Tool development based on FAST for performing design optimization of offshore wind turbines: FASTLognoter

The new engineering FASTLognoter software is presented. This code is essentially the result of the integration of two tools, along with some additional features. The first basis tool is FAST (developed by NREL), a comprehensive aeroelastic simulator code for wind turbines. The second basis tool is Lognoter (developed by CompassIS), a general-purpose commercial software for managing and creating engineering forms. The integration of FAST and Lognoter gives a useful, comprehensive and versatile toolkit, which is verified in this work by means of bibliographic documented cases. An important advantage of the tool presented is the parametric design capability, allowing the user of FAST/AeroDyn/HydroDyn codes to analyze a massive group of cases; therefore, optimal design can be carried out.

► A new integrated tool for the design optimization of offshore wind turbines.
► A useful and comprehensive GUI is provided for the wind turbine calculation FAST code.
► Use of Tcl/Tk, XML and SQlite programming for integration between two powerful tools.
► FASTLognoter allows incorporating new user to develop offshore wind turbines.
► It is presented a representative design optimization case.