User’s Guide

The Graphical User Interface

• GUI Overview
• General Settings
• Opengl Light Settings
• Debug Console Dialog
  • Overview
  • Subsystem Filters
  • Redirect Debug Output
• Graph Functionality
  • Graph Types
  • Graph Context Menu
  • Variables & Styles and Axes
  • Curve Styles
  • Graph Layout

HAWT, VAWT and PROP Modes

• Setting the Design Mode
• HAWT Mode, VAWT Mode and PROP Mode

Data Structure, Import & Export

• Object Hierarchy and Data Structure
  • Hierarchy Details
• Project Serialization
  • Archive Versioning
• Data Objects Import and Export
  • Data Object Types
  • Object Creation and Editing

Coordinate System Conventions

• Global Coordinate System
• Local Body Coordinate Systems
  • Local Blade Coordinate System
  • Local Tower Coordinate System
• Local Sensor Coordinate Systems
• Wind and Wave Direction
• Yaw, Azimuth and Pitch Convention
  • Yaw Angle
  • Azimuthal Angle
  • Pitch Angle
• Floater Degrees of Freedom

Airfoil Generation and Import

• Airfoil Generation Overview
• Creating Standard Airfoils
• Importing Airfoils
• Airfoil Editing Options
• Airfoil Transformations
• Exporting Airfoils

Airfoil Analysis / Polar Generation

• Airfoil Analysis Overview
• Carrying out an Airfoil Analysis
  • Airfoil Batch Analysis
• Operational Point Analysis
• Importing Polar Data
• Exporting Polar Data

360° Polar Extrapolation

• Polar Extrapolation Overview
• Viterna Extrapolation
• Montgomery Extrapolation
• Polar Decomposition
• Dynamic Polar Sets
• Import and Export of 360 Polars

Aerodynamic Blade Design

• Blade Design Overview
• HAWT Blade Design
  • Advanced HAWT Blade Design
• VAWT Blade Design
• Multi Polar Blade Definition
• Active Blade Elements
• Blade Damage (Erosion)
• Importing and Exporting Blade Definitions
• Blade definition ASCII File

Steady BEM/DMS/AC Simulation

• BEM Analysis Overview
• Rotor BEM
• Characteristic BEM
• Turbine BEM
• DMS/AC Analysis Overview
• Rotor DMS/AC
• Characteristic DMS/AC
• Turbine DMS/AC

Wind Turbine Modeling

• Modeling Overview
  • The Turbine Definition Dialog
  • Aerodynamic only Turbine Definitions
  • Aeroelastic Turbine Definitions
• General Turbine Parameters
  • Turbine Name and Rotor
  • Turbine Version Info
• Aerodynamic Modeling
  • Turbine Geometry
  • Aerodynamic Discretization
  • Aerodynamic Models
  • Wake Type
  • Unsteady BEM
    • Unsteady BEM Options
  • Dynamic Wake Meandering (DWM)
    • DWM Wake & Discretization Setup
    • Meandering & Spatial Averaging
    • Wake Deficit & Recovery Models
    • Wake Deflection (Yaw & Tilt)
    • DWM Added Turbulence Settings
  • Free Vortex Wake
  • Wake Modelling
  • Vortex Modelling
  • Turbine Gamma Iteration Parameters
• Structural Modeling
  • Geometric Stiffness and Aerodynamic Gradients
  • Main Structural Definition File
    • Exemplary Main File
    • HAWT Turbine Configuration
    • Mass and Inertia Parameters
    • Nacelle Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU)
    • Nacelle Drag Model
    • Drivetrain Parameters
    • Brake Model Parameters
    • Modeling Sensor Errors
    • Blade Parameters
    • Tower Parameters
    • VAWT Specific Parameters
    • Gravity Direction
  • Loading Data and Sensor Locations
  • Structural Definition of Bodies
    • Euler-Bernoulli Beam
    • Timoshenko Beam
    • Timoshenko Beam FPM
    • ANCF Cable Element
  • Blade, Strut and Tower Structural Data Files
    • Blade and Strut Euler Bernoulli and Timoshenko Datatable
    • Blade and Strut Timoshenko FPM Datatable
    • Tower and Torquetube Euler Bernoulli and Timoshenko Datatable
  • Cable Structural Data File
    • Applying Offsets to cables
  • Damping of Structural Bodies
    • Isotropic Rayleigh Damping
    • Anisotropic Rayleigh Damping
  • Cross Sectional Coordinate Systems
• Marine Hydrokinetic Turbines
  • Simulation Settings for MHK Turbines
  • Blade and Tower Model Settings for MHK Turbines
  • Substructure Model Settings for MHK Turbines
• Turbine Definition ASCII File
• Multi Rotor Turbine Assembly
  • Multi Rotor Turbine Assembly Keywords
• Multi Rotor Turbine Assembly ASCII File

Controller Integration

• Wind Turbine Controllers
• External Library Interface
• Adding a Controller or an External Library to a Turbine Definition
• Defining the Controller or Library Sampling Timestep
• Setting a Smooth Controller Ramp
• Sending Turbine Data to a Wind Turbine Controller
  • Sending Turbine Data to a Wind Turbine Controller Across Turbine Instances
• Sending Turbine Data to an External Library
  • Sending Turbine Data to an External Library Across Turbine Instances
• Applying Wind Turbine Controller Data to the Turbine
• Applying External Library Data to the Turbine
• Example for a custom controller library in C

Substructure Modeling

• Substructure Modelling
  • Modeling Options for an Offshore Substructure
    • Substructure Mass and Inertia
    • Substructure Buoyancy
    • Substructure Hydrodynamics
    • Different Scenarios
  • Keywords and Tables
  • Miscellaneous Substructure Parameters
• Substructure Topology
  • Substructure Joints
  • Substructure Elements
  • Substructure Members
  • Substructure Constraints
  • The Transition Piece
  • The Neutral Point
  • Lumped Mass, Inertia and Hydrodynamic Forces
• Mooring Elements
  • Mooring Element Lineloads
• Nonlinear Spring and Damper Constraints
  • Soil Modeling with P-Y Curves
    • Adding P-Y Curves to a Substructure
    • P-Y Curve Hysteresis
    • Outputting P-Y Spring Reaction Force
  • Nonlinear Data Tables
• Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Substructure
  • Morison Equation (Strip Theory) Modelling
    • High-Pass Filtered Morison Drag
    • One-Sided Morison Drag
  • Linear Potential Flow Modelling
    • Defining a Potential Flow Body
    • NOBODY > 1 Feature
    • Potential Flow Hydrodynamics Coordinate Systems
    • Common Potential Flow Keywords
• Buoyancy Modeling of SUBMEMBERS
  • General Formulation
  • Hydrostatic Pressure Evaluation
  • Clipping Modes
    • Static buoyancy
    • Wave-following clipping
  • Coupling with Morison Pressure Terms
  • Decayed Wave-Pressure Contribution
  • Cylindrical Members
  • Rectangular Members
  • Coupling with Potential-Flow Excitation
• Sensor Locations and Definitions
• Exemplary Substructure File
• Alphabetical Keyword List
• Substructure File Format Changes from QBlade v2.06b
  • SUBMEMBERS Table
  • SUBELEMENTS Tables
  • MOORELEMENTS Table
• Substructure Superelements
  • Sequential Load Analysis
  • Superelement Definitions
  • Mass, Stiffness and Damping Matrices
  • Superelement Damping
  • Time Integration Parameters
  • Initial Conditions and DoF
  • Assigning Superelements in the Constraint Table
  • Assigning Loads to Superelements
  • Recommended Timesteps and Modal Frequencies
  • Defining Output Sensors for a Superelement
  • Exemplary Superelement Definition for the OC4 Jacket

Turbine Simulation Setup

• Simulation Module Overview
• Simulation Definition
  • General Simulation Settings
  • Structural Model Initialization
  • Wind Boundary Condition
  • Turbine Setup
  • Rotational Speed Settings
  • Turbine Initial Conditions
  • Floater Initial Conditions
  • Structural Simulation Settings
  • Turbine Events and Operation
    • Event Definition File
    • External Loading File
    • Simulation Input File
    • Prescribed Motion File
  • Multi Turbine Simulations
  • Turbine Environment
  • Wave Boundary Conditions
  • Ocean Current Boundary Conditions
  • Environmental Variables
  • Seabed Modelling
  • Stored Simulation Data
  • VPML Particle Remeshing
  • Modal Analysis
  • Dynamic Wake Meandering
  • Ice Throw Simulation
  • Simulation Definition ASCII File
• Multi-Threaded Batch Analysis
• Velocity Cut-Planes
  • Generating Cut-Planes
  • Export Velocity Fields
  • Create Wind Fields
  • Cut-Plane Definitions
  • Automated Evaluation of Cut-Planes
• Simulation Results & Data
  • Live Results View
• Creating Campbell Diagrams
  • Simulation Setup for Campbell Diagrams
  • Turbine Settings
  • Campbell Diagrams Generation
• Generating Renderings & Screenshots
  • Generating Videos

Multi-Turbine Simulation Setup

• Multi Turbine Simulation Setup
• Multi Turbine Global Mooring System
  • Simulation Data from the Global Mooring System
• Multi Turbine Simulation Definition ASCII File

Simulation Postprocessing

• GUI Based Analysis
  • Changing Graph Types
  • Choosing Values to Plot
  • Customizing the Graph Style
  • Applying Filters to the Data
    • Filter Options
    • Cutoff Frequencies
  • The Graph View Dock
    • Plot Range
    • Plot Blade Section
    • Histogram / Rainflow Settings
    • Plot Ensemble Data
  • Changing the Graph View
• External Postprocessing
  • Data Export Format
  • Batch Export
  • Global Export Filter

Windfield Generation

• Wind Field Generator Overview
• Turbulent Wind Field
  • TurbSim Wind Fields
  • Mann Wind Fields
  • Veers Wind Fields
  • Importing Turbulent Wind Fields
    • Binary Wind Field File
    • Mann Model File
    • TurbSim Input File
• Uniform Wind Field
• Hub Height File

Wave Generation

• Wave Generator Overview
• Regular Linear Wave
• Regular Nonlinear Wave
• Irregular Linear Wave
• Higher-Order Spectral Waves (HOS)
  • Loading HOS Wavefields
  • Linearization of the HOS Field
  • FFT Conversion Parameters
  • HOS Field Configuration Parameters
• Import Components
• Import Timeseries
• Import and Export Functionality
• Wave Definition ASCII File
• Merged Waves
• Merged Wave Definition ASCII File

Design Load Cases (DLC)

• Design Load Cases Overview
• DLC Object Generation (in GUI)
  • Template
  • Turbine Data
  • DLC Parameter Range
  • Wind Model
  • Turbulent Grid Parameters
  • Environmental Vars
  • General Sim Settings
  • Rotational Speed Setting
  • Simulation Event(Fault) Settings
  • Structural Sim Settings
  • Modal Analysis Settings
  • Stored Sim Data
  • Offshore DLC Generation in the GUI
• Exporting DLC Definitions
• DLC Definition via Spreadsheets
• DLC Generation via Spreadsheets
  • Importing DLC’s from a Spreadsheet
  • Exporting DLC’s from a Spreadsheet

Command Line Interface (CLI)

• Command Line Interface (CLI) Overview
• Command Line (CLI) Functionality
• Sample CLI Call to Start a Batch Run

Software in Loop Interface (SIL)

• Software in Loop (SIL) Overview
• Quick Start with the SIL Interface in Python
• Interface Function Definitions
• Interface Function Documentation
• Python Example: Running the QBlade Library
• Python Example: Definition of the QBladeLibrary Class
• Matlab Example: Running the QBlade Library
• Matlab Example: Definition of the QBladeLibrary Class

Changelog

• QBlade 2.0.7 beta
• QBlade 2.0.6.3 beta
• QBlade 2.0.6.2 beta
• QBlade 2.0.6.1 beta
• QBlade 2.0.6 beta
• QBlade 2.0.5.2 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.5.1 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.5 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.9 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.8 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.7 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.6 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.5 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.4 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.3 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.2 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4.1 alpha
• QBlade 2.0.4 alpha