Heating and ignition of small wood cylinders

Abstract

The literature provides limited information on the time of ignition of wood under conditions of rapid heating such as occur in forest and structure fires. An investigation was made of ease of ignition as affected by such physical properties of wood as initial temperature, size, and moisture content and by temperature of ambient gas or rate of heating. Temperature-time history curves are shown for two radii of wood specimens. With the temperature-time data and an equation for unsteady-state heat conduction, the surface temperature of wood when flame appears is calculated. With the method used, the surface ignition temperature of wood under conditions of rapid heating was found to be nearer 650º than the 550º F. temperature often quoted in the literature.

Citation

Fons, Wallace L. 1950. Heating and Ignition of Small Wood Cylinders. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 42(10): 2130-2133.