Fuel load sampling of a Cupressus sempervirens hedge in Parc de Cervantes, Barcelona

In this document, data from three destructive samplings performed in a Cupressus sempervirens hedge in Parc de Cervantes (Barcelona) are shown; the methodology applied is also described. Measurements of fuel load have been taken, and moisture content, mass distribution and bulk density have been calculated. Different fuel classes (according to status and diameter) have been taken into account.Postprint (published version

PBD WUI-specific guidelines; initial draft

Postprint (updated version

Technical Note TN 2.2 Fuel load sampling of a Cupressus sempervirens hedge

In this document, data from a destructive sampling of a Cupressus sempervirens hedgerow are shown, as well as the followed methodology. Measures of sizes and weights have been taken. With these data, moisture content, fuel load and bulk density have been calculated. Different fuel classes (state and diameter) have been taken into account.Postprint (updated version

Experiència de millora en la pràctica docent dins del marc de l’enginyeria química: Avaluació Continuada

Peer Reviewe

Technical Note TN 2.4. Fuel sampling, tree ignition and burning tests in ADAI facilities

In this document, the followed methodology to characterize several natural fuels (trees of Cupressus arizonica, Cupressocyparis leylandii, Prunus laurocerasus and Thuja occidentalis) is presented. Also, the ignition method and the equipment used to monitor the burning of these fuels in two different configurations are described. These activities were performed in ADAI facilities (Lousa, Portugal).Preprin

Short-term fire front spread prediction using inverse modelling and airborne infrared images

A wildfire forecasting tool capable of estimating the fire perimeter position sufficiently in advance of the actual fire arrival will assist firefighting operations and optimise available resources. However, owing to limited knowledge of fire event characteristics (e.g. fuel distribution and characteristics, weather variability) and the short time available to deliver a forecast, most of the current models only provide a rough approximation of the forthcoming fire positions and dynamics. The problem can be tackled by coupling data assimilation and inverse modelling techniques. We present an inverse modelling-based algorithm that uses infrared airborne images to forecast short-term wildfire dynamics with a positive lead time. The algorithm is applied to two real-scale mallee-heath shrubland fire experiments, of 9 and 25 ha, successfully forecasting the fire perimeter shape and position in the short term. Forecast dependency on the assimilation windows is explored to prepare the system to meet real scenario constraints. It is envisaged the system will be applied at larger time and space scales.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Report on LPG infrastructure impact at the WUI microscale

Preprin

Transportation of hazardous materials via pipeline: a historical overview

The transportation of hazardous materials via pipelines is often considered a safer alternative to other transportation modalities such as railway, road and ship. However, pipelines often cross industrial and highly populated areas, so that their failure can pose a significant risk to the surrounding environment and the exposed population: the possible release of flammable and/or toxic materials in such areas can generate catastrophic events with very severe consequences. A number of accidents have actually occurred in the past years, and even when no deaths or injured are reported, significant damages to the surrounding environment often occur. This suggests that, given the extremely wide extension of the network worldwide, and the very high amounts of transported materials, a careful analysis is still required. In addition, the construction of pipelines also involves the contribution of expertise from a range of technical areas. As a consequence, the occurrence of accidents and the impact of their consequences, depend on the combination of a large number of parameters. In the present paper, an analysis of data relative to pipelines transporting hazardous materials has been carried out, and the influence of specific issues connected with their type and operation, has been assessed.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

The effect of the environment conditions on the prediction of flammable cloud dispersion

In order to quantify the damage caused by undesired events involving leakages of flammable materials, specific models are used to analyze the spills or jets of gas and liquid, gas dispersion, explosions and fires. The main step of this analysis is to estimate the concentration, in space and time, of the vapor cloud of hazardous substances released into the atmosphere; the purpose is to determine the area where a fire or explosion might occur and the quantity of flammable material in that area. Recently with the computational advances, CFD tools are used to short and medium range gas dispersion scenarios, especially in scenarios where there is a complex geometry. However, the accuracy of the simulating strongly depends on the boundary conditions. Therefore, this study investigates the sensitivity degree of the prediction of cloud dispersion to changes in values of wind speed, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure and ground roughness. This paper con-tributes to an appropriate assessment of the effects of these environment conditions to perform an accurate dispersion simulation using CFD tools and therefore contributes to a more effective analysis of the consequences.Postprint (published version

WUI state of the art and regulatory needs in Europe

The document summarizes the state of the art of the regulationsrelevant to WUI in Europe, providing an organized set of references to the specific regulatory documents. It is focused on three main relevant topics: i) fuel-reduced fringes; ii) Building codes and standards; iii)Wildland-Industrial Interface. Current regulations are analysed and compared, leading to the identification of important needs and limitations of the current European regulatory frameworkPreprin