FAST

FAST, now OpenFAST, is NREL's primary physics-based engineering tool for simulating the coupled dynamic response of wind turbines.

FAST joins aerodynamics models, hydrodynamics models for offshore structures, control and electrical system (servo) dynamics models, and structural (elastic) dynamics models to enable coupled nonlinear aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulation in the time domain. The FAST tool enables the analysis of a range of wind turbine configurations, including two- or three-blade horizontal-axis rotor, pitch or stall regulation, rigid or teetering hub, upwind or downwind rotor, and lattice or tubular tower. The wind turbine can be modeled on land or offshore on fixed-bottom or floating substructures. FAST is based on advanced engineering models—derived from fundamental laws, but with appropriate simplifications and assumptions, and supplemented where applicable with computational solutions and test data.

The aerodynamic models use wind-inflow data and solve for the rotor-wake effects and blade-element aerodynamic loads, including dynamic stall. The hydrodynamics models simulate the regular or irregular incident waves and currents and solve for the hydrostatic, radiation, diffraction, and viscous loads on the offshore substructure. The control and electrical system models simulate the controller logic, sensors, and actuators of the blade-pitch, generator-torque, nacelle-yaw, and other control devices, as well as the generator and power-converter components of the electrical drive. The structural-dynamics models apply the control and electrical system reactions, apply the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads, adds gravitational loads, and simulate the elasticity of the rotor, drivetrain, and support structure. Coupling between all models is achieved through a modular interface and coupler (glue code).

Germanischer Lloyd issued a certificate of evaluation for FAST in 2005.

Starting with FAST v8, development has been based on a Modularization Framework.

Most recently, we have transitioned from developing FAST v8 to the development of the OpenFAST open-source development community. See the most recent version of OpenFAST.

This software was developed by Jason Jonkman and colleagues of NREL.

We currently support the following versions of FAST:

FAST v7
The last version of FAST released before transitioning to the Modularization Framework.

FAST v8
The last version of FAST, developed using the Modularization Framework before the development of OpenFAST.

OpenFAST
The most recent version of the OpenFAST open-source development community, developed using the Modularization Framework and originating from FAST v8.

Seismic
A version of FAST v7 with routines for simulating seismic loading.