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Evaluation of Generic Issue 57: Effects of Fire Protection System Actuation on Safety-Related Equipment (NUREG/CR-5580, SAND90-1507, Volume 2)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: September 1992
Date Published: December 1992

Prepared by:
J. Lambright, J. Lynch1, M. Bohn, S. Ross1, D. Brosseau2

Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM 87185

1Science and Engineering Associates, Inc.
6100 Uptown Blvd. N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87110

2ERCE, Inc.
7301A Indian School Road N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87110

Prepared for:
Division of Safety Issue Resolution
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555

NRC FIN L1334

Availability Notice

Abstract

Nuclear power plants have experienced actuations of fire protection systems (FPSs) under conditions for which these systems were not intended to actuate and also have experienced advertent actuations with the presence of a fire. These actuations have often damaged safety-related equipment.

A review of the impact of past occurrences of both types of such events and their impact on plant safety systems, an analysis of the risk impacts of such events on nuclear power plant safety, and a cost-benefit analysis of potential corrective measures have been performed. Thirteen different scenarios leading to actuation of fire protection systems due to a variety of causes were identified. These scenarios ranged from inadvertent actuation caused by human error to hardware failure, and include seismic root causes and seismic/fire interactions. A quantification of these thirteen root causes, where applicable, was performed on generically applicable scenarios.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Thursday, March 25, 2021