In this paper, the thermal decomposition of wood is investigated. The multi-scale approach followed here allows first to establish, at a small scale, the kinetic mechanism during the solid thermal decomposition and then validate it at a larger scale. At small scale, experiments were conducted by using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermo-gravimetric results were also used to propose a kinetic mechanism for the thermal decomposition of the sample. The kinetic parameters of the different identified reactions were estimated by using an optimization technique, namely the Particle Swarms Optimization (PSO) method. The mass loss and mass loss rate model predictions show a good agreement with the experimental data. In addition, heat capacity, as well as heat of reaction, is determined using a TGA-DSC (Differential scanning calorimetry) apparatus. At a larger scale, experiments were carried out in a cone calorimeter under air atmosphere. The sample is placed in an insulated sample holder (calcium silicate). The pyrolysis model developed at the TGA scale and the measured thermal parameters were used in numerical simulations of cone calorimeter experiments taking into account the modelling of heat transfer into the sample. The comparison between experimental and numerical results under cone calorimeter is made on the mass loss, the mass loss rate, the temperatures and the pyrolysis front. The numerical results can predict the thermal behavior. The noted differences are mainly due to a lack of control of the experimental boundary condition, and are also partly attributable to the evaporation of water present in the sample holder which is not taken into account.

International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards (9; 2019; Saint Petersburg, Russia). Proceedings of the Ninth International Seminar on Fire and Explosion Hazards [Электронный ресурс]: 21-26 April 2019, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Vol. 2 / Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Autonomous Non-Profit Organization "Fire and Explosion Safety", Gefest Holding Ltd ; [edited by A. Snegirev [et al.]. — Электрон. текстовые дан. (1 файл : 98,7 Мб). — Saint Petersburg, 2019. — Загл. с титул. экрана. — Свободный доступ из сети Интернет (чтение, печать, копирование). — Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0. — <URL:http://elib.spbstu.ru/dl/2/k19-97.pdf>. — <URL:http://doi.org/10.18720/SPBPU/2/k19-97>.