WTLib (Wind Turbine Library)

A MATLAB-based library for parametric wind turbine blade design and analysis using NuMAD as a backend. WTLib leverages object-oriented programming to "puppeteer" NuMAD workflows, enabling automated generation, modification, and evaluation of blade designs for research and design space exploration.

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Overview

WTLib provides a high-level interface to:

• Define wind turbine blade geometries programmatically

• Interface with NuMAD without relying on Excel-only workflows

• Perform automated analyses (beam models, operating points, etc.)

• Conduct design space exploration (DSE)

• Match blade designs based on:

  • Axial induction distributions (Jamieson model)
  • Root bending moments
  • Tip deflection

The library is particularly suited for multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) studies and reproducible research workflows.

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Key Features

1. Object-Oriented Blade Definition

• Central class: bladeParam

• Encapsulates:

  • Geometry
  • Materials
  • Components
  • Operating conditions

2. NuMAD Integration

• Automates:

  • Blade updates
  • Beam model generation
  • Structural analysis

• Avoids manual GUI interaction

3. Flexible Input System

• Inputs are not restricted to Excel
• Custom parsing supported (e.g., .xlsx, future support for standardized formats like wind.io)

4. Design Space Exploration

• Grid-based exploration of aerodynamic parameters
• Parallel execution support via MATLAB parpool and parfeval

5. Matching Algorithms

• Jamieson Fit: Fits axial induction curves
• Moment Matching: Matches root bending moments
• Tip Deflection Matching: Matches structural compliance

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Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/jjmoraa/WTLib.git

2. Set Up Paths in MATLAB

Ensure all required toolboxes and dependencies are available.

Run:

addWindTurbinesLib()

Modify this function to correctly point to:

• NuMAD source
• External tools (e.g., BModes, PreComp, ANSYS if used)

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Dependencies

WTLib relies on a modified version of NuMAD maintained alongside this repository.

Required

• MATLAB (Parallel Computing Toolbox recommended)
• Custom NuMAD fork (required): https://github.com/jjmoraa/NuMAD-3.00_devUMass

Optional

• BModes
• PreComp
• ANSYS

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Installation

1. Clone WTLib

git clone https://github.com/jjmoraa/WTLib.git

2. Clone the Modified NuMAD (Required)

WTLib depends on a custom NuMAD version. Clone it as a sibling directory (same parent folder as WTLib):

git clone https://github.com/jjmoraa/NuMAD-3.00_devUMass.git

3. Directory Structure (Important)

Your folder structure should look like:

parent_directory/
├── WTLib/
└── NuMAD-3.00_devUMass/

4. Set Up Paths in MATLAB

Run:

addWindTurbinesLib()

Modify this function if needed so it correctly points to:

• WTLib
• The modified NuMAD directory
• External tools (BModes, PreComp, ANSYS, etc.)

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Typical Workflow

Below is a simplified outline of a typical WTLib workflow.

1. Initialize Environment

addWindTurbinesLib();
[inputs, airfoils] = scriptInit_v2(dataFolder);

2. Create Reference Blade

[geometryVec, materialsVec, componentsVec] = parseInputs(inputs, inputFile);

refBlade = bladeParam(...);
refBlade.updateBlade;
refBlade.generateBeamModel;
refBlade.operatingPoint;

3. Fit Aerodynamic Model

[fitcurve, gof] = jamiesonsFitv2(refBlade, rootPct);

4. Generate Matching Designs

• Moment-matching blade
• Tip-deflection-matching blade

5. Design Space Exploration

grid_points = JamiesonsBoundGenerator(...);

for idx = 1:length(grid_points)
    % Generate blade
    % Run analysis
end

Parallel execution supported via:

parfeval

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Folder Structure

WTLib/
├── source/                # Core library code
├── examples/              # Example scripts
├── data/                  # Input data
├── results/               # Output results
├── utilities/             # Helper functions
└── README.md

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Naming Convention

Generated blades are automatically labeled using:

mommat_idxXXX_nX.XXX_pX.XXX

or

dflmat_idxXXX_nX.XXX_pX.XXX

This ensures traceability across large parametric studies.

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Parallelization

WTLib supports parallel execution using MATLAB's parallel toolbox:

if isempty(gcp('nocreate'))
    parpool(N)
end

Asynchronous execution example:

f = parfeval(@functionName, 1, args...);
wait(f, 'finished', timeout);
result = fetchOutputs(f);

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Example Use Case

The library has been used to:

• Analyze the IEA 15MW reference turbine

• Generate families of blades with equivalent:

  • Aerodynamic performance
  • Structural response

• Perform trade studies between stiffness and loading

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Future Work

• Integration with standardized input formats (e.g., wind.io)
• GUI or lightweight app interface
• Docker/containerized deployment
• Expanded optimization frameworks

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Author

Jose Mora University of Massachusetts Amherst

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License

Specify your license here (e.g., MIT License, BSD, etc.)

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Acknowledgments

• NuMAD development team
• Wind energy research community

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Citation

If you use WTLib in your research, please cite it as:

Mora, J.; Lackner, M. (2026). WTLib: A Matlab toolbox for wind turbine analysis and simulation. GitHub repository. https://github.com/jjmoraa/WTLib

BibTeX:

@misc{mora2026wtlib,
  author       = {Jose Mora},
  title        = {{WTLib}: A Matlab toolbox for wind turbine analysis and simulation},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/jjmoraa/WTLib}},
  note         = {GitHub repository}
}

## Contact

For questions or collaboration inquiries, please open an issue on GitHub or contact the author.