Post-Fukushima Focus on Fire Protection

Abstract

Fire is a known problem in industrial facilities, but also one that is not very well understood. In nuclear facilities, fires pose special concerns because of high temperatures post shut-down and highly radioactive fuels that are contained within them. They are also a major contributor to a reactor's core damage frequency. This paper aims to spark interest amongst young nuclear practitioners by providing an overview of fire protection, revisiting relevant OPEX in the wake of Fukushima, commenting on some challenges based on deep industry insights on dealing with fire issues, and providing some suggestions on meeting these challenges.