Learning to Use FOFEM 5:

1
Learning to Use FOFEM 5Volume II Advanced
Lesson

• Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory
• Systems for Environmental Management

2
In the Advanced Lesson

• Advanced use of soil heating and Burnup modules
• Batch mode making many runs at once
• Linking FOFEM 5 to GIS

3
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

4
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
IG_TIMEResidence time of the igniting surface
fire (seconds)
DEPTHfuelbed depth (meters)
WINDSPEEDWind speed at the top of the fuel bed
(m/sec)
AMBIENT_TEMPair temperature (deg C)
MAX_TIMESThe maximum number of iterations BURNUP
will compute
INTENSITY Reaction intensity of the igniting
surface fire (kW/m2)
DUFF_LOADduff loading (kg/m2)
r0fire environment minimum dimension parameter
drfire environment increment temperature
parameter
TIMESTEPtime step for integration of burning
rates
DUFF_MOISTduff moisture content (fraction dry
weight)
5
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
Tabular data fuel components
Column 1must contain a 1
Column 2index label
Column 3dry load (kg/m2)
Column 4heat content (J/kg)
Column 5moisture content (fraction dry weight
basis)
Column 6oven-dry mass density (kg/m3)
Column 7surface area to volume ratio (1/m)
Column 8heat capacity (J/kg-K)
Column 9thermal conductivity (W/m-K)
Column 10ignition temperature (C)
Column 11char temperature (C)
Column 12mineral ash fraction
6
Running Fuel Consumption from a file

• Select Options Run Burnup from input file, then
  select the edited input file to make the run.

7
Running Fuel Consumption from a file
8
Fuel Consumption from file tutorial

• In Windows Explorer, open the file
  FOFEM5tutorials.chm
• Navigate to the Advanced tutorials, Advanced Fuel
  Consumption
• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the
  tutorial and FOFEM as needed

9
Running Soil Heating from a file

• For use in the FOFEM 5 graphical interface, many
  soil heating input parameters were set as
  constants
• Running soil heating from a file allows full
  control of the model
• Select Options create sample soil input files
  to create a template file
• Edit the file to reflect your data and simulation
  parameters

10
Running Soil Heating from a file

• Two options
• Duff present, soil is insulated
• Duff absent, soil is exposed

11
Running Soil Heating from a file

• Duff is present

12
Running Soil Heating from a file

• Duff is absent

Same sections Keywords Arguments Comments Layers
13
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.

14
Soil Heating from file tutorial

• In Windows Explorer, open the file
  FOFEM5tutorials.chm
• Navigate to the Advanced tutorials, Advanced Soil
  Heating
• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the
  tutorial and FOFEM as needed

15
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

16
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.

• 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.

17
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.