Experimental validation of a numerical model for the transport of firebrands

Abstract The paper deals with the experimental validation of a numerical model for the transport and combustion of cylindrical and disk-shaped firebrands. The model solves the conservation equations of brand mass, kinetic and angular momentum, and volume. Validation consists in predicting the mass and spatial distributions of glowing firebrands that were produced from the experimental generator developed by Manzello and coworkers [S.L. Manzello, J.R. Shields, T.G. Cleary, A. Maranghides, W.E. Mell, J.C. Yang, Y. Hayashi, D. Nii, T. Kurita, On the development and characterization of a firebrand generator, Fire Saf. J. 43 (2008) 258–268]. Ten thousand firebrands per run are released with initial conditions that are randomly generated according to probability distribution functions deduced from experimental mass and spatial distributions under no-wind conditions. Whatever the wind conditions considered, numerical results are found to be in good agreement with experimental data.

[1]  A. Muraszew,et al.  Trajectory of firebrands in and out of fire whirls , 1977 .

[2]  Takeyoshi Tanaka,et al.  Transport Of Disk-shaped Firebrands In A Turbulent Boundary Layer , 2005 .

[3]  A. C. Fernandez-Pello,et al.  Numerical study of ground-level distribution of firebrands generated by line fires , 2008 .

[4]  Carlos Sánchez Tarifa,et al.  Transport and Combustion of Firebrands. Final Report of Grants FG-SP-114 and FG-SP-146 Vol. II , 1967 .

[5]  V. V. Reino,et al.  Ignition of a layer of combustible forest materials , 1998 .

[6]  P. Pagni,et al.  Combustion Models for Wooden Brands. , 1999 .

[7]  A. Carlos Fernandez-Pello,et al.  Modeling transport and combustion of firebrands from burning trees , 2007 .

[8]  Samuel L. Manzello,et al.  On the ignition of fuel beds by firebrands , 2005 .

[9]  A. Carlos Fernandez-Pello,et al.  On the flight paths of metal particles and embers generated by power lines in high winds--a potential source of wildland fires , 1998 .

[10]  Carlos Sánchez Tarifa,et al.  On the flight pahts and lifetimes of burning particles of wood , 1965 .

[11]  Samuel L. Manzello,et al.  Firebrand generation from burning vegetation , 2007 .

[12]  Samuel L. Manzello,et al.  Experimental investigation of firebrands: Generation and ignition of fuel beds , 2008 .

[13]  Samuel L. Manzello,et al.  Ignition of mulch and grasses by firebrands in wildland–urban interface fires , 2006 .

[14]  A. I. Zvyagils'kaya,et al.  Influence of moisture content and heat and mass exchange with the surrounding medium on the critical conditions of initiation of surface fire , 1996 .

[15]  Dorian Liepmann,et al.  Brand Propagation From Large-Scale Fires , 1999 .

[16]  R. A. Anthenien,et al.  On the trajectories of embers initially elevated or lofted by small scale ground fire plumes in high winds , 2006 .

[17]  Samuel L. Manzello,et al.  On the development and characterization of a firebrand generator , 2008 .

[18]  Ning Lin,et al.  Investigations of plate-type windborne debris—Part II: Computed trajectories , 2006 .

[19]  F. Usda,et al.  Transport of Firebrands by Line Thermals , 1983 .

[20]  Dorian Liepmann,et al.  Brand Lofting Above Large-Scale Fires. , 1997 .