Good moorning,
I would like to know if FAST simulations (with Aerodyn v14) take into account the aerodynamic thrust on the tower, and if so, how it is calculated.
I’ve read conflicting messages on Internet, hence my hesitation.
For example, there are people who say that in Aerodyn.dat the TwrShad, ShadHWid and T_Shap_Refpt parameters are relevant, but elsewhere they say that they only serve for wake slowdown.
On the other hand, as I have seen in the Aerodyn v15 main input file, this version does take into account the aerodynamic forces on the tower. It would be possible to generate Aerodyn v15 files with the data from the Aerodyn v14 files? Or are there certain parameters needed in the Aerodyn v15 files that do not appear in the Aerodyn v14 files?
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Nicolás Deza
Dear Deza,
AeroDyn v14 supported a simplified upwind tower influence and tower loading model, known as the “NEWTOWER” option. However, the model assumes that the tower is rigid and fixed in position, and so, is quite simplified relative to the tower influence and loading models available in AeroDyn v15.
In general, I would recommend upgrading to AeroDyn v15 to support the new aerodynamic features (we plan to deprecate AeroDyn v14 soon).
As documented in the FAST v8 ReadMe file (drive.google.com/file/d/17LDwMn … sp=sharing), the MATLAB Toolbox includes scripts to help convert AeroDyn v14 input files into AeroDyn v15 input files. But it will not do the full conversion for you (e.g., it will not convert the airfoil data files). Yes, there are some parameters available in AeroDyn v15 that are not available in v14.
Best regards,