The Combustion Diagnostics and  Environmental Measurements Laboratory

	Material Properties Governing Flame Spread in Microgravity The concept of fire in space is frightening, due to the lack of egress, potentially enriched oxygen atmospheres, and the constraint of a limited supply of breathable air.  For this reason, and with renewed interest due to the potential of long term manned missions (e.g. to the moon again and then to Mars), NASA is deeply concerned with understanding the nature of microgravity flame spread and the role of materials in flame spread, with the goal of preventing a possibly disastrous fire. This project, in conjunction with Dr. José Torero of the University of Edinburgh, focuses on the role that material properties play in determining the extent of flame spread.  Flame spread in space is different than flame spread in earth gravity due to the lack of buoyancy in the hot combustion products without gravity. We aim to develop a methodology that will link normal gravity flame measurements, convenient to measure in laboratories on earth, with microgravity flame spread properties.  The ultimate goal is to be able to intelligently rank materials in terms of their fire safety.  To accomplish this goal we are using a combination of experimental measurements and detailed fluid and chemical modeling. This project is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Bioastronautics Initiative.		Recent talks: NASA Contractor's meeting June 2003 José Torero presentation at UCSD, May 2004 Recent Results: High resolution pictures of PMMA burning, with edge detection