Accession Number:

AD0255430

Title:

COMPARISON OF FIELD AND LABORATORY FOREST FUEL IGNITION ENERGIES AND EXTRAPOLATION TO HIGH-YIELD WEAPONS

Descriptive Note:

Interim technical rept.

Corporate Author:

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST FOREST AND RANGE EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY CA

Personal Author(s):

• SAUER, F. M.

Report Date:

1956-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

34.0

Abstract:

Comparisons are made between ignition energies of forest fuels, including newspaper, determined during Operations BUSTER, SNAPPER AND UPSHOT- KNOTHOLE and laboratory exposures made utilizing the Forest Service thermal source. Agreement is excellent for fuels exposed normal to the radiant flux when fuel moisture content is considered. Ignition of fuels exposed at attitudes other than normal to the radiant flux is not discussed. Ignition energy-moisture content relationships which include the effect of weapon yield are presented. Although presented relationships lack complete scientific verification they appear valid for thin homogeneous fuel types, such as newspaper and grass, within or - 5 to 15 percent for a range of yield of 1 KT to 10 MT. For more heterogeneous fuels, such as punk and litter, results are believed to be within or - 25 percent for yields of 1 to 100 KT.

Descriptors:

• *FUELS
• *IGNITION
• COMBUSTION
• ENERGY
• GRASSES
• HUMIDITY
• NEWSPAPERS
• NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
• PAPER
• THERMAL DIFFUSION
• THERMAL RADIATION
• TREES
• WEAPONS
• WOOD

Subject Categories:

• Combustion and Ignition
• Fuels

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE