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Publications

 Google Scholar Citations | Research Gate Profile | UC eScholarship Repository (Pre-Prints) | Reports, Articles and Theses | Dataset Repositry

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1.

May, Nathaniel; Ellicott, Evan; Gollner, Michael

An examination of fuel moisture, energy release and emissions during laboratory burning of live wildland fuels Journal Article

In: International Journal of Wildland Fire, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 187–197, 2019, ISSN: 10498001.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{May2019,
title = {An examination of fuel moisture, energy release and emissions during laboratory burning of live wildland fuels},
author = {Nathaniel May and Evan Ellicott and Michael Gollner},
doi = {10.1071/WF18084},
issn = {10498001},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire},
volume = {28},
number = {3},
pages = {187--197},
abstract = {A series of small-scale laboratory fires were conducted to study the relationship between fuel type, moisture content, energy released and emissions during the combustion process of live wildland fuels. The experimental design sought to understand the effects that varying moisture content of different fire-promoting plant species had on the release of total energy, gaseous emissions (CO, CO2), particulate matter less than 2.5µm in diameter (PM2.5) and fire radiative energy (FRE). Instantaneous FRE, or fire radiative power (FRP), is an important parameter used in remote sensing to relate the emitted energy to the biomass fuel consumption. Currently, remote sensing techniques rely on empirically based linear relationships between emitted FRE and biomass consumed. However, this relationship is based on the assumption that all fuels emit the same amount of energy per unit mass, regardless of fuel conditions (type, moisture, packing, orientation, etc.). In this study, we revisited these assumptions under the influence of moisture content for species that are adapted to fire, containing volatile oils. Results show that, in terms of the total energy released, this assumption holds fairly well regardless of fuel type and moisture content. However, FRE was found to be slightly dependent on the fuel type and very dependent on the moisture content of the fuel. Most of this variation was attributed to changes in the behaviour of the combustion process for different fuels, similarly observed in emissions measurements. These results highlight a need to further examine the role of fuel moisture and combustion state when determining emissions from remotely sensed measurements.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

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A series of small-scale laboratory fires were conducted to study the relationship between fuel type, moisture content, energy released and emissions during the combustion process of live wildland fuels. The experimental design sought to understand the effects that varying moisture content of different fire-promoting plant species had on the release of total energy, gaseous emissions (CO, CO2), particulate matter less than 2.5µm in diameter (PM2.5) and fire radiative energy (FRE). Instantaneous FRE, or fire radiative power (FRP), is an important parameter used in remote sensing to relate the emitted energy to the biomass fuel consumption. Currently, remote sensing techniques rely on empirically based linear relationships between emitted FRE and biomass consumed. However, this relationship is based on the assumption that all fuels emit the same amount of energy per unit mass, regardless of fuel conditions (type, moisture, packing, orientation, etc.). In this study, we revisited these assumptions under the influence of moisture content for species that are adapted to fire, containing volatile oils. Results show that, in terms of the total energy released, this assumption holds fairly well regardless of fuel type and moisture content. However, FRE was found to be slightly dependent on the fuel type and very dependent on the moisture content of the fuel. Most of this variation was attributed to changes in the behaviour of the combustion process for different fuels, similarly observed in emissions measurements. These results highlight a need to further examine the role of fuel moisture and combustion state when determining emissions from remotely sensed measurements.

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  • doi:10.1071/WF18084

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Magazine Articles

Pathways for Building Fire Spread in the Wildland Urban Interface
Gollner, M.J., Society of Fire Protection Engineers’ Emerging Trends Newsletter, Issue 101. 2015

Pathways for Building Fire Spread in the Wildland Urban Interface
Gollner, M.J., SFPE Emerging Trends Newsletter, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, August, 2015.

The Flammability of a Storage Commodity
Gollner, M.J., Fire Protection Engineering Magazine, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, April 2014.

Theses

Effect of Microgravity on the Development and Structure of Fire Whirls

Jones, Michael, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland College Park, 2020

A STUDY OF INTERMITTENT CONVECTIVE HEATING OF FINE LIVE WILDLAND FUELS

Orcurto, Ashlynne R, M.S. Thesis, Univeristy of Maryland, College Park, 2020

Laboratory Studies on the Generation of Firebrands from Cylindrical Wooden Dowels
Caton, Sara, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2017

Thermal Characterization of Firebrand Piles
Hakes, Raquel Sara Pilar, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2017

The Structure of the Blue Whirl: A Soot-Free Reacting Vortex Phenomenon
Sriram Bharath Hariharan, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2017

Moisture Content Effects on Energy and Emissions Released During Combustion of Pyrophytic Vegetation
Nathaniel Andrew May, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2017
A Fundamental Study of Boundary Layer Diffusion Flames
Singh, Ajay. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2015.
In Situ Burning Alternatives
Cohen, Brian, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014.
Flame Spread Through Wooden Dowels
Zhao, Zhao, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014.
Upward Flame Spread over Discreet Fuels
Miller, Colin, M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014
Studying Wildland Fire Spread Using Stationary Burners
Gorham, D.J., M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014.
Transient Fire Load on Aluminum Ferries (PDF)
Hall, B. M.S. Thesis, University of Maryland, College Park, 2014.
Studies on Upward Flame Spread (PDF, Official Copy, Presentation)
Gollner, MJ. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego, 2012.
A Fundamental Approach to Storage Commodity Classification (PDF, Proquest, Presentation)
Gollner, M.J. M.S. Thesis, University of California, San Diego, 2010.

Reports

Literature Review on Spaceport Fire Safety (NFPA Site)
Erin Griffith, Alicea Fitzpatrick, Seth Lattner, Joseph Dowling, Michael J. Gollner

Towards Data-Driven Operational Wildfire Spread Modeling: A REPORT OF THE NSF-FUNDED WIFIRE WORKSHOP
Gollner, M.J. and Trouve, A., 2015.

Pathways for Building Fire Spread at the Wildland Urban Interface (NFPA Site)
Gollner, M.J., Hakes, R., Caton, S. and Kohler, K., Fire Protection Research Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, March, 2015.

Literature Review on Hybrid Fire Suppression Systems
Raia, P. and Gollner, M.J., Fire Protection Research Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, May 2014.

Fire Safety Design and Sustainable Buildings: Challenges and Opportunities: Report of a National Symposium
Gollner, M.J., Kimball, A. and Vecchiarelli, T., Fire Protection Research Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, 2013.

Copyright Notes

In following copyright law, most journals allow their authors to share post-prints of their journal articles (essentially pre-prints with changes from the review process but lacking any publisher modifications or typesetting). Therefore, I have posted PDF Post-Prints of most journal articles in addition to document object identifier (DOI) links to the articles on the publishers site (sometimes requiring subscription). For more information about journal copyrights, please visit http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/. I have posted some conference proceedings on Research Gate. If you do not have access to a final article version, please contact me.

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