Docs > User Manual > Simulations and analyses > Using the command-line interface (ashes-cli)

Using the command-line interface

The Ashes command-line interface (ashes-cli) allows you to run simulations from the command-line or from a Python script. This section will explain how to run a simple batch and then an example where ashes-cli is used in an optimization loop is shown. Further, options for adding/removing blades is explained.

1 Running a batch

To run a batch, two files are needed: (1) An Ashes project file (.ash) containing your model, and (2) a batch CSV file defining your batch. The project file can be created by saving your model in Ashes to file, and the CSV file can be exported from the batch manager, see CSV file.

The command to run the batch is

ashes-cli -runbatch -projectfile *pathtoprojectfile* -batchcsvfile *pathtocsvfile*

The ashes-cli is located in the Program Files folder (unless you installed it somewhere else). To run ashes-cli, you have to go to the installation folder first. Here is an example:

cd C:\Program Files\Ashes 3.20
ashes-cli -runbatch -projectfile "C:\Users\Per Ivar\Documents\Ashes 3.20\Onshore.ash" -batchcsvfile "C:\Users\Per Ivar\Documents\Ashes 3.20\Batch.csv"

The results from this batch will be saved in the folder C:\Users\Per Ivar\Documents\Ashes 3.20\Batch runs\Batch (replace with your own username).

2 Running ashes-cli from a Python script

The ashes-cli can easily be run from a Python script, using the subprocess module. Here is a Python script example for running a batch:

import subprocess

# Change these paths to use your own username 
ashesExePath = "C:/Program Files/Ashes 3.20/ashes-cli.exe"
projectFilePath = "C:/Users/Per Ivar/Documents/Ashes 3.20/onshore.ash"
csvFilePath = "C:/Users/Per Ivar/Documents/Ashes 3.20/Batch.csv"

result = subprocess.run([ashesExePath, "-runbatch", "-projectfile", projectFilePath, "-batchcsvfile", csvFilePath])
print ("Return code: {}".format(result.returncode))

3 Examples

3.1 Optimization loop in a Python script

In this example we will modify the tower thickness in the input CSV file, and gradually increase it until the maximum normal stress is lower than the yield stress of steel.

This example uses two files: Onshore.ash, the project file; and Batch.csv, the batch file. Both of these files are found in the Examples/Ashes-cli examples folder, which you can open by going to Help | Open examples folder. You also find the Python script itself there, called ashesCliOptimizationLoopExample.py.

This example uses the pandas module. You might have to install it by running pip install pandas in a command line.

import os
import subprocess
import shutil
import pandas as pd

# Change these paths 
ashesExePath = "C:/Program Files/Ashes 3.19/ashes-cli.exe"
projectFilePath = "C:/Users/Per Ivar/Documents/Ashes 3.20/onshore.ash"
originalCsvFilePath = "C:/Users/Per Ivar/Documents/Ashes 3.20/Batch.csv"
batchResultsDir = "C:/Users/Per Ivar/Documents/Ashes 3.20/Batch runs"

initialThickness = 0.001 # 1 millimeter as initial tower thickness
thickness = initialThickness
deltaThickness = 0.0005     # Step 0.5 millimeter every iteration
yieldStrength = 355.0/1.25  # Yield strength of steel in MPa divided by safety factor
i = 1

while True:
    # Make a copy of the csv file that we will modify
    outDir = os.path.dirname(originalCsvFilePath)
    batchName = "Optimization batch, t={}".format(thickness)
    modifiedCsvFilePath = outDir + "/" + batchName + ".csv"
    shutil.copyfile(originalCsvFilePath, modifiedCsvFilePath)
    # Read csv using pandas
    csv = pd.read_csv(modifiedCsvFilePath, sep=';', dtype="string", header=None)
    csv = csv.fillna("")
    # Modify the tower thickness value and save file
    csv.iat[4,10] = str(thickness)
    csv.to_csv(modifiedCsvFilePath, sep=';', index=None, header=None)
    # Run ashes-cli
    result = subprocess.run([ashesExePath, "-runbatch", "-projectfile", projectFilePath, "-batchcsvfile", modifiedCsvFilePath])
    if result.returncode != 0:
        print("Return code was {}, check console output for more information.".format(result.returncode))
        break   # Something went wrong, check console output.
    
    sensorFilePath = batchResultsDir + "/" + batchName + "/Load case set 1/Load case 1/Time simulation/Sensor Beam element [Element 1 Tubular tower].txt"
    sensorData = pd.read_table(sensorFilePath, skiprows=11)
    # Get last value of the normal stress column
    maxNormalStress = float(sensorData.iloc[-1]["Max normal stress [M Pa]"])
    if maxNormalStress <= yieldStrength:
        print("Final thickness of {} m was found, giving max normal stress of {} MPa.".format(thickness,maxNormalStress))
        break
    else:
        print("Thickness of {} was not sufficient, giving max normal stress of {}. Continuing.".format(thickness,maxNormalStress))
    
    thickness = initialThickness + i*deltaThickness
    i += 1

3.2 Power curve generation for random turbulent wind speeds

This example can be found in \Documents\Ashes X.yy\Ashes-cli examples\ashesCliWindSpeedCurve.p y.

It can be run with the default onshore model which has to be called onshore.ash and located in the Ashes X.yy folder.

It uses the csv file WindSpeed_curve.csv , located in the same folder.

The script contains several absolute paths. Make sure the pats are changed before running the script.

See the comments in the script for a detailed explanation of how the script works.

4 Adding and removing blades

4.1 Adding a blade

Blades can be added to the database using the -addblade argument. Additionally, you must specify the following arguments:

Argument	Description
bladename	The name of the blade that is to be added to the database. It is recommended to not use whitespaces in the name.
bladeshapefile	The path to the Blade shape file.
bladestructurefile	The path to the Blade structure file.

Here is an example:

ashes-cli -addblade -bladeshapefile="C:\Users\User\Documents\Ashes 3.21\NREL 5-MW blade shape.txt" -bladestructurefile="C:\Users\User\Documents\Ashes 3.21\NREL 5-MW blade structure.txt" -bladename=myblade

If the command is successful, the blade has been added to the Ashes database. If you want to verify that the blade is correct, you can start Ashes and open the Blade database .

4.2 Removing a blade

Removing a blade from the database is done with the -removeblade argument. In addition, you must specify the blade name with the -bladename argument.

ashes-cli -removeblade -bladename=myblade