Temperature field evolution in wood samples during the flame spread experiments

Abstract

Vertical, horizontal and 45° upward fl ame spread experiments over the small scale beech and pine wood samples were performed. Wood samples were of two geometries - square cross section prisms (15 x 15 mm) and a thin rectangular cross section prisms (5 x 40 mm) - and of three different lengths - 10, 15 and 30 cm. Samples were ignited by a heptane source fi re extinguished immediately when the wood samples ignited. During the fl ame spread an internal temperature profi les along the centreline of the samples were measured by a set of thermocouples. Flame spread was observed in all sample positions except the horizontal orientation of the beech and pine square prism samples. Experimental data will serve for a validation of the pyrolysis models in the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) fl ame spread models