4
publications, set up 58 technology platforms, Platforms and Equipment 8
and taken part in 25 European research projects. Patents 37 Publications 208 Technology Transfers 30
Simulation and computing occupy a major, central Collaborators 130, including 34 PhD students
place in these projects: modeling new composites, Industrial Partners 75 Academic Institution Partners 14
material processing, multimodal transport, thermal
Investment for the Future Funding 130 million euros
simulation of electronic components, digital
platforms for validating railway components and IRT SystemXs MIC (modeling, interoperability, commu-
testing 5G security, methodology for the correct use nication) multimodal research project that ran for five
years ended last December. Based on scenarios submitted
of multiphysics coupling in aeronautical design, and
by Alstom, Renault and SNCF, IRT SystemX developed
pooling high-performance computing resources. numerical-simulation models to optimize train/bus connec-
Discover the central role of numerical simulation tions, passenger information in the event of incidents, and
at IRTs. set up a carsharing system. These models will be used for
By Aurlie BArBAux And Thierry lucAs
other optimization projects, especially for stations in the
Greater Paris region and cities of the future, which are quite
hard to create because initial models are rare. Industrialists

28

have mostly simulated infrastructures and vehicles. But
these systems change according to the passengers, said
Lionel Scrmin, the multimodal transport project manager
seconded to IRT SystemX by Alstom. Another challenge for
researchers is upscaling models and obtaining data. SNCF
had to carry out two survey phases during the planning and
user-communication scenarios. These surveys enabled SNCF
to add passenger behavior to its train travel models and create
a visualization tool for decision-makers.
In their search for models to optimize train/bus connections,
researchers turned to fluid mechanics. The researchers then
drew up principles for multimodal supervision and created a
planning tutorial. Finally, to design a carsharing service on
the Paris-Saclay technology campus, they retrieved data from
Nissan, which set up a Twizy carsharing system in Yokohama
(Japan) between 2013 and 2015. Using real data, we have
subsequently proved that optimization processes can result in
gains, explained Scrmin. The MIC project involved around
forty people and led to 26 publications by researchers from
the other participating laboratories and public institutions
(Ifsttar, Inria, ENS Paris-Saclay, UTBM, Tlcom SudParis,
CEA, etc.). The Most (modeling and optimization of smart
territories) platform has capitalized on these results.
LUSINE NOUVELLE I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017
siMulATiOn
The IRT Jules Verne
models the
resistance of turbine
blades and how
the composites age
in seawater.
IRT JULES VERNE OPTImIZING COmPOSITES
FOR mARINE ENERGy
Set Up 5 March 2012
Current Projects 53 Completed Projects 16
(including 3 European projects)
Platforms and Equipment 8
Patents 28 Publications 120 Technology Transfers 15
Collaborators 104 (including 20 PhD students)
Industrial Partners 51 Academic Institution Partners 14
Investment for the Future Funding 115 million euros
Composite materials have complex behavior, especially when
in contact with seawater. To address this problem affecting
offshore wind turbines and marine turbines, IRT Jules
Verne, which focuses on manufacturing structures for the
aeronautics, automobile, shipbuilding, and renewable marine
energy industries, is developing specific simulation models.
How can we ensure the mechanical strength of blades that
are exposed to the marine environment (wind turbines) or
underwater (marine turbines)? How much seawater will
a composite absorb and with what consequences? The
material swells and increases in mass, which will impact
on wind turbines of 160 meters in diameter. Mechanical
properties are affected and local swelling may even damage
blades. Were developing or adapting models to simulate
how composites age in the presence of sea water. This will
enable us to predict fatigue damage and the risk of blades
suddenly breaking, said Tanguy Moro, head of IRT Jules
Vernes simulation team.
An initial project with Centrale Nantess civil and mecha-
nical engineering laboratory (Loire-Atlantique), the French
Technical Center for Mechanical Industries (Cetim), and
industrial partners (DCNS, General Electric, STX), has vali-
dated, in correlation with tests, a model that simulates water
spreading through materials at microstructure level. A project
with GE, the SC Mca design office and Bureau Veritas aims
to extend modeling to entire structures and integrate new
models into Abaqus, a commercial computing code used by
industrialists. Thus enabling them to better predict the life-
span of sea-based structures, anticipate maintenance work,
29
 siMulATiOn

and enhance blade design. IRT Jules Verne plans to set up

a collaborative project with software vendors to transform
the codes developed into marketable products. This process
has already started for automobile simulation models. Still
in the field of marine energy, the simulation team has also
simulated a process for manufacturing marine-turbine blades
in a single stage. This process consists of injecting resin
into preforms containing a complex structure of fibers and
reinforcements. The aim is to use Moldex3D simulation
software to work out the best injection strategy (injection
points, pressure, resin temperature, etc.), said Moro. The
issue here is to reduce manufacturing tests to a minimum
since each structure costs 15,000-50,000 euros.

IRT NANOELEC TRACKING DOWN CALORIES IN 3D

ELECTRONIC COmPONENTS
Set Up 11 April 2012
Current Projects 29 (including 10 European projects)
Platforms and Equipment 5
Patents 98 Software Programs 8 Publications 171
Technology Transfers 18 Start-up 2
Nanoelec develops tools to visualize the heat dissipation of a stack
Collaborators 185 full-time equivalent, including 16 PhD students of electronic components.
Industrial Partners 122 Academic Institution Partners 6
Investment for the Future Funding 160 million euros

3D integration of electronic components provides many
benefits. For example, it saves space, energy, and improves
performance. But there is at least one disadvantage: these
components heat up. When electronic chips are stacked
on top of one another, thermal dissipation may become
blocked. Although thermal simulation software for electro-
nic components exists on the market, new problems have
arisen from 3D integration. For this reason, IRT Nanoelecs
3D Integration program is developing simulation tools with
Mentor Graphics, a software vendor for electronic component
design. Were working in parallel on technology for 3D
integration, circuit blocks, and design tools. Were aiming
to a have a solution ready for when an industrialist decides
to take the plunge, said Pascal Vivet, a circuit design expert
at the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies
Commission (CEA) Leti. This research institute is one of
the programs partners, together with the semiconductor
manufacturer STMicroelectronics, and two component
manufacturers: SET and EVG.
Chips for some memory components are already being
stacked and vertically interconnected. But 3D integration has
wider ambitions since it involves stacking processors, memo-
ries, sensors, microelectromechanical systems (MEMs), etc,
to reduce energy consumption and improve performance.
Simulating the thermal dispersion of stacks must take into
account what is happening within circuits, as well as of
effects created by vertical interconnections, through-silicon
vias (TSVs), and inter-chip fill polymers. 3D integration
program. A new simulation toolbox has been developed with
Mentor Graphics and is being used to explore this technology:
adding TSVs, changing fill material, modifying the location
of processor cores, which are hot points, etc. Correlated with
measurements on completed systems, simulation is enabling
researchers to make choices and qualify their chosen design.
The ultimate aim is to provide conditions for the system to
work, with suitable cooling.
IRT RAILENIUm TOWARDS VIRTUAL RAILWAy
PROTOTyPING
Set Up 26 October 2012
Current Projects 34, including 6 European projects Completed
Project 1
Platforms and Equipment 3
Patents 5 Publications 107 Technology Transfers 7
Collaborators 40, including 8 PhD students
Industrial Partners 20 Academic Institution Partners 9
Investment for the Future Funding 80 million euros
Trains want to catch up with planes and cars. When it comes
to digital validation of designs, the rail industry is not on a
par with other means of transport. To make up for lost time,
France has launched the Cervifer (virtual certification for
railway vehicles and infrastructure) project. The project, run
by the Agency for the Environment and Energy Management
D.R. ; RAILENIUM

requires multiscale simulation, from nanometer to centimeter (Aeme), aims to create a simulation platform to reduce the
level, which is the scale of boards onto which components number of physical tests and half the time taken to certify
are placed, said Sverine Chramy, director of the CEA Letis railway components. The Cervifer project has 14 partners,

30

The IRT Railenium simulation platform project aims to reduce
the number of tests and the time it takes to certify railway components.
including from industry (SNCF, RATP, Vossloh, Alstom,
ESI, Hutchinson, Vibratec) and several research institutes
(Technology University of Compigne, etc.). IRT Railenium,
one of the project partners, is interested in the rail infras-
tructure and rolling stock interface. Simulation blocks exist
for designing track and equipment, but a system vision was
lacking, explained Adnane Boukamel, Raileniums scientific
and training program director.
Three PhD theses at IRT Railenium have focused on
modeling bogie/track interface phenomena. Together
with the French Institute of Science and Technology for
Transport, Development and Networks (Ifsttar), researchers
have modeled stresses at the train/track contact point to
determine critical train speed (when the trains oscillations
create a derailment risk). As a safety precaution, designers
currently have to overestimate this risk. Another PhD thesis
is studying wear and fatigue of materials at the wheel/track
contact point. This research uses a numerical-simulation
model that can make connections between microstructural
changes in the material and its macroscopic behavior. A
third PhD is modeling noise and vibrations to reduce noise
pollution from train rumbling.
These tools, along with others developed in the Cervifer
project, will be integrated into a simulation and certification
platform for use by industrialists in this consortium. IRT
Railenium is working on other projects, such as optimizing
the forging process for manufacturing overhead line clamps
(components linking two cables) and reducing maintenance
costs by simulating damage to suspension components in
bogies. IRT Railenium is also studying goods-train aero-
dynamics to remedy a specific freight-train problem: the risk
LUSINE NOUVELLE I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017
siMulATiOn
of canvas covers blowing off multimodal goods wagons. In
particular, a deflector system is being developed to control
pressure exerted on canvas covers and reduce the amount of
energy used to pull convoys. This project correlates nume-
rical simulation, wind-tunnel tests, and full-scale tests on
commercial trains.
IRT SAINT-EXUPRy mETHODOLOGy
FOR LARGE-SCALE, mULTIDISCIPLINARy DESIGN
Set Up 21 March 2013
Current Projects 24
Plates-formes 11 Equipment 40 (including 15 test facilities)
Patents 6 Publications 63 Technology Transfers 4
Collaborators 110, including 39 PhD students
Industrial Partners 81, including 43 SMEs Academic Institution
Partners 38
Investment for the Future Funding 145 million euros
How can planes be designed faster? The MDA-MDO (multi-
disciplinary analysis-multidisciplinary design optimization)
project at IRT Saint-Exupry, dedicated to aeronautics, space,
and embedded systems, is trying to answer this question.
For once, the answer is being sought in methodology rather
than in technology. The purpose of this project is to deve-
lop a collaborative approach among the project partners
for optimizing the methodology and human interactions of
plane-design processes. We want to develop capacity for
multidisciplinary optimization, said Anne Gazaix, the project
manager seconded from Airbus. As she explains: This pro-
ject involves moving from traditional processes, constructed
as a linked sequence of monodisciplinary steps, towards inte-
grated processes that can simultaneously manage different
disciplines such as aerodynamics, load calculation, structural
design, and take account of interactions between them, even
within optimization loops. This is to improve anticipation of
compromises between different disciplines. We need innova-
tive methodology to take account of these interactions. Such
is the objective of this project, which began in January 2015
and will end in November 2018. The project brings together
Airbus, Cerfacs, Sogeti High Tech, Altran, Onera and Isae,
with a twenty-strong team representing a dozen full-time
equivalent researchers.
The chosen scenario involves installing future high-bypass
ratio engines under airfoils. To design this innovative metho-
dology, the project uses Scrum agile methods, high-fidelity
simulation of multiphysics coupling, and high-performance
computing. We make the most expensive models using
Cerfacss high-performance computer, explained Gazaix.
The main hurdle to overcome is upscaling. Multidiscipli-
nary methodologies already exist, but theyre only applied
to academic cases or to problems with limited variables
and constraints. In our case, the issues to resolve are large-
scale and must integrate industrial constraints. The project
aims to establish guiding principles for creating large-scale,
multidisciplinary design processes and integrate them into
an associated software platform.
31
 siMulATiOn
IRT BIOASTER COmPUTING AND SImULATION
FOR ALL PROJECTS
Set Up 2012
Current Projects 29 (including 1 European project) Completed
Projects 11
Platforms and Equipment 7
Patents 4 Publications 38
Collaborators 117, including 2 PhD students
Industrial Partners 20 Academic Institution Partners 10
Investment for the Future Funding 180 million euros
It is an understatement to say that healthcare research gene-
rates an abundance of digital data that must be modeled and
analyzed to build models and find correlations. Such analysis
and modeling enables researchers to discover new biomarkers,
predict the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and identify action
mechanisms for new antimicrobial compounds. To process
data generated by its seven technology platforms, IRT Bioaster
has implemented strategies combining intensive computing
and numerical simulation, taking into account the severe
confidentiality constraints. Strict confidentiality is a require-
ment for all IRT Bioasters members, particularly as it relates
to the privacy and anonymity regarding personal health data
used in many projects.
Rather than equip itself with its own computing facilities,
we decided to go into partnership with the CNRS compu-
ting center in Lyon-Villeurbanne, which provides scalable,
flexible architecture with unique computing power, mass
storage capacity and high-speed networks for our research
projects, said Alain Troesch, IRT Bioasters technology
director. To fine-tune its data storage and analysis, IRT
Bioaster relies on the French National Institute of Nuclear
and Particle Physics computing center (CC-IN2P3, CNRS,
La Doua campus). This center has access to an Openstack
cloud for computing and application hosting, as well as to
a Univa computing farm for intensive computing. It also
provides mass storage, an Oracle and PostgreSQL database
management system, and data transfer via a high-speed
inter-institution network. Without this computing center, it
To treat the
profusion of
health data,
Bioaster relies
on the IN2P3
calculation
center.
32
would be hard to successfully complete flagship projects such
as Realism (reanimation low immune status markers). This
8 million-euro project has brought together 50 researchers
from IRT Bioaster, BioMrieux, ESPCI, Hospices Civils de
Lyon (Lyon University Hospital), GSK, and Sanofi laborato-
ries. The purpose of the Realism project, which runs until
the end of 2018, is to combat sepsis, a serious infection
during which the bodys inflammatory response leads to life
threatening organ failure, an infection that affects almost
27 million people a year throughout the world.
IRT m2P mODELING mETAL PROCESSING
TO PREDICT PROPERTIES
Set Up 16 June 2013
Current Projects 15, including 1 European project
Platforms and Equipment 11
Patents 2 Publications 46 Technology Transfers 8
Collaborators 54, including 17 PhD students
Industrial Partners 65 Academic Institution Partners 12
Investment for the Future Funding 50 million euros
In an ideal world for metallurgy, engineers would simply key
into a computer the physical properties of the part they want
to make. This would tell them the sequence of processing
their chosen alloy must undergo. Although this is not yet a
reality, IRT M2Ps (materials, metallurgy, processes) advanced
thermochemical processing project is working towards it. A
suite of simulation models has been developed. Modeling
carbon or nitrogen enrichment by gas decomposition in a fur-
nace to improve mechanical resistance is the first step in this
direction. Other simulation models are enabling researchers
to deduce new metallurgical phases resulting from processing,
as well as calculate residual stress in materials and the fatigue
life of components. We know how to do the opposite, i.e.
work back from target properties to the required processing,
but only in laboratory test tubes, said Pascal Lamesle, head
of science and technology at IRT M2P. Nevertheless, indus-
trialists involved in the TTA project, from the automobile
(PSA), aeronautics (Safran, Ratier-Figeac, Airbus Helicopters),
and metallurgy (Ascometal, ArcelorMittal) sectors, together
with furnace manufacturers and industrial gas suppliers, can
already take advantage of simulation.
The main objective is to reduce tests on manufactured parts.
Simulation is also improving our understanding of problems
encountered with some types of steel and helping work out
new processing methods. Before software developed at M2P
is widely used by industrialists, researchers will have to
ensure the various models can communicate with one ano-
ther. And all this will have to be integrated into commercial
computing software in collaboration with software vendors.
ADELINE MELLIEZ / CC-IN2P3 / CNRS
But this is not the only hurdle to be overcome. The main
challenge for making the transition from a laboratory setting
to industrial components lies in collecting data to feed into
simulation models. This will require tests and measure-
ments, said Lamesle. For large, complex parts, computing
optimization time must also be taken into account.

IRT B<>COm SECURING 5G NETWORKS
OF THE FUTURE
Set Up November 2012
Current Projects 15, including 4 European projects
Completed Projects 6
Platforms and Equipment 8
Patents 26 Publications 118 Technology Transfers 40
Collaborators 95, including 27 PhD students
Industrial Partners 25 Academic Institution Partners 13
Investment for the Future Funding 80 million euros
5G is telecommunications new frontier, keeping specialized
research laboratories such as IRT B<>Com fully occupied.
The challenge is to standardize both 5G infrastructures from
2018 onwards, and from 2020, the services and functions it
will make possible. Not easy, as in addition to its promise to
operate 1,000 times faster, 5G must support critical systems,
which are very secure, as well as the internet of big things on
a shared infrastructure, explained Michel Corriou, B<>Coms
director of networks and security. Contradictory challenges,
especially in terms of security, creating new problems: e.g.
authenticating billions of connected objects, which, unlike with
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LUSINE NOUVELLE I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017
siMulATiOn
4G, cant be done using SIM cards. To find solutions, Europe is
funding a two-year collaborative research project (5G Ensure)
run by the Finnish technical research center VTT. B<>Com is
one of the main project partners, together with Nokia, Thales,
and Orange. 5G Ensure is aiming to identify and above all test
security issues, potential architecture, and security solutions
(enablers), said Corriou. IRT B<>Com has installed a test
bed to carry out the work, which simulates a standard cloud
infrastructure, with all its virtualized storage and computing
equipment (Openstack). It also simulates network intercon-
nection (Wi-Fi, LTE, Sigfox, LoRa, NB IoT, etc.), with virtual
network functions reproducing 5Gs specific physical features
(especially low latency). This enables end-to-end integration
tests to be carried out, including with new NSA-NR (non-
standalone new radio) formats for 5G. The core platform
opened last August and a dozen project partners are testing
their security enablers on the network there. Were also using
it to test new continuous development methods from IT, such
as DevOps. Because one of the challenges for 5G is to create
new services faster, within a few days or even hours, instead of
weeks or months, said Corriou. Component manufacturers are
interested in this capacity. Costing a total of 7.5 million euros,
5G Ensure will close at the end of 2017. B<>Com is already
involved in two other European 5G programs.
33
 simulation

energy

DEsiGninG moRE EnERGY

EFFiCiEnt suPERComPutERs
To achieve exascale performance, supercomputers will have to become much more
energy efficient by 2022. None of their components will be spared.
BY HuGo lERoux

a
lthough it seems unthinkable, perhaps we
ought to build a nuclear power plant behind
every supercomputer. Based on current energy
performance, nothing less than a nuclear power
plant would be needed to power a supercom-
puter with staggering exascale computing speed. Exaflop
capacity, a billion billion operations per second, is the Holy
Grail of intensive computing. Such power would open up new
horizons for ultra-complex simulation. For example, simu-
lating communication between brain neurons, simulating
combustion, and simulation to search for new pharmaceu-
tical molecules. By way of comparison, the most powerful
computer currently in existence is the Chinese Sunway
Taihulight supercomputer, which operates at 93 petaflops per
second. This supercomputer consumes a mere 15 megawatts
(MW), racking up an energy bill of around 22 million euros
a year! To be realistic, the energy consumption of exascale
supercomputers should not exceed 20 MW. Compared to the
average performance of current supercomputers, theyll have
to become at least 25 times more energy efficient by 2022,
said Michel Dayd, scientific delegate for supercomputers at
the French National Center for Scientific Research.
Better Component integration
To meet this challenge, manufacturers can no longer settle
for piling up processors, which represent 70% of supercom-
puters energy consumption. Neither can they base their
approach on Moores Law any more, which has increased
processor frequency regularly and quickly. This is because
energy consumption increases in proportion to the square of

a Data Center With ideal Energy Efficiency

intels data center, managed by Shesha Krishnapura
(photo) is cooled by hot air from the servers mixed
with cold air and then reused.
Intels headquarters in Santa
Clara (USA) include a rather
unusual data center containing
a supercomputer ranked 95
in the world in 2015, which Intel
uses to design its processors.
But this data center really stands
out for its energy efficiency.
As Shesha Krishnapura Intel IT
chief technology officer proudly
states, its power usage
effectiveness (PUE) is 1.06.
This indicator is the ratio between
the data centers total power
consumption (including air
conditioning) and the energy
absorbed by its IT systems. PUE
ratio is the cornerstone of green
IT and is above all an economic
indicator. A PUE of 2 indicates
an energy bill twice as big as
the ideal PUE of 1. It is therefore
essential for large data centers to
keep cooling costs to a minimum.
And this starts with how they are
designed. Intel has opted to use
only commercial products
whether for racks, servers,
or components, in its data
centers. Narrow racks (less than
22 inches) are favored, to pack
in as much hardware as possible.
The data center is divided into
cold aisles (through which cold air
arrives) and hot aisles (in which
hot air is expelled from servers),
with temperatures varying
between 15C and 32C. Air is By using heat generated
expelled outside by huge fans
with 2-meter-long blades. Rather
than simply being extracted, hot
air is mixed with cold air and then
reused. Other savings are made
by cooling the air with waste
water discharged from nearby
offices. As a result of these
measures, the cooling tower
is hardly used and it operated
for just 39 hours during
the whole of 2014. How far can
energy efficiency be taken?
Well reach a PUE of 1 within
ten years, confirmed
Krishnapura. Were carrying out
experiments to achieve this,
he said, adding that the ratio
could even drop below 1. How?
by the servers to keep the offices
warm. Julien Bergounhoux

34
 simulation

the frequency, explained Dayd. For

a BottomlEss the past ten years or so, manufactu-
EnERGY Pit
rers have therefore limited processor
2% of the electricity frequency to 2-3 gigahertz, opting
consumed by
a supercomputer is all instead for multiple cores in each
that is used to carry out chip. This enables more tasks to be
calculations. carried out in parallel, without sending
3 gflop/W is the energy consumption sky high.
average energy efficiency Multicore processors, whose market
(computing power
compared to energy is cornered by Intel, are currently
consumed) of current facing competition from Nvidia gra-
supercomputers. phics processing units (GPUs). GPUs
30% of a hail directly from PCs and carry out
supercomputers overall some operations, e.g. vector calcu-
cost (purchase and use) lus, ten times more efficiently than
goes on energy.
central processing units (CPUs). It
22 million euros a year was even fashionable to say we were
- the energy bill for the
Chinese Sunway Taihulight heading towards supercomputers
supercomputer. fitted entirely with GPUs. But the
frequency size of GPUs is 3-4 times
smaller, which raises latency problems for accessing memory
data. The most likely scenario is to retain hybrid architecture,
in which CPUs manage communication with the system
and GPUs serve as accelerators, with their level of action
depending on whether or not the application lends itself to
acceleration, said Jean-Pierre Panziera, chief technology
director at Atos.
Another challenge for manufacturers is to more skilfully The Bull Sequana supercomputer free by large outside exchangers
integrate components to reduce dead time in data exchange. unveiled by Atos intends in contact with the ambient air.
Since 2013, IBM has opened up the intellectual property of its to achieve exascale capacity via This type of cooling
its energy efficient architecture. is 30% more efficient than
Power servers via the OpenPower consortium so that various This supercomputers hot air-cooling. The Sequanas energy
manufacturers, including Nvidia, and users can collaborate water-cooling system is based efficiency is also characterized by
on its technology. Transfer time between CPUs and GPUs on ultra-thin heat exchangers multicore processors, graphics
is expected to be three times faster in the new generation of in each server, which remove heat accelerators (nvidia or intel xeon
directly from the processor, Phi), memory cards, and
Power 9 servers, which the pre-exascale (200 petaflops per
memory, etc. Water circulating optimized interconnections.
second) supercomputer delivered to the US Department of in a closed loop is then cooled for
Energy (DOE) this year will have. The amazing energy fruga-
lity of ARM technology could also change everything. ARM
technology is predominant in our smart phones, where auto-
nomy is essential. This type of architecture closely integrates mance hot water-cooling system [see box]. 1.03 watts
CPUs with vector units. As part of the European Mont-Blanc of electricity is consumed per 1 watt of computing power,
project, Atos has to present an industrial demonstrator of said Panziera.This is much more efficient than air-condi-
its Sequana supercomputer, fitted with ThunderX2 ARM tioning cooling, which can consume up to 1.5 watts! Addi-
processors manufactured by Cavium, this year. Another huge tional strategies, such as locating equipment in northern
company, Fujitsu, has also turned to ARM technology for its environments (Far North) to take advantage of free cold air,
Post-K exascale supercomputer, which will be delivered to or reusing heat to keep adjacent buildings warm, can also
Japans Riken research institute in 2020. reduce the energy balance.
In a sign of shifting technology, for the first time in Novem-
Cooling uses More energy than Computing ber 2016 the Green 500 ranking, which lists the 500 most
Beyond components, software will also have an impor- energy efficient supercomputers, recorded that while super-
tant role. We can save a lot of energy by smart design. computers average energy consumption is stagnating, their
For example, better orchestrated computing, stopping performance continues to improve. The Chinese Sunway
components from running pointlessly while waiting for Taihulight supercomputer, top of the list, consumes less
data, and optimizing hardware use according to application energy than its Tianhe-2 predecessor (18 MW), as well as
type, said Laurent Vanel, an expert in intensive computing being three times more powerful! Atoss Sequana supercom-
infrastructures at IBM. A final challenge is efficient cooling puter is ten times more energy frugal than its predecessors.
ATOS ; D.R.

of supercomputers. Atoss Sequana system, unveiled in Well have to wait until 2022 to see if industrial roadmaps
2016 by its Bull technology brand, relies on a high-perfor- really have taken over from Moores Law.

luSine nouvelle I SPECIAL FEATURE MAGAZINE N 2 I APRIL 6 2017 35

 SiMulatiOn

SucceSS Story

tHe COSMO COMPany

DeSiGnS COMPuteR
MODelS OF COMPleX
SySteMS

The start-up has developed a language to

treat complex systems like railway networks
and electric power grids.
By Juliette Raynal AIo (Asset Investment optimization)
software is dedicated to developing models
of the various assets managed by rte,
Frances Network of transmission System
this comprehensive approach optimizes
maintenance intervention by breaking
down technological silos. It could generate
substantial gains for the many industrial

t
he Cosmo Company has only a dozen or so
clients, but they are not just any customers!
The list already includes Veolia, SNCF, EDF,
Total, Alstom, RTE and ERDF. Set up in Lyon in
2010 by Michel Morvan, ric Boix and Hugues
de Bantel, this tech gem has thrived thanks to its ability to
create computer models to simulate complex systems. The
start-up grew out of research carried out by Michel Morvan,
a former professor at the cole Normale Suprieure de Lyon
and founder of the Rhne-Alpes Complex Systems Institute.
At the Institute, Michel Morvan developed a specific lan-
guage to comprehend how pandemics spread. He observed
that this data representation language could be applied to
many other subjects, because complexity is everywhere,
particularly in urban development and major networks,
Hugues de Bantel explains.
A decision-making support tool
Through its scientific expertise, The Cosmo Company is
capable of describing mathematically the dynamic linkages
between the various subcomponents of a system and simu-
late them over time, up to twenty-five or thirty years. Our
software programs aim to bring clarity to the most complex
problems affecting industry, declares Hugues de Bantel. The
start-up promises to help business leaders make the right
decisions by relying on simulation.
For example, the company has developed a software pro-
gram called AIO (Asset Investment Optimization) for RTE, the
subsidiary of Electricit de France that oversees the nations
transmission system operators. The purpose of the software
is to optimize investments and also infrastructure mainte-
nance, which represents an annual budget of 850 million
euros at RTE. Using AIO, the operator can take various assets
into account and simulate them to detect possible domino
effects. Our systemic approach bolsters expert intuition
operators including pylons, high-tension managers when numerous infrastructure
power lines and transformers components need to be changed and
as well as human resources policy. decision-making becomes indispensable.
and breaks down silos within a group to enable optimal
decision-making, says Hugues de Bantel. The companys
strength lies in its ability to adapt its software to the needs of
any operator managing a complex system (railway network,
water or natural gas management, etc.).
Global ambitions
In 2017, the start-up hopes to double its sales and achieve
revenues in the vicinity of 7 million euros, notably by expan-
ding its international reach. It has entered into discussions
with players such as National Grid in the United Kingdom,
and Exelon and American Pacific in the United States. To
step up its international rollout, the tech gem is betting on
a network of integrators, among them IBM, EY and CGI
Consulting. Its second growth priority involves selling other
licensed software such as Fluid, designed to make water
production and distribution networks resilient and help water
companies to be more responsive in the event of a crisis.
For Alstom, the start-up has also developed a solution to
optimize the energy efficiency of urban train systems. This
solution could interest nearly 250 actors across the world,
asserts Hugues de Bantel.
Over the longer term, the start-up intends to meet the
needs of the financial world. The idea would be to have a
sort of index of risk on a certain number of existing finan-
cial models, the specialist adds. Meanwhile, The Cosmo
Company is nurturing its aim of becoming the world leader
in decision-making management for complex systems. To
reach this goal, it may finalize a second round of funding in
the coming months.
D.R.

36
 AT THE HEART OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

The Teratec Campus The CEA Very Large

Computing Centre
This infrastructure for very high-performance computing is
open to industrial users, together with the CCRT research
and technology computing centre.
Major companies have access to 1.4 PFLOPS of highly secure
computing power by pooling costs, skills and foresight
capabilities in the HPC eld with CEA.

Industry. Leading industrial groups, SMEs and start-ups

develop business activities here, covering the entire value
chain of high-performance computing, from components and
systems to software and applications.

Research. Industrial research laboratories work on

developing, mastering and deploying new technologies in the
HPC and big data elds.

www.teratec.eu www-hpc.cea.fr

HPCBIGDATA
HPCBIGDATA
BIGDATASIMULATION
ASIMULATION
ASIMULATION
The European Pole

37
Contacts & Information
TERATEC jean-pascal.jegu@teratec.fr Tel. +33 (0)9 70 65 02 10 CEA - TGCC - CCRT christine.menache@cea.fr Tel. +33 (0)1 69 26 62 56
Campus Teratec 2 rue de la Piquetterie - 91680 Bruyres-le-Chtel - France TGCC 2 rue de la Piquetterie - 91680 Bruyres-le-Chtel - France
Idaho natIonal laboratory ; ESa ; InStItut fraunhofEr ; Phay ho, ChrIS KnIght Et lInda young / argonnE natIonal laboratory ; gErman aEroSPaCE CEntEr simulAtion

Portfolio

trompe-lil
Simulations that show the infinitely small, the
inaccessible and the invisible are sometimes
deceptive, but always astonishing.
By Aurlie BArBAux And BernArd VidAl

topography of the Ares Vallis valley on Mars.

38
 simulAtion

Atomic scale
simulation
of a nuclear
reactor.

fuel filter of a car.

Effect of an X-ray
on a cluster
of argon atoms.

Airflow around
the wings
of very large
aircraft.

lusinE nouVEllE I SPECIal fEaturE magaZInE n 2 I aPrIl 6 2017 39

40
reactor.
Virtual visit
inside a nuclear
simulAtion

of a tornado.
ascending
Primary

currents
of a drone.
Aerodynamics

naSa ; Idaho natIonal laboratory ; XSEdE ; InrIa / hIEPaCS ; Paul lEESon taylor / loughborough unIvErSIty ; JamStEC
 simulAtion

Propagation
of seismic
waves across
the Earth.
intervention
simulator for
the chemical
industry.
Protein
structure.

Visualizing
execution
traces
of intensive
computing
software.

lusinE nouVEllE I SPECIal fEaturE magaZInE n 2 I aPrIl 6 2017 41

 siMuLation

Tool
oPtiMiZinG
3D PrintinG
Software compensates for additive
manufacturings unpredictability by predicting
possible deformations in parts.
by Marine Protais

3
D printing is no longer limited to prototyping and
is now used for production. Nevertheless, there
are obstacles slowing down its industrialization:
cost, manufacturing speed, and discrepancies
between parts intended geometry and printed
shape. Since numerical simulation helps overcome these
hurdles, 3D printing should seize hold of this technology.
Above all, numerical simulation makes 3D printing cheaper
and quicker since it eliminates dozens of iterations, said
Sylvain Legrand, manufacturing evangelist at Autodesk,
the US vendor of Netfabb 3D-printing software. Using
numerical simulation is a no-brainer since printing takes
several hours whereas simulation needs just a few minutes.
Simulation is invaluable for mass printing of parts, enabling
manufacturers to optimize and test mechanical resistance
before printing, explained Quentin Kiener, CEO of 3D Prod,
a company specializing in 3D printing of parts.
Netfabb predicts support-structure failure
Faced with the growing use of 3D printing in factories,
Autodesk integrated a simulation feature into Netfabb in
2016. An algorithm simulates physical manufacturing phe-
nomena and shows their repercussions on parts material
properties and shape. The software predicts deformations
and surface irregularities that may occur in parts by taking
account of the machinery and material used. Users can then
modify their parts design. Netfabb can also predict failure
in the support structures that parts are placed on during
3D printing.
simulation makes
3D printing cheaper
by eliminating dozens
of iterations.
Netfabb
software
includes
an algorithm
for simulating
the physical
properties
of parts
to be printed.
The advantage of Netfabb is that, as well as simulation,
it includes two other features needed for additive manu-
facturing: correction of computer-aided design files before
printing, and topology optimization. This means there is no
break in the digital technology, said Legrand. Nevertheless,
the simulation feature is only accessible in the premium ver-
sion of this software, which comes with a 5,000 euro annual
subscription fee. Furthermore, it is not very sophisticated.
This simulation feature is perhaps not as advanced as that
of dedicated tools already on the market, said Kiener.
One such tool is Comsol Multiphysics, which could be an
alternative to Netfabb for expert users of simulation tools.
Although not specifically designed for 3D printing, Comsol
Multiphysics can be configured for this task. In particular,
it takes account of heat transfer during manufacturing.
Heat transfer can cause residual stress, which may weaken
parts, explained Jean-Marc Petit, Comsols vice-president of
business development. There is still room to improve these
software programs to make them precise and easy to use.
They also need to adapt to additive manufacturings various
processes, which are still changing.
D.R.

sylvain Legrand, manufacturing evangelist at Autodesk France

42
 June, 27th 2017
TERATEC Forum
pplication
Submit your a Ecole Polytechnique
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