Combustion of wood charcoal

The dynamics of burning of wood charcoal in an air stream is examined both experimentally and theoretically. To simplify the theory, an experimental arrangement approximating a one dimensional phenomenon was adopted. The theory includes conduction in the solid, chemical reactions and heat release at the surface, and heat and mass transfer in the gas boundary layer above the surface. The molar CO/CO2 ratio is measured. The theory predicts surface temperature, solid temperature distribution and burning rate within experimental error. An effective reaction rate formula is developed.