Thermal Imaging Study on The Effect of Permeability on Smouldering Behaviour of a Tropical Peat

Abstract

Smouldering is a slow-burning, low-temperature, flameless combustion, and frequently happens in peatland fires. The smouldering spread occurs because of the parameter achievement in oxygen supply, generated heat, and heat released to the environment. The condition of porous and fibrous peat soils makes oxygen supply easily happens. The difficulty of getting to the location of the burning peatland is one of the problems to extinguish the fire. This study aims to observe with thermal imaging study the effect of peat permeability on smouldering behaviour of a tropical peat sample. Mechanical compaction was applied to reduce permeability and pore value in the central of the peat soil. Then, peat soil is ignited to create the smouldering propagation through the compacted peat area. The combustion process that occurs on the surface is observed by a visual camera and an Infrared FLIR Thermal Camera. The initial results showed a reduction in the smouldering spread rate on the compacted soil region as compared to the undisturbed peat smouldering region. Nevertheless, smouldering combustion of peat still occurred in all regions of the reactor, once the smouldering front could penetrate the compacted region.