Visualization and Automation of Fire Modeling Using Fire Risk Investigation in 3D (FRI3D)

Modeling and implementing fire safety for nuclear power plants under NFPA 805 is a costly activity. Due to the complexity of the fire phenomena, multiple methods/tools needed, and numerous potential ignition sources, it is complex to develop, maintain, and use accurate fire models. The FRI3D software was developed as part of the research for enhanced fire analysis under the Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program. The goal of this software has two parts: (1) provide the industry with a tool to simplify the process for developing and using detailed fire models and (2) provide a software backend for future enhanced fire analysis research. Fire models are constructed using various tools and methods, such as FRANX, CAFTA, CFAST, heat soak, THIEF, etc. Maintenance of these models can be time consuming as changes to the models or scenarios can require extensive effort across multiple platforms. The FRI3D software imports existing plant models and then combines the required tools and methods in a 3D visualization environment. This coupled approach automates many of the tasks under one system, reducing the overall maintenance costs and human errors of fire modeling. The FRI3D platform also maintains all necessary information in one place allowing analysts to evaluate scenarios without searching numerous plant drawings and databases. This paper presents the progress of the FRI3D software development including key features designed to simplify and visualize fire modeling using switchgear room examples, and the process used to automatically generate the most optimal fire scenarios for given data.