HAWC2 version 12.8 entails some new features and various bug fixes.
Radial induction has been implemented as an optional setting (radial_induc) of the aerodynamics. In the current release it is turned off by default to make sure that the results obtained from HAWC2 12.8 are close to those obtained by 12.7, explains David Verelst, Researcher at DTU Wind Energy and part of the group working with HAWC2. He says:
”We strongly encourage the use of the radial induction model because our aerodynamic and aeroelastic benchmarks against CFD / coupled fluid structure interaction have shown a substantial improvement in the computed loads for blades with pre-bend or winglet-like tips. We also encourage using the near wake model ('induction_method 2') for higher-fidelity aerodynamics than the BEM model.”
This release also includes a new mechanism to hide certain input data from a user running a HAWC2 simulation. This is done by encrypting the text input file, and removing certain output options when running with encrypted input files. The updated manual describes in more detail how to use this feature. Note that the standalone executable for encrypting the input files can be obtained by contacting the HAWC2 support.
Users are encouraged to carefully read the changelog before trying out this new release as there are some small changes/fixes that might affect the outcome of some of your simulations, depending on the specifics of your model.