WindCline: Sloping wind tunnel for characterizing flame behavior under variable inclines and wind conditions

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Combustion Science
• Engineering

Background:

• Wildfire events pose increasing risks to human health, infrastructure, and the environment.
• Accurate computational models are vital for predicting wildfire dynamics, but require validation from controlled experiments.
• Existing experimental facilities are limited in their ability to test wildfire factors at small scales (<1 m) with precise control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize a novel experimental facility for studying wildfire dynamics.
• To enable controlled testing of fuel type, environmental conditions, and terrain effects on wildfire spread.
• To provide data for informing and validating computational wildfire models.

Main Methods:

• Development and characterization of a unique tilting wind tunnel named "WindCline".
• The WindCline platform pivots, allowing for system-wide tilting without degrading flow properties.
• Configurable test section and diffuser accommodate advanced diagnostics for precise measurements.

Main Results:

• The WindCline allows for controlled measurement and manipulation of critical wildfire variables and boundary conditions.
• The facility is suitable for small-scale studies (10-100 cm), essential for high-fidelity computational simulations.
• Characterization of flow properties and flame dynamics under controlled sloping conditions was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The WindCline facility provides a unique platform for advancing wildfire research.
• Validated computational models developed using WindCline data can improve understanding of combustion processes.
• Enhanced confidence in complex combustion simulations is a key outcome of this research.