Kiran Ravikumar

About Me

I am a Research Scientist/Engineer at NASA Ames Research Center, specializing in high-performance computing (HPC) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to advance aerospace simulations. My work focuses on developing and optimizing CFD algorithms for cutting edge aerodynamics simulations simulations, leveraging GPU computing and modern supercomputers to push the boundaries of fluid dynamics research.

With a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, I have conducted world-record turbulence simulations exceeding 5 trillion grid points, driving new insights into turbulence, mixing, and high-Reynolds-number flows. My expertise lies in performance optimization, leadership-class computing, and advancing CFD methodologies for applications ranging from aerodynamic flows to high-lift aircraft simulations.

Passionate about advancing aerospace flow simulations, I develop and optimize cutting-edge CFD algorithms to harness the full potential of state-of-the-art GPUs. By improving computational efficiency and scalability, my work enables high-fidelity simulations of complex aerodynamic phenomena, from transonic buffet effects to high-lift aircraft aerodynamics. Through innovative HPC techniques, I strive to push the boundaries of what is possible in fluid dynamics, making next-generation aerospace simulations faster, more accurate, and more efficient.

• CV

Education

• Dissertation
• Defense Presentation

1. Bak, S., Bertoni, C., Boehm, S., Budiardja, R., Chapman, B. M., Doerfert, J., Eisenbach, M., Finkel, H., Hernandez, O., Huber, J., Iwasaki, S., Kale, V., Kent, P. R., Kwack, J., Lin, M., Luszczek, P., Luo, Y., Pham, B., Pophale, S., Ravikumar, K., Sarkar, V., Scogland, T., Tian, S. and Yeung, P. K. (2022)
   OpenMP application experiences: Porting to accelerated nodes
   Parallel Computing Vol. 109, 102856.
2. Chapman, B., Pham, B., Yang, C., Daley, C., Bertoni, C., Kulkarni, D., Oryspayev, D., D’Azevedo, E., Doerfert, J., Zhou, K., Ravikumar, K., Gordon, M., Del Ben, M., Lin, M., Alkan, M., Kruse, M., Hernandez, O., Yeung, P. K., Lin, P., Xu, P., Pophale, S., Sattasathuchana, T., Kale, V., Huhn, W., and He, Y. H. (2021)
   Outcomes of OpenMP Hackathon: OpenMP Application Experiences with the Offloading Model (Part II)
   McIntosh-Smith, S., de Supinski, B.R., Klinkenberg, J. (eds) OpenMP: Enabling Massive Node-Level Parallelism Vol. 12870.
3. Yeung, P. K. and Ravikumar, K. (2020)
   Advancing understanding of turbulence through extreme-scale computation: Intermittency and simulations at large problem sizes
   Physical Review Fluids Vol. 5, 110517.
4. Ravikumar, K., Appelhans, D. and Yeung, P. K. (2019)
   GPU acceleration of extreme scale pseudo-spectra simulations of turbulence using asynchronism
   Proceedings of the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, (SC ’19)

1. Yeung, P. K., Ravikumar, K., Nichols, S. and Vaideswaran, R. (March 2023)
   Turbulence at the Exascale: particle tracking and asynchronous GPU algorithm for low-diffusivity turbulent mixing
   APS (American Physical Society) March Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
2. Yeung, P. K., Ravikumar, K. and Nichols, S. (November 2022)
   Turbulence simulations on the verge of Exascale: GPU algorithms and an alternative to long simulations at high resolutions
   75^th Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Indianapolis, IN.
3. Yeung, P. K., Ravikumar, K., Nichols, S. and Vaideswaran, R. (March 2022)
   Simulation of extreme-scale homogeneous turbulence on a new leadership Exascale GPU platform
   APS (American Physical Society) March Meeting, Chicago, IL.
4. Yeung, P. K., Vaideswaran, R., Ravikumar, K., Subramaniam, S. and Buaria, D. (November 2021)
   Stokes point-particle dynamics and flow structure in stationary isotropic turbulence
   74^th Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Phoenix, AZ.
5. Ravikumar, K. (February 2021)
   Extreme scale pseudo-spectral simulations of turbulence using GPUs
   Virtual Seminar at IIT Kanpur.
6. Ravikumar, K., Yeung, P. K., and Sreenivasan, K. R. (November 2020)
   Reaching high resolution for studies of intermittency in energy and scalar dissipation rates
   73^rd Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Virtual (Chicago Time).
7. Yeung, P. K. and Ravikumar, K. (November 2020)
   Schmidt number effects in turbulence with active scalars
   73^rd Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Virtual (Chicago Time).
8. Ravikumar, K., Hernandez, O. Levesque, J., Nichols, S. and Yeung, P. K. (September 2020)
   Achieving portability for a highly optimized GPU code for 3D Fourier Transforms at extreme problem sizes [video]
   Performance, Portability and Productivity in HPC forum, Virtual.
9. Ravikumar, K., Appelhans, D. and Yeung, P. K. (November 2019)
   Differential diffusion and spectral transfer in turbulent mixing at high Schmidt numbers
   72^nd Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Seattle, WA.
10. Zhai, X. M., Yeung, P. K. and Ravikumar, K. (November 2019)
    Mixing in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
    72^nd Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Seattle, WA.
11. Ravikumar, K., Appelhans, D. and Yeung, P. K. (November 2019)
    GPU Acceleration of Extreme Scale Pseudo-Spectral Simulations of Turbulence Using Asynchronism
    The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis, Denver, CO.
12. Ravikumar, K., Yeung, P. K., Appelhans, D. and Hernandez, O. (April 2019)
    Experiences in porting a 3D FFT kernel from CUDA Fortran to OpenMP
    Department of Energy Performance, Portability and Productivity Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
13. Ravikumar, K., Appelhans, D. and Yeung, P. K. (November 2018)
    Extreme-scale computing for pseudo-spectral codes using GPUs and fine-grained asynchronism, with application to turbulence
    71^st Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Atlanta, GA.
14. Yeung, P. K., Clay, M. P. and Ravikumar, K. (November 2018)
    Differential diffusion and active-scalar turbulence at high Schmidt numbers
    71^st Annual Meeting of the APS (American Physical Society) Division of Fluid Dynamics, Atlanta, GA.
15. Ravikumar, K., Appelhans, D. and Yeung, P. K. (November 2018)
    Achieving portability for a highly optimized GPU code for 3D Fourier Transforms at extreme problem sizes [video]
    3^rd OpenPOWER Academia Discussion Group Workshop, Dallas, TX.