Up to 15% Less Compute Time: Quantum Computing Enters Your Simulations
On September 17, IonQ and Synopsys demonstrated that a quantum algorithm plugged directly into Ansys LS-DYNA can accelerate complex engineering simulations by up to 14.6%, nearly 15%. This work won the “Best Paper” award at the IEEE Quantum Week 2026 conference, held in Toronto.
Why this matters to you
Large-scale simulations — virtual crash tests, aerodynamic analyses, complex assemblies — rely on solving systems of equations with hundreds of millions of unknowns. Even before solving, the solver must reorganize these equations to avoid wasteful calculations that bloat memory and lengthen compute times. This preparation step, graph partitioning, is a well-known bottleneck for classical supercomputers.
What IonQ and Synopsys did
The two companies integrated a quantum algorithm (Iterative-QAOA) directly into the LS-DYNA workflow. Instead of searching for the best data layout by trial and error, the quantum system quickly identifies the optimal arrangement.
The tests used real industrial models: a sedan body, an aircraft engine assembly, an industrial drill bit and a fluid impeller, with meshes reaching 35 million points. The computations were run on up to 150 simulated qubits (using NVIDIA CUDA-Q tools), then physically validated on IonQ’s Forte system, a 36-qubit trapped-ion processor. Total simulation time, measured end to end, was reduced by 5.9% to 14.6% depending on the case.
To be clear: the quantum computer does not simulate the full part itself. It optimizes the preparation phase; classical clusters still perform the main solve. But since this step happens only once at the start of the computation, the savings accumulate over long compute campaigns.
What this changes for your projects
Nearly 15% less compute time means shorter design cycles and lower computing costs. And above all, this hybrid quantum-classical approach integrates with existing software: no disruption, just evolution.
At Simu-K, we are following these advances closely. The same methods accelerating LS-DYNA today could tomorrow benefit your structural, crash or fluid-dynamics studies — and we are ready to help you make the most of them.
Sources: IonQ press release, September 17, 2026; IEEE Quantum Week 2026, Toronto.
