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@article{Prat-Guitart:2016:10.1071/WF15103,
author = {Prat-Guitart, N and Rein, G and Hadden, RM and Belcher, CM and Yearsley, JM},
doi = {10.1071/WF15103},
journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire},
pages = {456--465},
title = {Propagation probability and spread rates of self-sustained smouldering fires under controlled moisture content and bulk density conditions},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF15103},
volume = {25},
year = {2016}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - The consumption of large areas of peat during wildfires is due to self-sustained smouldering fronts that can remain active for weeks. We studied the effect of peat moisture content and bulk density on the horizontal propagation of smouldering fire in laboratory-scale experiments. We used milled peat with moisture contents between 25 and 250% (mass of water per mass of dry peat) and bulk densities between 50 and 150 kg m–3. An infrared camera monitored ignition, spread and extinction of each smouldering combustion front. Peats with a bulk density below 75 kg m–3 and a moisture content below 150% self-sustained smouldering propagation for more than 12 cm. Peat with a bulk density of 150 kg m–3 could self-sustain smouldering propagation up to a critical moisture content of 115%. A linear model estimated that increasing both moisture content and bulk density significantly reduced the median fire spread rate (which ranged between 1 and 5 cm h–1). Moisture content had a stronger effect size on the spread rate than bulk density. However, the effect of bulk density on spread rate depends upon the moisture content, with the largest effect of bulk density at low moisture contents.
AU - Prat-Guitart,N
AU - Rein,G
AU - Hadden,RM
AU - Belcher,CM
AU - Yearsley,JM
DO - 10.1071/WF15103
EP - 465
PY - 2016///
SN - 1448-5516
SP - 456
TI - Propagation probability and spread rates of self-sustained smouldering fires under controlled moisture content and bulk density conditions
T2 - International Journal of Wildland Fire
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF15103
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/37560
VL - 25
ER -
Phone:
+44 (0)20 7594 7036
Email:
g.rein@imperial.ac.uk
Address:
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
City & Guilds Building,
South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK