Learning to Use FOFEM 5
Volume II: Advanced Lesson
Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory
Systems for Environmental Management
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
In the Advanced Lesson
• Advanced use of soil heating and Burnup modules
• Batch mode: making many runs at once
• Linking FOFEM 5 to GIS
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
• For use in the FOFEM 5 graphical interface, many
Burnup input parameters were set as constants
• Running Burnup from a file allows full control of
the model
• Select Options | create sample Burnup input file
to create a template
• Edit the sample file to reflect your data and
simulation parameters
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
IG_TIME
DEPTH
WINDSPEED
AMBIENT_TEMP
DUFF_LOAD
MAX_TIMES
INTENSITY
r0
dr
TIMESTEP
DUFF_MOIST
2of
Residence
fuelbed
Wind
air
speed
depth
at
(meters)
the
(deg
of
the
C)of
The
Reaction
duff
loading
maximum
intensity
(kg/m
number
)topthe
ofof
firetemperature
time
environment
moisture
step
fortime
integration
content
minimum
increment
igniting
the
fuel surface
bed
(m/sec)
fire will
iterations
BURNUP
dimension
temperature
burning
(fraction
rates
dry
parameter
weight)
parameter
2)
(seconds)
compute
(kW/m
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
Tabular data: fuel components
Column 12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
2)“1”
must
index
dry
moisture
oven-dry
surface
heat
thermal
ignition
char
mineral
load
temperature
content
capacity
contain
label
temperature
area
ash
conductivity
(kg/m
content
mass
fraction
(J/kg)
to
a(J/kg-K)
density
volume
(fraction
(C)(W/m(C)
3)
dry weight
(kg/m
ratio
K)
(1/m)
basis)
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
• Select Options | Run Burnup from input file,
then select the edited input file to make the run.
BURNUP output
file
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
Running BURNUP from a file
also creates an emissions
output file.
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Soil Heating from a file
• For use in the FOFEM 5 graphical interface, many
soil heating input parameters were set as
constants
running
soila heating
• Running WARNING:
soil heating
from
file allows full control
model from a file allows full
of the model
control of variables with high
sensitivity.|Users
should
becomesoil input files to
• Select Options
create
sample
with basic
create afluent
template
fileuse of the
model before running it from a
• Edit thefile.
file to reflect your data and simulation
parameters
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Soil Heating from a file
• Two options
– Duff present, soil is insulated
– Duff absent, soil is exposed
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Soil Heating from a file
• Duff is present:
Keyword
s
Argument
sComment
s
Layers
section
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Soil Heating from a file
• Duff is absent
Same sections:
Keywords
Arguments
Comments
Layers
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Running Soil Heating from a file
• Select Options | Run soil from input file, then
select the edited input file to make the run.
• Output is displayed in report or graphical form
• Use Options | Save soil temp points file to save
data for use in other programs
• Help file has details.
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
FOFEM 5 batch mode
• Some users need to make hundreds or even
thousands of FOFEM runs
– E.g., to simulate potential fire effects across a landscape
or under a range of fuel moisture conditions
• A batch mode of FOFEM 5 is under development
• Check the website for updates if you need this
feature
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Linking FOFEM 5 to a GIS
•
•
A GIS analyst can simulate
the spatial distribution of fire
effects by linking FOFEM 5 to
a GIS
The landscape is first divided
into homogeneous units, then
model inputs are set for each
unit.
Oct-03
•
•
Then the analyst simulates
fire effects using a FOFEM
batch run
Finally, the FOFEM batch run
output attributes are linked
back to the original units,
allowing the spatial display of
effects such as probability of
tree mortality, smoke
production, fuel consumption,
etc.
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson
Advanced Lesson: Conclusion
• The soil heating and Burnup fuel consumption
models can be run from a file, allowing greater
control of model input parameters.
• FOFEM 5 can be used in batch mode for analysis in
a statistical program or for use in a GIS; check
fire.org for availability of this feature.
Oct-03
Learning to Use FOFEM 5:
Advanced Lesson