The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Hawaii $199,958 on January 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to advance flame spread analysis using temperature-sensitive paints.
The project develops and validates a new optical diagnostic technique that uses temperature-sensitive paints made from the same material as the burning sample to measure rapid heating preceding material ignition. The approach captures fast, precise temperature changes without disturbing the flame, addressing a long-standing gap in fire science where current tools cannot reliably measure the thermal processes that control flame spread. Researchers will develop chemically compatible coatings capable of resolving rapid temperature changes, heat-flux variations, and the spatial extent of the preheated zone ahead of the flame front. Controlled combustion experiments using plastic slabs coated with paint will be conducted in a flow-regulated chamber across multiple orientations to systematically evaluate flame-spread behavior. High-speed optical measurements will be integrated with analytical modeling and computational fluid dynamics simulations to validate fuel pyrolysis submodels and assess radiative and convective heat-transfer contributions.
The work is performed in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a period of performance from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. The project will produce proof-of-concept validation for the temperature-sensitive paint diagnostic, potentially enabling safer materials, improved fire-resistant designs, and better predictive models for extreme environments such as microgravity, while training students in advanced diagnostics and expanding fire-safety research capability.