				Search Options
Index \| Site Map \| FAQ \| Facility Info \| Reading Rm \| New \| Help \| Glossary \| Contact Us

Description and Testing of an Apparatus for Electrically Initiating Fires Through Simulation of a Faulty Connection (NUREG/CR-4570)

On this page:

Publication Information
Abstract

Download complete document

The following links on this page are to documents in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). See our Plugins, Viewers, and Other Tools page for more information. For successful viewing of PDF documents on our site please be sure to use the latest version of Adobe.

NUREG/CR-4570 (PDF - 1.94 MB)

Publication Information

Barry L. Spletzer
Frank Horine*

Date Published: June 1986

Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque. NM .87185
operated by
Sandia Corporation for the
U.S. Department of Energy

Prepared for
Division of Engineering Technology
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington. D.C. 20555
Under Memorandum of Understanding DOE 40-550-75
NRC FIN No. A1O01

*K-Tech Corp.

Availability Notice

Abstract

An apparatus has been developed that allows the simulation of a faulty connection in an electrical circuit by placing a small resistance heater at the screw of a terminal strip. The apparatus and associated control system are described in detail. Details of a typical fire produced with the apparatus are presented, along with results of electrical fire initiation attempts with both IEEE-383 qualified and unqualified nuclear power plant cable.

Repeated use of the apparatus has shown that a self-sustaining fire can be reliably initiated in unqualified cable with power levels to the apparatus not exceeding 200 W. Such fires may be initiated in approximately 10 min. Large-scale fires have been initiated with the apparatus, indicating that propagation to any desired fire size is possible similar efforts with IEEE-383 qualified cable have begun, but the results are not yet conclusive.