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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Ambarish Dahale; Babak Shotorban; Shankar M. Mahalingam
Publication Date: 2015

A physics-based computational model was utilised to better understand the interactions of fires generated by burning of neighbouring shrubs. The model included large-eddy simulation for flow field turbulence and a two-phase approach for the coupling of solid fuel and gas phases. Two different arrangements consisting of two and three identical shrubs placed adjacent to each other were considered. All shrubs were simultaneously ignited from their base with the aid of separate ground fuels. Both crown and ground fuels were modelled as porous media with thermophysical properties of chamise and excelsior respectively. Modelling results indicated that the peak mass-loss rate and the vertical fire spread rate within a shrub decrease when the shrub separation distance increases. At zero separation, heat release rate normalised by the number of shrubs is enhanced by 5 and 15% for the two-shrub and the three-shrub arrangements, respectively. Generation of strong vorticity by higher gravitational torque appeared to be the cause for enhanced burning in the three-shrub arrangement. This effect was seen to be much weaker for the two-shrub arrangement. Interactions between the individual fires cease for a centre-to-centre distance of 1.5 and 2 times the shrub diameter for the two-shrub and the three-shrub arrangement respectively.

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Citation: Dahale, Ambarish; Shotorban, Babak; Mahalingam, Shankar M. 2015. Interactions of fires of neighbouring shrubs in two- and three-shrub arrangements. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24(5):624-639.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • Alabama
  • experimental fires
  • fire management
  • heat effects
  • physics-based fire model
  • physics-based modelling
  • range management
  • rate of spread
  • shrub fires
  • shrublands
  • shrubs
  • size classes
  • statistical analysis
Tall Timbers Record Number: 31686Location Status: In-fileCall Number: Journals - IAbstract Status: Fair use, Okay, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 54079

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.