Dan Negrut

Dan Negrut professional headshot Mead Witter Foundation Professor
NVIDIA CUDA Fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Computer Science (affiliated)
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (affiliated)
University of Wisconsin-Madison

4150ME Mech. Engineering Building
1513 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706-1572
Phone: (608) 772-0914
Email: negrut@wisc.edu

Dan is a professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Courses that he teaches include:

ME759: High Performance Computing for Engineering Applications
ME751: Advance Computational Multibody Dynamics
ME451: Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines Systems
ME440: Intermediate Vibrations
ME340: Introduction to Dynamic Systems

Dan’s wife, Cristina, is a user experience designer. In 2006 she founded Graduation Wisdom, a website where she curates graduation speeches and quotes.

Research/Outreach

Research Interests: Computational Mechanics (Multibody Dynamics, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Friction and Contact), High Performance Computing, Numerical Methods.
Application Areas of Interest: Ground Vehicle Mobility Simulation, Terramechanics, Autonomous Vehicle Simulation, Virtual Reality and Virtual Prototyping, Fluid-Solid Interaction, Granular Dynamics.
Lab Publications: Technical Reports, PhD/MS Theses, Presentations.
Lab Movies: Movie related to lab simulations.
Lab Outreach: Workshops, High-School Student Summer Camp, Industry Consortium.
Lab Members: Scientists, Grad Students, Undergrads, Lab Visitors.
Lab Projects: Parallel Computing, Autonomous Vehicles, Terramechanics, Ground Vehicle Mobility, Fluid-Solid Interaction, Biomechanics.
Software/Hardware Resources

Project Chrono: Open Source, BSD3, Multi-Physics Simulation Engine.
SaP::GPU: Sparse Linear System Solver on the GPU.
Euler: Lab CPU/GPU Supercomputer.
Conference Keynote Talks

“Sand to Mud to Fording: Modeling and Simulation for Off-road Ground Vehicle Mobility Analysis,” International Workshop on Bifurcation and Degradation in Geomaterials, Limassol, Cyprus, May 24, 2017

“On the Use of Computer Modeling to Characterize the Dynamics of Large Particulate Systems,” Particle Simulation Conference, Erlangen University, Germany, September 21, 2015

“From Granular Dynamics to Fluid-Solid Interaction and From Large Optimization Problems to Solving Sparse Linear Systems,” High Performance Computing In Science and Engineering Conference, IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, Czech Republic, May 25, 2015

“Getting Shape into Computational Dynamics. Getting Computational Dynamics in Shape,” The 11th International Conference for Mesoscopic Methods, New York City, July 17, 2014

“The Role of High Performance Computing in Computational Dynamics,” The 3rd Joint International Conference on Multibody System Dynamics (IMSD 2014) and the 7th Asian Conference on Multibody Dynamics (ACMD 2014), Busan, S. Korea, June 2014

“High Performance Computing in Multibody Dynamics,” BIRS Workshop on Computational Contact Mechanics: Advances and Frontiers in Modeling Contact, Banff International Research Station, Canada, February 2014
Chapters in Books

8: “Sand to Mud to Fording: Modeling and Simulation for Off-Road Ground Vehicle Mobility Analysis,” D. Negrut and H. Mazhar, in Bifurcation and Degradation of Geomaterials with Engineering Applications, Springer Series in Geomechanics and Geoengineering (SSGG), Editors – E. Papamichos and P. Papanastasiou, 2017

7: “Chrono: An Open Source Multi-Physics Dynamics Engine,” A. Tasora, R. Serban, H. Mazhar, A. Pazouki, D. Melanz, J. Fleischmann, M. Taylor, H. Sugiyama, and D. Negrut, Springer’s Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Tomas Kozubek editor, 2016

6: “Unified Memory in CUDA 6: A Brief Overview, ” D. Negrut, R. Serban, A. Li, A. Seidl, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, September 2014

5: “A Lagrangian-Lagrangian framework for the simulation of rigid and deformable bodies in fluid,” A. Pazouki, R. Serban, and D. Negrut, Multibody Dynamics: Computational Methods and Applications, Springer, ISBN: 9783319072593, 2014

4: “Accelerating Computer Aided Engineering with GPU Computing,” H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, D. Melanz, A. Pazouki, A. Bartholomew, D. Negrut, P. Jayakumar, A. Tasora, ACIER:AMS, 2014

3: “Solving Large Multi-Body Dynamics Problems on the GPU,” D. Negrut, A. Tasora, M. Anitescu, H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, A. Pazouki, accepted, book chapter in GPU Gems 4, 2011.

2: “GPU-based Parallel Computing for the Simulation of Complex Multibody Systems with Unilateral and Bilateral Constraints: An Overview,” A. Tasora, D. Negrut, M. Anitescu in Springer-Verlag’s “Multibody Dynamics: Computational Methods and Applications,” W. Blajer, K. Arczewski, J. Fraczek, and M. Wojtyra (eds.), pp. 283-327, 2011.

1: “A Second Order Extension of the Generalized-Alpha Method for Constrained Systems in Mechanics,” L. O. Jay, D. Negrut, in Springer-Verlag’s “Multibody Dynamics: Computational Methods and Applications,” series, C. Bottasso editor, pp. 143-158, 2008.
Journal Publications

57: “A differential variational approach for handling fluid-solid interaction problems via Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics,” H. Mazhar, A. Pazouki, M. Rakhsha, P. Jayakumar, D. Negrut, Journal of Computational Physics, in press, 2018.

56: “Simulation of Surface Strain in Tibiofemoral Cartilage during Walking for the Prediction of Collagen Fiber Orientation,” M. Rakhsha, C. Smith, A. Recuero, S. Brandon, M. Vignos, D. Thelen, D. Negrut, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, in press, 2018.

55: “Deformable soil with adaptive level of detail for tracked and wheeled vehicles,” A. Tasora, D. Mangoni, D. Negrut, R. Serban, P. Jayakumar, International Journal of Vehicle Performance, in press, 2018.

54: “Chrono::Vehicle – Template-Based Ground Vehicle Modeling and Simulation,” R. Serban, M. Taylor, D. Negrut, A. Tasora, International Journal of Vehicle Performance, in press, 2018.

53: “A Co-simulation Framework for High-Performance, High-Fidelity Simulation of Ground Vehicle-Terrain Interaction,” R. Serban, D. Negrut, A. Recuero and P. Jayakumar, International Journal of Vehicle Performance, in press, 2018.

52: “Compliant Contact Versus Rigid Contact – a Comparison in the Context of Granular Dynamics,” A. Pazouki, M. Kwarta, K. Williams, W. Likos, R. Serban, P. Jayakumar and D. Negrut, Physical Review E, 96, 2017.

51: “Posing Multibody Dynamics with Friction and Contact as a Differential Complementarity Problem,” D. Negrut, R. Serban and A. Tasora, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, CND-17-1068, 2017.

50: “A Consistent Multi-Resolution Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Method,” W. Hu, W. Pan, M. Rakhsha, Q. Tian, H. Hu and D. Negrut, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Volume 324, Pages 278-299, 2017.

49: “A Comparison of Numerical Methods for Solving Multibody Dynamics Problems with Frictional Contact Modeled via Differential Variational Inequalities,” D. Melanz, L. Fang, J. Jayakumar, and D. Negrut, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, v.320, pp. 668-693, 2017.

48: “Analysis of a Splitting Approach for the Parallel Solution of Linear Systems on GPU Cards,” A. Li, R. Serban, and D. Negrut, SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing, 39(3), 2017.

47: “A High-fidelity Approach for Vehicle Mobility Simulation: Nonlinear Finite Element Tires Operating on Granular Material,” A. Recuero, R. Serban, B. Peterson, H. Sugiyama, P. Jayakumar, D. Negrut, Journal of Terramechanics, v.72, pp. 39-54, 2017.

46: “Efficient Computation of Cartilage Contact Pressures within Dynamic Simulations of Movement,” C. R. Smith, K. Won Choi, D. Negrut, and D. G. Thelen, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, 2016.

45: “On the Use of Computational Multi-body Dynamics Analysis in SLS-based 3D Printing,” H. Mazhar, T. Osswald, D. Negrut, Additive Manufacturing, 2016.

44: “Experimental Validation of a Differential Variational Inequality-Based Approach for Handling Friction and Contact in Vehicle/Granular-Terrain Interaction,” D. Melanz, P. Jayakumar, D. Negrut, Journal or Terramechanics, 2016.

43: “Numerical Investigation of Microfluidic Sorting of Microtissues,” A. Pazouki, D. Negrut, Computers and Mathematics with Applications, doi:10.1016/j.camwa.2015.09.031, 2015.

42: “On the Importance of Displacement History in Soft-Body Contact Models,” A. Fleischmann, R. Serban, D. Negrut, and P. Jayakumar, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, doi:10.1115/1.4031197, 2015.

41: “Using Nesterov’s Method to Accelerate Multibody Dynamics with Friction and Contact,” H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, A. Tasora, D. Negrut, Association for Computing Machinery Transactions on Graphics, Vol.34(3), 32:1–32:14, 2015.

40: “A GPU-based preconditioned Newton-Krylov solver for flexible multi body dynamics,” R. Serban, D. Melanz, A. Li, I. Stanciulescu, J. Jayakumar, D. Negrut, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Volume 102, Issue 9, pp. 1585–1604, 1 June 2015.

39: “A numerical study of the effect of particle properties on the radial distribution of suspension in pipe flow,” A. Pazouki and D. Negrut, Computers & Fluids, Volume 108, Pages 1–12, 15 February 2015.

38: “A High Performance Computing Approach to the Simulation of Fluid-Solid Interaction Problems with Rigid and Flexible Bodies,” A. Pazouki, R. Serban, and D. Negrut, Archive of Mechanical Engineering. Volume 61, Issue 2, Pages 227–251, ISSN (Online) 2300-262X, DOI: 10.2478/meceng-2014-0014, August 2014.

37: “Parallel Computing in Multibody System Dynamics: Why, When and How,” D. Negrut, R. Serban, H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, doi: 10.1115/1.4027313, 9(4):041007-041007-12, 2014.

36: “A Matrix-Free Newton Krylov Parallel Implicit Implementation of the Absolute Formulation,” D. Melanz, N. Khude, P. Jayakumar, D. Negrut, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, doi:10.1115/1.4025281, 9(1):011006-011006-9, 2013.

35: “Using Krylov Subspace and Spectral Methods for Solving Complementarity Problems in Many-Body Contact In Dynamics Simulation,” T. Heyn, A. Tasora, M. Anitescu, D. Negrut, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, vol. 95(7), pp. 541–561, 2013.

34: “Investigating Through Simulation the Mobility of Light Tracked Vehicles Operating on Discrete Granular Terrain,” D. Negrut, D. Melanz, H. Mazhar, D. Lamb, P. Jayakumar and M. Letherwood, SAE Int. JPasseng. Cars – Mech. Syst. 6:369-381;, DOI: 10.4271/2013-01-1191, May 2013.

33: “Chrono: A Parallel Multi-Physics Library for Rigid-Body, Flexible-Body, and Fluid Dynamics,” H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, A. Pazouki, D. Melanz, A. Seidl, A. Bartholomew, A. Tasora, and D. Negrut, Mechanical Sciences, 4(1):49-64, 2013.

32: “On the Parallel Simulation of Large Flexible Body Systems with Multiple Contacts,” N. Khude, D. Melanz, I. Stanciulescu, D. Negrut, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, doi:10.1115/1.4023915, 2013.

31: “A Compliant Visco-Plastic Particle Contact Model based on Differential Variational Inequalities,” A. Tasora, M. Anitescu, S. Negrini, D. Negrut, accepted, International Journal of Nonlinear Mechanics, 2013.

30: “Leveraging Parallel Computing in Multibody Dynamics,” D. Negrut, A. Tasora, H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, P. Hahn, Multibody System Dynamics, DOI: 10.1007/s11044-011-9262-y, vol. 27, pp. 95-117, 2012.

29: “A Physics-Based Vehicle/Terrain Interaction Model for Soft Soil Off-Road Vehicle Simulations,” J. Madsen, D. Negrut, A. Reid, A. Seidl, P. Ayers, G. Bozdech, J. Freeman, J. O’Kins, SAE International Journal of Commercial Vehicles, doi:10.4271/2012-01-0767, 2012.

28: “Parallel collision detection of ellipsoids with applications in large scale multibody dynamics,” A. Pazouki, H. Mazhar, D. Negrut, Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, vol. 82, pp. 879-894, 2012.

27: “A Co-Simulation Environment for High-Fidelity Virtual Prototyping of Vehicle Systems,” M. Datar, I. Stanciulescu, D. Negrut, International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modeling and Testing, vol. 7, pp. 54-72, 2012.

26: “An Expeditious High Fidelity ABAQUS-Based Surrogate Tire Model for Full Vehicle Durability Analysis in ADAMS,” H. Ardeh, M. Datar, K. Jagadeesan, D. Negrut, SAE International Journal of Materials and Manufacturing, DOI: 10.4271/2011-01-0187, 2011.

25: “Reliability Prediction for the HMMWV Suspension System,” D. Ghiocel, D. Negrut, D. Lamb, D. Gorsich, SAE International Journal of Materials and Manufacturing, DOI: 10.4271/2011-01-0726, 2011.

24: “A Scalable Parallel Method for Large Scale Collision Detection Problems,” H. Mazhar, T. Heyn, D. Negrut, Multibody System Dynamics, pp. 1-19. doi:10.1007/s11044-011-9246-y, vol. 26, pp. 37-55, 2011.

23: “A Quantitative Assessment of the Potential of Implicit Integration Methods for Molecular Dynamics Simulation,” N. Schafer, D. Negrut, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol, 5(3), doi: 10.1115/1.4001392, 2010.

22: “Construction and Use of Surrogate Models for the Dynamic Analysis of Multibody Systems,” H. Ansari, M. Tupy, M. Datar, D. Negrut, SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars-Mechanical Systems, Vol. 3(1), pp. 8-20, 2010.

21: “A Framework for Terrain-Induced Uncertainty Quantification in Vehicle Dynamics Simulation,” M. Datar, D. Gorsich, D. Lamb, D. Negrut, International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modeling and Testing, Vol. 4, pp. 234-255, 2009.

20: “A Discussion of Low Order Numerical Integration Formulas for Rigid and Flexible Multibody Dynamics,” D. Negrut, L. O. Jay, N. Khude, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol. 4(2), doi: 021008.1-021008.11, 2009.

19: “On the Regularity of Reduced Models Obtained by Quasicontinuum-like Approaches,” M. Anitescu, D. Negrut, P. Zapol, A. El-Azab, Mathematical Programming, Vol. 118(2), pp. 207-236, 2009.

18: “Efficient Sampling of Dynamical Systems with Spatial Uncertainty,” K. Schmitt, M. Anitescu, D. Negrut, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 80(4), pp. 537-564, 2009.

17: “Large-Scale Parallel Multi-Body Dynamics with Frictional Contact on the Graphical Processing Unit,” A. Tasora, D. Negrut, M. Anitescu, Proc. IMechE, Part K: Journal Multi-body Dynamics, Vol. 222(4), pp. 315-326, 2008.

16: “Implicit and Explicit Integration in the Solution of the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Differential/Algebraic Equations,” B. Hussein, D. Negrut, A. Shabana, Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol. 54, pp. 283-296, 2008.

15: “Quasicontinuum-like reduction of DFT calculations of nanostructures,” D. Negrut, M. Anitescu, A. El-Azab, P. Zapol, Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Vol. 8, pp. 3729-3740, 2008.

14: “Extensions of the HHT-method to differential-algebraic equations in mechanics,” L. O. Jay, D. Negrut, Electronic Transactions on Numerical Analysis, Vol. 26, pp. 190-208, 2007.

13: “On the regularity of reduced models obtained by quasicontinuum-like approaches, ” M. Anitescu, D. Negrut, P. Zapol, A. El-Azab, Mathematical Programming, accepted, 2007.

12: “On an Implementation of the HHT Method in the Context of Index 3 Differential Algebraic Equations of Multibody Dynamics,” D. Negrut, R. Rampalli, G. Ottarsson, and A. Sajdak, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 73-85, 2007.

11: “A Practical Approach for the Linearization of the Constrained Multibody Dynamics Equations,” D. Negrut, and J. Ortiz, ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, Vol.1, Issue 3, pp.230-239, 2006.

10: “A Rosenbrock-Nystrom State Space Implicit Approach for the Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems: I – Theoretical Formulation,” A. Sandu, D. Negrut, E. Haug, F. Potra and C. Sandu, Journal of Multi-body Dynamics, Vol. 217, No. 4, pp. 263-271(9), 2003.

9: “A Rosenbrock-Nystrom State Space Implicit Approach for the Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems: II – The Method and Numerical Examples,” D. Negrut, A. Sandu, E. Haug, F. Potra and C. Sandu, Journal of Multi-body Dynamics, Vol. 217, No. 4, pp. 273-281(9), 2003.

8: “Linear algebra considerations for the multi-threaded simulation of mechanical systems,” D. Negrut, Multibody System Dynamics, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.61-80, 2003.

7: “An Implicit Runge-Kutta Method for the Integration of Differential-Algebraic Equations of Multibody Dynamics,” D. Negrut, E.J. Haug and H.C. German, Multibody System Dynamics, Vol. 9, No.2, pp.121-142, 2003.

6: “Numerical Methods for High-Speed Vehicle Dynamic Simulation,” E. J. Haug, D. Negrut, R. Serban and D. Solis, Mechanics of Structures and Machines, Vol. 27(4), 1999.

5: “Implicit Runge-Kutta Integration of the Equations of Multibody Dynamics in Descriptor Form,” E. Haug, D. Negrut and C. Engstler, Mechanics of Structures and Machines, Vol. 27(3), 1999.

4: “A State-Space Based Implicit Integration Algorithm for Differential-Algebraic Equations of Multibody Dynamics,” E. Haug, D. Negrut and M. Iancu, Mechanics of Structures and Machines, Vol. 25(3), 1997.

3: “A Topology Based Approach for Exploiting Sparsity in Multibody Dynamics. The Cartesian Formulation,” R. Serban, D. Negrut, F.A. Potra, and E.J. Haug, Mechanics of Structures and Machines, Vol. 25(3), 1997.

2: “A Topology Based Approach for Exploiting Sparsity in Multibody Dynamics. The Joint Formulation,” D. Negrut, R. Serban, F.A. Potra, and E.J. Haug, Mechanics of Structures and Machines, Vol. 25(2), 1997.

1: “Dynamic Tire Modelling for Application with Vehicle Simulations Incorporating Terrain,” D. Negrut, and J. Freeman, SAE Journal of Passenger Cars – V103-6, 1994.
Course Materials

ME 440: Intermediate Vibrations

ME 451: Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines Systems

ME 751: Advance Computational Multibody Dynamics

ME 964: High Performance Computing for Engineering Applications