Simulations of flaming combustion and flaming-to-smoldering transition in wildland fire spread at flame scale

Ahmed, Mohamed Mohsen; Trouvé, Arnaud; Forthofer, Jason; Finney, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2024.113370

Title: Simulations of flaming combustion and flaming-to-smoldering transition in wildland fire spread at flame scale

Journal Article · 19 February 2024 · Combustion and Flame

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2024.113370 · OSTI ID:2318776

^[1];

^[2]; Finney, Mark ^[2]

University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)
USDA Forest Service, Missoula, MT (United States)

Our objective in the present study is to provide basic insights into the coupling between external-gas and solid biomass vegetation processes that control the dynamics of flame spread in wildland fire problems. Here we focus on a modeling approach that resolves processes occurring at vegetation and flame scales, i.e., the formation of flammable vapors due to the thermal degradation of the solid biomass, the subsequent combustion in ambient air, the thermal feedback to the biomass through radiative and convective heat transfer, and the possible transition from flaming combustion (taking place outside of the solid biomass) to smoldering combustion (taking place inside the solid biomass). The capability uses a multiphase combustion framework and treats external-gas processes through a Large Eddy Simulation solver and solid biomass processes through a discrete particle model. The discrete particle model adopts a one-dimensional porous medium formulation, includes descriptions of drying, thermal pyrolysis, oxidative pyrolysis, and char oxidation, as well as a description of the external-gas-to-solid-biomass diffusion of oxygen mass; the discrete particle model thereby provides a treatment of in-depth oxidative processes and allows the simulation of smoldering combustion. The modeling capability is applied to the simulation of fire spread across a surrogate biomass vegetation bed corresponding to a discrete array of cylindrical-shaped, vertically-oriented, pine wood sticks, characterized by a monomodal size distribution, in horizontal flat terrain and under wind-aided conditions. The numerical results demonstrate that the model can simulate successful flaming-to-smoldering transition followed by complete biomass consumption.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); US Department of Agriculture (USDA); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; TG-CTS140046

OSTI ID:: 2318776

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-860122; 1091166

Journal Information:: Combustion and Flame, Vol. 262, Issue N/A; ISSN 0010-2180

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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42 ENGINEERING
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
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flame spread
wildland fires
pyrolysis
char oxidation
turbulent non-premixed combustion
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Title: Simulations of flaming combustion and flaming-to-smoldering transition in wildland fire spread at flame scale

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References (56)

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