Work

Effect of variable-speed wind on the transition from smouldering to flaming combustion

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Smouldering-to-flaming (StF) transition under external winds could lead to serious fire hazards. However, the StF transition mechanism under a variable-speed wind (VSW) remains to be explained. In this work, a one-dimensional model for the StF transition of a biomass stick was developed, which was successfully validated against the experimental results in the literature. VSW was defined as a sinusoidal function of constant-speed wind (CSW) in this work. Then, the StF transition behaviors under a CSW and a VSW were compared. It was found that the transition time under VSW is, on average, 1.9 times greater than that under CSW due to its minor heat generation. Moreover, the transition behaviors under VSW with different periods and initial wind speeds were also investigated. For VSW with different periods, the StF transition at a low wind speed (1.5 ∼ 3.7 m s −1 ) is mainly controlled by cooling, while by oxygen supply at a high wind speed (3.7 ∼ 5 m s −1 ). The effect of the initial wind speed on heat loss is insignificant, but a higher initial wind speed gives a higher heat generation, resulting in a decrease in the transition time.

Source: Fuel

DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2025.135784

Authors: Wentao Zhao, Jun Li, Wenjie Hu

Institution: Tianjin University

Language: English

Topic: Fire dynamics and safety research

Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,330