Michael recently gave an invited talk at the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab on Januray 10, 2013. They’ve posted the talk online, which you can view here:
http://videos.firelab.org/ffs/2012-13Seminar/011013Seminar/011013Seminar.html
It was an amazing trip – they’re doing some great research on wildfires and I encourage anyone interested to checkout firelab.org to check out all of the amazing things they’re doing!
Buoyancy Effects on Burning Behavior and Flame Spread
Abstract:
Second, vertical arrays of horizontally protruding wood matchsticks were used to investigate the influence of the spacing of discrete fuel elements on rates of upward flame spread. Rates of upward flame spread were found to increase dramatically for spacings between 0 cm and 0.8 cm and experienced only a slight increase thereafter. Based on these observations, the influence of convective heating was hypothesized to dominate this spread mechanism, and predictions of ignition times were developed using convective heat-transfer correlations. Mass-loss rates followed a similar pattern and were predicted along with matchstick burnout times using a droplet burning theory extended for a cylindrical geometry.
View the flyer here:
http://www.firelab.org/Publications/seminars/2012-2013/011013Gollner.pdf