United States Air and Energy Engineering

Environmental Protection Research Laboratory

Agency Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

C.C. Monroe, T.A. Dean, and W.R. Barnard

E AP Project Summary

Multiple Projections System

(MPS): User’s Manual

Version 1.0

Research and Development EPA/600/SR-94/085 December 1994

The Clean Air Act Amendments

(CAAA) of 1990 called for Reasonable

Further Progress (RFP) inventories to

be submitted to EPA for the purpose of

demonstrating strategies by which a

15 % reduction in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions will be

achieved between 1990 and 1996. This

requirement applies to moderate, serious, severe, and extreme ozone

nonattainment areas. In addition, serious, severe, and extreme areas must

demonstrate at least a 3 % annual average reduction beginning in 1996 and

continuing thereafter until attainment

is reached. In order to meet Sec–

tion 182(b)(1) and (c)(2) requirements,

state/local air agencies require a computer system capable of performing

“what if scenario analysis” and reporting the final results (i.e., their Rate-ofProgress [ROP] inventories) to EPA (i.e.,

Aerometric Information Retrieval System, AIRS). This is based on the 3%

RFP Tracking System that was developed in FY92/FY93. The 3% RFP Tracking System is a Windows* application,

and enhancements to the system to

convert it to a Multiple Projections System (MPS) have continued to be within

the framework of a Windows application. The system will support ROP inventories for ozone and carbon monoxide (CO) and thus will contain VOC,

nitrogen oxides NOx

, and CO data. The

most significant change from the original 3% RFP Tracking System to MPS is

the ability to submit a “final” projection emissions inventory in the format

required by the AIRS Facility Subsystem (AFS) and the AIRS Area and

Mobile Source (AMS) Subsystem.

The MPS is by outward appearance a

collection of screens with buttons the

user can click. These buttons simplify

the task of setting user-defined parameters which the program will use in

projecting future emissions and generating screen or hard copy output. The

name of each screen is shown in the

upper middle part of the screen. Most

of the major headings in the manual

correspond to the names of these

screens, and they are presented in the

order of their appearance on the monitor. For clarity, screen names are always printed in all capital letters. Specific buttons are referred to by the name

printed on them, with the first letter of

each word capitalized.

This Project Summary was developed

by EPA’s Air and Energy Engineering

Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, to announce key findings of the research project that is fully

documented in a separate report of the

same title (see Project Report ordering

information at back).

Purpose Of the MPS

The MPS is designed to facilitate the

projection of future emissions of ozone

precursors, specifically CO, VOCs, and

NOx, in any given geographic area. The

MPS gives state/local air agencies a computer system capable of performing “what

if scenario analysis” and reporting the fi- * Mention of trade names or commercial products does

not constitute endorsement or recommendation for

use.
2

nal results (i.e., their RFP inventories) to

EPA (i.e., AFS and AMS).

System Requirements

The prototype MPS was developed using Superbase 4, a Microsoft Windows

data base package that can be compiled

and distributed as a stand-alone product.

As a Windows product, it requires Windows in order to run. The Microsoft Windows manual includes general Windows

operating procedures. Additionally, a computer with a 386SX or better microprocessor is suggested as the platform on which

to run the prototype. Because the system

was developed using a Windows-based

product, it has been configured to run

entirely using a mouse to point and click

on various buttons to perform commands

or functions. However, all functions can

also be accessed via the keyboard. A

hard disk drive is required to store all

input and output data files. Disk space

required depends on the number and size

of geographic areas to be studied.

An advantage of developing the system

using a Windows-based product is that

certain tasks can be performed in the

“background,” since Windows can perform

multitasking operations when running on

a 386SX or better platform. Thus, when

the system is performing disk intensive or

processor intensive tasks (such as file imports or emission projection calculations),

the program can be minimized to an icon

and the user can work on documents in a

word processor or on a spreadsheet until

the task is complete. The system is designed to beep when these tasks are complete and the icon’s title will indicate task

completion. At that point, the user can

return to the program and continue the

analysis.

The system can project emissions out

to the year 2010 at intervals of 3 years. In

addition to projecting emissions, the system can make projections in the form of

percent reduction relative to base year

emissions. The system is designed to accept input data from either the AFS or

AMS. Output from the system is in the

form of tables or graphs, which can be

directed to the computer screen or to a

printer. Tabular results can also be output

to an ASCII file, allowing the user to subsequently import the reported information

into other software for further analysis (either numeric or graphic). Data contained

in the output file can also be exported to

Lotus 123, dBaseIII, or Excel. As indicated above, the principal output types

are batch transactions in AFS and AMS

format.

C. Monroe, A. Dean, and W. Barnard are with E.H. Pechan and Associates, Inc.,

3500 Westgate Dr., Suite 103, Durham, NC 27707.

E. Sue Kimbrough is the EPA Project Officer (see below).

The complete report, entitled “Multiple Projections System (MPS): User’s Manual

Version 1.0,” consists of a manual and diskettes. (Order No. PB95-501698/AS;

Cost: $90.00; subject to change)

The set will be available only from:

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Telephone: 703-487-4650

The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:

Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

• •

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

Center for Environmental Research Information

Cincinnati, OH 45268

EPA/600/SR-94/085

Official Business

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