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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Yana Bebieva; Kevin Speer; Liam White; Robert Smith; Gabrielle Mayans; Bryan Quaife
Publication Date: 2021

Fuel beds represent the layer of fuel that typically supports continuous combustion and wildland fire spread. We examine how wind propagates through and above loose and packed pine needle beds and artificial 3D-printed fuel beds in a wind tunnel. Vertical profiles of horizontal velocities are measured for three artificial fuel beds with prescribed porosities and two types of fuel beds made with long-leaf pine needles. The dependence of the mean velocity within the fuel bed with respect to the ambient velocity is linked to the porosity. Experimental results show significant structure to the vertical profile of mean flow within the bed, and suggest that small-scale sweeps and ejections play a role in this system redistributing momentum similar to larger-scale canopy flows.

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Citation: Bebieva, Yana; Speer, Kevin; White, Liam; Smith, Robert; Mayans, Gabrielle; Quaife, Bryan. 2021. Wind in a natural and artificial wildland fire fuel bed. Fire 4(2):30.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • atmosphere
  • atmospheric boundary layer
  • fire dynamics
  • fire spread
  • Florida
  • fuel layers
  • lateral diffusivity
  • porous media
  • turbulence
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 63877