Guillaume Houzeaux

• PhD in Science
• Group Leader at Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Cardiac computational models are generally based on in vivo patient imaging data, often magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with a typical resolution of 0.7 × 0.7 × 10 mm. As a consequence, they lack endocardial structures like trabeculae and false tendons. Furthermore, the reconstruction of the basal and apical regions from images is impossible due...

Silent Brain Infarction (SBI) is increasingly recognized in patients with cardiac conditions, particularly Atrial Fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients and those undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). While these infarcts often go unnoticed due to a lack of acute symptoms, they are associated with a threefold increase in stroke...

A current trend in HPC systems is the utilization of architectures with SIMD or vector extensions to exploit data parallelism. There are several ways to take advantage of such modern vector architectures, each with a different impact on the code and its portability. For example, the use of intrinsics, guided vectorization via pragmas, or compiler a...

TAVR has emerged as a standard approach for treating severe aortic stenosis patients. However, it is associated with several clinical complications, including subclinical leaflet thrombosis characterized by Hypoattenuated Leaflet Thickening (HALT). A rigorous analysis of TAVR device thrombogenicity considering anatomical variations is essential for...

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Nearly two-thirds of strokes are produced by cardioembolisms, and half of cardioembolic strokes are triggered by Atrial Fibrillation (AF), the most common type of arrhythmia. A more recent cause of cardioembolisms is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements (TAVRs), which may onset post-procedur...

\Purpose: TAVR has emerged as a standard approach for treating severe aortic stenosis patients. However, it is associated with several clinical complications, including subclinical leaflet thrombosis characterized by Hypoattenuated Leaflet Thickening (HALT). A rigorous analysis of TAVR device thrombogenicity considering anatomical variations is ess...

Following the 3 R’s principles of animal research—replacement, reduction, and refinement—a high-performance computational framework was produced to generate a platform to perform human cardiac in-silico clinical trials as means to assess the pro-arrhythmic risk after the administrations of one or combination of two potentially arrhythmic drugs. The...

The effect of the aspect ratio on the vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of a pivoted finite length circular cylinder is investigated. A fixed value of the Reynolds number Re = 100 with four values of the aspect ratio AR=2, 3, 5, 7 is considered. Different values of the reduced velocity ur* in the range 2≤ur*≤11 were used for each AR value with a fixe...

Dear Colleagues, It is out pleasure to invite you to submit research contributions to the next Platform for Advanced Scientific Computing (PASC) Conference series held at the Congress Center Davos, Switzerland, 26-28 June 2023. In a few words, the PASC Conference series is an international and interdisciplinary platform for exchanging knowledge i...

Targeted nasal drug delivery can provide improved efficacy for drug formulations to be delivered at high efficacy rates. Some parameters that influence drug delivery have a dependency on the patient's technique of administration and the spray device itself. When the different parameters, each having a specific range of values are combined, the comb...

This study investigates the flow over a cylinder in 2D, resulting in a von Karmann vortex street, using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. While LBM considers the Navier-Stokes equations compressible, this simulation considers macroscopic density changes over the domain and updates it throughout...

Impact simulations for damage resistance analysis are computationally intensive due to contact algorithms and advanced damage models. Both methods, which are the main ingredients in an impact event, require refined meshes at the contact zone to obtain accurate predictions of the contact force and damage onset and propagation through the material. T...

The EU Center of Excellence for Exascale in Solid Earth (ChEESE) develops exascale transition capabilities in the domain of SolidEarth, an area of geophysics rich in computational challenges embracing different approaches to exascale (capability, capacity and urgent computing). The first implementation phase of the project (ChEESE-1P; 2018-2022) ad...

The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of sex hormones and anatomical details (trabeculations and false tendons) on the electrophysiology of healthy human hearts. Additionally, sex- and anatomy-dependent effects of ventricular tachycardia (VT) inducibility are presented. To this end, four anatomically normal, human, biventricular geometr...

Impact simulations for damage resistance analysis are computationally intensive due to contact algorithms and advanced damage models. Both methods, which are the main ingredients in an impact event, require refined meshes at the contact zone to obtain accurate predictions of the contact force and damage onset and propagation through the material. T...

We present a novel meshing and simulation approach for wind farms, featuring realignment and mesh adaptation. The turbines are modeled with actuator discs, which are discretized by means of an adaptation process to represent a level set function. The level-set-based simulation framework is combined with an adaptation cycle to capture both the solut...

This paper presents a load balancing strategy for reaction rate evaluation and chemistry integration in reacting flow simulations. The large disparity in scales during combustion introduces stiffness in the numerical integration of the PDEs and generates load imbalance during the parallel execution. The strategy is based on the use of the DLB libra...

The complexity of combustion simulations demands the latest high-performance computing tools to accelerate its time-to-solution results. A current trend on HPC systems is the utilization of CPUs with SIMD or vector extensions to exploit data parallelism. Our work proposes a strategy to improve the automatic vectorization of finite element-based sci...

This paper presents a load balancing strategy for reaction rate evaluation and chemistry integration in reacting flow simulations. The large disparity in scales during combustion introduces stiffness in the numerical integration of the PDEs and generates load imbalance during the parallel execution. The strategy is based on the use of the DLB libra...

In this paper, we introduce a novel parallel contact algorithm designed to run efficiently in High Performance Computing based supercomputers. Particular emphasis is put on its computational implementation in a multiphysics finite element code. The algorithm is based on the method of partial Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions and is capable to s...

Cardiotoxicity continues to be a major health issue worldwide due to the imperative need to access new or repurposed drugs that are safe and effective. Accessibility to affordable drugs is also key to ensure access to drugs to all patients who require them. In this work we propose a workflow for an in-silico clinical trial at the 3D biventricular h...

This work intends to study the effect of aortic annulus eccentricity and leaflet rigidity on the performance, thrombogenic risk and calcification risk in bioprosthetic aortic valve replacements (BAVRs). To address these questions, a two-way immersed fluid-structure interaction (FSI) computational model was implemented in a high-performance computin...

With the increase in computational power in the last decade and the forthcoming Exascale supercomputers, a new horizon in computational modelling and simulation is envisioned in combustion science. Considering the multiscale and multiphysics characteristics of turbulent reacting flows, combustion simulations are considered as one of the most comput...

Validating numerical models against experimental models of nasal spray deposition is challenging since many aspects must be considered. That being said, it is a critical step in the product development process of nasal spray devices. This work presents the validation process of a nasal deposition model, which demonstrates a high degree of consisten...

Communities around the world are increasingly interested in nature-based solutions to mitigation of coastal risks like coastal forests, but it remains unclear how much protective benefits vegetation provides, particularly in the limit of highly energetic flows after tsunami impact. The current study, using a three-dimensional incompressible computa...

In this paper, we introduce a novel parallel contact algorithm designed to run efficiently in High-Performance Computing based supercomputers. Particular emphasis is put on its computational implementation in a multiphysics finite element code. The algorithm is based on the method of partial Dirichlet-Neumann boundary conditions and is capable to s...

CFD users of supercomputers usually resort to rule-of-thumb methods to select the number of subdomains (partitions) when relying on MPI-based parallelization. One common approach is to set a minimum number of elements or cells per subdomain, under which the parallel efficiency of the code is “known” to fall below a subjective level, say 80%. The si...

The nasal valve is the narrowest part of the nasal airway which is responsible for the largest part of the nasal resistance. Even little changes in the aperture can affect the flow downstream through the nose significantly. Its principal function is to limit airflow for example during a rapid and short inhalation, also called a sniff. Coupling Comp...

Numerous tsunami numerical models have been proposed, but their prediction accuracies have not been directly compared. For quantifying the modeling uncertainties, the authors statistically analyzed the prediction results submitted by participants in the tsunami blind contest held at the 17th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering. The reproduci...

Venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) treatment for acute cardiogenic shock in patients who also have acute lung injury predisposes development of a serious complication called “north-south syndrome” (NSS) which causes cerebral hypoxia. NSS is poorly characterized and hemodynamic studies have focused on cerebral perfusion ig...

The aim of this work was to analyze the influence of the gender and anatomical details (trabeculations and false tendons) on the electrophysiology of healthy and infarcted myocardium and their relation to the ventricular tachycardia (VT) inducibility. To this end, four anatomically normal, human, biventricular geometries (two male, two female), wit...

This work introduces the first 2-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI) computational model to study the effect of aortic annulus eccentricity on the performance and thrombogenic risk of cardiac bioprostheses. The model predicts that increasing eccentricities yield lower geometric orifice areas (GOAs) and higher normalized transvalvular pressure gra...

CFD users of supercomputers usually resort to rule-of-thumb methods to select the number of subdomains (partitions) when relying on MPI-based parallelization. One common approach is to set a minimum number of elements or cells per subdomain, under which the parallel efficiency of the code is "known" to fall below a subjective level, say 80%. The si...

High fidelity simulations of expiratory events such as coughing provide the opportunity to predict the fate of the droplets from the turbulent jet cloud produced from a cough. It is well established that droplets carrying infectious pathogens with diameters of 1–5 μm remain suspended in the air for several hours and transported by the air currents...

We present significant improvements and validations of a deterministic neutron transport code (NEUTRO) dedicated to solving the Boltzmann Transport Equation. The code is integrated as a module in the Alya software package developed by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center which uses the Discrete Ordinates Method on angular coordinates, multi-group fo...

GPUs have climbed up to the top of supercomputer systems making life harder to many legacy scientific codes. Nowadays, many recipes are being used in such code's portability, without any clarity of which is the best option. We present a comparative analysis of the two most common approaches, CUDA and OpenACC, into the multi-physics CFD code Alya. O...

In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on global health, understanding and accurately modelling the propagation of human biological aerosols has become crucial. Worldwide, health professionals have been one of the most affected demographics, representing approximately 20% of all cases in Spain, 10% in Italy and 4% in China and US....

The vortex induced vibrations (VIVs) of a pivoted cylinder with finite height have been numerically investigated. A mathematical model is introduced and described, and the resulting equations are numerically solved for low Reynolds number Re = 100, 200 and several combinations of the governing parameters. Results on the solid body trajectories, the...

Modeling complex material failure with competing mechanisms is a difficult task that often leads to mathematical and numerical challenges. This work contributes to the study of localized failure mechanisms by means of phase fields in a variational framework: in addition to the treatment of brittle and ductile fracture, done in previous work, we con...

CFD has emerged as a promising diagnostic tool for clinical trials, with tremendous potential. However, for real clinical applications to be useful, overall statistical findings from large population samples (e.g., multiple cases and models) are needed. Fully resolved solutions are not a priority, but rather rapid solutions with fast turn-around ti...

Animal-borne video recordings from blue whales in the open ocean show that remoras preferentially adhere to specific regions of the surface of the whale. Using empirical and computational fluid dynamics analyses, we show that remora attachment was specific to regions of separating flow and wakes caused by surface features on the whale. Adhesion at...

Physiologically, sinus ventilation is a critical aspect of good functionality for human respiratory function, the understanding of which is still unclear. In this study we develop a method to measure sinus ventilation. Spatial and temporal features of the sinus recirculation are provided through dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). We associate the re...

For complex engineering and scientific applications, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations require a huge amount of computational power. As such, it is of paramount importance to carefully assess the performance of CFD codes and to study them in depth for enabling optimisation and portability. In this paper, we study three complex CFD code...

Modern supercomputers allow the simulation of complex phenomena with increased accuracy. Eventually, this requires finer geometric discretizations with larger numbers of mesh elements. In this context, and extrapolating to the Exascale paradigm, meshing operations such as generation, adaptation or partition, become a critical bottleneck within the...

Multiphysics problems involve the couplings of different sets of partial differential equations. Partitioned methods consider the individual solutions of each set, which upon iterating, converge to the monolithic solution. The main drawback of partitioned methods is the additional iterative loop, which can be done a la Jacobi (parallel) or a la Gau...

In this work we present a robust interface coupling algorithm called Compact Interface quasi-Newton (CIQN). It is designed for computationally intensive applications using an MPI multi-code partitioned scheme. The algorithm allows to reuse information from previous time steps, feature that has been previously proposed to accelerate convergence. Thr...

In this work, the three-dimensional structure of the boundary layer in the context of the vortex induced vibration of a circular cylinder is presented and investigated for the first time. Large-eddy simulations of a low mass ratio ( ) two-degrees of freedom circular cylinder at the subcritical Reynolds number and zero damping ( ) for several reduc...

High fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations are generally associated with large computing requirements, which are progressively acute with each new generation of supercomputers. However, significant research efforts are required to unlock the computing power of leading-edge systems, currently referred to as pre-Exascale systems, based on...

In this work we present a robust interface coupling algorithm called Compact Interface quasi-Newton (CIQN). It is designed for computationally intensive applications using an MPI multi-code partitioned scheme. The algorithm allows to reuse information from previous time steps, feature that has been previously proposed to accelerate convergence. Thr...

One of the main challenges of civil aviation is the construction of more efficient airplanes in terms of fuel consumption and noise emissions. Research and development on the aerodynamics of the full airplane are one of the priorities established by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe. In this context, high fidelity simulations...

The flow around static and freely vibrating cylinders are of interest in understanding different phenomena encountered in many practical applications.

The atomization process in applications of propulsion and power is commonly characterized by high pressure injections in complex geometries.

The human heart beats as a result of multiscale nonlinear dynamics coupling subcellular to whole organ processes, achieving electrophysiologically-driven mechanical contraction. Computational cardiac modelling and simulation have achieved a great degree of maturity, both in terms of mathematical models of underlying biophysical processes and the de...

This work presents a numerical study of a technically premixed swirling combustor with central air injection at conditions close to flashback using large-eddy simulation with flamelet modelling. This burner has the characteristics of showing flashback at low equivalence ratios, so numerical simulations are set to identify the mechanisms behind the...

The extreme cost of massive concrete walls for the coastal protection from tsunamis is driving coastal communities around the world towards a paradigm switch in the design of their coastal stretches. Some regions of Indonesia and Chile, for example, are building coastal parks to mitigate the impact of a tsunami without drastically jeopardizing the...

Accurate prediction of deformation and collapse of the upper airway during breathing is required for effective and personalised treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). While numerical modelling techniques such as fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are promising, an outstanding challenge is to accurately predict the deformation of the airway dur...

Domain decomposition (DD) is a powerful approach to numerically solve partial differential equations, and it has become popular and indispensable in simulations of fluid flows, especially those that arise from models of the real world that require large-scale, parallel computation. Domain decomposition methods (DDMs) were originally introduced for...

This work describes the implementation of a computational system to numerically simulate the interaction between a fluid and a rigid body. This implementation was performed in a distributed memory parallelization context, which makes the process and its description especially challenging.

Accurate prediction of deformation and collapse of the upper airway during breathing is required for effective and personalised treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). While numerical modelling techniques such as fluid–structure interaction (FSI) are promising, an outstanding challenge is to accurately predict the deformation of the airway dur...

In this work we present a new coupling for the parallel code Alya designed to solve large multi-scale problems. The new code development Micropp [2] is used to solve the micro-structure and allows Alya, working in pure MPI-mode, to model the macroscale. The Micropp code is written in C++ and can be coupled with codes written in C and Fortran (like...

This work studies the implementation of wall modeling for large eddy simulation in a finite element context. It provides a detailed description of how the approach used by the finite volume and finite differences communities is adapted to the finite element context. The new implementation is as simple and easy to implement as the classical finite e...

Deposition of polydisperse particles representing nasal spray application in a human nasal cavity was performed under transient breathing profiles of sniffing, constant flow, and breath hold. The LES turbulence model was used to describe the fluid phase. Particles were introduced into the flow field with initial spray conditions, including spray co...

A new model for the unresolved stresses in large-eddy simulations was recently proposed by Piomelli et al. [J Fluid Mech 2015; 766:499–527] and Rouhi et al., [Phys Rev Fluids 2016; 1(4):0444011], in which the length scale is not related to the grid size, but determined based on turbulence properties. This model, the Integral Length-Scale Approximat...

The main computing phases of numerical methods for solving partial differential equations are the algebraic system assembly and the iterative solver. This work focuses on the first task, in the context of a hybrid MPI+X paradigm. The matrix assembly consists of a loop over the elements, faces, edges or nodes of the MPI partitions to compute element...

Computational fluid and particle dynamics (CFPD) simulations are of paramount importance for studying and improving drug effectiveness. Computational requirements of CFPD codes demand high-performance computing (HPC) resources. For these reasons, we introduce and evaluate in this article system software techniques for improving performance and tole...

The present work extends the conservative convective scheme proposed by Charnyi et al. (2017), originally formulated for mixed finite elements and tested in laminar flows, to equal order finite elements. A non-incremental fractional-step method is used to stabilise pressure, allowing the use of finite element pairs that do not satisfy the inf-sup c...

This work investigates the accuracy and performance of a FE 2 multi-scale implementation used to predict the behavior of composite materials. The equations are formulated assuming the small deformations solid mechanics approach in non-linear material models with hardening plasticity. The uniform strain boundary conditions are applied for the macro-...

The focus of this work is on the computational modeling of a pendulum made of a hyperelastic material and the corresponding experimental validation with the aim of contributing to the study of a material commonly used in seismic absorber devices. From the proposed dynamics experiment, the motion of the pendulum is recorded using a high-speed camera...

The fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problem has received great attention in the last few years, mainly because it is present in many physical systems, industrial applications, and almost every biological system. In the parallel computational field, outstanding advances have been achieved for the individual components of the problem, allowing, for...

The current study presents a numerical investigation of the flow field of a swirl-stabilized burner featuring a non-swirling axial air jet on the central axis of the mixing tube. The system has been designed and optimized to burn hydrogen at the Technische Universit¨at Berlin over the last 6 years in the context of the EU-funded projects GREENEST a...

The discretization of partial differential equations of complex physical problems involves solving linear systems of equations with a great number of unknowns. The resultant matrix obtained from this discretization is often sparse and ill-conditioned. In many cases problems are solved in fine structured meshes with irregular geometries yielding ill...

Computational modelling plays an important role in right ventricular (RV) haemodynamic analysis. However, current approaches employ smoothed ventricular anatomies. The aim of this study is to characterise RV haemodynamics including detailed endocardial structures like trabeculae, moderator band and papillary muscles (PMs). Four paired detailed and...