Cardiff University installs Bull supercomputer

Cardiff University has opened a high performance computing Centre of Excellence to help drive its advanced research projects.

The move follows the official launch of Advanced Research Computing at Cardiff (ARCCA), a division set up by the university to run its advanced research facilities across all academic disciplines.

The supercomputer was supplied by Bull Information Systems. It will be run by ARCCA and is among the top three most powerful computers in UK universities.

Research will cover health, neuroscience, geosciences, astrophysics, archaeology and renewable energy, and fields such as the arts, humanities and social sciences.

"The technical specifications of the Bull High Performance Computer are extremely impressive," said Dr David Grant, vice-chancellor of Cardiff University.

"Computer modelling is becoming vital to our understanding of human biology and the development of new drugs.

"Simulation will bring major benefits in the sciences and engineering, and open up completely new research fields."

In an effort to save on energy costs and boost its green credentials, the computer is based in its own data centre and is housed in 10 energy-efficient water-cooled racks, saving around £30,000 a year on conventional air cooling systems.

"The developments in high performance computing brought about by ARCCA are already making huge differences in many areas of research," said Rhodri Morgan, first minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, at the opening ceremony.

"This puts Cardiff University at the forefront of computer-based research in Wales and the UK, as well as internationally."