@article {bnh-4205, title = {Fire coalescence and mass spotfire dynamics - experimentation, modelling and simulation: annual project report 2016-17}, number = {312}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This report outlines the progress of the Fire Coalescence and Mass Spot Fire Dynamics project, which is one of the projects within the Next Generation Fire Modelling cluster.

The project has now been running for approximately 2.4 years. Phase 1 of the experimental program has now been completed and initial results are in the process of being published. Phase 2 of the experimental program is being considered. The project has continued to yield important and significant insights into the behaviour of coalescing fires, and these insights have broader implications for our understanding of the processes driving fire propagation and the way we model dynamic fire behaviours. \ 

In particular, the research has continued to address the role that fire line geometry plays in the dynamic propagation of wildfires. The project team has identified a number of circumstances where the curvature-based models that they previously developed do not provide accurate simulation. This included a number of the particular experimental scenarios considered in Phase 1 of the experimental program. However, coupled fire-atmosphere simulations provided a number of fundamental insights that motivated the development of more broadly applicable two-dimensional models.\  These new models are able to explain why the curvature-based models worked when they did, and are able to provide accurate predictions in a broader number of circumstances, including those for which the curvature-based models had failed. \ 

At this stage the project has published three journal papers and three conference papers. Three more journal papers and four more peer-reviewed conference papers are in the final stages of preparation. Several conference posters have also been produced. In addition, the project team has delivered a significant number of presentations to stakeholders and researchers

After providing some background information on the project{\textquoteright}s aims and methodology, this report provides details on the progress of the project to date. In particular this includes:

At the time of writing, the project is several months behind schedule. However, the project team is confident that all milestones will be successfully delivered along with a number of unscheduled, yet significant research outputs.

}, issn = {312}, author = {Jason J. Sharples and James Hilton and Sullivan, Andrew} }