Analysis of Combustion and Smoke Characteristics According to the Aging of Class 1E Cables in Nuclear Power Plants

Abstract

In this study, combustion and smoke characteristics according to the aging of class 1E cables in nuclear power plants were analyzed through a cone calorimeter test. In the case of combustion characteristics, during the early period, which was the first peak of the heat release rate, the peak value of the non-aged cable was higher by approximately 20-50 kW/m² than that of aged cables. However, in the mid-late periods, which was the second peak, the value of the aged cables were higher than the non-aged cable due to the decrease in flame retardant performance with aging deterioration. In addition, the duration of the char layer of the aged cables was shortened by 200 s than that of the non-aged cables due to the unstable formation of char layer. The total heat release measured was approximately 1.4 times higher in the aged cables than in the non-aged cables. In the case of smoke characteristics, the smoke production rate and total smoke release show a similar trend with the heat release rate and total heat release. The total smoke release of the aged cables was measured to be higher than that of the non-aged cables. The tendency of the smoke factor increased with aging deterioration, and the values of the smoke factor in the aged cables beyond 4 years were approximately 1.76-2.0 times different from those in the non-aged cables. Consequently, the smoke risk increased with aging deterioration. Therefore, the risk of heat and smoke release increased as aging progressed.