Modelling the Effect of Moisture Content and Wind Environment on Fire Spread on a Fuel Bed Based on Large Eddy Simulation

Abstract

This work is to study the effect of moisture content and wind environment on fire propagation process. A complex pyrolysis model was established based on Large Eddy Simulation. The simulations were conducted in a wind tunnel. The heat release rate, the mass loss and the flame shape were studied. It is found that moisture can result in a low heat release rate, mass loss rate and fire spread rate. And the wind environment can accelerate the fire propagation speed dramatically. The effect of the moisture on fire propagation would decrease step by step when the wind velocity is large enough. And the flame dimension is also affected by both factors significantly.