Tower Base loads

Do you know how the FAST and ADAMS (Using A2AD) compute tower base loads?
In ADAMS it is computed outside of the adm file and results are found in plt file. I used following statements to get the results myself(inside of adm file), but the results are different from that one computed outside the adm file.
! adams_view_name=‘TwrBsMy_V’
VARIABLE/310, FUNCTION=TY(1301,1400)
! adams_view_name=‘TwrBsMx_V’
VARIABLE/311, FUNCTION=TZ(1301,1400)
! adams_view_name=‘TwrBsFx_V’
VARIABLE/312, FUNCTION=FY(1301,1400)
! adams_view_name=‘TwrBsFy_V’
VARIABLE/313, FUNCTION=FZ(1301,1400)

Are my statements true?

Any comment

Dear Mehdi,

The ADAMS-to-AeroDyn (A2AD) interface computes the tower-base fore-aft bending moment (TwrBsMyt) using the equivalent of FUNCTION=TY(1400,1101,1100); likewise for the other tower-base loads. (I say "equivalent’ because it is actually computed in the A2AD source file using a call to SYSARY(‘FORCE’,…).)

FAST uses the load summation method to compute the tower-base loads. That is, the tower-base bending moment is calculated in FAST by integrating along the tower the ( radial vector ) x ( applied aerodynamic forces + gravitation forces - inertia forces ). All of these forces, moments, and distances are vectors and are oriented with the tower as the tower deflects.

Best regards,

Dear Jonkman

I am using another hydrodynamic diffraction software for my multi-body platform analysis. so for aerodynamic effects, can I use FAST’s tower-base loads instead of aerodynamic loads? TwrBsFxt is sumation of just airodynamic loads on blades an tower. am i right??? what about other loads???

Dear Mehdi,

As I mentioned above, the tower-base loads output from FAST include the effects not only of aerodynamic loads, but also load contributions from gravity and inertia.

Best regards,