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Preliminary studies on the impact of smoke on digital equipment

Conference ·
OSTI ID:158484
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
  3. USNRC Office of Research, Washington, DC (United States)

Last year the USNRC initiated a program at Sandia National Laboratories to determine the potential impact of smoke on advanced safety-related digitial instrumentation. In recognition of the fact that the reliability of safety-related equipment during or shortly after a fire in a nuclear power plant is more risk significant than long-term effects, we are concentrating on short-term failures. We exposed a multiplexer module board to three different types of smoke to determine whether the smoke would affect its operation. The operation of the multiplexer board was halted by one out of the three smoke exposures. In coordination with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, an experimental digital safety system was also smoke tested. The series of tests showed that smoke can cause potentially serious failures of a safety system. Most of these failures were intermittent and showed that smoke can temporarily interrupt communication between digital systems.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
158484
Report Number(s):
SAND--95-2698C; CONF-9510156--3; ON: TI96003096
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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