%0 Thesis %9 Doctoral %A Mofidi, Nadia %B Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering %D 2024 %E Torero Cullen, Jose %F discovery:10195946 %I UCL (University College London) %K Wildfire, boundary layer flow, flame under cross wind %P 102 %T Air entrainment structure in a turbulent diffusion flame under cross wind: a three-dimensional perspective %U https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10195946/ %X Recent global wildfires highlight the significant impact of wind on flame geometry and fire spread, complicating firefighting efforts. Strong winds make controlling and extinguishing flames more challenging, enabling embers to spread and flames to leap natural barriers. Unpredictable fire behaviour due to sudden wind changes poses risks to wildland urban interface, communities and first responders. Understanding flame behaviour in windy conditions is crucial for effective firefighting and city evacuation planning. The study focuses on flames under cross winds, a classic problem researched for over seven decades. Existing literature lacks understanding of the air entrainment mechanism in crosswind flames. The interaction between wind, buoyancy, and turbulence remains a complex area requiring attention. This work aims to elucidate the balance between these forces and describe the 3D shape resulting from their interplay, using projective geometry and fluid dynamics. The research examines flame structure changes caused by wind at micro and macro scales, exploring the leading edge and the entire 3D structure. A scaling analysis identifies key variables, and a proposed pathway estimates air entrainment in crosswind flames by combining information from previous chapters. %Z Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request.