LAGGING IGNITION OF COMBUSTIBLE FLUIDS IN POROUS-MEDIA - EFFECT OF FUEL SUPPLY RATE

The effect of fluid leakage into insulation material is considered, wh ere the combustible fluid spread over the inner fibres of the material is both slowly oxidizing and undergoing evaporation/desorption. It is found, in particular, that the constant supply of fuel can lead to un expected oscillatory behaviour in regions of parameter space which wou ld otherwise have been considered safe. In particular, the case of an extremely slow rate of supply of fluid can be the most deceptive in te rms of the possibility of ignition.