Fire tests to evaluate the potential fire threat and its effects on HEPA filter integrity in cell ventilation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Building 7920

Abstract

Both the FRD and ORNL determined that the only way to obtain conclusive results and to accurately analyze the fire performance of the ventilation system, fire protection system, prefilters/HEPA filter array, FRP VOG duct, etc. was to design and conduct a full scale fire test series. In order to design and construct a representative test article, we had to gain an accurate and detailed understanding of the actual facility layout, fire protection systems, facility operating procedures, and ventilation system and operation. FRD personnel toured Bldg. 7920 to obtain first hand insight into its configuration and operational parameters. " However, since most of the significant areas were inaccessible, we spent a significant amount of time studying photos, building plans, facility SAR, and talking to knowledgeable ,, people. Through numerous phone calls and facsimile transmissions to ORNL and Lockwood Greene, we were able to complete these tasks and began developing a detailed test design. The majority of our questions were answered and information provided by personnel from Lockwood Greene. Although general information was available from other sources, detail and historic questions were answered by Lockwood Greene. In fact, Lockwood Greene provided a great deal of help in developing the prel!minary fire test matrix included as Table 4. BUILDING 7920 FACILITY DESCRIPTION As it turned out, NJ Alvares in his report [1] provided a good general facility description summary. It is, therefore, presented below: Facility Specifications "Figure N-1 is a plan view of the transuranium processing plant showing both office and operator's areas, and an isometric drawing of a typical cell in the operations area of the building. The shielded cell bank contains nine 7 ft. wide hot cells each with a 7 ft. long cubicle area, separated from each other by 2.0 ft. minimum thick concrete walls. Seven cells contain a tank pit area (9 x 22 ft. high). An inter-cell conveyor housing and the cellventilation exhaust duct run through the cubicle pits the full length of the cell bank. • "In the first seven cells air enters the south wall of the tank pit through a duct (10 in. diameter), the centerline of which is 21 ft. above the floor. The air exits the north wall of , the tank pit to the cubicle pit through a slot (2 x 4 ft.) ten feet above the cell floor and is drawn into a cell ventilation duct (20 x 40 in.) through an opening (17.5 in. diameter) located 8.5 ft. above the cell floor. "In the last two cells air enters the cubicle pit through a similar duct only 2' above the pit floor and exits to a cell ventilation duct. A waste-tank pit behind the last two cells and below the first-floor level is connected to each of the last two cubicle pits through a 2 ft 5

Ventilation Systems Operating Experience Review for Fusion Applications

“…An example of filter release studies is WHC (1996). Some filter tests with hydrocarbon fires have showed that the smoke cools before reaching the filters and particulate loading is not too severe (Hasegawa, 1992), but this result could be dependent on the amount of combustion mass.…”