Fire Protection System for Electric Generating Plants

and Hight Voltage Direct Current Converter Stations

(NFPA 850)

By Billy H.
19 Juli 2017
 Click to edit Master title style Introduction

NFPA 850 provides recommendations (not requirements) for fire

protection for fossil fueled (i.e. coal, gas or oil) or alternative fueled
(i.e. biomass, solid waste etc) power generation plants.
Nuclear power plants or hydroelectric power plants are not covered
by NFPA 850: Nuclear power plants standards are addressed by NFPA
805, whereas recommendations for hydroelectric power plants are
presented at NFPA 851.
Standart NFPA 850 is Prepared for guidance of those charged with
the design, construction, operation, and protection.
 Click to edit Master title style General Plant Design

Recommendations for fire protection for power plant

A fire area determination should be carried out in the first place.
Fire area boundaries should be created in order to separate critical
areas like cable spreading rooms-tunnels, control rooms,
computer rooms, switchgear rooms, battery rooms, warehouses,
fuel oil facilities and boilers, fuel tanks -containers etc. from
adjacent areas. In accordance with NFPA 850, fire barriers
separating fire areas should have a 2-hour fire resistance rating as
a minimum.

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General Plant Design

Fire protection for oil-insulated

outdoor type transformers
It is strongly recommended
that any oil-insulated outdoor
type transformer containing
500 gal (1890 liters) or more of
oil is separated from nearby
structures by a 2-hourrated
firewall or by specific spatial
separation in accordance with
NFPA 850 recommendations.
( see table in next slide)
Wherever a firewall is installed between transformers (please refer to
the picture above), it should extend at least 1 ft (0.31 m) above the
top of the transformer shell and oil tank and at least 2 ft (0.61 m)
beyond the width of the transformer and cooling radiators.
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 Click to edit Master title style General Plant Design

Construction materials for power plants

Contstruction material should be selected based on fire rised

evaluation :
NFPA 220, Standard on Types of Building Construction
NFPA 251, Standard Methods of Test of Fire Endurance of
Building Construction and Materials.

With the exception of roof materials, materials used in critical

buildings of the power block shall be either non combustible or
limited combustible. Roof covering is recommended to be be Class
A, in compliance with NFPA 256, whereas metal roof deck
construction, should be either Class I or fire classified.

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 Click to edit Master title style General Fire Protection System

Water supply for fire protection

Fire pumps and fire tanks will have to be sized for a period of 2
hours water supply so as to meet the following requirements:
The biggest fixed fire extinguishment system demand (it
is calculated from the detailed fire fighting study) or any
fixed fire suppression system demands that are
expected to operate simultaneously during a single
event, whichever is bigger and
a hose stream supply not less than 500 gpm (1890
liters/minute) In case tanks are used for fire fighting
water supply, they need to be filled from a source
capable of recovering the 2-hour supply in maximum 8
hours. It is strongly recommended that tanks refilling is
carried out automatically.
Fire pump should be automatic start and manual
shutdown.
Hydrant space max 300 feet for main plant, and space
max 500 feet for remote area such as long term coal
storage. 7
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Identification and Protection Against Hazards

Automatic sprinkler or water spray systems should be designed for a

minimum of 0,25 gpm/ft2 (10.2 mm/min) density over a 2500 ft2
(232 m2 ) area and sprinkle system in turbine generator area a
density should be 0,30 gpm/ft2 (12,2 mm/min) for 464 m2.

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Identification and Protection Against Hazards
STEAM GENERATOR/BOILER (1)
NFPA 850 Sec 7.5.1
Steam Generator:
Fire protection systems
should be designed to
cover the fuel oil
burners and igniters
and adjacent fuel oil
piping and cable a 20 ft
(6.1 m) distance from
the burner and igniter,
including structural
members and walk-
ways at these levels

BURNER and Protection Area

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Identification and Protection Against Hazards

NFPA 850 Sec 7.4.2 Bins, Bunkers, and Silos

Noncombustible construction (Yes, Carbon Steel with SS lined)
Designed to minimize corners, horizontal surfaces, or pockets (No, rectangular
pyramid not cone)
Designed with access ports to allow manual fire-fighting activities such as the use of
a piercing rod (Available 1 port)
Flammable gas levels, CO levels, and temperatures should be monitored (No
available monitoring system)
Provisions for emptying the bunker should be provided (From emergency coal duct)
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Identification and Protection Against Hazards

Prevention action:
Proper preplanning to prevent a dust cloud, such as covering the coal with a
blanket of high-expansion foam, water mist, water spray with fire-fighting
additives, dust suppression, or dust collection (Only provided dust collection
system)
Dust Collector shall follow
NFPA 654, Standard for the
Prevention of Fire and Dust
Explosions from the
Manufacturing, Processing,
and Handling of Combustible
Particulate Solids (No
information whether the
equipment follows the
standard or not)
Fire fighting system:
1. Use of fire-fighting additives such as Class A foams, penetrants, or
micelleencapsulating agents (Not available)
2. Injection of inert gas (Not available)
3. Emptying the silo through the feeder pipe to a safe location (inside or
outside the powerhouse) and trucking away the debris (Available, from
emergency coal duct)
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Identification and Protection Against Hazards
BOILER FANS
NFPA 850 7.6.1 Forced Draft, Induced Draft, and Flue Gas Recirculation Fans:
Water spray systems for steam turbinedriven forced draft and induced draft fans
should be designed for a density of 0.25 gpm/ft2 (10.2 mm/min) over the oil
containment equipment surface

Secondary Air Fan

Induced Draft Fan

Primary Air Fan

Water Spray System

Protection Area
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Identification and Protection Against Hazards

NFPA 850 7.6.4 Electrostatic Precipitators:

Temperature sensors should be provided in the inlet and outlet ducts (Available)
Alarms should be provided in the control room to indicate abnormal operating
temperatures (Available)
Transformer-rectifier sets should use high fire point insulating fluids or should be of
the dry type (Oil insulating type)

hydrants or standpipes should

be located
Automatic sprinkler or
automatic water spray
protection or fire
barriers/spatial separation
(Not available)
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Identification and Protection Against Hazards
CABLE TRENCH
NFPA 850 7.8.2 Cable spreading rooms and cable :
Shall be protected with automatic sprinkler, water spray, water mist, or automatic gaseous
extinguishing systems. Automatic sprinkler systems should be designed for a density of 0.30
gpm/f2 (12.2 mm/min) over 2500 f2 (232 m2) or the most remote 100 linear f (30 m) of cable
tunnels up to 2500 f2 (232 m2)
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THANK YOU

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