Use of an electric heater as an idealized firebrand to determine ignition delay time of Eucalyptus globulus leaves

The Idealized-Firebrand Ignition Test (I-FIT) protocol was used to evaluate the piloted ignition delay times of fuel beds composed of leaves of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.). The amount of fuel layer used for evaluation ranged between the fraction volume (������) of 0.03 to 0.07 which are values expected to be found in forest bed fuels. A theoretical model was developed to describe the heating and ignition of the fuel beds, based on the thermal ignition theory. The model, which was originally developed for pine needle beds, considers the penetration of radiation to the porous matrix. The model is able to accurately predict the ignition delay time for different values of ������, but shows a poorer accuracy for the temperature evolution. This is explained by the large variability observed for the Eucalyptus leaves.

Automated summary

The Idealized-Firebrand Ignition Test (I-FIT) protocol was used to evaluate the piloted ignition delay times of fuel beds composed of leaves of Eucalyptus globulus. A theoretical model based on thermal ignition theory was developed to describe the heating and ignition of the fuel beds. The model accurately predicts the ignition delay time for different fuel layer sizes, but shows poorer accuracy for temperature evolution.