FEDEFL in openLCA

Creating a FEDEFL Database in openLCA

These instructions describe starting a new openLCA database with the FEDEFL as the reference flow list.

1. Create a new openLCA database with just units and flow properties by right-clicking on the navigation pane and selecting New database.

2. You will need to import the master version of the FEDEFL into your database. To do this you can download a JSON-LD file from the Federal LCA Commons. Select elementary_flow_list repository under the Federal_LCA_Commons Group/Repository.

3. Select Download Respoitory as JSON-LD

4. Once the FEDEFL is downloaded to your computer, navigate to your openLCA database, right-click on your open database and select Import

5. Select Other, Linked Data (JSON-LD).

Select Next and navigate to your JSON-LD file location in Windows Explorer downloaded from the Federal LCA Commons website and click Select Folder. Files in the chosen location will appear in the openLCA import window. Select the master FEDEFL file and click Finish to begin the import process. It will take several minutes for the FEDEFL to import into your database.

6. Confirm that your flows have imported. An example of the FEDEFL flow folder structure in openLCA is shown below.

Mapping a Dataset within openLCA

Instructions created for openLCA version 1.10.2

The Flow Mapping feature in openLCA allows users to map existing databases to standardized elementary flow lists. These instructions describe mapping to the Federal LCA Commons Elementary Flow List (FEDEFL) within openLCA. More detail on the FEDEFL background and structure can be found here. These instructions explain mapping the openLCA reference flow list to the FEDEFL as an example. The stepwise approach to complete this mapping is as follows:

1. Start with your openLCA database with complete openLCA reference data. It is recommended that users save a copy of their database before the mapping for reference.

2. Before starting the mapping process, you can select a sample process to view elementary flows specified before the mapping. Remember this process and come back to check it after the mapping process is is complete to ensure the mapping was completed correctly.

3. Have your JSON-LD file with the mapped flows ready. Instructions for creating these JSON-LD files are available on the project GitHub site Wiki under Mapping a Dataset. A JSON-LD with the mappings ready for openLCA to the FEDEFL is available on the Federal Commons. See Creating a Database for instructions on downloading a JSON-LD of the FEDEFL.

Select Tools, Flow Mapping (Experimental), Open file. Navigate to the JSON-LD file location within Windows Explorer and select Open in Windows Explorer.

4. Select Open mapping definition. Open mapping definition should indicate the mapping you have selected. Select Okay.

5. The source system should be your existing openLCA database. You can select the source system by clicking the database icon. The target system should be your JSON-LD mapping file. You can select the target system by clicking on the paper icon.

6. Run a check on the mapping by selecting the Check Mappings button.

7. When the checking is complete, the mapping status will appear in the first column. A green checkmark will indicate if the flow is in sync with the database and there is a successful mapping. Error messages will show if there is an issue with the mapping.

For example, error messages will show for missing target UUIDs if the mapping file did not contain the correct FEDEFL flows.

If a flow already exists in the database, you will also see a message indicating a flow mapping is not necessary.

Note Close-out any processes or methods you wish to apply the mapping to before continuing with step 8.

8. To apply the mapping select Flow mapping, Apply on database.

9. You can replace flows in processes, LCIA methods, and flows all in one step by checking the appropriate boxes. Select Delete replaced and unused flows to remove the new obsolete flows.

Note that at least one process and/or LCIA method needs to be preloaded to this database for flows to be replaced. The mapping feature does not work if there are no processes or LCIA methods in the database.

10. It may take several minutes to replace the flows, depending on the size of the database.

11. Once the mapping is complete, the flow mapping status will update. If you selected to Delete replaced and unused flows then a successful mapping will show that the target mapping was applied to the source flow and removed.

12. Users need to close and reopen a database to make sure that the flow mapping is applied.

Users should confirm that the mappings look correct in their processes and/or LCIA methods (see below for modifications to example process from step 2).

Note The flow mapping will note delete any flow folders. Users can manually delete empty flow folders after mapping.