Fire Behavior and Filter Plugging During a Postulated Solvent Fire in the Extraction Process of a Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Plant

A solvent fire in the extraction process of a fuel reprocessing plant is postulated. Because of the high concentration of fission products and large amount of nuclear fuel materials in the extraction process, it is necessary to demonstrate that these radioactive materials can be confined by the air ventilation system during a solvent fire. Large-scale tests are performed in a fire/filter facility to evaluate the effectiveness of a ventilation system including high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to confine radioactive materials. It is demonstrated that the integrity of the filters in the ventilation system can be maintained, and the decontamination factor of HEPA filters for smoke particles, which might contain radioactive materials, is sufficiently high during a postulated solvent fire.