Combustion and Flame, Vol.156, No.4, 763-770, 2009
Flame-spread probability and local interactive effects in randomly arranged fuel-droplet arrays in microgravity
We investigated the flame-spread characteristics Of randomly arranged fuel-droplet arrays in microgravity. Flame-spread probability was calculated based on a percolation model with the flame-spread-limit distance of evenly-spaced n-decane droplet arrays in microgravity. Flame-spread probability depends on the occupation fraction of droplets in a lattice and rapidly increases with the occupation fraction. The local flame-spread-limit distance of unevenly-spaced n-decane droplet arrays was experimentally investigated in microgravity. The droplets were arranged in a straight line at uneven intervals. The local flame-spread-limit distance of the unevenly-spaced droplet arrays depended on the droplet arrangement and increased from the flame-spread-limit distance of the evenly-spaced droplet arrays Clue to interactive effects. The flame-spread probability considering the increase in local flame-spread-limit distance is larger than that without it. (c) 2009 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Fuel-droplet arrays;Flame spread;Unevenly-spaced droplet array;Flame-spread probability;Droplet interaction;Microgravity