The Use of a Field Model To Assess Fire Behavior in Complex Nuclear Power Plant Enclosures: Present Capabilities and Future Prospects (NUREG/CR-4479, BNL-NUREG-51948)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: November 1985
Date Published: December 1985

Prepared by:
John L. Boccio and John L. Usher
Reliability and Physical Analysis Group
Department of Nuclear Energy
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Upton, NY 11973
Under Contract No. DE-AC02-76CH00016

Prepared for:
Electrical Engineering Branch
Division of Engineering Technology
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

NRC FIN A-3252

Availability Notice

Abstract

This report provides a summary of the work conducted during FY-1984 by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), under FIN A-3252 "Fire Protection Research Program." It was undertaken under the cognizance of the Electrical Engineering Branch in the Division of Engineering Technology within the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The report describes a mathematical model for predicting the thermal environment within complex nuclear power plant enclosures. It demonstrates the capability of the existing numerical code by direct comparisons with electrical cable fire/large enclosure tests performed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for the NRC and by the Factory Mutual Research Corporation (FMRC) for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). It further demonstrates the potential usefulness of the existing code in addressing fire-protection issues. This is done through a parametric study of the thermal environment resulting from a series of fires within cabinets in a nuclear power plant control room (similar to LaSalle). Also, it presents an example of how the code can be utilized by addressing an Appendix R exemption request which deals with the vulnerability of containment fans to a fire emanating from a reactor coolant pump bay. Recommendations are also given as to how the model/code can be further enhanced and where current effort is proceeding.