The Combustion

Process
What basic elements are needed for fire to occur?

THE FIRE TRIANGLE

OXYGEN HEAT
FIRE
combustion

FUEL
 COMBUSTION PROCESS…
A chemical reaction…
FUEL: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
(storage of chemical energy)
Solar Energy + CO2 + H2O

(C6H10O5)n + O + Ignition CO2 + H2O + HEAT

Temperature (+ gases + char + ash)

COMBUSTION
(conversion of stored energy to thermal,
Decay radiant, kinetic energy)
THE PHASES OF COMBUSTION
1) preignition
2) ignition
3) combustion
4) extinction
 Preignition (“pre-heating”)…
Pyrolysis
Thermal degradation of the fuel = “heat divided”
( ~250 – 355 C )

 char (low temperatures = glowing)

 tar (high temperatures = volatile gases = flaming)
 mineral ash (inorganics)
 THE PHASES OF COMBUSTION…
2. IGNITION
Transition between preignition and combustion

- Low temps = charring  glowing combustion

- High temps = gases  flaming combustion

2 types of “natural” ignition:
1. Lightning
2. Spontaneous ignition

Lightning
- High temperature within column of hot gases
- 100 cloud-to-ground discharges/sec on Earth
- Only 0.1 - .001 of strikes = wildfire
 Ignition continued…
Spontaneous ignition

Pile heating (heat liberated faster than lost to surroundings)

- chip piles: fresh chips + foliage, moisture > 20%
- pile > 1m in height

Microbial activity = respiration  CO2 + H2O + HEAT

Requirements for ignition: Oxygen + formation of char
- surface oxidation of char = smoldering
- smoldering  heat  continuous pyrolysis (flaming)
PHASES OF COMBUSTION…

3. COMBUSTION – 2 types:
- Smoldering / glowing
- Flaming

Smoldering or glowing combustion

•Surface fires
- Lower temps, but longer duration
• Ground fires in organic soil horizons
•– smolder for mo/yrs (potential for re-ignition)

• High smoke production (particulates, CO)

 TYPES OF COMBUSTION continued…

Flaming combustion

• Volatile gases mix with air = flames

• High temperatures necessary (425-480 C)

• In general, fewer emissions than smoldering fires

 THE PHASES OF COMBUSTION

4. Extinction: termination of combustion

Two important factors can cause smoldering to cease:

- Inorganic materials (ash) – absorb heat but do not

oxidize – reduces the total amount of heat

- Not enough heat produced to cause vaporization in

in moist fuels (no more “available fuel”)
What basic elements are needed for fire to occur?

THE FIRE TRIANGLE

OXYGEN HEAT
FIRE
combustion

FUEL
• Three methods of heat
transfer…
 Three Heat Transfer Methods
Conduction:
Transfer of heat from one molecule to another.

Example: touching your hand to a hot object

Conduction is the only means of transferring heat to the

interior of fuels (wood, litter, duff).

High-density fuels (green wood) vs. low-density fuels (litter, decayed wood)

High density fuels have greater conductivity – more heat

needed to raise temperature of surface layer
 Radiation:

Transmission of heat by electromagnetic waves.

Examples of radiation: Heat from sun, fire place, stove

Contact between radiation source and affected body not necessary

Example: preheating of fuels ahead of fire front

Absorption of radiation by woody fuels

– only by thin layer at surface (rest by conduction)
Convection:

Transfer of heat by
movement of a gas
or liquid (air).

Hot air moves vertically

(exceptions: winds, slopes)

Examples: heating a pot of

water, smoke from a fire.

Important for pre-heating of

shrub layers and crown
canopy
What Factors
can Increase
Heat Transfer?
 Factors that Increase Heat Transfer

Flames are brought

closer to the fuel
due to slope.
The wind pushes the
flames over...

Wind

...bringing the
flames closer
to the fuel.
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