Burning Behavior of Liquid Fuel on Wavy Water

In-situ burning is a fast, cheap, and effective means of cleaning up spilled fuel in the environment. Much in-situ burning takes place at sea and on the ocean surface. Some studies have been conducted which examine the impact of a water sublayer, fuel thickness, pool diameter, and other parameters on the burning rate of a pool fire. Very little research has been conducted which examines the influence of water waves on the burning characteristics of a fuel floating on water. This study analyzes the burning behavior of an 80 cm kerosene pool fire of constant thickness floating on wavy water. A custom modular freshwater wave tank was built to accommodate the experiments. Wave generation and absorption equipment ensure linear wave composition for experimental study. Four different wave profiles with steepness ranging from 0.008 to 0.017 representing a Beaufort Sea state of 1 were used. It is observed that waves increased convective cooling by the water sublayer, decreased flame heat feedback, and lowered regression rates. As the thickness of the fuel is increased the influence of the wave is reduced, with thicker fuels experiencing less dramatic effects than thinner fuels.