Page 22 - Autumn 2024

Industry News

AI MODEL OPENS NEW

POSSIBILITIES FOR MATERIAL

DISCOVERY AND CLIMATE

SOLUTIONS

Researchers at the VSC Viterbi School of efficiency when simulating over four billion atoms
Engineering have developed an AI model that on the Aurora supercomputer at Argonne National
can simulate the behaviour of billions of atoms Laboratory. This is a system about a thousand times
simultaneously, creating new avenues for material larger than those currently used.
discovery and climate solutions.
Reference: West, P., ‘AI Simulation Model points to Carbon-neutral
Concrete’, Electronic Specifier, 8th. September
The model, known as Allegro-FM, demonstrated
its potential by tackling one of the world’s greatest
challenges, namely reducing carbon emissions from
concrete. Currently concrete production is estimated
to account for some 8 per cent of global carbon
dioxide emissions, but with Allegro-FM this could be
turned around to the point where this figure actually
becomes negative.
Allegro-FM is an AI-driven molecular simulation
system that revealed that carbon dioxide that is
released in concrete production can actually be
reabsorbed and thus embedded in that same
concrete.
By running simulations at atomic scale, Allegro-FM
tested different concrete chemistries virtually prior
to real-world trials, making for faster and cheaper
experimentation. Where traditional molecular
simulations handle only thousands or millions of
atoms, Allegro-FM was found to offer 97.5 per cent

22
Become a member: https://membermojo.co.uk/ie
Become a subscriber: https://membermojo.co.uk/subscriber
Become a sponsor: https://membermojo.co.uk/sponsor