Modeling the Emission of CO from Wood Fires using Detailed Chemical Kinetics

Carbon monoxide is treated as one of the most common and dangerous of gases evolving in fires. Modeling the formation of the toxic gas CO from in fire enclosures using detailed chemical kinetics is the topic of this manuscript. A semi-empirical model is developed to study the formation of CO from birch wood using detailed chemical kinetics on the combustion of pyrolysis gas from birch wood.

The composition of the pyrolysis gas is taken from the experiment by Zanzi and coworkers. The numerical model applies a counter flow configuration involving 84 chemical species and 804 reactions. Hence, the model separately treats the process of pyrolysis and combustion. For under ventilated conditions and at high temperatures during pyrolysis it is found that the process of pyrolysation strongly influences the formation of CO in fire.

CO2 follows the same trend.