Flame spread in low-speed forced flows: ground- and space-based experiments

Abstract

Flame spread across solid materials in low-velocity flow regime is of fundamental interest and practical importance, whereas experiments for this type of combustion have been a challenge. The present article introduces recent progress of this research field in the light of the flame spread experiments that have been performed at the Key Laboratory of Microgravity, CAS. The experimental methods employed to offer a slow convective flow include the narrow channel apparatus in normal gravity, ground-based microgravity free drops, and orbital space flights. The highlighted topics involve the confinement effects on flame spread, concurrent flame behaviors near the quenching limit, flame spread and extinction over thick solids in opposed and concurrent flows, and dynamics of spreading flame over thick solids in step-changed flow.