FEPS Tutorial
STUDENT WORKBOOK
Land Management Tool Training Package
Fire and Environmental Applications Team
USFS - PNW Research Station
Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory
400 North 34th Street, Suite 201
Seattle, Washington 98103
Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................................i
Instructions for Installing FEPS Software....................................................iii
FEPS Tutorial .........................................................................................iv
Welcome to the FEPS v 1.1 Tutorial .........................................................1
Part 1: Background ..................................................................................2
What is FEPS? ........................................................................................ 3
History of EPM and FEPS.......................................................................... 4
Potential Applications .............................................................................. 5
Part 2: FEPS Basics ..................................................................................6
Basic Steps to Using FEPS........................................................................ 7
Installing FEPS ....................................................................................... 8
Upgrading and Reinstalling FEPS............................................................... 9
Starting FEPS ....................................................................................... 10
Exiting FEPS ........................................................................................ 11
Menu Bar............................................................................................. 12
Tool Bar .............................................................................................. 13
Status Bar ........................................................................................... 14
Entering Data....................................................................................... 15
Validating Entered Data ......................................................................... 16
FEPS Online Help .................................................................................. 17
Part 3: Managing Events ........................................................................18
What is an Event?................................................................................. 19
User Events ......................................................................................... 20
User Default Events .............................................................................. 21
System Default Events .......................................................................... 22
Manage Events Screen .......................................................................... 23
Loading an Event.................................................................................. 24
Creating an Event ................................................................................. 25
Deleting an Event ................................................................................. 26
Exporting an Event ............................................................................... 27
Importing an Event ............................................................................... 28
Part 4: Data Entry ..................................................................................29
Overview of the Data Entry Screen.......................................................... 30
Entering Event Data .............................................................................. 31
Event Information Tab........................................................................... 32
Fuel Loading Tab .................................................................................. 33
NFDR Models..................................................................................... 35
FCCS Fuelbeds .................................................................................. 36
Default Fuel Loadings ......................................................................... 37
Fuel Moisture Tab ................................................................................. 38
Consumption Tab.................................................................................. 39
Importing Consumption Values from Consume or FOFEM ......................... 41
Resetting Consumption Values ............................................................. 42
Calculate and Save Consumption ......................................................... 43
Hourly Input Data Tab ........................................................................... 44
Hourly Data View ............................................................................... 45
Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes View..................................... 47
Tips for Editing Hourly Data................................................................. 48
Part 5: Reports ......................................................................................51
Report and Chart Options ...................................................................... 52
Creating Reports and Charts .................................................................. 53
Event Data Report ................................................................................ 54
Consumption / Emissions Results Report.................................................. 55
Buoyancy Results Report ....................................................................... 57
Emissions Results Report ....................................................................... 59
Printing Reports and Charts.................................................................... 60
Exporting Reports and Charts ................................................................. 61
Consumption by Combustion Stage Chart................................................. 62
Plume Rise Chart .................................................................................. 63
PM2.5 Emissions by Combustion Stage...................................................... 64
CO Emissions Chart .............................................................................. 65
Part 6: Case Studies...............................................................................66
Southern Case Study ............................................................................ 67
Step 1: Create an Event...................................................................... 68
Step 2: Event Information Tab............................................................. 69
Step 3: Fuel Loading Tab .................................................................... 70
Step 4: Fuel Moisture Tab ................................................................... 71
Step 5: Consumption Tab.................................................................... 72
Step 6: Hourly Input Data ................................................................... 73
Step 7: Results.................................................................................. 74
Western Case Study.............................................................................. 75
Step 1: Create an Event...................................................................... 76
Step 2: Event Information Tab............................................................. 77
Step 3: Fuel Loading Tab .................................................................... 78
Step 4: Fuel Moisture Tab ................................................................... 79
Step 5: Consumption Tab.................................................................... 80
Step 6: Hourly Input Data ................................................................... 81
Step 7: Hourly Emissions Results ......................................................... 83
Step 8: Plume Rise Results.................................................................. 84
i
Introduction
The Fire Emission Production Simulator (FEPS) is a user-friendly computer program
designed for scientists and resource managers. The software manages data concerning
consumption, emissions, and heat release characteristics of prescribed burns and
wildland fire events. The original Emissions Production Model (EMP) was designed to
help managers estimate and mitigate the rates of heat, particles and carbon gas
emissions from controlled burns of harvest-slash residue in Pacific Northwest forests. In
updating EPM, a significant number of improvements were made to the usability,
applicability, and accuracy of the model. The calculation approach was redesigned, and
the model has been renamed FEPS.
The most recent FEPS update, version 1.1, includes fuels data from the most popular
fuelbeds in the Fuel Characteristic Classification System and produces hourly emission
and heat release data for prescribed and wildland fires. It now accepts data imported
from FOFEM, Consume 2.1, and Consume 3.0.
FEPS can be used for most forest, shrub and grassland types in North America and may
be applied to other regions of the world. FEPS incorporates a flexible user interface that
allows users to customize a burning Event. Users may adjust fuel loadings, fuel
moistures, fuel consumption algorithms, fuelbed proportions and fire growth rates to fit
specific events, and can specify durnal changes in meteorological conditions that will
modify plume rise. Furthermore, many intermediate results are shared in the user
interface. Users may accept these calculations or enter their own values.
Using FEPS
FEPS produces hourly emission and heat release data for prescribed and wildland fires.
Users start with a description of an Event. This description includes the name, location,
start date, end date, and other properties of the burn event. Users then specify up to
five unique profiles. Each profile includes fuel loading and fuel moisture information.
Based on these data, FEPS calculates total fuel consumption for each profile. FEPS then
determines flaming, short-term smoldering (< 2 hrs), and long-term smoldering
involvement and consumption. Finally, users indicate how the Event behaves over time.
FEPS uses hourly data on fire size and local weather conditions to calculate emissions
and heat release parameters on an hourly basis. Fuel characteristics for each hour are
managed by distributing the fire across the five user-specified fuel profiles.
FEPS Events
In order to use FEPS efficiently, it is important to understand how FEPS manages Events.
In FEPS, individual studies are called Events. An Event stores information about and
calculates emission and release information for an entire burn (either a prescribed fire or
a wildland fire) at a single location.
Because of the relative complexity of the data necessary to define an Event, users are
not allowed to create one from blank input screens. All Events are created from existing
Events, or System or User Defaults (templates). This approach helps the user make
sure that an Event dataset is complete. However, it is incumbent on the user to review
ii
all of the supplied data and revise it as necessary to make sure that they are correct.
This procedure allows a user with less specific knowledge of a fire to accept the data in a
System Default as a starting point and get reasonable results. It also allows users with
more specific knowledge of a fire to completely customize the data used to compute
results.
For more information, contact:
Ellen Eberhardt, Technical Information Specialist
Fire and Environmental Applications Team
USFS - PNW Research Station
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone: (541) 750-7481
E-mail: eeberhardt@fs.fed.us
iii
Instructions for Installing FEPS Software
Installation Requirements
FEPS will run on all versions of Microsoft Windows, including Windows 95, Windows 98,
Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. It requires 12.5MB of free disk space.
To install FEPS:
1) Download FEPS.msi from the FEPS webpage.
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/feps/
2) Double-click on FEPS.msi and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the
installation.
During installations and upgrades, some users have received an error message:
"Error 1931: The Windows Installer service cannot update the system file
C:\WINNT\system32\hhctl.ocx because the file is protected by Windows. You may
need to update your operating system for this program to work correctly."
If you receive this error, simply click the OK button and proceed. The error will not
affect how FEPS runs on your computer.
To upgrade FEPS from a previous version:
To upgrade FEPS, you must first uninstall version 1.0, then install version 1.1.
When upgrading from version 1.0 to 1.1, the installation software will retain all of your
user-specified Event information. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that you make a
copy of the FEPS.mdb file in a safe place prior to upgrading FEPS. The database file,
FEPS.mdb, is located in the same directory as the FEPS executable file. For a typical
installation this would be C:\Program Files\FEPS\.
Before you upgrade FEPS, copy this file to a safe location.
For advanced users, any modifications you have made to the equation spreadsheets will
not be retained. Make a copy of your modified equation spreadsheets before upgrading,
and then copy your saved spreadsheets back into the EquationSpreadsheets subdirectory
after installing version 1.1.
iv
FEPS Tutorial
The following pages follow the online tutorial which can be downloaded and/or viewed
at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/products/software_tutorials.html
The student workbook includes everything in the tutorials and provides space at the
bottom of each page for your notes.
1
Welcome to the FEPS v 1.1 Tutorial
To start the FEPS tutorial, click on a topic in the tutorial index. You can view the entire tutorial
page by page by clicking the ► button at the top right of each screen or look up specific topics by
clicking them in the index.
If you click on a hyperlink within a tutorial page, please use the back button in your browser or
click on the topic in the tutorial index to return to that tutorial page.
Notes:
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Part 1: Background
•
What is FEPS?
•
History of EPM and FEPS
•
Potential Applications
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3
What is FEPS?
The Fire Emission Production Simulator (FEPS) is a user-friendly computer model designed for
scientists and resource managers. FEPS predicts fuel consumption, emissions and heat release
characteristics of prescribed burns and wildland fires. Total burn consumption is distributed over
the life of the burn to generate hourly emission and release information.
FEPS v 1.1 incorporates fuels data from the most popular fuelbeds in the Fuel Characteristic
Classification System and fuel models from the National Fire Danger Rating System. It also
accepts exported consumption data from FOFEM 5.x and Consume 2.1.
Notes:
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History of EPM and FEPS
The original Emissions Production Model (EPM) was designed to help managers estimate and
mitigate the rates of heat, particles, and carbon gas emissions from controlled burns of harvestslash residue in Pacific Northwest forests. Although still usable, EPM has an outdated user
interface and cannot acommodate long-smoldering fires and fiels that burn over several fuel types
or growth rates. In updating EPM, a significant number of improvements were made to the
usability, applicability, and accuracy of the model.
The model was renamed the Fire Emissions Production Simulator (FEPS) because of extensive
changes in the interface, data requirements, and the underlying equations. FEPS was designed to
be apply to most forest, shrub and grassland types in North America and can be adapted to many
vegetation types throughout the world.
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Potential Applications
FEPS can be used for most forest, shrub and grassland types in North America and may be
tailored to suit applications in other regions of the world.
•
The program allows beginning users to produce reasonable results by providing default
values and calculations.
•
FEPS also offers a flexible user interface that allows users to customize a burning Event.
You may adjust fuel loadings, fuel moistures, fuel consumption algorithms, fuelbed
proportions, and fire growth rates to fit specific burn events. Diurnal changes in
meteorological conditions that affect plume rise may also be adjusted.
•
If you have fuel consumption and emissions data from Consume 2.1 or FOFEM 5.x, you
can use FEPS to project your data to hourly consumption and emissions rates throughout
the duration of the event.
•
The hourly emissions data you generate in FEPS can be used to generate maps of
predicted smoke plumes in VSmoke and other applications.
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6
Part 2: FEPS Basics
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Basic steps to using FEPS
Installing FEPS
Upgrading and reinstalling FEPS
Starting FEPS
Exiting FEPS
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Status Bar
Entering Data
Validating entered data
FEPS online help
Notes:
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Basic Steps to Using FEPS
FEPS produces hourly emissions and heat release data for prescribed and wildland fires.
To use FEPS:
1. Start with a description of an Event. This description includes the event name, location,
start date, end date, and other properties of the event.
2. You may specify up to five unique fuel profiles for each event.
3. Each profile includes fuel loading and fuel moisture information.
4. Based on input data, FEPS calculates total fuel consumption for each profile.
5. FEPS then determines flaming, short-term smoldering (< 2 hours) and long-term
smoldering involvement and consumption.
6. FEPS uses hourly data on fire size and local weather conditions to calculate emissions and
heat release parameters on an hourly basis.
7. Fuel characteristics for each hour are managed by distributing the fire across the five userspecified fuel profiles.
Notes:
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8
Installing FEPS
FEPS will run on all versions of Microsoft Windows, including Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. It requires 26.5 MB of free disk space on your computer.
You can download the latest version of FEPS and supporting documentation including the User's
Manual and Installation Requirements from the FEPS webpage:
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/feps/
To download and install FEPS:
1. Click on the link Download software and user's guide.
2. Click on FEPS Software v1.1.
3. You will be prompted to save the installation file FEPS.msi to your computer. Depending
on your internet connection speed, it may take several minutes to download the 19.5 MB
file.
4. Once the file downloads, locate FEPS.msi on your computer, double-click on it and follow
the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
During installations and upgrades, some users have received an error message:
"Error 1931: The Windows Installer service cannot update the system file
C:\WINNT\system32\hhctl.ocx because the file is protected by Windows. You may need to update
your operating system for this program to work correctly."
This error will not affect how FEPS operates on your computer. Click OK to proceed with the
installation.
Tip: The FEPS installation should not require administrative privileges. However, if you have
problems installing FEPS, you may need to obtain administrative privileges to complete the
installation.
Notes:
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Upgrading and Reinstalling FEPS
•
To upgrade FEPS, you must first uninstall any previous versions of FEPS.
•
When upgrading to the latest version, the installation software will retain all of your user
event information. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that you make a copy of the
FEPS.mdb file in a safe place prior to upgrading FEPS. Before you upgrade FEPS, copy this
file to a safe location.
Tip: The database file FEPS.mdb is located in the same directory as the FEPS executable file.
For a typical installation this would be C:\Program Files\FEPS\.
•
For advanced users, any modifications you have made to the equation spreadsheets will
not be retained. Make a copy of your modified equation spreadsheets before upgrading,
and then copy your saved spreadsheets back into the EquationSpreadsheets
subdirectory after installing version 1.1.
•
Click the OK button and proceed with the installation.
Notes:
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10
Starting FEPS
You can start FEPS by double-clicking on the FEPS icon on your desktop or from the Windows®
Start menu.
To start FEPS using the Start menu:
1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Select the Programs menu.
3. Click the FEPS menu option under the USFS FEPS program group.
Note: The FEPS introduction screen will appear for a few moments. Following this, the Manage
Event Screen will appear. From this screen, you may select, create, delete or export Events.
You may also go directly to the results for an Event.
Notes:
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Exiting FEPS
To exit FEPS:
•
From any main FEPS screen, select Exit FEPS from the File Menu or press Ctrl-X.
•
If you have made changes, FEPS will prompt you to save your work.
o
Click Yes to save changes and exit. Upon saving, FEPS will notify you of any
validation errors.
o
Click No to exit FEPS without saving your changes.
o
Click Cancel to return to FEPS.
Tip: You can also exit FEPS by clicking the X in the upper right hand corner of the FEPS window.
Notes:
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Menu Bar
The menu bar is visible on all main FEPS screens. Some menu items will be grayed out when
they are not available. For example, you cannot choose Reports/Charts from the Actions
menu if you have not saved your changes on a data entry tab.
Menu
Menu option
Definition
File menu
Manage Events
Return to the manage events screen. On that screen, you
may load, create, delete or export Events.
Import Events
Import an Event from an Event export file.
Save Event
Saves changes made to the current Event.
Convert Event to
User Default
Converts the currently loaded Event to a User Default. This
action cannot be reversed.
Exit
Closes the application. If have made any changes, FEPS will
prompt you to save your changes before closing.
Cancel Changes
Resets infomation on the screen to the last saved version.
Cancel Import
This menu option replaces the Cancel Changes option when
hourly data have been exported to Excel. Cancel Import
cancels the export/import and returns to FEPS.
Reports/Charts
Calculates all results for the current Event and displays the
Reports and Charts screen.
Equations
Displays the parameter/equation modification screen. See the
FEPS User's Guide, Appendix D, for more information.
Modify Event Data
This menu option replaces the Reports/Charts option when
viewing the Reports and Charts screen. Returns to the Data
Entry screen.
Actions
menu
Import Consumption Imports total fuel consumption from Consume 2.1, Consume
3.0, or FOFEM 5.x.
Help menu Contents
About
Displays the FEPS on-line help.
Displays current FEPS version information.
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Tool Bar
The Tool Bar allows you to launch commonly used menu items by clicking on icons. As with menu
items, some Tool Bar icons are grayed out when they are not available.
Returns to the Manage Events screen where you can load, create, delete and export events.
Saves changes made to the current event.
Resets information on the screen to the last saved version.
Converts a currently loaded Event to a User Default. You cannot undo this action.
Calculates results for the current Event and displays the Reports and Charts screen.
Returns to the data entry tabs. This icon is displayed in place of the Reports/Charts icon
when you are in the Reports Charts screen.
Notes:
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Status Bar
The status bar, located at the bottom of the screen, displays various information about the Event
with which you are working. Scroll down to view example.
•
Event Name: The name of the currently loaded Event (example: Southern).
•
Event Type: The type of the currently loaded Event (example: User Event).
•
Fire Type: The fire type for the currently loaded Event (example: Broadcast Natural
Fuel).
•
Today's Date: Your computer's system date (example: Feb 21, 2006).
•
Event Validity: Indicates whether the currently loaded Event is valid (Example: Event:
Valid).
•
Tab Validity: Indicates whether the current data entry tab is valid or if you are in edit
mode (Tab: In edit).
Notes:
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Entering Data
Editing data
Because new events are based on existing events or default events in FEPS, you will need to
replace existing inputs with your own. To edit data:
1.
Click on or tab to the desired field.
2.
Make the necessary change.
Tip: Some fields will restrict the types of data you may enter (For example, fuel loading fields
require numeric input whereas the NFDR fuel model field requires a valid letter).
Saving or canceling changes
Save and Cancel Changes buttons are visible on all data entry tabs in FEPS. Upon changing a
value in any field, the Save and Cancel Changes buttons will become enabled. FEPS will not
allow you to change data entry tabs until you save or cancel your changes.
To save changes on any data entry tab:
•
Click the Save button,
•
Click the Save icon on the toolbar,
•
Select Save Event from the File menu, or
•
Press Ctrl-S on your keyboard
FEPS will validate the data. If all data meets the validation requirements FEPS will save the
changes. If FEPS encounters a validation problem, it will warn you and ask whether you wish to
save the event with invalid data. You may save the event as invalid and return at a later time to
correct your data entry. You will not be able to run reports or use the event as a basis for creating
other events as long as it is invalid.
To cancel changes made since the last save:
•
click the Cancel button,
•
click the Cancel icon on the toolbar, or
•
select Cancel Changes from the Actions menu.
Notes:
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Validating Entered Data
Reports and charts can be generated only for Events with valid data. FEPS validates data entered
on each data entry tab and over the entire event.
The status bar, located at the bottom of the FEPS screen, indicates whether the Event and or the
currently displayed tab are valid (scroll down to view example).
If the status bar indicates that the current Event is invalid, but the current tab is valid, you must
manually view each of the other four tabs to determine where invalid data have been entered.
Tip: Occasionally, a change you make in the data on one data entry tab may cause the data on
another tab to become invalid. For example, if you delete a Fuel Profile you may invalidate the “%
of are burning for each profile” columns in the Hourly Input Data tab.
Notes:
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17
FEPS Online Help
FEPS provides an online Help function. At nearly any point in the program you may access help by
pressing your F1 key. This will open the FEPS online help with information specific to of FEPS you
are currently in.
If specific information is unavailable, the online help section will display a general overview of the
application. You can also open the online Help system by selectiing Contents from the Help
menu.
Tip: The online help includes a table of contents in the left panel of the screen to help you search
for information. Click on the + sign next to a topic to expand the selection tree. To view a topic,
simply click on it and its contents will be displayed in the right panel of the screen.
Notes:
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Part 3: Managing Events
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What is an event?
User events
User default events
System default events
Managing events screen
Loading an event
Creating an event
Deleting an event
Exporting an event
Importing an event
Notes:
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What is an Event?
In FEPS, individual cases of prescribed or wildland fires are called Events. An Event stores
information about a prescribed or wildland fire and is used by FEPS to calculate rates of pollutant
emissions and heat release from the fire. In order to use FEPS accurately and efficiently, it is
important to understand how to create and manage Events.
Event definitions are complex. To avoid potential input errors, FEPS requires you to create new
Events from existing User Events, System Default Events or User Default Events (defined below).
Users with limited knowledge of a fire can use System Default Events as a starting point and
obtain reasonable outputs from FEPS. Advanced users with detailed fire data can completely
customize Events. In either case, it is important to review all inputs to ensure they are accurate
and will result in reliable output.
FEPS stores events in three categories:
User Events
A User Event is a user-defined datasets describing an actual or hypothetical burn at a single
location over a period of time. The Event may include multiple ignition periods and may extend up
to 30 days following the initial ignition period.
User Default Events
User Default Events are stored in a library intended for use in creating new user events. For
example, if you have a User Event that you regularly use as the starting point for new Events,
you can save it in the User Default Library.
System Default Events
FEPS contains a small library of System Default Events. System Default Events are intended to
represent a variety of generic burn scenarios to serve as a good starting point for creating user
events. System Default Events may not be deleted, and you may not create additional system
default events.
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User Events
User Events represent a user-defined set of data about a specific burn. It represents specific
actual or hypothetical burns at a single location over a defined period. The Event may include
multiple ignition periods and may extend up to 30 days following the initial ignition period.
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User Default Events
User Default Events are stored in a library intended for use in creating new user events. For
example, if you have a User Event that you regularly use as the starting point for new Events,
you can save it in the User Default Library.
Notes:
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System Default Events
FEPS contains a small library of system default events. System Default Events are intended to
represent a variety of generic burn scenarios to serve as a good starting point for creating user
events. System Default Events may not be deleted, and you may not create additional System
Default Events.
Notes:
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Manage Events Screen
After starting the program, FEPS will display the Manage Events screen. This screen manages
event libraries, including User Events, User Defaults, and System Defaults. Scroll down to view
the example.
1. The upper selection box lists three Event Libraries including:
•
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User Events
User Default Events
System Default Events
2. The lower selection box lists all events under the selected event library. If you select a
different event library from the upper box, the lower box will change to display the corresponding
list of events.
Tip: depending on the number of events in your library, you may need to scroll down to view all
available events in a category.
3. Six action buttons are available at the bottom of the screen:
•
Load: loads the selected event.
•
Create: initiates creation of a new event. Once selected, additional options will become
available on the screen.
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Delete: deletes the selected event.
•
Export: exports the selected event to a file. Once downloaded, the event may be
imported by other FEPS users.
•
Reports: opens the Reports and Charts screen for the selected event. The button is
unavailable (grayed out) if the selected event is invalid.
•
Cancel: cancels the current operation (such as Create) or it will cancel the Manage
Events screen and return FEPS to the screen that was displayed prior to the Manage
Events screen.
Tip: You can return to this screen from other screens by selecting Manage Events from the File
menu or pressing CTRL-E.
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Loading an Event
To load an Event:
1. Select an event library from the upper box.
2. Select an event from the lower box.
3. Click the Load button. Note: If you load a System Default, you will only be able to
review it. All fields will be grayed out, and the event will be marked as "Read Only".
Tip: If you are using FEPS for the first time, no User Defaults or Events will exist. You will need
to create an Event from a System Default.
Notes:
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Creating an Event
You can create an Event by making a copy of an existing Event under a different name. You may
use any valid User Event, any User Default, or any System Default as the basis for your Event.
Once created, you may alter the Event as desired. New Events may be created as User Events or
User Defaults.
To create a new Event:
1.
Select an Event type from the upper box.
2.
Select an Event from the lower box as the ‘parent’ of the new event,
3.
Click the Create button. FEPS will display a box where you can enter the name and type
of the new Event.
4.
Enter an Event name in the box under Enter the name for a new Event. (Scroll down to
view example).
5.
Click on the radio button for the desired Event type (i.e. Select either “Save as Event” or
“Save as User Default”).
6.
Click the Save button. The new Event name must be unique. If an Event with that name
already exists, FEPS will prompt you to enter a new different name. If the name is unique,
FEPS will create and load the new Event.
Notes:
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Deleting an Event
To delete an existing Event:
1. Select an Event library from the upper box.
2. Select an Event from the lower box.
3. Click the Delete button.
Tip: System Default Events may not be deleted.
Notes:
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27
Exporting an Event
You may wish to export an event to move an Event from one copy of FEPS to another, to share
an Event with another user, or to create a backup. To export a Event:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select an event library from the upper box.
Select an event from the lower box.
Click the Export button. This will open the Export dialog.
From the Export Dialog Box, enter a new name in the File Name box.
Click on the Save button.
Tip: FEPS allows you to save filenames with any extension. However, if you wish to import an
event file back into FEPS, the file must have a *.fep file extension.
Notes:
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28
Importing an Event
If a colleague has shared a FEPS export file with you or you wish to restore an exported event
from a backup archive, you will need to import the file into FEPS before loading the event.
To import an Event:
1. Select Import Event from the File menu. This will open the Import dialog box.
2. From the Import dialog box, select the file location using the “Look in” box.
3. Select a file. The file name should appear in the File name box.
4. Click on the Open button. If FEPS already has an Event with the same name as the one
that you are importing, it will prompt you to provide a new Event name.
Notes:
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29
Part 4: Data Entry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Overview of the Data Entry screen
Entering event data
Event information tab
Fuel loading tab
o NFDR Models
o FCCS Fuelbeds
o Default fuel loadings
Fuel moisture tab
Consumption tab
o Resetting consumption values
Hourly input data tab
o Hourly data view
o Daily temperature and humidity extremes view
o Tips for editing hourly data
Notes:
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30
Overview of the Data Entry Screen
After loading or creating an event, FEPS opens the Data Entry Screen and displays the Event
Information tab. There are five data entry tabs including:
•
Event Information: records basic information about the event including event name, date,
area, fire shape, type of burn and general descriptive information.
•
Fuel Loading: defines up to 5 fuel profiles that represent fuel loadings for a unique area
within the burn.
•
Fuel Moisture: defines up to 6 fuel moisture profiles and automatically calculates
percentage of fuels consumed from each fuel profile based on a specified fuel moisture
profile.
•
Consumption: reports total fuel consumption and fuel consumption in the flaming, shortterm smoldering and long-term smoldering stages of combustion.
•
Hourly Input Data: Allows users to specify how much of the fire event was in a given fuel
profile and hourly weather information.
Notes:
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31
Entering Event Data
To enter event data:
1. Click on the labeled tabs to switch between tabs.
2. To avoid making validation errors, enter data on each successive tab starting with the
Event information tab and ending with Hourly Input Data tab.
3. Input data on each tab may change the intermediate results and data requirements on
subsequent tabs (i.e., to the right of the first tab). For example, if you modify the dates
on the Event Information tab, FEPS will automatically update the hourly data for each
specified day on the Hourly Input tab. Similarly, if you make changes to the Moisture
Profiles tab, FEPS will update consumption data in the Consumption tab.
4. Once you make changes to a tab, you may not leave that tab until you have saved or
canceled your changes.
5. When you save your changes, FEPS will validate your inputs. If you have missed an entry
or entered a value outside of an allowable range, FEPS will provide a validation warning.
You may either correct the validation error or save the invalid entry. If any part of an
event is saved as invalid, the event as a whole is also invalid.
Tip: You may not use an invalid event as a basis for creating other events or generate reports or
charts.
Notes:
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32
Event Information Tab
Data entered on the Event Information tab set up the profile and influence data requirements
on the other tabs. For example, changing the beginning or ending dates, and/or fire shape will
affect the Hourly Input Data tab. This is normal when you are first customizing an Event, but if
you change these fields after you have set up data on the Hourly Input Data tab, some data on
that tab may be altered or lost.
The following data are recorded on this tab:
•
Event Name: This name is displayed on reports, in the status bar, the application title
bar, and the Manage Event screen. Once an event has been created, this is the only place
that the Event name may be changed.
•
Start Date: The date the fire starts.
•
End Date: The end date of the fire should allow for the completion of the fire’s short- and
long-term smoldering phases. Note: events may not exceed 30 days.
•
Fire Shape: Fire shape determines how a fire grows over time. Freely spreading oval is
the best choice for wildland fires, and Linear progression is the best choice for prescribed
files. Refer to the user's manual for more details.
•
Event Type: This input is only used for informational/organizational purposes and offers 5
categories including emissions inventory, real time prediction, burn/fire plan, typical event,
and other.
•
Fire Type: A general description of the type of fire, including Wildland Fire Severe,
Wildland Fire Low Severity, Broadcast Natural Fuel, Broadcast Slash, Piled Slash, and
Other. Note: FEPS assumes canopy consumption occurs only if fire type is designated as
Wildland Fire Severe.
•
Permit or Fire #: An optional record of permit or fire number. (25 characters maximum).
•
Description: An optional description of the event. (50 characters maximum).
•
Comment: An optional memo field where additional information can be entered. There is
no limit on the amount of text entered in this field.
•
Longitude: The longitude of the Event location. Enter degrees, minutes and seconds
separately.
•
Latitude: The latitude of the Event location. Enter degrees, minutes and seconds
separately.
Notes:
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33
Fuel Loading Tab
The Fuel Loading tab allows you to establish the name and fuel loadings of up to five unique fuel
loading profiles.
•
Each profile represents a fuelbed within the event's burn area, characterized by different
fuel loadings by fuel type (Natural fuels, Slash fuels, and Duff) and by stratum (canopy,
shrub, grass, woody, and litter) for natural fuels.
•
Actual fuel loading profiles used in FEPS calculations are specified in the Hourly Input Data
tab. You may change fuel profile names at any time by returning to the Fuel Loading tab.
Note: not all five fuel loading profiles need to be used.
•
Under each profile, you may enter your own fuel loading data or select standard fuel
loadings by specifying a National Fire Danger Rating (NFDR) fuel model or Fuel
Characteristics Classification System (FCCS) Fuelbed. Click on the ... button under NFDR
Model or FCCS Fuelbed to select from a list of options. If you select an NFDR fuel model or
FCCS Fuelbed, FEPS will automatically fill loadings data into the appropriate cells and list
the associated ID in the Reference column.
•
If you are entering your own fuel loading data and need a default value for a particular
input cell, you may double-click on it or select the cell and press the F7 key to open a
worksheet of generic fuel loadings. Select a value corresponding the fuel density (none,
light, medium or heavy) and press the ENTER key to populate the cell.
•
You must specify a name for a fuel loading profile if there are any non-zero values.
Tip: standard fuel loadings loaded from NFDRS or FCCS are input as blue. If you enter your
own fuel loadings data or use a FEPS default, FEPS will change the input color to red.
Notes:
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34
Notes:
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35
NFDR Models
To select from a list of NFDR (National Fire Danger Rating) fuel models:
1. Click the ... button under NFDR Model in the Fuel Loading screen.
2. Select a row under Choose NFDR Fuel Model.
3. Click the Select button to load the fuel model and return to the Fuel Loading page.
Tip: Fuel model descriptions and representative photos are included in Appendix E of the FEPS
Users Guide.
Notes:
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36
FCCS Fuelbeds
To select from a list of Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) fuelbeds:
1. Click the ... button under FCCS fuelbed in the Fuel Loading screen.
2. Select a row under Choose FCCS Fuelbed.
3. Click the Select button to load the fuelbed and return to the Fuel Loading page.
Tip: Fuel model descriptions and representative photos are included in FCCS Users Guide.
Notes:
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37
Default Fuel Loadings
On the Fuel Loading tab, FEPS provides default fuel loadings for each cell of the Fuel Loadings
Profile. To select a default value, double-click on the cell you want to populate and select a value
corresponding the fuel density (none, light, medium or heavy) and press the ENTER key to
populate the cell.
This worksheet contains typical values selected by the designers of FEPS. If these generic
loadings do not represent typical values for the systems where you work, you may wish to change
the values in a User Default event. To change any of the default values:
1. Load an event from the User Defaults library.
2. Click on the Fuel Loading tab.
3. Double-click on a fuel loading cell or select a cell and press the F7 key to open the fuel
loading worksheet.
4. Replace the default values with your own data.
When you create new events from that User Default and wish to select from typical loading values
from the worksheet, the worksheet will contain values representative of your system.
Notes:
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38
Fuel Moisture Tab
The Fuel Moisture tab has two sections.
1. The upper section of the data entry tab is devoted to fuel moisture profiles.
•
You can enter up to six fuel moisture profiles. Not all fuel moisture profiles may be
necessary for a given event.
•
For each fuel moisture profile, you can accept exiting fuel moisture values by timelag class
(e.g., 1-hr, 10-hr) from the parent event or replace them by changing values and clicking
the Save button.
Tip: Fuel moisture values inherited from a System Default are displayed in blue. Values differing
from those in the System Defaults (i.e., entered by a user at some point) are displayed in red.
2. The lower section of the tab presents the percent of fuel loading consumed.
•
The names of the fuel profiles you entered on the Fuel Loading tab are presented in the
first column.
•
To calculate fuel consumption, each fuel profile first must have a fuel moisture profile
assigned to it. Select a fuel moisture profile (Very Dry, Dry, Moderate, Moist, Wet or Very
Wet) from the toggle box.
•
Based on the fuel moisture profile you selected for each fuel profile, FEPS automatically
calculates the percent of fuel loading consumed and fills in the table.
Tip: As with other tables in FEPS, if you wish to override a calculated consumption percentage,
you may simply enter the desired value.
Notes:
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39
Consumption Tab
The Consumption tab uses fuel loading and moisture information from previous tabs to calculate
total fuel consumption and fuel consumption in flaming, short-term smoldering and long-term
smoldering phases.
•
Consumption values are intermediate steps in the FEPS calculations. You may override
any value in a white data entry field, but be cautious! If you modify values, make sure
they are within the expected range for that variable (see the FEPS User's Guide or online
help).
•
Cells with a gray background were entered in the fuel loading data entry tab and are
displayed for your reference. If you elect to change any values or import total
consumption from Consume or FOFEM, these values will be grayed out to indicate they are
no longer being used to calculate consumption.
•
To make changes to any intermediate calculation in a white entry cell, enter your data and
click the Calculate and Save button. FEPS will update any calculations that are affected
by your changes.
•
For an explanation of abbreviated column headings, position your mouse cursor above a
column heading. A tool tip will appear with the full column heading.
Tip: Calculated values are displayed in blue and those you enter are displayed in red.
Notes:
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40
Notes:
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41
Importing Consumption Values from Consume or
FOFEM
On the Consumption tab, total consumption values can be imported from Consume 2.1,
Consume 3.0 or FOFEM 5.x by following these steps:
1. Select Import Consumption from the Actions menu.
2. Select Import from Consume 2.1, Import from Consume 3.0 or Import from FOFEM
5.x.
3. Follow on-screen instructions to complete the import.
4. Click the Calculate and Save button to accept the imported values. Fuel consumption
values will be updated in red to indicate you have modified that input cell.
Tip: Cells with a gray background were entered in the fuel loading data entry tab and are
displayed for your reference. After you import total consumption and click Calculate and Save,
these values will be grayed out to indicate they are no longer being used to calculate total
consumption.
Notes:
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42
Resetting Consumption Values
Although FEPS allows you to change intermediate values on the Consumption Tab, you should
only do this if you know the expected input range for each variable you modify (see the FEPS
User's Guide or online help) and are aware of the potential consequences of your entry.
To reset any value you have modified (indicated by red text) to the FEPS intermediate
calculations, click on the appropriate cell and press F5 on your keyboard.
To reset the entire Consumption tab to the FEPS intermediate calcualtions, click the Reset
button. FEPS will alert you with the following warning:
Click the OK button to continue resetting the consumption values.
Notes:
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43
Calculate and Save Consumption
Unlike other data entry tabs in FEPS which have a simple Save button, the Consumption tab has a
Calculate and Save button. If you make any changes to the intermediate values in the white
entry cells of the Consumption tab, you can:
•
Cancel changes by clicking on the Cancel button OR
•
Ask FEPS to recalculate the intermediate consumption results using your entered data and
save all changes by clicking on the Calculate and Save button.
Tip: Even after you have clicked the Calculate and Save button, you may reset this data entry
to the FEPS intermediate calculations by clicking on the Reset button.
Notes:
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44
Hourly Input Data Tab
The Hourly Input Data tab has two available views:
•
Hourly Data: records hourly data including burn area, windspeed and atmospheric
stability.
•
Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes: records daily extremes in temperature and
relative humidity.
Tip: Columns in italics (date and time) are not changeable.
To switch between views:
1. Click on the radio button next to Hourly Data or press Alt-Y on your keyboard to select
the hourly data view.
2. Click on the radio button next to Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes or press
Alt-D on your keyboard to select the daily extremes view.
Tip: You can toggle between the two views without saving changes.
Notes:
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45
Hourly Data View
On the Hourly Input Data tab, some of the column headings in the Hourly Data View on this tab
are abbreviated to conserve space. If you position the mouse cursor over a column heading, a
ToolTip box containing the full column name will appear. You can also click on the headings to get
more information about the data associated with each column.
The hourly data view includes the following variables:
•
Date: burn date.
•
Time: hours listed as 0 to 23 (midnight through 11pm, respectively).
•
Area: Cumulative acreage of the burn event. The area should be entered at times when
the area is known specifically and at times when there is a change in the rate of growth of
the fire. Manually entered values are shown in red. FEPS will interpolate between manually
entered values.
•
% area burning: The percentage of each fuel profile involved in the burn at the specified
hour. A column for each of the five fuel profiles is presented. The column heading displays
the profile names (which may be truncated due to space constraints). Note: The sum
across all five fuel profiles must equal 100% for every hour.
•
TransWind: The wind speed (mph) at transport height.
•
Wind @ Flame: The wind speed (mph) at mid-flame height.
•
Pasquill Stability: The Pasquill stability class of the atmosphere.
Tips to efficiently edit the hourly data table are included on the next page.
Notes:
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46
Pasquill Stability
There are six Pasquill Stability categories (A through F).
•
The Unstable classes (A, B, and C) occur during the daytime. Class A is ‘Very Unstable’
and corresponds to hot, calm days, which leads to the greatest amount of dispersion. A
plume of smoke is broken up and spread widely with ‘A’ Stability.
•
The Neutral class D can occur during day or night and corresponds to windy days or to
the tranform times of dawn and dusk. This is the most frequently occurring stability class.
•
The Stable classes (E and F) only occur at night. Class F is ‘Very Stable’ and corresponds
to nights with low winds. A plume experiencing ‘F’ Stability will feature very little
dispersion.
Notes:
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47
Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes View
On the Hourly Input Data tab, the Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes view includes the
following variables:
•
Date: burn date. Note: You cannot edit data in this column.
•
Extremes: “Min Temp/ Max RH” or “Max Temp/ Min RH”. Minimum and maximum daily
values are entered on separate rows. Enter the minimum temperature and maximum
relative humidity on the “Min Temp/Max RH” rows and maximum temperature and
minimum relative humidity on the “Max Temp/Min RH” rows. Note: You cannot data in
this column.
•
Hour (0 - 23): The hour at which the minimum or maximum temperature occurs for a
given day.
•
Temp (ºF): Temperature in Fahrenheit degrees.
•
Minimum and maximum daily temperatures: Enter the minimum temperatures on the
min rows, and the maximum temperatures on the max rows.
•
RH%: Maximum and minimum daily relative humidity (RH). The minimum RH must be
listed in the row for the maximum temperature, and the maximum RH must be listed in
the row for the minimum temperature.
Tip: You may enter data in any non-italicized column (Hour, Temp and RH). If you enter data,
you may either cancel your changes using the Cancel button or save your changes using the
Save button.
Notes:
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48
Tips for Editing Hourly Data
FEPS provides several options to easily populate the large table in the Hourly Data View, including
quick keys and the Export to Excel for Editing button that allows you to edit the table directly
in Excel.
•
•
•
•
•
Setting a Beginning or Ending Area
Clearing a Beginning or Ending Area
Editing Fuel Profile Area Proportions and Meteorological Information
Copying Profile/Meteorological Information
Using Excel to Edit Hourly Data
Setting a Beginning or Ending Area
1. Click on the Area column at the desired date and time.
2. Enter the new area.
Clearing a Beginning or Ending Area
1. Click on the Area column at the desired date and time.
2. Press F5 on your keyboard. After setting or clearing an area, FEPS will recalculate the
areas for the intervening time steps using interpolation.
Tip: These changes are not saved automatically. You must save your changes for them to be
permanent.
Editing Fuel Profile Area Proportions and Meteorological Information
The five columns under the heading “% of area burning for each fuel profile” represent the
percentage of the fire area corresponding to the five fuel profiles defined on the Fuel Loading
tab. You control which fuel profiles are involved in the fire event and the hours of their
involvement in these columns.
Please note:
•
The sum of the five columns must equal 100% for each hour of the fire.
Notes:
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49
•
If you change the proportion of one fuel profile for a given hour, the other fuel profiles
need to be adjusted so that the sum is again 100%.
•
The meteorological data should be obtained from a weather station near the fire.
To change the any of the values in these columns:
1. Click or move to the desired field, and
2. Make the necessary change.
Tip: Some fields will restrict the types of data you may enter, for example, the % of area
burning fields will not allow you to enter anything but integer numbers.
Copying Profile/Meteorological Information
Because meteorological data or burning behavior can be very similar from one day to the next,
complete profile (percent area) and meteorology data for a given 24-hour period may be copied
to other days in the event to make it easier to fill in the table.
There are several ways of copying profile/meteorological data. Data in a cell may be copied to all
the rest of the cells below in that column:
To copy cells down:
1. Click or move to an input cell and press F6.
2. You may now move down lower, enter another value and copy it down. It this fashion, you
can quickly edit an entire column of data.
To copy daily percent area or meteorology data:
1. Click or move to any percent area or meteorology cell on the desired day.
2. Press F7. Data from the selected day are copied into every other day in the event. If you
are on a percent area column, the five percent area columns are copied; if you are on a
meteorology column, the three meteorology columns are copied.
Tip: Data are copied on an hour-by-hour basis. Data from each hour of the selected day are
copied to the corresponding hours of every day of the Event. This will not affect the total area
column.
Notes:
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50
To copy data in a given column through typical cut and paste procedures:
1. Click or move to the desired field,
2. Press Ctrl-C to copy the value to the copy buffer,
3. Select a destination cell or range of cells within the same column,
4. Press Ctrl-V to paste the value into the cells, and FEPS will not make the change until
you:
5. Press Enter, Click on a different cell or move to a different cell.
Using Excel to Edit Hourly Data
If you have Microsoft Excel® on your computer and a working knowledge of the program, you
can click on the Export to Excel for Editing button to edit the hourly data worksheet in Excel.
After making changes, simply save your work in Excel and close the program. FEPS will update
the worksheet with your changes.
Notes:
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51
Part 5: Reports
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Report and chart options
Creating reports and charts
Event Data report
Consumption/Emissions Results report
Buoyancy Results report
Emissions Results report
Printing reports and charts
Exporting reports and charts
Combustion by Combustion Stage chart
Plume Rise chart
PM2.5 Emissions by Combustion Stage chart
CO Emissions chart
Notes:
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52
Report and Chart Options
Once you have finished entering data in all five data entry tabs and all tabs are valid, you can
select select the Reports/Charts from the Action menu item or click the Reports/Charts toolbar
button to view reports and charts.
FEPS provides a series of reports and charts to document your results.
Reports
•
Event Data Report: presents a summary of input data in the data entry tabs.
•
Consumption / Emission Results: lists consumption for each phase of the fire (flaming,
short-term smoldering, and long-term smoldering) and emissions of CO, CH4, and PM2.5 for
each hour of the Event. It also includes basic Event information and total consumption and
emissions of the specific Event.
•
Buoyancy Results: lists basic event information and buoyancy results for each hour of the
Event
•
Emissions Results: lists hourly emissions of CO, CH4, and PM2.5 for the specified Event;
also reports the drift percent of PM2.5, total consumption and emissions, and basic input
information of the specified event.
Tip: Reports can be viewed in English or Metric units.
Charts
•
Consumption by Combustion Stage: displays consumption by combustion stage over the
duration of the Event.
•
Plume Rise: displays the results of several plume rise calculations.
•
PM2.5 Emissions by Combustion Stage: displays PM2.5 emissions over time.
•
CO Emissions: displays CO emissions over time.
Notes:
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53
Creating Reports and Charts
FEPS displays reports and charts for the currently selected Event. To open the Reports and Charts
screen from the Manage Events Screen:
1. Select a valid Event
2. Click the Reports button
3. Select Reports/Charts from the Actions menu OR click on the Reports/Charts icon on
the Tool Bar.
4. To view a report or chart, simply select the desired report/chart from the pull down list
labeled Select the report.
Tip: if you are currently editing event data, you will need to save or cancel any changes to view
reports.
Notes:
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54
Event Data Report
This report presents a summary of the data entered to define an Event. Because values mirror
entered data, units are in English and cannot be changed to Metric. Values for unused profiles
are intentionally left blank.
Notes:
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55
Consumption / Emissions Results Report
The Consumption / Emissions Report lists consumption for each phase of the fire (flaming, shortterm smoldering, and long-term smoldering) and emissions of CO, CH4 and PM2.5 for each hour of
the Event. It also includes basic event information and total consumption and emissions of the
specified Event.
Report Variable Definitions
Report variable(s) and
measurement unit
Definition
Elapsed Time (hour)
Total cumulative elapsed time.
Date
The date of each day in the
event.
Hour (hour)
The hour within each day of the
event.
Temperature (degrees
Fahrenheit)
Ambient temperature.
RH (%)
Relative humidity.
Fire Size (acres)
The cumulative size of the hour.
Fire Rate (acres/hour)
The growth rate of the area
consumed.
Flaming, short-term
smoldering, and long-term
smoldering (tons/hour)
Hourly fuel consumption by
combustion phase.
CO, CH4, and PM2.5
emissions (pounds/minute)
Emissions rate of carbon
monoxide, methane and fine
particulate matter (< 2.5
microns) at a given hour.
You can more readily view and print the report by clicking the Print Preview button.
Notes:
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56
.
Notes:
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57
Buoyancy Results Report
This report lists basic event information and buoyancy results for each hour of the Event.
Report Variable Definitions
Report variable(s) and
measurement unit
Definition
Elapsed Time (hour)
Total cumulative elapsed time.
Date
The date of each day in the
event.
Hour (hour)
The hour within each day of the
event.
Temperature (degrees
Fahrenheit)
Ambient temperature.
RH (%)
Relative humidity.
Transport Wind (miles per
hour)
Transport wind velocity.
Pasq Stab. class
Pasquill stability class.
Diff Temp (Kelvins/meter)
Differential temperature gradient.
Briggs Stab
Briggs stability coefficient.
Buoy Eff, Entr Eff, Comb Eff Buoyancy, Entrainment, and
(fraction)
Combustion efficiency.
Plume heat release (british
thermal units/hour)
Hourly heat release of the plume.
Briggs buoy
(meters4/second3)
Briggs buoyancy factor.
Plume Rise based on Briggs
Maximum value, the empirical
Plume rise Del H, FEPS Max,
maximum and minimum values
FEPS Min (feet)
of plume rise in FEPS,
respectively.
PM2.5 emissions: lofted
and drift smoke
(pounds/minute)
Rate of lofted and drift smoke
fine particulate matter emissions.
Notes:
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58
You can more readily view and print the report by clicking on the Print Preview button (example
displayed below).
Notes:
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59
Emissions Results Report
This report lists hourly emissions of CO, CH4, and PM2.5 for the specified Event. It also lists the
drift percent of PM2.5, total consumption and emissions, and basic input information of the
specified event.
Report Variable Definitions
Report variable(s) and
measurement unit
Definition
Elapsed Time (hour)
Total cumulative elapsed time.
Date
The date of each day in the
event.
Hour (hour)
The hour within each day of the
event.
CO, CH4, and PM2.5
emissions (pound/minute)
Emissions rate in pounds per
minute of carbon monoxide,
methane, and fine particulate
matter at a given hour.
PM2.5 percent drift
Percent of total PM2.5 emission
rate that are drift emissions.
You can more readily view and print the report by clicking on the Print Preview button.
Notes:
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Printing Reports and Charts
To print a report:
1. Select a report from the pull-down list.
in the FEPS window.
The results will be displayed in a summary table
2. Select the desired units (English or Metric).
3. Click the Print Preview button or press Alt-V. This will display the report preview in a
separate window.
4. Click on the Print button on the preview window’s toolbar in the upper left hand corner
(see “Printing a Report”, below).
5. You must close the print preview window to return to editing or viewing event data.
To print a chart:
1. Select a chart from the pull-down list.
2. Select the desired units (English or Metric).
3. Click the Print Chart button or press Alt-C.
Tip: The FEPS report print preview window has its own tool bar. The icons on this toolbar can be
used to:
Open a print dialog box to
print the report/chart.
Export the report to an HTML
or text file.
Set the zoom of the report
to see more or less of it on
your screen.
Notes:
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Exporting Reports and Charts
With the exception of the Event Data report, you can export reports to comma-delimited (.csv),
Microsoft® Excel (.xls), HTML (.html), or text (.txt) file formats. Using the Print Preview
button, you can also export any report to HTML or text format.
You can export charts to bitmap (.bmp), JPEG (.jpg), or GIF (.gif) formats.
To export a report or chart:
1. Select the desired report/chart from the pull down list labeled Select the report or chart.
2. Click the Export Report or Export Chart button (This button dynamically updates to your
selection).
3. Enter the file path and name in the Export dialog box.
4. Click the Save button.
Tip: If FEPS cannot determine that Excel is properly installed, it will provide a warning at startup
and the features that enable use of report export will be disabled. However, even without Excel
installed, you can still export to a text or HTML file using the export function in the Print
Preview screen.
.
Notes:
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Consumption by Combustion Stage Chart
This chart displays consumption by combustion stage (i.e., flaming, short-term smoldering, and
long-term smoldering) over the life of the Event. Charts are displayed in the the FEPS window
where they may be viewed and printed.
•
•
Click Print Chart to open the print dialog box.
You can export the chart as a bitmap, jpeg or gif graphics file by clicking the Export Chart
button.
Notes:
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Plume Rise Chart
This chart displays the results of three empirical plume rise calculations including the Briggs Delta
H Max, the predicted maximum plume rise, and the predicted minimum plume rise.
•
•
Click Print Chart to open the print dialog box.
You can export the chart as a bitmap, jpeg or gif graphics file by clicking the Export Chart
button.
Notes:
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PM2.5 Emissions by Combustion Stage
This chart displays fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions over time.
•
•
Click Print Chart to open the print dialog box.
You can export the chart as a bitmap, jpeg or gif graphics file by clicking the Export Chart
button.
Notes:
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CO Emissions Chart
This chart displays carbon monoxide (CO) emissions over time.
•
•
Click Print Chart to open the print dialog box.
You can export the chart as a bitmap, jpeg or gif graphics file by clicking the Export Chart
button.
Notes:
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Part 6: Case Studies
The following three case studies provide you with regional applications of FEPS.
•
•
•
Southern Region: Planning for prescribed fire in longleaf-pine-turkey oak
Western Region: Evaluating fuel conditions and treatment options in central Oregon
Boreal Region: under development
Each regional case study is designed to demonstrate FEPS as a land management tool that can be
used in tandem with the Natural Fuels Photo Series, FCCS, and Consume 3.0. If you are planning
to use FEPS in conjunction with other FERA products, including the Natural Fuels Photo Series,
FCCS, and Consume 3.0, please refer to the other software tutorials for a continuation of these
case studies.
Notes:
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Southern Case Study
You are a fire management officer for a forest reserve in south-central Georgia. As part of your
prescribed burn planning, the forest supervisor has requested an assessment of the fuel
characteristics and a fire hazard survey in an area of the district near summer homes and cabins.
Due to the proximity to a local town and recreation area, you need to create a smoke
management plan.
The common fuelbed on the forest reserve is a longleaf pine with turkey oak component with
some palmetto shrub and wire grass cover. The site has not been burned for 5 years. In the
Natural Fuels Photo Series, we estimated fuel characteristics using the Sandhill photo series
(Volume VIa). In the FCCS tutorial, we created a custom fuelbed based on date in the photo
series. In the Consume tutorial, we calculated potential consumption and emissions under
relatively dry fuel conditions.
Use FEPS to estimate hourly emissions and plume rise based on our estimates of total fuel
consumption in Consume 3.0.
Notes:
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Step 1: Create an Event
In FEPS, we need to create an event based on an existing event. Let's use the System Default
Wildland Fire Mild.
To create an event:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click the Create button at the bottom of the main screen.
Select System Default under "Select the basis for your Event..."
Select Wildland Fire Mild under "Select a Event"
Enter Georgia Field Site as the Event name.
Select the radio button next to Save as Event (it should already be selected).
Click the Save button to save and load your Event.
Notes:
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Step 2: Event Information Tab
Enter the following data on the Event Information Tab (example provided below):
•
•
•
•
•
•
Start date: 2/20/2007
End date: 2/21/2007
Event type: Burn/Fire plan
Description: If you wish, you can enter a description of this exercise
Longitude: -84
Latitude: 31
When you have reviewed and completed your data entry, click the Save button.
Notes:
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Step 3: Fuel Loading Tab
We will just enter one fuel loading profile.
1. On the fuel loading tab, rename the first fuel loading profile LongleafTO.
2. Enter the following fuel loadings under Natural Fuels
o Canopy: 13.2
o Shrub: 1.6
o Grass: 1.2
o Woody: 0.9
o Litter: 2.5
o Duff: 0.0
3. After you have reviewed your data, click the Save button.
Tip: These values were taken from the FCCS Tutorial Southern Case Study but must be handentered into FEPS because they come from a custom FCCS fuelbed. Standard FCCS fuelbeds,
however, are preloaded into FEPS and can be entered by clicking the ... button under FCCS
fuelbed.
Notes:
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Step 4: Fuel Moisture Tab
On the Fuel Moisture Tab, you can review and modify available fuel moisture profiles. Select
"Moderate" as the fuel moisture profile to be used with the LongleafTO Fuel Loading profile.
Tip: You do not need to save this change.
Notes:
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Step 5: Consumption Tab
If you have not completed the Consume Tutorial Southern Case Study, simply enter 4.3
tons/acre under Total Consumption (A/G) and 0.0 tons/acre under Total Consumption Duff.
Click here (or scroll down) to view a sample screen.
If you have recently completed the Consume Tutorial Southern Case Study on your computer,
you can import total fuel consumption from Consume 3.0 into FEPS.
To do this:
1. Select Import From Consume 3.0 from the Actions Menu > Import Consumption
2. Follow on-screen instructions to locate the file ProjectList.xml on your computer.
3. Select the Consume 3.0 Project, Unit and Fuelbed from which you would like to import
total fuel consumption.
4. Click the Import Data button. FEPS will import total consumption into the Consumption
Tab.
We will accept all other intermediate results on this tab. Once you have entered or imported total
consumption, click the Calculate and Save button.
Notes:
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Step 6: Hourly Input Data
Enter the following cumulative acres burned on the RED cells of Area (acres) column. FEPS will
interpolate the burned acres between your entered hours:
Date
Time
Area
(acres)
2/20/2007
00
10
2/20/2007
01
100
2/20/2007
08
500
2/20/2007
13
750
2/21/2007
08
800
2/21/2007
13
950
2/21/2007
23
1000
Note: we will keep the default Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes (accessed by clicking
on the corresponding radio button) for this exercise.
Notes:
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Step 7: Results
To view results for our event, select Reports/Charts from the Actions menu. For example, the
Consumption/Emissions report displayed below may be printed or exported to estimate hourly
emissions for use in your smoke management planning.
Tip: Click the Print Preview button to for a printable version of this report.
Notes:
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Western Case Study
You are a fire management officer for the USDA Forest Service outside of Bend, Oregon. The
lodgepole pine forests in your district have experienced high mortality from ongoing bark beetle
outbreaks and a prolonged regional drought. These forests are dominated by lodgepole pine with
scattered ponderosa pine, and some sites have high woody fuel loadings associated with recent
tree mortality.
You have already used the Natural Fuels Photo Series to estimate fuel loadings and other
characteristics for this site, the Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS) to evaluate fuel
characteristics and calculated fire potentials for this site, and Consume 3.0 to estimate fuel
consumption and pollutant emissions from a prescribed burn.
As part of your fuel treatment plan, you need to estimate hourly emissions and plume
characteristics for the prescribed burn. Use FEPS to estimate hourly emissions and plume rise
based on our estimates of total fuel consumption in Consume 3.0.
Notes:
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Step 1: Create an Event
In FEPS, we need to create an event based on an existing event. Let's use the System Default
Bdcst Forest Underburn.
To create an event:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click the Create button at the bottom of the main screen.
Select System Default under "Select the basis for your Event..."
Select Bdcst Forest Underburn under "Select a Event"
Enter Oregon Field Site as the Event name.
Select the radio button next to Save as Event (it should already be selected).
Click the Save button to save and load your Event.
Notes:
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Step 2: Event Information Tab
Enter the following data on the Event Information Tab (example provided below):
•
•
•
•
•
•
Start date: 5/16/2007
End date: 5/18/2007
Event type: Burn/Fire plan
Description: If you wish, you can enter a description of this exercise
Longitude: -121.3° W
Latitude: 44.0° N
When you have reviewed and completed your data entry, click the Save button.
Notes:
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78
Step 3: Fuel Loading Tab
We will just enter one fuel loading profile.
1. On the fuel loading tab, rename the first fuel loading profile OFS-heavy loading
2. Enter the following fuel loadings under Natural Fuels
o Canopy: 10.7
o Shrub: 0.5
o Grass: 0.0
o Woody: 42.3
o Litter: 1.5
o Duff: 6.0
3. After you have reviewed your data, click the Save button.
Tip: These values were taken from the FCCS Tutorial Western Case Study but must be handentered into FEPS because they come from a custom FCCS fuelbed. Standard FCCS fuelbeds,
however, are preloaded into FEPS and can be entered by clicking the ... button under FCCS
fuelbed.
Notes:
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Step 4: Fuel Moisture Tab
On the Fuel Moisture Tab, you can review and modify available fuel moisture profiles.
Select "Dry" as the fuel moisture profile to be used with the OFS-heavy loading Fuel Loading
profile.
Tip: You do not need to save this change.
Notes:
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Step 5: Consumption Tab
If you have not completed the Consume 3.0 Tutorial (Western Case Study), simply enter 31.9
tons/acre under Total Consumption (A/G) and 1.8 tons/acre under Total Consumption Duff.
Click here (or scroll down) to view a sample screen.
If you have recently completed the Consume 3.0 Tutorial (Western Case Study) on your
computer, you can import total fuel consumption from Consume 3.0 into FEPS.
To do this:
1. Select Import From Consume 3.0 from the Actions Menu > Import Consumption
2. Follow on-screen instructions to locate the file ProjectList.xml on your computer.
3. Select the Consume 3.0 Project, Unit and Fuelbed (WesternCaseStudy/Rx 2007/OFSHeavy Loading) from which you would like to import total fuel consumption.
4. Click the Import Data button. FEPS will import total consumption into the Consumption
Tab.
We will accept all other intermediate results on this tab. Once you have entered or imported total
consumption, click the Calculate and Save button.
Notes:
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81
Step 6: Hourly Input Data
Enter the following cumulative acres burned on the RED cells of Area (acres) column. FEPS will
interpolate the burned acres between your entered hours. It will also make the "Date 5/18/2007,
Time 08" entry red (indicating a user-specified entry) after you modify it.
Date
Time
Area (acres)
5/16/2007
00
0
5/16/2007
08
20
5/16/2007
09
40
5/16/2007
10
100
5/16/2007
14
200
5/17/2007
08
300
5/17/2007
13
400
5/18/2007
08
500
Note: we will keep the default Daily Temperature and Humidity Extremes (accessed by clicking
on the corresponding radio button) for this exercise.
Notes:
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82
Notes:
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83
Step 7: Hourly Emissions Results
To view results for our event, select Reports/Charts from the Actions menu. For example, the
Consumption/Emissions report displayed below may be printed or exported to estimate hourly
emissions for use in your smoke management planning.
Tip: Click the Print Preview button to for a printable version of this report.
Notes:
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84
Step 8: Plume Rise Results
To view a chart displaying three estimates of plume rise windows within the burn event, simply
select "Plume Rise - Chart" under "Select the report or chart" on the Reports/Charts screen.
Notes:
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