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Opposed-flow Flame Spread Over Solid Fuels in Microgravity: the Effect of Confined Spaces

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Abstract

Effects of confined spaces on flame spread over thin solid fuels in a low-speed opposing flow is investigated by combined use of microgravity experiments and computations. The flame behaviors are observed to depend strongly on the height of the flow tunnel. In particular, a non-monotonic trend of flame spread rate versus tunnel height is found, with the fastest flame occurring in the 3 cm high tunnel. The flame length and the total heat release rate from the flame also change with tunnel height, and a faster flame has a larger length and a higher heat release rate. The computation analyses indicate that a confined space modifies the flow around the spreading flame. The confinement restricts the thermal expansion and accelerates the flow in the streamwise direction. Above the flame, the flow deflects back from the tunnel wall. This inward flow pushes the flame towards the fuel surface, and increases oxygen transport into the flame. Such a flow modification explains the variations of flame spread rate and flame length with tunnel height. The present results suggest that the confinement effects on flame behavior in microgravity should be accounted to assess accurately the spacecraft fire hazard.

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Acknowledgments

This work is funded by the Strategic Pioneer Program on Space Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under grant No. XDA04020410.

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Author notes

  1. Yuan Xiao

    Present address: College of Science Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Microgravity, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Shuangfeng Wang, Yuan Xiao & Feng Zhu

  2. School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    Jun Hu & Tan Ren

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  1. Shuangfeng Wang
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  2. Jun Hu
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Correspondence to Shuangfeng Wang.

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Wang, S., Hu, J., Xiao, Y. et al. Opposed-flow Flame Spread Over Solid Fuels in Microgravity: the Effect of Confined Spaces. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 27, 329–336 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-015-9419-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-015-9419-z

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