Experimental measurements during combustion of moist individual foliage samples

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Contents Vol 19(2)

doi:10.1071/WF07121

Experimental measurements during combustion of moist individual foliage samples^A

Brent M. Pickett ^A, Carl Isackson ^A, Rebecca Wunder ^A, Thomas H. Fletcher ^A ^D, Bret W. Butler ^B, David R. Weise ^C

^A Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
^B USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT 59808, USA.
^C USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Fire Laboratory, Riverside, CA 92507, USA.
^D Corresponding author. Email: tom_fletcher@byu.edu





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International Journal of Wildland Fire 19(2) 153–162 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF07121
Submitted: 2 August 2007 Accepted: 22 January 2009 Published online: 31 March 2010

Abstract

Individual samples of high moisture fuels from the western and southern United States and humidified aspen excelsior were burned over a flat-flame burner at 987° ± 12°C and 10 ± 0.5 mol% O₂. Time-dependent mass and temperature profiles of these samples were obtained and analysed. It was observed that significant amounts of moisture remained in the individual samples after ignition occurred. Temperature histories showed a plateau at 200°–300°C at the leaf perimeter rather than at 100°C, with a plateau of 140°C for the leaf interior. Implications are that classical combustion models should be altered to reflect the behaviour of moisture in high moisture (live) samples. Mass release rates were determined at ignition and maximum flame height; these appeared to vary due to surface area and perimeter, but no significant correlation was found for all species.

^A Part of this manuscript was prepared by US Government employees on official time and with funding and is therefore in the public domain and not subject to copyright laws in the US.

^B The source for the botanical names is the USDA PLANTS database (http://plants.usda.gov, accessed 3 December 2009).

^C Trade names are not an endorsement by the USDA.