Methodology for Developing and Implementing Alternative Temperature-Time Curves for Testing the Fire Resistance of Barriers for Nuclear Power Plant Applications.
Methodology for Developing and Implementing Alternative
Temperature-Time Curves for Testing the Fire Resistance
of Barriers for Nuclear Power Plant Applications.
(6764 K)
Cooper, L. Y.; Steckler, K. D.
NISTIR 5842; 116 p. May 1996.
Sponsor:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB96-193784
Keywords:
nuclear power plants; ASTM E119; cables; fire barriers;
fire endurance; fire models; fire resistance; histories;
temperature; zone models
Abstract:
Advances in fire science over the past 40 years have
offered the potential for developing technically-sound
alternative temperature-time curves for use in
evaluating fire barriers for areas where fire exposures
can be expected to be significantly different than the
ASTM E119, standard, temperature-time exposure. The
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff initiated
the current effort to investigate the feasibility of
developing alternative temperature-time curves for the
qualification of fire barriers used to protect cabling
and equipment necessary to achieve safe shutdown on the
basis of realistic fire hazards found in nuclear power
plants (NPPs). The approach taken in the current study
consists of three steps or tasks: 1) review the history
of the ASTM E119 temperature-time curve to assess its
current applicability and limitations in simulating real
fires; 2) review the history of efforts to develop
alternative curves and the methodologies used; and 3)
use the findings from (1) and (2), knowledge of NPP
construction, fuel types and loads, and state-of-the-art
fire science to propose a methodology for developing and
implementing NPP-specific descriptions of fire
environments and associated ASTM-type temperature-time
curves and test methods. Results of each task are
reported. The proposed methodology calls for a
combination of zone modeling and large-scale fire
experiments.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899