Piloted ignition of a slick of oil on water

An experimental technique has been developed to systematically study the ignition characteristics of liquid fuels spilled on a water bed. The final objective of this work is to provide a tool that will serve to assess a fuels ease to ignite, thus helping to better define the combustion parameters that affect in-situ burning of oil spills. A systematic study of the different parameters that affect ignition has been conducted in an attempt to develop a bench scale procedure to evaluate the burning efficiency of liquid fuels in conditions typical of oil spill scenarios. To study ignition, the Lateral Ignition and Flame Spread (LIFT) standard test method, ASTM E1321, has been modified to allow for the use of liquid fuels on a water bed. Characteristic parameters such as critical heat flux for ignition and ignition delay time have been obtained as functions of the external heat flux. A series of "fire properties" corresponding to the fuel can be extrapolated from this test and used to assess the tendency of a fuel to ignite. Fuel properties vary significantly when subject to a strong heat insult, therefore, they need to be evaluated under fire conditions. Evaluation of the fuel "fire properties" that are independent of the length scale, will permit the ranking of fuels and will reduce the number of large scale experiments necessary to determine in-situ burning protocols and procedures. By focusing on the fuel and introducing external radiation, large scale conditions can be simulated. It must be noted that this is not a study of the burning characteristics but of the fuel burning efficiency. Ignition will be studied by using a modified Lateral Ignition and Flame Spread Test (ASTM E1321). Figure 1 shows a schematic of the modified LIFT apparatus.