Exploring the brachistochrone (shortest-time) path in fire spread.

ABSTRACT: The brachistochrone (shortest-time) curve is the path connecting two points that enables the shortest travel time. This work explores the "brachistochrone path" of fire spread connecting two points at the same altitude and with a fixed path length. The starting and ending points are connected by both thermally thin fuels (thin wires) and thermally thick fuels (PMMA bars). Flame-spread paths of triangular, rectangular, and circular shapes with different heights and inclinations are explored. Results show that having a local maximum flame-spread rate does not result in the shortest overall travel time. For thin-wire paths, the fastest overall-path fire spread occurs, when the upward spread path is vertical, and the path height reaches a maximum, as demonstrated by the theoretical analysis. D

SUBMITTER: Sun P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9365817 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature