Justification of the Safe Distance between the Safety Channel Cables of Nuclear Power Plants with Pressurized Water Reactors located in the Same Fire Zone

Annotation:

Currently, there are no methods of mathematical modeling of the operability of power and signal cables used at the nuclear power plants in real and standard fire conditions, including the use of intumescent flame retardants. The purpose of the article is a theoretical assessment of the safe distance between the cables of the safety channels of nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors located in the same fire zone. To achieve it, the time of occurrence of a short circuit in the cables of the channels of safety systems from the beginning of a real fire and depending on the distance between adjacent cable lines was estimated. An integral method of mathematical modeling of the development of a fire in a room is used. To determine the temperature distribution inside the cable insulation, the thermal conductivity equation is solved. The analysis of the obtained results is carried out. The calculation results made it possible to formulate the requirements for the swelling temperature of fire retardant compounds for treating the outer surfaces of SB cables: the above temperature should be no more than 150 °C for the flame retardant cables, and 180 °C for the non-flame retardant cables, as well as at distances between open cables of two safety systems smaller than 2, the outer surfaces of the safety cables must be treated with a fire retardant compound with a fire retardant efficiency of at least 120 minutes. The conducted theoretical assessment of the safe distance between the cables of the safety channels of nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors located in the same fire zone, using the proposed mathematical model, showed that in a real fire, in order to prevent a short circuit in the cables of the safety systems, as well as ignition of the insulation of adjacent cables, it is required to justify safe distances between the adjacent cables of the safety system of nuclear power plants, taking into account the specific dimensions of the premises and the properties of the cable insulation material and the fire-retardant coatings used.

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