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Author
Kim, C. I. | Kulkarni, A. K.
Title
Generalized Correlation for Forward Heat Flux in Upward Flame Spread.
Coporate
Pennsylvania Univ., Philadelphia
Sponsor
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Report
Session B-1,
Contract
NIST-GRANT-60NANB8D0849
Book or Conf
Combustion Institute/Eastern States Section. Chemical and Physical Processes in Combustion. Fall Technical Meeting, 1990. December 3-5, 1990, Orlando, FL, 52/1-4 p., 1990
Keywords
combustion | flame spread | heat flux | predictive models | experiments | critical temperature
Abstract
It is well-established that the flame spread process depends on how fast the unburnt fuel ahead of the pyrolysis front can be heated to a critical temperature (or a range of temperatures) that causes significant pyrolysis. Therefore, it is essential for upward flame spread model to account the forward heat flux accurately. There have been many attempts to address the forward heat flux in upward flame spread models, starting with Thomas and Lawson, who assumed a constant heat feedback to the unburnt fuel ahead of pyrolysis front. Others have assumed exponential or other forms of decaying functions. The work presented here attempts to put together the measured experimental data on the forward heat flux to correlate into a generalized correlation that can be easily applied to modeling of upward flame spread. The data covers several materials, and the correlation makes use of specially defined properties to account for the important characteristics of individual materials.