- Author
-
VanWagner, C. E.
- Title
- Calculations on Forest Fire Spread by Flame Radiation.
- Coporate
- Petawa Forest Experiment Station, Chalk River, Ontario
- Report
-
Publication No. 1185; ODC 431.6; Catalog No. Fo 47-1185
1967
16 p.
- Book or Conf
- Forestry Congress, 6th. Proceedings. June 6-16, 1966,
Madrid, Spain,
1967
- Keywords
-
forest fires
|
fire spread
|
flame radiation
|
surface fires
|
fuel moisture
- Abstract
- This paper contains some theoretical speculationson the possible heating effect of flame radiation in front of forest fires. Flame variables used are rate of advance, length, angle of tilt and radiant intensity. Taking a simplified case, an expression is derived for the total radiation received by a fuel element before engulfment. This quantity is equated to the energy required to raise the fuel to igniton temperature, and an expression obtained for the ratio of flame length to rate of advance. By using published formulae linking flame length to a fractional power of the fire's energy output per unit length of front, the rate of advance can then be estimated. The final expression links rate of advance, fuel moisture content and flame angle in a way that corresponds roughly to the observed behavior of surface fires of moderate intensity.