FAQ

1. Can OpenFAST be run in parallel?

Yes, OpenFAST can be run in parallel, but only under specific conditions. To utilize parallel processing, OpenFAST requires either OpenMP support via OLAF (OpenFAST Large-Area Farm) or the FAST.Farm framework. These tools enable parallel execution. If you are not using OLAF or FAST.Farm, OpenFAST will run in a single-threaded mode and cannot take advantage of parallel computing capabilities.

Source: OpenFAST Documentation

2. Can I run multiple OpenFAST simulations in parallel?

Absolutely! Running multiple simulations in parallel is the best way to fully utilize your available cloud resources. While OpenFAST can have limitations in terms of parallelism for individual simulations, executing several simulations concurrently allows you to maximize efficiency. For detailed guidance on how to set this up, check out this OpenFAST tutorial to see how you can do it.

3. How to load the libdiscon.so library?

Some simulations require the libdiscon.so library. To simplify the process, we've included this library in our simulation image. You can use it by referencing the following path in your simulation files:

/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdiscon.so

4. What commands are used to run OpenFAST and its modules?

Here is a list of the commands available to run OpenFAST v4.0.2 and its modules, in alphabetical order:

• aerodisk_driver: Performs aerodynamic analysis for wind turbine rotors, using an actuator disk approach to simplify the calculation of forces and moments
• aerodyn_driver: Performs aerodynamic analysis for airflow dynamics around wind turbine blades
• beamdyn_driver: Focuses on structural analysis for the dynamic response of wind turbine blades and towers
• feam_driver: Executes finite element analysis (FEA), focusing on detailed structural modeling and simulation
• FAST.Farm: Specialized for wind farm simulations, accounting for turbine interactions, wake effects, and turbulence
• hydrodyn_driver: Simulates hydrodynamic interactions between turbine support structures and water bodies
• inflowwind_driver: Simulates atmospheric conditions, such as wind inflow, and their effects on wind turbine performance
• moordyn_driver: Focuses on mooring dynamics for floating wind turbines, analyzing the behavior of mooring systems
• openfast: The main OpenFAST executable for integrating and running comprehensive wind turbine simulations
• orca_driver: Enables aero-elastic and hydrodynamic coupled simulations, useful for analyzing turbine behavior in complex marine environments
• seastate_driver: Generates wave field information used by HydroDyn
• sed_driver: Simulates simplified structural dynamics, focusing on rigid rotor motion and enabling faster simulations with larger time steps
• servodyn_driver: Simulates control system dynamics, modeling how wind turbine control systems respond to changing conditions
• subdyn_driver: Focuses on substructure dynamics, analyzing the interaction between turbine components and support structures
• turbsim: A standalone tool that generates atmospheric turbulence data for wind turbine simulations
• unsteadyaero_driver: Used for unsteady aerodynamics analysis, focusing on time-varying airflow around turbine blades

5. My simulation needs the common a dll file. Do I need to compile it and send it with my input files?

No. We have already pre-compiled the three most common DLLs and included them in the OpenFAST Docker images. You can find them at:

• /DLLs/DISCON.dll
• /DLLs/DISCON_ITIBarge.dll
• /DLLs/DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll

Simply update your input .dat file to point to the correct DLL location. For example:

---------------------- BLADED INTERFACE ----------------------------------------
-"../5MW_Baseline/ServoData/DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll"    DLL_FileName
+"/DLLs/DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll"    DLL_FileName

This way, you don’t need to compile or send the DLL yourself. It’s already included in the simulation environment.

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