A mathematical model of thermal decomposition together with the flammability limit is proposed to describe the pyrolysis and spontaneous ignition of wood slab subjected to the radiation from a truncated-cone heater. The prominent physical and chemical phenomena were considered in the model, involving heat transfer in a solid, heat consumed by thermal decomposition reactions, the evaporation of moisture, re-radiation from pore surfaces inside a solid and so on. The numerical solution allows the prediction of in-depth temperature profiles, evolution of volatiles, variation of thermal conductivity, apparent mass loss (solid conversion) and ignition time. The different densities for wood species and effect of moisture content and grain orientation on thermal conductivity are also considered in the model, producing a good prediction of surface temperatures. This gives birth to the reasonable prediction on ignition time of wood by employing fixed surface temperature (400 ℃) as ignition criterion. However, the analysis of constituent
fractions for the species associated with the multi-components kinetic scheme should be included in the mathematical model to give a more precise prediction on the apparent mass loss of solid.
Bilbao R, Mastral JF, Lana JA, Ceamanos J, Aldea ME, Betran M, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol., 62, 63, 2002
Xiao R, Shen DK, Zhang HY, Fang MX, The thermal decomposition and spontaneous ignition of wood slabs under a truncated-cone heater: Experimental observation in The 34th International Symposium on Combustion, Warsaw, Poland, 2012
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Fredlund B, A model for heat and mass transfer in timber structures during fire- A theoretical, numerical and experimental study, Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Fire Safety Engineering, Lund University, Sweden, 1988