Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/124724
Type: Conference paper
Title: Air permeability of the litter layer in temperate forests of south-east Australia
Author: Wang, H.
Tian, Z.
Medwell, P.
Birzer, C.
van Eyk, P.
Possell, M.
Citation: Proceedings of the 21st Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2018), 2018, pp.1-4
Publisher: Australian Fluid Mechanics Society
Issue Date: 2018
ISBN: 9780646597843
Conference Name: Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference (10 Dec 2018 - 13 Dec 2018 : Adelaide, Australia)
Statement of
Responsibility: 
Houzhi Wang, Zhao F. Tian, Paul R. Medwell, Cristian H. Birzer, Philip J. van Eyk and Malcolm Possell
Abstract: Fuel on the ground, such as leaves, twigs and decomposing matter, accumulate over time and account for a large percentage of the total fuel load in forests. In fire events, material on the ground is often referred to as a fuel bed. The air permeability of a fuel bed is a critical factor that influences fire behaviour because it controls the amount of air (oxygen) available for combustion within the fuel bed. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the air permeability of the fuel beds in forests. The air permeability for different fuel beds were determined using experimental and theoretical methods. The pressure drop across the fuel bed samples were experimentally measured using a verified permeability testing rig. The air permeability was then calculated using Darcy's Law (Darcian flow) or the Forchheimer equation (non-Darcian flow) from the pressure drop measurements. The particles in the fuel beds were characterised in terms of particle size and shape. Based on the particle characterisation, the air permeability of the fuel beds was also calculated using the Kozeny-Carman equation. The results show that the experimental method is preferred when determining the air permeability for natural forest fuel beds due to the variability in the size and shape of the particles. The results also show that both particle size and particle type are influential on the air permeability of the fuel bed. The significance of this study is that it increases the ability to predict the air permeability of fuel beds in forests, which is essential for modelling the combustion behaviour within the fuel beds.
Rights: Commencing with 19AFMC, the Society holds copyright to papers which appear in the Proceedings. Prior to that, copyright resides with authors of the papers.
Published version: https://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/imarusic/proceedings/21%20AFMC%20TOC.html
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest 8
Mechanical Engineering conference papers

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