NDT

NREL Development Tools Plugin for Eclipse

Description

NDT is an user friendly front-end to the wind turbine simulation codes by NREL.

Features

• Specific editors for FAST, AeroDyn and TurbSim input files
• Chart view of the FAST output file.
• Support for single FAST simulation and batch run with ANT (to be completed)

Installation

• Download and launch Eclipse standard platform for your system.

• Add the NDT update site to the list of the available update locations and install the plugin.

• Add the XULRunner update site (this step is REQUIRED on Windows systems with explorer version prior to IE9).

• Setup the default FAST installation location (aka FRE or FAST Runtime Environment): from menu Preferences > NREL > FAST > Installed FREs browse to the folder location on your drive and save.

Usage

Create a new FAST project from menu File > New > Project...This will generate a set of files that represent the 1.5MW WindPACT baseline wind turbine.

Single run

• Modify the files as you need.
• Select *.fst file in the Project Explorer view, from the context menu (right click) choose Run As > FAST Simulation to launch the simulation. Check in the Console view the output messages from the running program.
• When the simulation is over refresh the workspace (F5) and open the generated *.out file. This will show the output channels in a grahical viewer (you can zoom and/or hide series).

Batch run

Multiple simulations are executed using Apache Ant and a simple configuration file.