Experimental and theoretical study of the ignition and smoldering of wood including convective effects

Ignition, as one of the most important processes during the initiation and development of a fire, needs to be studied in different situations. In this work, an experimental and theoretical study of the ignition of wood, including convective effects, has been performed. The experimental study includes tests of both spontaneous and piloted ignition with air flows at different velocities over the sample. Depending on the conditions, smoldering was observed, followed either by ignition or extinction. In some cases, decomposition of the sample occurred without the appearance of a flame. A mathematical model has been used that includes the kinetics of thermal decomposition of wood, the latent heat of vaporization of water, and variable thermal properties. The model provided the temperature at each point in the solid, the local conversion of solid, the time to smoldering, and the time to ignition of the material. In general, reasonable agreement between experimental and theoretical results was obtained. (C) 2001 by The Combustion Institute.