Generation of Firebrands from the Burning of Full-Scale Vegetation in the Absence of Ambient Wind

Published

October 23, 2023

Author(s)

Isaac Leventon, Mahdi Tlemsani, Mohammadhadi Hajilou, Xiaoyu Ju, Michael Gollner

Abstract

9 Between December 2019 and January 2020, 14 full-scale experiments were conducted at the University of 10 Maryland (UMD) in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to measure 11 variations in burning behavior and firebrand yield (i.e., mass of firebrands generated per total mass lost: = mfirebrands/ mburned as full-scale vegetation burned in the absence of ambient wind (crossflow). 13 Measurements – including initial and final sample mass, time-resolved mass loss rate during burning, mass of 14 firebrands generated, and time-resolved total heat flux (2 m away from the tree) – were obtained in replicate 15 tests conducted on three unique tree species, each burning at a range of moisture contents (MC). Specifically, 16 across all tests, initial moisture content varied between 0 and 128 %. 22 Firebrand yield has been reported elsewhere[1,2]; however, 23 this experimental series is unique in terms of the total 24 number of firebrands collected (more than 10,000 across 25 all 14 tests) and because is calculated from full- 26 scale experiments, in replicate tests conducted on multiple 27 fuel species with a wide range of initial moisture contents. 28 Measured values of varied 29 between 0.004 and 0.027, showing an inverse dependence 30 on initial moisture content but no clear dependence on 31 species. Further analysis quantified the sensitivity of 32 measured firebrand mass and size (projected area) 33 distributions to differences in tree species, size, moisture 34 content, and peak mass loss rate.

Proceedings Title

IAFSS14

Conference Dates

October 21-27, 2023

Conference Location

Tsukuba, JP

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

burning behavior, firebrand characteristics, firebrand yield, vegetative fuels, wildfires

Citation

Leventon, I. , Tlemsani, M. , Hajilou, M. , Ju, X. and Gollner, M. (2023), Generation of Firebrands from the Burning of Full-Scale Vegetation in the Absence of Ambient Wind, IAFSS14, Tsukuba, JP (Accessed January 17, 2025)