Fire Dynamics Interactive Course
Critical Heat Flux to Ignition (CHFI)
Flame Spread
Understanding Flame Spread
Fire spreads when adjacent materials receive heat above their CHFI. CHFI controls how fast and how far flames can spread across a surface.
Use the controls to adjust parameters and observe how flame spread is affected.
Traveling Fires
Exploring Traveling Fires
In large spaces (like open offices), fires can move across fuel patches over time. CHFI determines whether new fuel areas ignite as the fire "travels."
Adjust the parameters to see how traveling fires behave in different scenarios.
What is Critical Heat Flux to Ignition?
Critical Heat Flux to Ignition (CHFI) is the minimum heat a material needs to ignite. If the heat flux is below CHFI, the material won't ignite.
Adjust the heat flux using the controls to see how it affects ignition.