A simplified wood combustion model for use in the simulation of cooking fires

dc.contributor.authorBurnham-Slipper, H.
dc.contributor.authorClifford, M.J.
dc.contributor.authorPickering, S.J.
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-18T09:01:52Z
dc.date.available2014-07-18T09:01:52Z
dc.date.issued2007
dc.description.abstractPaper presented at the 5th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 1-4 July, 2007.en_US
dc.description.abstractWood combustion was studied with the intention of developing a simplified model of fuel burn-rate in small cooking fires, for inclusion in a CFD model of a whole cook-stove. The investigation included collecting experimental data on fuel burn-rate, model development and comparison of experimental and simulation results. In the experimental phase, regular blocks of wood were arranged in a lattice or crib with a range of volumes, void fractions and specific surface areas. The burning cribs yielded 3-40 kW fires. The simplified model assumed an unreacted core of virgin wood surrounded by char. It included considerations of heat transfer through the fuel by conduction; thermal decomposition of the virgin fuel into char and volatile gases, limited by the supply of heat to the pyrolysis region; the surface combustion of char limited by the diffusion of oxygen through the species boundary layer and impeded by the counter-flow of volatile gases. The model predicted the change of burn-rate with crib volume, porosity and surface area shown by experimental data, though it does incur significant errors, due to the assumption of one-dimensional behaviour within the crib, and neglecting spatial and temporal variations in boundary conditions. It was concluded that accuracy of the model could be improved by developing it to two or three dimensions, and that the easiest way to do this was through CFD. The model was sufficiently accurate to be used as a source of wood volatiles when modelling small fires in cookstoves, with the aim of investigating the effect of design changes on stove efficiency.en_US
dc.description.librariancs2014en_US
dc.format.extent6 pagesen_US
dc.format.mediumPDFen_US
dc.identifier.citationBurnham-Slipper, H, Clifford, MJ & Pickering, SJ 2007, 'Simplified wood combustion model for use in the simulation of cooking fires', Paper presented to the 5th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, South Africa, 1-4 July 2007.en_US
dc.identifier.isbn9781868546435
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/40886
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherInternational Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamicsen_US
dc.relation.ispartofHEFAT 2007
dc.rightsUniversity of Pretoriaen_US
dc.rights.uriUniversity of Pretoriaen_US
dc.subjectWood combustionen_US
dc.subjectFuel burn-rate in small cooking firesen_US
dc.subjectSurface combustion of charen_US
dc.subjectStove efficiencyen_US
dc.subjectCFD model of a whole cook-stoveen_US
dc.titleA simplified wood combustion model for use in the simulation of cooking firesen_US
dc.typePresentationen_US

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