docs: Updates for MD-F SeaState coupling

docs/inputs.rst

@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ The list of possible options is:
  - writeLog (0 C, -1 F): If >0 a log file is written recording information. The
    bigger the number the more verbose. Please, be mindful that big values would
    critically reduce the performance!
- - dtM (3.402823e+38) – desired mooring model maximum time step (s). In
+ - dtM (3.402823e+38 C, coupling timestep size F) – desired mooring model maximum time step (s). In
    MoorDyn-F if this is left blank it defaults to the
    :ref:`driver file <MDF_driver_in>` dtC value or the OpenFAST time step.
  - CFL (0.5) – Desired mooring model maximum Courant-Friedich-Lewy factor. CFL is the ratio 
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ The list of possible options is:
    The new stationary solver in MoorDyn-C is more stable and more precise than the dynamic solver, 
    but it can take longer to reach equilibrium.
  - disableOutput (0): Disables some console and file outputs to improve runtime. 
- - disableOutTime (0): Disables the printing of the current timestep to the console, useful for the MATLAB wrapper
+ - disableOutTime (0): Disables the printing of the current timestep to the console, useful for running with MATLAB
 
 A note about time steps in MoorDyn-C: The internal time step is first taken from the dtM option. If
 no CFL factor is provided, then the user provided time step is used to calculate CFL and MoorDyn-C 
@@ -719,12 +719,12 @@ The following MoorDyn-C options are not supported by MoorDyn-F:
  - StatDynFricScale: Same as MC in MoorDyn-F.
  - ICgenDynamic: MoorDyn-F does not have a stationary solver for initial conditions
  - disableOutput: MoorDyn-F output verbosity is controlled by OpenFAST
- - disableOutTime: MoorDyn-F output verbosity is controlled by OpenFAST
 
 The following options from MoorDyn-F are not supported by MoorDyn-C: 
 
- - WaterKin (Null): Path to the water kinematics file. Allows the inputs of wave and current 
-   coefficients formatted as described in the :ref:`water kinematics file <MDF_wtrkin>`.
+ - WaterKin (Null): Path to the water kinematics file or the SEASTATE Keyword. The formatting of the 
+   water kinematics file can be found :ref:`here <MDF_wtrkin>`. Details on the different MoorDyn-F 
+   water kinematics options can be found in the :ref:`MoorDyn-F water kinematics section <waterkinematics-F>`.
  - MU_KT (0.0): Transverse line coefficient of friction.
  - MU_KA (0.0): Axial line coefficient of friction.
  - MC (1.0): Same as StatDynFricScale in MoorDyn-C.
@@ -965,28 +965,33 @@ Water Kinematics file (MoorDyn-F)
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 .. _MDF_wtrkin:
 
-The file provided to MoorDyn-F for water Kinematics should have the following format, which 
+This file is used if simulating water kinematics in MoorDyn-F with a user defined grid (Old Method and Hybrid Method).
+More details on the different MoorDyn-F water kinematics methods can be found in the :ref:`MoorDyn-F water kinematics section <waterkinematics-F>`.
+
+The file provided to MoorDyn-F for water kinematics should have the following format, which 
 specifies the inputted waves and current. MoorDyn-F can handle a maximum of 100 lines of current
-data. Details on this format can be found in the :ref:`water kinematics section <waterkinematics>`.
+data.
 
 .. code-block:: none
 
  MoorDyn Waves and Currents input file
  ...any notes here...
- --------------------------- WAVES -------------------------------------
- 3                    WaveKinMod  - type of wave input {0 no waves; 3 set up grid of wave data based on time series} 
- "waveelev.dat"       WaveKinFile - file containing wave elevation time series at 0,0,0
- 0.5                  dtWave      - time step to use in setting up wave kinematics grid (s)
- 0                    WaveDir     - wave heading (deg)
- 2                                - X wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num)
- -24, 150, 100                    - X wave grid point data
- 2                                - Y wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num)
- -100, 100, 5                     - Y wave grid point data
- 2                                - Z wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num)
- -600, 0, 60                      - Z wave grid point data
- --------------------------- CURRENT -------------------------------------
- 1                    CurrentMod  - type of current input {0 no current; 1 steady current profile described below} 
- z-depth     x-current      y-current
+  --------------------------- WAVES -------------------------------------
+  2                    WaveKinMod  - type of wave input {0 no waves; 1 use the old method; 2 use the hybrid method}
+  ""                   WaveKinFile - file containing wave elevation time series at 0,0,0 # Ignored if WaveKinMod = 2
+  0                    dtWave      - time step to use in setting up wave kinematics grid (s) # Ignored if WaveKinMod = 2
+  0                    WaveDir     - wave heading (deg) # Ignored if WaveKinMod = 2
+  2                                - X wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num) 
+  -800, 10, 101                    - X wave grid point data
+  2                                - Y wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num)
+  -5, 5, 3                         - Y wave grid point data
+  2                                - Z wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num)
+  -600, 0, 61                      - Z wave grid point data
+  --------------------------- CURRENT -------------------------------------
+  2                    CurrentMod  - type of current input {0 no current; 1 steady current profile described below; 2 hybrid method}
+  2                                - Z wave input type (0: not used; 1: list values in ascending order; 2: uniform specified by -xlim, xlim, num) # Ignored if CurrentMod = 1
+  -600, 0, 50                      - Z wave grid point data # Ignored if CurrentMod = 1
+ z-depth     x-current      y-current # Table ignored if CurrentMod = 2
  (m)           (m/s)         (m/s)
  0.0             0.9          0.0
  150             0.5          0.0
@@ -995,7 +1000,7 @@ data. Details on this format can be found in the :ref:`water kinematics section
  5000            0.15	        0.0
  --------------------- need this line ------------------
 
-MoorDyn with FAST.Farm - Inputs
+MoorDyn-F with FAST.Farm - Inputs
 -------------------------------
 
 MoorDyn is available at an array level in FAST.Farm using the MoorDyn-F v2 input file format.

docs/waterkinematics.rst

@@ -496,8 +496,30 @@ components, roughly meaning that all the water flows away from the origin.
 
 Water Kinematics (MoorDyn-F)
 ----------------------------
-The WaterKin flag in MoorDyn-F takes an input file formatted as described in the additional :ref:`input 
-files section <MDF_wtrkin>`. This file contains both wave and current data. The input file 
-has a flag for a wave data file and MoorDyn-F processes the wave data the same way MoorDyn-C does 
-with WaveKin = 3. The current data is processed by MoorDyn-F as a steady 3D grid the same way 
-MoorDyn-C processes currents = 1. 
+.. _waterkinematics-F:
+
+MoorDyn-F has three options for simulating wave and current loads on the MoorDyn system: the Old Method, 
+the Hybrid Method, and the SeaState Method. Both the hybrid method and the SeaState method use a coupling 
+with the `OpenFAST SeaState module <https://openfast.readthedocs.io/en/main/source/user/seastate/index.html>_` 
+to calculate the wave kinematics. The Old Method is a legacy method that is not coupled to SeaState. The three
+methods can be described as:
+
+- **Old Method**: MoorDyn takes wave elevation time series and current speeds with depths as inputs generates it's 
+  own water kinematics using the equivalent of WaveGrid = 3 and Currents = 1 in MoorDyn-C.
+- **Hybrid Method**: SeaState sets up wave elevation frequencies and current speeds and then MoorDyn interpolates 
+  this information to user provided wave grid and current depth discretization. This allows users to set the 
+  WaterKinematics for the whole OpenFAST or FAST.Farm system while still maintaining a courser grid for the MoorDyn
+  water kinematics, enabling computational efficiency. This method is compatible with FAST.Farm.
+- **SeaState Method**: SeaState does all the work, MoorDyn just accesses the SeaState grid data at any given 
+  timestep and location. This requires the SeaState grid to encompass the whole MoorDyn system for the most
+  accurate results. If a point is quried outside the SeaState gird, it will recive the water kinematics of 
+  the nearest grid point. This method is not compataible with FAST.Farm.
+
+The table below summarizes these three options.
+
+.. figure:: waterkinematics_MDF.png
+   :alt: MoorDyn-F water kinematics options 
+
+The WaterKin flag in MoorDyn-F can be either `SEASTATE` or a file path. If the flag is set to `SEASTATE` then the SeaState 
+method is used. If the flag is set to a file path, then the Old Method or Hybrid Method is used. This file is formatted as 
+described in the additional :ref:`input files section <MDF_wtrkin>`. This file contains both wave and current data.