Prerequisites

Before running an OpenFAST simulation, it's important to ensure that all the necessary files are set up correctly. Here we will guide you through the preparation process. We will guide you through downloading the required input files and generating any additional components, such as the DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll file. By the end of this section you'll have everything you need to run the simulation.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Download your simulation files

Download the required 5MW_OC4Semi_WSt_WavesWN and 5MW_Baseline folders and place them in your working directory. Your input_files should now look like this:

• input_files
  • 5MW_Baseline
  • 5MW_OC4Semi_WSt_WavesWN

Step 2: Specify the Correct DLL File

This simulation requires the DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll file. Normally, this DLL must be compiled from the source code provided in the 5MW_Baseline/ServoData folder.

To simplify this process, we’ve already included the most commonly used pre-compiled DLLs, such as DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll, directly in the OpenFAST Docker images. For more details, refer to the Container Images section.

Once you know the location of the correct DLL, simply update your NRELOffshrBsline5MW_OC4DeepCwindSemi_ServoDyn.dat file to point to it:

---------------------- BLADED INTERFACE ---------------------------------------- [used only with Bladed Interface]
-"../5MW_Baseline/ServoData/DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll"    DLL_FileName
+"/DLLs/DISCON_OC3Hywind.dll"    DLL_FileName

With this small adjustment, your simulation is ready to run in the cloud!