Comparison of a diagnostic wildfire modeling system (HIGRAD/BEHAVE) with a self-determining wildfire modeling system (HIGRAD/FIRETEC)

Technical Report · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/314170· OSTI ID:314170

Reisner, J; Linn, R; Bossert, J

In this paper details of the wildfire modeling system are illustrated. First the dynamical model, HIGRAD, capable of accurately resolving regions of strong gradients, is described. Next, the two wildfire models FIRETEC and BEHAVE are introduced. Unlike the traditional point-functional approach used in the BEHAVE-like fire model, FIRETEC is a self-determining fire model. The benefits of the HIGRAD/FIRETEC approach with respect to HIGRAD/BEHAVE are shown in the results section of this paper. Two major conclusions are drawn in this section. The first conclusion is that the rate of spread of a fire to a first approximation is independent of the local wind velocity. The second conclusion is that HIGRAD/FIRETEC can be used to develop point-functions for use in HIGRAD/BEHAVE.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Management and Administration, Washington, DC (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 314170
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--98-2871; CONF-981138--; ON: DE99001762
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
FIRES
LANL
SIMULATION
VELOCITY