Quick user guide of ABaCAS

1 Introduction

  ABaCAS-SE (Air Benefit/Cost and Assessment System: Streamlined Edition) is an

integrated system to connect four individual ABaCAS tools (ICET, RSM-VAT,

SMAT-CE, and BenMAP-CE) to provide policy makers with a user-friendly

framework for conducting integrated assessments of emissions control cost and their

associated health and economic benefits and air quality attainment.

1.1 Functional Design

  ABaCAS-SE will call and run the four modules sequentially in the background using

a master script. ICET will estimate the emission costs associated with future-year

control strategies. RSM-VAT/CMAQ will take the emissions reduction from ICET to

provide a real-time air quality response of emissions change. Then SMAT-CE

combines the monitoring data as well as the air quality data from RSM-VAT/CMAQ

and to assess if the air quality goal or attainment has been reached. Subsequently,

BenMAP-CE uses the air quality surface generated from SMAT-CE to estimate the

health and economic benefits resulting from changes in air quality. Finally, ABaCAS-

SE will integrate the results from these four modules to provide assessments of

emissions control cost and their associated air quality, health and economic benefits as

well as estimate the cost/benefit ratio ($$ benefit per $$ cost). A user-friendly

graphical user interface (GUI) together with graphical and tabular functions is also

provided for users to easily visualize and analyze these assessment results.

1.2 ABaCAS-SE Installation

Section 1.2 describes the computer requirements of installing ABaCAS-SE and

briefly introduces installation process and data preparation of ABaCAS-SE.

1.2.1 Computer Requirements

Recommend screen resolution: 1024 by 768 pixels; Font size: normal.

Minimum System Environment:

CPU Intel, Duo-Core, 1.6GHz

Memory (RAM) 2GB

Free Disk Space 10GB

Operation System 32-Bit Windows XP

Recommend System Environment:

CPU Intel, Quad-Core, 3GHz

Memory (RAM) 6GB

Free Disk Space 10GB

Operation System 64-Bit Windows 7

1.2.2 Installation and data preparation

Before installing ABaCAS-SE 1.5.5, please uninstall any previous version of

ABaCAS-SE. Double click on the ABaCAS-SE 1.5.5 Setup.exe application program

to install ABaCAS-SE; this will bring you to the ABaCAS-SE– InstallShield Wizard

window, click next button, install it follow the tips in the window until the installation

is finished.

After finished installation, please download the corresponding ABaCAS-SE input

data and unzip it to My Documents directory under \My Documents\My ABaCAS

Files\Data\* to replace the old Data folder. These data and tool are available at:

http://abacas-dss.com/abacas/Software.aspx

2 Main interface

The main interface of ABaCAS is shown in Fig. 1.

On the left-hand of the main interface, it’s four standalone ABaCAS tool buttons

(ICET, RSM-VAT, SMAT-CE, and BenMAP-CE). You can click any one of the four

buttons to run the standalone tool according to your own demand.

Fig. 1 The interface of ABaCAS

To start ABaCAS-SE, you can click ABaCAS-SE button and the main window of

ABaCAS-SE will appear, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 The interface of ABaCAS-SE

As the above figure shown, it has four options (File, Tool, Case, Start Page) on the

top of the main window.

Choose File option, you can create a new project, open a generated project, save a

new project or exit the software. And you can also bring out the option menu which

contains the executable paths of four modules of ABaCAS.

Choose Tool option, you can run any one standalone tool of the four tools.

The default value of Case option is China.

Choose Start Page option, it will bring you back to the main interface.

On the upper left-hand of the main window, it has four input options in a box, as

shown in Fig. 3. There are different colors in these input options to inform users of

undefined data and/or errors: Grey for undefined data, Yellow for unready running,

Green for ready running.

Fig. 3 Input options box

2.1 ICET input option

When users set ICET input option, firstly they can select Annual PM or Ozone

case (Fig. 2). And there are two options to choose: Enter pre-run ICET project file and

No pre-run ICET project file.

2.1.1 Enter pre-run ICET project file

Click Enter pre-run ICET project file button, users can open a project file that

generated by ICET tool before.

2.1.2 No pre-run ICET project file

Take Annual PM Option for example. Click No pre-run ICET project file button

to create a new ICET project file, it contains 3 aspects: Control Input File, Mapping

File and Pollutant Control as shown in Fig. 2.

Click Control Input File button, choose one file and open it as shown in Fig. 4, the

details of the Control Input File is shown in Fig. 5. (Here we open

ICET_Config_China_YRD_example_2017.csv file).

Fig. 4 Open a Control Input File

Fig. 5 Control Input file

After open a Control Input File, users can extract the regions from the Available

Regions column to the Selected Regions column according to their own requirements

as shown below.

Fig. 6 Avaliable Regions & Selected Regions

Mapping file is used to link the Region, Pollutant, Source in ICET with RSM, the

details of Mapping file is shown in Fig. 7 and here choose the default file.

Fig. 7 Mapping file

In Pollutant Control column, users can set emission reduction ratio of different

sectors in the selected regions as shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 Pollutant Control

Here we created a new ICET project file, click next to continue the next step, users

also can click back button or double-click the tree nodes on the upper left panel to

return to the previous page.

As the following Fig. 9 shown, the light in the tree node of ICET input option turn

form grey to yellow.

2.2 RSM-CMAQ input option

For RSM-CMAQ input option, users also have two options: Enter pre-run RSM

rcfg files and Enter pre-run CMAQ output files.

2.2.1 Enter pre-run RSM rcfg files

When click RSM results are available button, users should choose a pre-run rcfg

file and in this option users can set the base year and control year freely as shown in

Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 Enter pre-run RSM rcfg files

2.2.2 Enter pre-run CMAQ output files

Click RSM results are not available button and users can open pre-run CMAQ

output files (Quarter1, Quarter2, Quater3 and Quarter4) as shown in Fig. 10. Base

year and control year is allowed to set.

There are two requisite files to input in the option of “RSM results are not

available”, one is named Region Grid Ratio File and the other is Shape File.

Region Grid Ratio file defines the grids of analysis cities. “ratio_of_grid”

represents the area percentage of the grid locating in an analyzed city. For example, if

the city contains a whole grid of model domain then the ratio of grid will be 100(%).

We prepared this file with ArcGIS tools currently. In the next work, we will develop a

function to output this file in Model-VAT. Below is an example for how to create this

file with ArcGIS. More details are introduced in AppendixⅠ.

Shape File option allows users to select the shape files. Users can obtain this file

from Model-VAT (Fig. 11).

Here we introduce the forms of Quarter1 CMAQ output files for user’s reference as

shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13.

Note: when users choose pre-run CMAQ output files as input file, the result can’t be

displayed in the form of Chart.

Fig. 10 Enter pre-run CMAQ opuput files

Fig. 11 Obtain shape file from Movel-VAT

Fig. 12 Base-Quarter1 CMAQ output file

Fig. 13 Control-Quarter1 CMAQ output fileHere we enter pre-run RSM rcfg files as input file, click next button to continue

next step, after that, the light in the tree node of RSM-CMAQ input option turn from

gray to yellow.

2.3 SMAT-CE input option

The settings of SMAT-CE input option are shown in Fig. 14, click next button to

continue, and the light in the tree node of SMAT-CE input option will turn from gray

to yellow.

Fig. 14 SMAT-CE input option2.4 BenMAP-CE input option

For BenMAP-CE input option, YRD_04km_city.shp needs to be selected in Pooled

Grid Definition option, BenMAP_YRD_2017.cfgx needs to be selected in CFG

configuration file or result file and BenMAP_YRD_2017.cfgx needs to be selected in

APV configuration file or result file, as shown in Fig. 15.

Fig. 15 BenMAP-CE input option

Click next button, the light in the tree node of BenMAP-CE input option will turn

from gray to yellow and it will appear the widow as shown in Fig. 16, click OK button

and give the new generated project a name.

Fig. 16 Save project and run

3 Run ICET

This section introduces three parts of run ICET module: ICET is running, ICET

finished and ICET results display.

3.1 ICET is running

ICET is running as shown in Fig. 17.

Fig. 17 Running ICET

3.2 ICET finished

When ICET finished, the light in the tree node of ICET on the upper left-hand of the

window turn from yellow to green, on the bottom of the window written the words

marked in red ICET finished, RSM-VAT is running, and you can also click

Log/Msg option on the right-hand of the window to view run state, as shown in Fig. 18.

Fig. 18 ICET finished & Running RSM-VAT

3.3 ICET results

Switch to ICET tag to view/ analysis results displayed in two types.

You can also view results by opening the folder which contains the result data file.

Data

The result data displayed in four types in total: System Output, Regional Level,

Regional Control & Cost and RSM Control Factor as shown in Fig. 19-Fig. 22.

Fig. 19 System Output

Fig. 20 Regional Level

Fig. 21 Regional Control & Cost

Fig. 22 RSM Control Factor

Chart

ICET generated two charts: cost curve and emission & control cost show in Fig. 23-

Fig. 24.

Fig. 23 Chart of cost curve

Fig. 24 Chart of emission & control

4 Run RSM-VAT

This section introduces three parts of run RSM-VAT module: RSM-VAT is running,

RSM-VAT finished and RSM-VAT results display.

4.1 RSM-VAT is running

The running window of RSM-VAT is shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 25 Running RSM-VAT

4.2 RSM-VAT finished

We have following several methods to ensure RSM-VAT has finished.

Firstly, the light in the tree node of RSM-VAT input option will turn from yellow to

green.

Secondly, there will be some words marked in red which write RSM-VAT finished,

SAMT-CE is running.

Lastly, you can click Log/Msg option on the right-hand of the main window.

Fig. 26 RSM-VAT finished

4.3 RSM-VAT results

User can switch to RSM-VAT tag or open the folder which contains the result data

file to view/analysis results.

Map

You can map your results that you have generated in two types: 2D contour and 3D

contour. Here we take delta results (check the Delta radio button) for an example.

Fig. 27 2D contour

Fig. 28 3D contour

Data

The system output data is shown in Fig. 29, in this case, it take delta data for an

example.

Fig. 29 System output data

Chart

It uses different charts to show the different pollutants reduction ratio when

controlling different types of pollution source in the same area as shown in Fig. 30-Fig.

34.

Fig. 30 Regional Reduction

Fig. 31 Source Impact 1

Fig. 32 Source Impact2

Fig. 33 Source Control 3

Fig. 34 Source Control 4

5 Run SMAT-CE

This section introduces three parts of run SMAT-CE module: SMAT-CE is running,

SMAT-CE finished and SMAT-CE results display.

5.1 SMAT-CE is running

When SMAT-CE is running, it will appear the window as Fig. 35 shown.

Fig. 35 Running SMAT-CE

5.2 SMAT-CE finished

The sign of SMAT-CE finished is the light in the tree node of the SMAT-CE turn

yellow to green as shown in Fig. 36.

Fig. 36 SMAT-CE finished

5.3 SMAT-CE results

Switch to SMAT-CE tag, you can view/analysis result in maps, tables and charts, as

shown in Fig. 37-Fig. 39.

Fig. 37 Map result of SMAT-CE

Fig. 38 Data result of SMAT-CE

Fig. 39 Chart result of SMAT-CE

6 Run BenMAP-CE

This section introduces three parts of run BenMAP-CE module: BenMAP-CE is

running, BenMAP-CE finished and BenMAP-CE results display.

6.1 BenMAP-CE is running

As following figure shown, BenMAP-CE is running.

Fig. 40 Running BenMAP-CE

6.2 BenMAP-CE finished

When the light in the tree node of BenMAP-CE turn from yellow to green, we can

know BenMAP-CE finished and the ABaCAS project also finished, as shown in Fig.

41.

Fig. 41 BenMAP-CE finished

6.3 BenMAP-CE results

BenMAP-CE results displayed in three types: map, table and chart. You can switch

to BenMAP-CE tag to view/analysis results.

Click map button to view results in map, as shown in Fig. 42.

Fig. 42 Map result of BenMAP-CE

Click data button to view results in table as shown below.

Fig. 43 Data result of BenMAP-CE

Click chart button to view result displayed in chart as shown below.

Fig. 44 Chart result of BenMAP-CE

7 Assessment Result of ABaCAS

Switch to Benefit/Cost to get the result of ABaCAS, the result displayed in three

types as shown in Fig. 45-Fig. 47.

Fig. 45 Chart

Fig. 46 Data

Fig. 47 Bar Chart

According to Fig. 45, the Benefit/Cost ratio is 12.4.

8 Appendix Quick start guide of preparing Region GridⅠ

Ratio File

8.1 Add the shape file of grid domain (fishnet) in ArcGIS (Fig. 48)

Here the example file is named “YRD_Grid” (Fig. 48), it should have “area”,”col”

and”row” fields in its attribute table (Right-click the file name and choose “Open

Attribute Table” to open its Attribute table, shown as Fig. 49).

Fig. 48 Open grid domain file in ArcGIS

Fig. 49 Attributes of gird domain shape file

8.2 Add the shape file of analysis cities (receptor region) in ArcGIS

Here the “YRD_City” file is the example file (Fig. 50).Note: Make sure this two files are in the same projection, e.g., Lambert_Conformal_Conic

Fig. 50 Add the shape file of analysis cities in ArcGIS

Fig. 51 Attributes of analysis cities shape file

8.3 Get the intersection of the above two files.

1) Click the ArcToolbox icon , then select ”Analysis

Tools→Overlay→Intersect” (Fig. 52), it will pop up a “Intersect” window (Fig. 53).

Fig. 52 Choose the “Intersect” tool

Fig. 53 Intersect window2) In the “Intersect” window, input the above two features files by clicking the

combox of “Input Features” (Be sure the gird feature file ranks the first position at the Features table, shown as Fig. 54).

Fig. 54 Set the files for “intersect”

3) Click “Ok”, it will create an intersect feature file (*.shp) (Fig. 55).

Fig. 55 “Intersect” shape file from the above two file

4) Right-Click the intersect feature (e.g.,YRD_Grid_Interserct1), and select “Open Attribute Table” to open this shape’s Attribute table (Fig. 56)

Fig. 56 Attributes of “Intersect” shape file5) Add the “interArea” and “Ratio” fields. “interArea” stands for a grid area in

“Intersect” shape file while “Ratio” represents the area percentage of the grid locating in an analyzed city. Fig. 59 shows the added field in attribute table.Step: Options→Add Field…→Pop up “Add Field” window→set field property (e.g., name and type, see Fig. 57~Fig. 58)

Fig. 57 Step for how to add field

Fig. 58 Field property setting for Adding a field

Fig. 59 Added fields in attribute table6) Calcuate the area of intersected grid (“InterArea” field).

Mouse right-click the “InterArea” field, and choose “Calculate Geometry…” (Fig. 60), it will pop up a “Calculate Geometry” window (Fig. 61). In this window, select “Area” property first, then choose the same projection of grid domain shape file (“YRD_Grid.shp”), select the corresponding unit and finally click “OK”.

Fig. 60 Calculate the area of intersected grid (“InterArea” field)

Fig. 61 Calculate geometry of area7) Calculate “Ratio” field.

Mouse right-click “Ratio” field, choose “Filed Calculator…” (Fig. 62), it will pop up the “Filed Calculator” window. In this window, set the formulate “InterArea/area*100” (Fig. 63), and click “OK” to calculate the grid ratio and return to attribute table.

Fig. 62 Calculate the area ratio between intersected grid and original grid

Fig. 63 Field Calculator of “Ratio” field8) Export the attribute table.

Click “Options” in the bottom of attribute table, select “Export…” and set the directory and “dbase table” to output (Fig. 64).

Fig. 64 Export Attribute table9) Open the exported data with Excel (Fig. 65), and remove those needless

columns, the final data will be shown as Fig. 66.

Fig. 65 Example of exported attribute table

Fig. 66 Example of Region grid ratio file