S. Soma

Bio: S. Soma is an academic researcher from University of Kentucky. The author has contributed to research in topics: Fire whirl. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 101 citations.

Current approaches to modelling the spread of wildland fire: a review:

Abstract: This review considers the development of some of the models and modelling approaches designed to predict the spread and spatial behaviour of wildland fire events. Such events and their accurate prediction are of great importance to those seeking to understand and manage fire-prone ecosystems. The key problem which fire modelling seeks to address is outlined. Models predicting the rate of fire spread may be classified as physical, semi-physical or empirical according to the nature of their construction. The benefits and shortcomings of each type of model are considered with reference to specific examples of each type. It is shown that there are problems with current operational models which restrict their effective use. However, the development of rigorous physical models as replacements is impeded by conceptual and practical difficulties. Accurate estimation of the rate of spread and the intensity of a fire allows prediction of the final shape and area of a fire event. The modelling techniques used to est...

Synthesis of knowledge of extreme fire behavior : volume I for fire managers /

Abstract: The National Wildfire Coordinating Group definition of extreme fire behavior (EFB) indicates a level of fire behavior characteristics that ordinarily precludes methods of direct control action. One or more of the following is usually involved: high rate of spread, prolific crowning/spotting, presence of fire whirls, and strong convection column. Predictability is difficult because such fires often exercise some degree of influence on their environment and behave erratically, sometimes dangerously. Alternate terms include “blow up” and “fire storm.” Fire managers examining fires over the last 100 years have come to understand many of the factors necessary for EFB development. This work produced guidelines included in current firefighter training, which presents the current methods of predicting EFB by using the crown fire model, which is based on the environmental influences of weather, fuels, and topography. Current training does not include the full extent of scientific understanding. Material in current training programs is also not the most recent scientific knowledge. National Fire Plan funds have sponsored newer research related to wind profiles’ influence on fire behavior, plume growth, crown fires, fire dynamics in live fuels, and conditions associated with vortex development. Of significant concern is that characteristic features of EFB depend on conditions undetectable on the ground, relying fundamentally on invisible properties such as wind shear or atmospheric stability.Obviously no one completely understands all the factors contributing to EFB because of gaps in our knowledge. These gaps, as well as the limitations as to when various models or indices apply should be noted to avoid application where they are not appropriate or warranted. This synthesis will serve as a summary of existing extreme fire behavior knowledge for use by fire managers, firefighters, and fire researchers.The objective of this project is to synthesize existing EFB knowledge in a way that connects the weather, fuel, and topographic factors that contribute to development of EFB. This synthesis will focus on the state of the science, but will also consider how that science is currently presented to the fire management community, including incident commanders, fire behavior analysts, incident meteorologists, National Weather Service office forecasters, and firefighters. It will seek to clearly delineate the known, the unknown, and areas of research with the greatest potential impact on firefighter protection.

Burn-out time data analysis on interaction effects among multiple fires in fire arrays

Abstract: This paper gives an experimental and methodological investigation on the behaviors of square fire arrays which are composed of 3 × 3 to 7 × 7 n-heptane fires initiated from fuel pans of 5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height. It is intended to develop a burn-out time (BOT) data analysis method to analyze the interaction effects (which may induce fire merging and fire whirls) among the multiple fires. In 26 fire tests the fire point spacing D varied from 20 to 50 cm for each array size and in several cases shear flow was added from one side of the array. By considering the flame height L a reasonable critical condition for initiation of fire merging was implied to be D/L = 0.29 − 0.34, which is independent of the fire array size and fire point spacing. By burn-out time data the Interaction index I (m) and Interaction link index A (m, n) were defined to characterize the fire interactions. The assumptions essential to solve the equation system of I (m) = ∑n A (n, m) were examined in detail, whereby the equation system was solved. The analysis showed that the burn-out time data analysis realizes a quantitatively reasonable comparison of the fire interaction effects, thus indicating that it is reasonable to regard the burn-out time as a measure for the average burning rate for each specific fire point. An apparent criterion of BOT(m)/BOTR = 0.5 was summarized to identify whether any fire point m will be completely involved in fire merging (where BOTR is the burn-out time of the free burning reference fire point). It was implied that the interaction effect imposed on any fire is mainly ascribed to its adjacent four fires. The effects of shear flow to fire burning and occurrences of fire whirls were also discussed.

Experimental research on combustion dynamics of medium-scale fire whirl

Abstract: The medium-scale fire whirl was extensively investigated by experimental means, in order to establish correlations of the burning rate, flame height and flame temperature of fire whirl, and to clarify the difference between fire whirls and general pool fires. Experimental observations and data confirmed that a free burning fire whirl is a highly stable burning phenomenon with large quasi-steady periods. Burning rates of fire whirls depend on pool diameter similarly to those of general pool fires; however the transition turbulent burning occurs sooner as the pool diameter increases. The lip height seems to have little effect on the burning rate of fire whirls. The correlation H ∗ = K · ( Q ˙ ∗ · Γ ∗ 2 ) m was proposed to couple the height of fire whirl to the fire release rate and ambient circulation. It correlates the data from both this work and the literature. Radial temperature profiles in the continuous region of the fire whirl were confirmed to be hump-type, implying the existence of fuel-rich inner core. The pool diameter and heat release rate do not significantly affect the radial temperature profiles in non-dimensional radial coordinates. It was found that the fire plume of fire whirl involves three distinct zones just like that of pool fire, but with different normalized ranges. Fire whirls maintain a higher ratio of continuous flame height to the overall flame height, and also higher maximum centerline excess temperature in continuous flame region, as compared to general pool fires. It was further demonstrated that the fire whirl plume at its origin behaves like a turbulent jet with moderate swirling, and then tends to become buoyancy dominated downstream, with slight swirling. With an increase in dimensionless height adjusted by the plume origin, the plume centerline excess temperature decays rapidly and approaches the theoretical value of −5/3 for free buoyancy plume.