Computational Modeling of Forest Firebreak Formation by Controlled Hydrogen Explosions

Abstract

The work presents the results of a numerical study of the spatiotemporal impact of a cylindrical (hose-type) hydrogen-charge blast wave on a forest area in order to assess the feasibility of forming firebreak barriers using controlled explosive loading. The study is motivated by the increasing frequency and scale of forest fires associated with climate change, which necessitate the development of new technological solutions for limiting fire spread while minimizing environmental impact. A set of several explosion power configurations (differing in hose-type charge radius) was examined for modeling the hydrogen blast near the ground surface. For each configuration, the spatial distributions of the maximum overpressure and the positive impulse of the blast wave were analyzed within the computed “air-forest cover” domain. Environmental blast impact parameter fields were generated from a hydrogen explosion model and analyzed, accounting for a given forest area height. Based on maximum overpressure thresholds, zones corresponding to different levels of forest-cover damage, including leaf stripping, twig breakage, and complete tree destruction, were identified. The extent of each zone along the ground surface was defined, enabling the quantification of the potential firebreak streak width. A comparative analysis of forest-cover damage-zone widths as a function of the charge’s geometric parameter (hose-type charge radius) was performed. Additionally, the time histories of overpressure at a characteristic point near the ground surface beneath the charge were analyzed for all modeling configurations, allowing a comparison of blast-wave dynamics across different explosion powers. Grouped bar charts and trends illustrating the dependence of the damage-zone widths on the radius of the hosetype charge were constructed. The results demonstrate the fundamental feasibility of controlling the extent of forest-cover damage zones by selecting geometric parameters of hosetype hydrogen charges, thereby establishing a scientifically grounded basis for the development of environmental-safety technologies for firebreak formation.