Cables are one of the most important fire loads in nuclear power plants. It is therefore important to understand their fire behaviour and to predict their heat release rate curve. Electricité de France carried out a series of full-scale vertical cable tray fire experiments. Relevant measurement systems were used. The aim of this article is to give an overview of these experiments and their main results. Important aspects of the fire behaviour are discussed and compared with the literature. In addition, two models, namely the FLASH-CAT model and the ISO 18195 vertical cable tray model, are compared to the experiments and their ability to predict the heat release rate profile is discussed. The models are also compared with other real-scale experiments available in the literature. The ISO 18195 model shows good agreement with the different experiments for the heat release rate profile. The FLASH-CAT model obtains reasonable conservative results for the maximum heat release rate. However, the model significantly overestimates the growth rate in all the tests.
WernerWAngenerARowekampM, et al. The OECD fire database – conclusions from phase 2 and outlook. In: SMIRT 20, 11th international post-conference on fire safety in nuclear power plant and installations, Helsinki, 17–19 August 2009.
2.
National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 70 – national electrical code. Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association, 2008.
3.
HirschlerMM.Electrical cable fire hazard assessment with the cone calorimeter. Washington, DC: ASTM International, 1992.
4.
GraysonSJVan HeesPGreenAM, et al. Assessing the fire performance of electric cables (FIPEC). Fire Mater2001; 25(2): 49–60.
5.
McGrattanKLockAMarshN, et al. Cable heat release, ignition, and spread in tray installations during fire (CHRISTIFIRE), phase 1: horizontal trays (NUREG/CR-7010). Rockville, MD: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2012.
6.
MatalaA.Methods and applications of pyrolysis modelling for polymeric materials. Espoo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 2013.
7.
QuHLiuCWuW, et al. Using cone calorimeter to study thermal degradation of flexible PVC filled with zinc ferrite and Mg (OH) 2. J Therm Anal Calorim2014; 115(2): 1081–1087.
8.
RaoBNArunjothiR. Assessing smoke and heat release during combustion of electric cables using cone calorimeter. In: Proceedings of the 9th international conference on insulated cables – JICABLE, Versaille, France, 21–24 June 2015, pp. 21–24.
9.
Al-SayeghWAAljumaiahOAndrewsGE, et al. PVC cable fire toxicity using the cone calorimeter. In: HaradaKMatsuyamaKHimotoK, et al. (eds) Fire science and technology 2015. Cham: Springer, 2017, pp. 175–182.
10.
MeinierRSonnierRZavaletaP, et al. Fire behavior of halogen-free flame retardant electrical cables with the cone calorimeter. J Hazard Mater2018; 342: 306–316.
11.
MagalieCAnne-SophieCRodolpheS, et al. Fire behaviour of electrical cables in cone calorimeter: influence of cables structure and layout. Fire Saf J2018; 99: 12–21.
12.
MurerLChatenetSFontaineG, et al. Influence of model assumptions on charring polymer decomposition in the cone calorimeter. J Fire Sci2018; 36(3): 181–201.
13.
MartinkaJRantuchPSulováJ, et al. Assessing the fire risk of electrical cables using a cone calorimeter. J Therm Anal Calorim2019; 135(6): 3069–3083.
14.
WangZWangKJ.An experimental study on the fire characteristics of new and aged building wires using a cone calorimeter. J Therm Anal Calorim2019; 135(6): 3115–3122.
15.
ChatenetSAuthierOBourbigotS, et al. Reaction to fire of polymethylmethacrylate and polyvinylchloride under reduced oxygen concentrations in a controlled-atmosphere cone calorimeter. J Fire Sci2022; 40: 274–292.
16.
ZhangHYaoJZhuH, et al. Study on combustion characteristics of cable based on cone calorimeter. Energies2022; 15(5): 1904.
17.
KlamerusLJ.Preliminary report on fire protection research program fire barriers and fire retardant coatings tests. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories, 1978.
18.
NowlenSP.A summary of nuclear power plant fire safety research at Sandia National Laboratories 1975-1987. Washington, DC: Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories, 1989.
19.
MangsJKeski-RahkonenO.Full-scale fire experiments on vertical and horizontal cable trays. Espoo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 1997.
20.
RichesWM.Report on full-scale horizontal cable tray fire tests, FY 1988. Batavia, IL: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, 1988.
21.
RoewekampMKlein-HesslingWDreisbachJ, et al. International collaborative fire modeling project (ICFMP). Summary of benchmark. Cologne: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit, 2008.
22.
ZavaletaPCharbautSBassoG, et al. Multiple horizontal cable tray firein open atmosphere. In: Thirteenth international conference of the fire and materials, San Francisco, CA, 2013, pp. 57–68. London: Interscience Communications.
23.
ZavaletaPAudouinL.Cable tray fire tests in a confined and mechanically ventilated facility. Fire and Materials2018; 42(1): 28–43.
24.
HuangXZhuHPengL, et al. An improved model for estimating heat release rate in horizontal cable tray fires in open space. J Fire Sci2018; 36(3): 275–290.
25.
HuangXZhuHPengL, et al. Burning behavior of cable tray located on a wall with different cable arrangements. Fire Mater2019; 43(1): 64–73.
26.
McGrattanKBBarehamSD.Cable heat release, ignition, and spread in tray installations during fire (CHRISTIFIRE), phase 2: vertical shafts and corridors. Rockville, MD: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2013.
27.
RieseOHosserDRoewekampM.Evaluation of fire models for nuclear power plant applications. Benchmark exercise no. 5: flame spread in cable tray fires – international panel report. Cologne: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit, 2006.
28.
LiLHuangXBiK, et al. An enhanced fire hazard assessment model and validation experiments for vertical cable trays. Nucl Eng Des2016; 301: 32–38.
29.
StoliarovSICrowleySWaltersRN, et al. Prediction of the burning rates of charring polymers. Combust Flame2010; 157(11): 2024–2034.
30.
GirardinBFontaineGDuquesneS, et al. Characterization of thermo-physical properties of EVA/ATH: application to gasification experiments and pyrolysis modeling. Materials2015; 8(11): 7837–7863.
31.
WitkowskiAGirardinBFörsthM, et al. Development of an anaerobic pyrolysis model for fire retardant cable sheathing materials. Polym Degrad Stab2015; 113: 208–217.
32.
ShiJBoyerGThovertJF.Simulation of the pyrolysis of charring polymers: influence of the porous media properties. J Phys2018; 1107: 032008.
33.
GautierBJoyeuxD. ISO/DIS 18195: a new standard for justification of nuclear power plants fire barriers. In: Post-conference fire seminar – post SMiRT, Bruges, Belgium, 2017.
34.
ISO International Standard. Method for the justification of fire partitioning in water cooled nuclear power plants (NPP) (ISO 18195:2019), 2019, https://www.iso.org/standard/61733.html
35.
PlumecocqWBascouSRoewekampM, et al. Investigating a cable tray fire event in the frame of an international benchmark exercise. In: 26th international conference on structural mechanics in reactor technology (SMiRT 26), 17th international post-conference seminar on ‘FIRE SAFETY IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND INSTALLATIONS’, Westerburg, Huy, Germany, 24–25 October 2022.
36.
AmokraneAGautierB.Experimental study of the behaviour of horizontal and vertical cable tray fires. In: 26th international conference on structural mechanics in reactor technology (SMiRT 26), 17th international post-conference seminar on ‘FIRE SAFETY IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND INSTALLATIONS’, Westerburg, Huy, Germany, 24–25 October 2022.
