Effect of Specific Water Consumption on Suppression of Combustion and Thermal Decomposition of Forest Combustible Materials

Abstract: In this paper, we determined the main regularities of suppression of combustion and thermal decomposition of typical forest combustible materials (leaves and needles as an example) when they are exposed to droplet aerosol with a variable specific water consumption. The conditions for suppressing the thermal decomposition in the material layer were controlled using low-inertia thermocouples. The size and concentration of water droplets in the aerosol were determined by using the cross-correlation complex and optical recording methods while the density of irrigation was calculated. The typical suppression times of combustion and thermal decomposition of the materials under study are determined. For the dependence of the suppression times on the specific water consumption, two typical ranges illustrating the necessary and sufficient conditions for effective combustion suppression are established. Based on an analysis of the experimental data, we formulated a hypothesis on the dominant heat and mass exchange in the suppression of combustion and the thermal decomposition of typical forest combustible materials with water.