Gravity effects on flame spreading over solid surfaces

Abstract

The effects of gravity on the spreading of a flame over a solid combustible surface were determined. Flame propagation rates were measured from specimens of thin cellulose acetate sheets burning in both normal gravity (1 g) and reduced gravity (0 g) environments; the specimens were burned in various quiescent mixtures of oxygen, helium, argon, and nitrogen. A correlation for normal gravity and reduced gravity burning was obtained based on theoretical models of previous investigators.