# Wind files creation in batch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Wind & Water\ **Created:** [September 22, 2022, 7:11am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829 "2022-09-22T07:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Karthik.Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Karthik.Prakash](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Karthik.Prakash)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 9:11am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/22 "2022-10-10T09:11:11Z")
Dear @KumaraRaja.Eedara Thanks a lot for the response and the files. A very naive question, what is the difference between .dat and .inp file. My assumption was that the input file (.inp) was the the input to create wind files via TurbSim. Please correct me if I am wrong. Best regards, Karthik ---
**Author:** ![KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/user_avatar/forums.nlr.gov/kumararaja.eedara/32/3091_2.png) [@KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/KumaraRaja.Eedara)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 9:51am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/23 "2022-10-10T09:51:38Z")
Dear @Karthik.Prakash Your understanding about \*.inp is correct, it is input for TurbSim. I can’t understand which \*.dat you are talking about. If it is about the \*.dat file in line22 in the python code, then it is the input file required for running OpenFAST. It is basically name of the inflow wind file in \*.fst. i.e the variable **InflowFile** in \*fst file when **CompInflow** is set to 1. Regards, Kumara ---
**Author:** ![Karthik.Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Karthik.Prakash](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Karthik.Prakash)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/24 "2022-10-10T10:13:18Z")
Dear @KumaraRaja.Eedara Thanks a lot for the reply. I meant the same .dat file that you mentioned. 1. Where my confusion lies is, what is the difference between the .inp and .dat (InFlow) file? 2. Is only .inp used to create wind files? 3. What is the connection of .dat (Inflow) to Wind creation or use. I have seen .dat files referring to .bts file. 4. I am also a bit confused about the difference between InflowWind and TurbSim. Best regards, Karthik ---
**Author:** ![KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/user_avatar/forums.nlr.gov/kumararaja.eedara/32/3091_2.png) [@KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/KumaraRaja.Eedara)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 10:37am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/25 "2022-10-10T10:37:21Z")
Dear @Karthik.Prakash Here is how the code works: To perform OpenFAST simulation, you need to specify “EDFile”, “InflowFile”,“AeroFile”,“ServoFile”…etc. Right? and note that these are all \*.dat files. The code assumes you already have list of \*bts files created from “TurbSim” already. Note that the line33 in the code creates a python list (wind\_files) with all the \*bts files names as entries. Now, inorder to perform simulations automatically, corresponding to each of the wind files (\*bts) in the folder, all that needs be changed between two runs is, the name of the wind file i.e variable name “FileName\_BTS” in “InflowFile.dat”. Agreed? That is precisely what the code does. For each run, the code opens “InflowWind.template” and replaces the “FileName\_BTS” variable value with the new \*bts file name and saves it as InflowWind\_01.dat. Then “OpenFAST” is called and results are saved. Again, the process repeats for the new \*bts file automatically. Hope this helps! Regards, Kumara ---
**Author:** ![Karthik.Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Karthik.Prakash](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Karthik.Prakash)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 11:05am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/26 "2022-10-10T11:05:44Z")
Hi @KumaraRaja.Eedara This really helps. Can you help me understand a bit more about the fundamental difference b/w InflowWind and Turbsim. If I understood it correctly, Turbsim via the inputs from .inp creates .bts files and these .bts files are referred in the .dat (InflowWind) file. But, I am trying to understand are they both 2 different things. Best regards, Karthik ---
**Author:** ![Karthik.Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Karthik.Prakash](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Karthik.Prakash)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/27 "2022-10-10T12:49:10Z")
Hi @KumaraRaja.Eedara I got the following error while running the simulations. I am trying to understand what line 40 is doing, can you help me understand why we need to rename **openFAST\_output\_file\_name** as **‘Sim\_01.out’** and why is the renaming from **.bts** to **.out** done in **line 37** as the **.out** file was seen not used anywhere. Please correct me if I understood wrong. ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/original/2X/6/60b9193a7d69249a75e4dd8316ad7f90dbe2e0f2.png) ---
**Author:** ![KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/user_avatar/forums.nlr.gov/kumararaja.eedara/32/3091_2.png) [@KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/KumaraRaja.Eedara)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/28 "2022-10-10T13:15:30Z")
Dear @Karthik.Prakash The line40 simply **renames** the OpenFAST output file (\*.out) with the name same as \*bts file name. In my case after OpenFAST file the name of the output file created is “Sim\_01.out”. In your case if it is different (say xyz.out) replace “Sim\_01.out” in the line40 with “xyz.out”. If renaming is not done, the OpenFAST output file gets over written after each run. Make sure the directory is consistent. Regards, Kumara ---
**Author:** ![Jason.Jonkman](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/user_avatar/forums.nlr.gov/jason.jonkman/32/3086_2.png) [@Jason.Jonkman](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Jason.Jonkman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/30 "2022-10-10T16:52:19Z")
Dear @Karthik.Prakash, I’ll just clarify that InflowWind is a module of OpenFAST that enables other modules of OpenFAST (e.g., AeroDyn) to access ambient wind information. InflowWind is set up such that other modules can request wind data at a specific point and time and InflowWind will provide that data to OpenFAST. InflowWind supports many wind data types, including steady uniforum, unsteady uniform, and full-field turbulence. The latter can be computed by TurbSim and its output file can be listed in the InflowWind input file. TurbSim is a preprocessor for generating ambient wind data that varies in time and space (full-field turbulence). Some files have specific extensions (such as \*_.bts_ files generated by TurbSim). The primary input files of modules of OpenFAST (including InflowWind) don’t require specific file extensions, but we tend to use \*_.dat_ as the file extension. Best regards, ---
**Author:** ![Karthik.Prakash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Karthik.Prakash](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Karthik.Prakash)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2022, 9:51am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/31 "2022-10-12T09:51:31Z")
Dear @Jason.Jonkman , The explanation really helps and clarified one of my fundamental doubts. Best regards, Karthik ---
**Author:** ![Yuan.Hu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/d78d45/32.png) [@Yuan.Hu](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Yuan.Hu)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2023, 7:54am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/32 "2023-05-17T07:54:40Z")
Dear KumaraRaja.Eedara Thanks a lot. You can share it to [windhy0415@gmail.com](mailto:windhy0415@gmail.com) Best regards Yuan ---
**Author:** ![KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/nrel/user_avatar/forums.nlr.gov/kumararaja.eedara/32/3091_2.png) [@KumaraRaja.Eedara](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/KumaraRaja.Eedara)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2023, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/33 "2023-05-17T10:03:31Z")
Dear Yuan Hu, I don’t understand what exactly you are looking for. I’ve emailed the files for automating wind file generation using TurbSim. Thanks. Regards, Kumara ---
**Author:** ![Gejia.Zhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Gejia.Zhu](https://forums.nlr.gov/u/Gejia.Zhu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829/34 "2023-11-09T13:41:08Z")
Dear KumaraRaja.Eedara： Can you emailed “the files for automating wind file generation using TurbSim” to [1252996175@qq.com](mailto:1252996175@qq.com). Best regards, jia [Previous page](https://forums.nlr.gov/t/wind-files-creation-in-batch/3829.md?page=1)