Ignition, Transition, Flame Spread in Multidimensional Configurations in Microgravity.
Ignition, Transition, Flame Spread in Multidimensional
Configurations in Microgravity.
(2499 K)
Kashiwagi, T.; Mell, W. E.; McGrattan, K. B.; Baum, H.
R.; Olson, S. L.; Fujita, O.; Kikuchi, M.; Ito, K.
NASA Conference Publication 10194;
Microgravity Combustion Workshop, Fourth (4th)
International. Proceedings. National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, Lewis Research Center. NASA
Conference Publication 10194. May 19-21, 1997,
Cleveland, OH, 411-416 pp, 1997.
Keywords:
microgravity; combustion; flammability; flame spread;
ignition; smoldering
Abstract:
Ignition of solid fuels by external thermal radiation
and subsequent transition to flame spread are processes
that not only are of considerable scientific interest
but which also have fire safety applications. A
material which undergoes a momentary ignition might be
tolerable but a material which permits a transition to
subsequent flame spread would significantly increase the
fire hazard in a spacecraft. Therefore, the limiting
condition under which flame cannot spread should be
calculated from a model of the transition from ignition
instead of by the traditional approach based on limits
to a steady flame spread model. However, although the
fundamental processes involved in ignition have been
suggested there have been no definitive experimental or
modeling studies due to the flow motion generated by
buoyancy near the heated sample surface.
