“…Relatively little research exists on the effects of natural convection on these processes. Merzhanov and Shtessel (1973), Jones (1974), and Shtessel et al (1978) studied ignition in homogeneous systems as a function of the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter, which is the ratio of rates of heat generated by reaction to that dissipated by conduction. They concluded that natural convection can increase by several times the critical value of the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter over the value calculated when conduction is the only heat-transport mechanism, thereby delaying the onset of thermal ignition.…”