RAPIDS' Seven Data Modules

The overall RAPIDS data model includes seven data modules, listed below. The RAPIDS user interface is organized around these data modules. You can directly access information in any data module or you can follow the fundamental relationships among the modules to create, view, update and delete data of interest.

Geographic

The Geographic module provides ways to define nations, states, counties and cities and their relationships. In addition, you can define nation groups, state groups, county groups, and city groups for logical associations of these geographic entities. For example, a twelve county area could be defined as a county group. The city level is considered to consist not only of cities, but of townships, villages, towns, or any other designation of an area smaller than a county.

Source

The Source module provides the way to define facilities or area sources. Sources can also have location coordinates and contacts. Source groups enable you to logically group facilities or define area sources.

Device

The Device module provides the way to define devices for a source. A source can have any number of devices. Devices include equipment such as boilers, as well as control devices and stacks. Devices can also have location coordinates, contacts, and be grouped.

Process

The Process module provides the way to define processes for a device. Devices can have any number of processes. Example processes for a tank include breathing and working loss. Processes can be grouped within a source to represent operating scenarios or other logical associations.

Streams

The Streams module provides the way to define the material flow in and out of processes. The oil, wood, and refuse input into an incinerator is represented by three materials within separate input streams for the incinerator. The NOx leaving the boiler is represented by another material in an output stream from the incinerator.

Emission Estimation

The Emission Estimation module provides the way to define the SCC/AMS codes, SCC/AMS to Emittant relationship, Emission Factors, Speciation and Product Profiles, and Calculation Protocol. The data within this module drive the emission estimation algorithms.

Legal

The Legal module provides the way to define the legal relationships concerning a facility. The system maintains the hierarchy of geographic, source, device, process, and stream. It also means that the emission estimation data is closely tied to the process level.