- Author
-
Leonard, J. T.
|
Budnick, E. K.
|
Back, G. G.
|
Ganey, S. J.
- Title
- Development of a Video Image-Based Methodology for Estimating Large Scale Transient Hydrocarbon Smoke Plume Size and Extent.
- Coporate
- Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC
Hughes Associates, Inc., Columbia, MD
- Sponsor
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
-
NIST GCR 92-614,
August 1992,
186 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
smoke plumes
|
computer programs
|
crude oil
|
field models
|
fire tests
|
pattern recognition
|
wind velocity
- Abstract
- Interest in burning crude oil as a means to mitigate large scale oil spills at sea led to mid-scale evaluation of relevant crude oil burning characteristics. As part of this effort, a computer-based field measurement technique for estimating the size, shape, and extent of visible smoke plumes was developed. Of the experiments in which measurements were made, Test 7 provided data on plume trajectory for the largest distance from the pan. Good agreement was obtained between corresponding 35 mm photographs and digitized images used to estimate plume volume and trajectory. In Test 7, at 600 s after ignition, the leading edge of the smoke plume had risen to 780 m and traveled 1800 m downwind from the pan. The estimated total volume of the smoke plume at 600 s after ignition was 3.8 x 10⁸ m³. At that time, the total volume of the smoke plume was increasing at a rate of 3.2 x 10⁶ m³/s. Limited evaluation indicates that the MS-DOS based method provides reasonably accurate estimates of visible smoke plume geometry in the near-field. Field accuracy depends on plume size, wind speed and direction, and the resolution of the equipment.