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nTop - ASME IDETC-CIE

Student Hackathon

Welcome to nTop Hackathon!

We are excited to sponsor a problem for the 2025 ASME IDETC-CIE Conference Student Hackathon, which will take place August 10-17. Inspired by the approaches industry leaders are using to accelerate design exploration and optimization, the challenge focuses on training a surrogate physics model capable of predicting the performance of a heat exchanger using data generated from nTop.

If you have not already registered. Follow this link to register by the deadline of August 9th (you can select the hackathon only if you will not be attending the conference in person). The following prizes will be awarded for the highest-scoring submissions:

First Prize: $1,400, Second Prize: $700, Third Prize: $350.

Problem Statement

Using the data set containing CFD results and mass properties from a heat exchanger model, train a surrogate model capable of predicting pressure drop, average flow velocity, core surface area, and mass given input lattice cell size in the X-direction and Y/Z-direction, and inlet flow velocity. Once your model is trained, use inverse design to specify the optimal lattice cell sizes and flow velocity to maximize the surface area while satisfying the specified constraints for pressure drop, mass, and average flow velocity. The value of a surrogate model is measured in both accuracy and speed, so you will also be evaluated on how long it takes for your model to generate a prediction given input parameters.

Downloads

nTop Starter Dataset

This .csv file contains the high-fidelity simulation results. Use this data to train and validate your surrogate physics model.

nTop File

Explore the engineering challenge firsthand. This nTop file contains the parametrized geometry of the heat exchanger.

Python File

This python file provides the basic structure for you to generate your own simulation dataset using nTop and nTop Automate

Note: The simulation results for the Starter Dataset were generated with nTop 5.27.2 and your surrogate models will be evaluated with nTop 5.27.2 as well.

Industry Expert on AI/ML in Computational Design

Carlos Mendez, Staff Opto-Mechanical Engineer, Lockheed Martin

Learn how Lockheed Martin used nTop to parameterize heat exchanger designs, accelerate simulation times, and leverage AI to optimize designs in minutes instead of weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get access to nTop?

You can request a free educational license by following this link and completing the form.

Yes, use the dataset provided as a starting point, and you can generate more data points by combining nTop and nTop Automate.

You can access all the content on nTop Learn if you have an active educational license.

You can download the latest version of nTop from app.ntop.com. If you want to access an older version of nTop, contact support@ntop.com with the needed information, and they will share the installer.

Additional Resources

If you still have any questions, feel free to reach out to support@ntop.com