Fluid-surface coupling through convection in megafire conditions – cryo-megafeu

Climate change is driving the occurrence of megafires, exceptionally intense wildfires. During these events, the heat generated fuels intense natural convection, which in turn influences the fire’s spread. This complex phenomenon, known as fire-atmosphere coupling, is a key issue for understanding the dynamics of large-scale wildfires. However, studying this coupling in the laboratory is challenging due to the inability to recreate the ultra-intense convection observed in the atmosphere.

We propose to overcome this challenge with an innovative approach that leverages the unique properties of helium at very low temperatures. At temperatures below 10 K, this fluid allows for record-breaking convection intensities (Rayleigh number > 1e15) within an experimental cell of few feets, opening a new avenue for studying fundamental convective phenomena that can occur during firestorms and megafires.

We aim to demonstrate the potential of this original approach by developing a model experimental system that replicates the intense turbulent convection of a fluid under controlled spatiotemporal forcing, allowing us to study the feedback between convection and its heat sources.