Numerical Modelling Of Reverse Combustion In A Fuel Bed Of Pine Needles

A one dimensional numerical model of reverse combustion is proposed to describe the physical mechanisms which control the fire spread in a fuel bed of pine needles. The physical model is const,ructed from a multiphase formulation, including various subn~odels to account for the main phenomena which contribute a t different levels to fire spread. The set of partial differential equations which governs the physical behaviour of the gas flow and of the solid file1 bed is solved using a finite volume method associated with an adaptive mesh algorithm to track correctly the thin region where t,hc thermal degradation of the solid fuel occurs. Both oxygen-limited and fuel-limited regimes are examined for inlet flow velocities ranging from 2 to 3 0 c m / s .