Experimental study on the morphology of turbulent diffusion flames with different aspect ratios under slope conditions

Abstract

In this paper, the morphology of turbulent diffusion flames with varying aspect ratios under slope conditions was investigated. A simulated fire source using propane gas with an area of 80 cm2 was utilized. The influences of slope angle and aspect ratio of the fire source on the flame tilt angle (between the plume centerline and the slope), flame length, and flame height were systematically studied. The aspect ratio of the fire source (L/W) was changed from 1 to 8, and the slope angle was changed from 0° to 40°. Results indicate that the presence of a slope causes asymmetrical air entrainment on both sides of the fire plume, causing a pressure difference that leads to a decrease in the flame tilt angle as the slope angle increases. Additionally, the flame length increases monotonically with the slope angle due to the enhanced component of thermal buoyancy along the slope. Under the same slope condition, the flame tilt angle and flame height (perpendicular to the slope) decrease as the aspect ratio increases. This phenomenon is attributed to the increased entrainment restriction effect of the slope on the fire plume. New models for calculating flame tilt angle, flame length, and flame height, which consider the slope angle and aspect ratio of the fire source were established by using the equivalent perimeter of plume entrainment. To further verify the reliability of the newly established models, reference data with wide heat release rate (6.15 kW–231 kW), different slope inclination angle (0°–80°), pool size (equivalent diameter: 9 cm–44.1 cm), and different fuels (propane, ethylene) were used to against with the predicted values of our correlations. It is found that the maximum error of all correlations is within 15–20%, their universality and accuracy are further verified.