Predicting Wildland Fire Behavior and Emissions Using a Fine-Scale Physical Model

A physical fine-scale two-phase model has been developed for the purpose of determining wildland fire behavior and emissions. The situation modeled corresponds to a spreading wildfire driven by wind through a fuel bed of combustible elements. The numerical model solves a set of time-dependent conservation Equations for both phases (the gas and the vegetation elements) coupled through exchange terms. It accounts for the dynamics, turbulence, soot formation, and radiation. This model has been applied to a prescribed savanna fire. Good qualitative agreement was found between the simulation results and available in situ experimental data on the rate of spread and fuel consumption ratio.