The influence of moisture on the combustion of wood

A new three-dimensional (3-D) field model for enclosure fire growth has bee n developed by CSIRO and UNSW Australia. The model includes the coupling of gas-phase combustion and the pyrolysis of wood. It has been used to predic t the flame spread and fire development in a room with a rear timber wall a nd a propane burner. A parametric study of the effects of the moisture cont ent of the timber on flame spr ead and development of the fire in a room is described. The computed results compare satisfactorily with measurements f rom a fire test carefully conducted in a room.