Effects of thermo-physical and flow parameters on the static and dynamic burning of a cigarette

Effects of thermo-physical and operating parameters influencing the combustion of a cigarette were systematically studied using a three-dimensional first-principles-based mathematical model. Thermo-physical properties include packing density and thermal conductivity of materials forming the packed bed in the cigarette, and operating parameters include ambient oxygen concentration, air flow rate through the cigarette, and the ambient cross flow. The model was first validated with the existing experimental data which provided a satisfactory result. Increasing the ambient cross flow while increasing the burn rate and temperatures in the cigarette column, decreases the delivery of gaseous products owing to air infiltration through the paper into the column and enhances diffusion of gases out of column. Reducing the oxygen concentration reduces the burn rate to a point at which burning would be extinguished during the smoldering step. Increasing the air flow monotonically increases the burn rate, temperature and delivery of products in a burning cigarette. While thermal conductivity in the range varied here (50% above and 50% below the base case) it did not significantly affect the outcomes of the burning process; decreasing the packing density increases the heat generated and solid and gas temperatures, and decreases the delivery of some gaseous products.