An Experimental Study on the Characteristics of Sodium Fires

나트륨 화재 특성의 실험적 연구

A sodium fire facility with a test chamber of 1.7㎥ volume was constructed and operated to carry out experiments of sodium fires such as pool, spray, and columnar fires which might take place in sodium-related facilities. The experimental results of pool fires showed that the increase of temperature and pressure in the test chamber was much smaller than that of spray and columnar fires even though their amount of sodium injection in the chamber was much larger compared to other types of fires. And it was found in pool fires that the temperatures of sodium pool and the gas temperature in the test chamber had been maintained much longer than other types of fires, and that the chamber pressure had come to vacuum due to depletion of the oxygen for a large amount of sodium injection in the chamber. The experimental results of spray fires showed that sprayed sodium of small particles instantly reacted with oxygen, and that its reaction heat increased gas temperature and pressure of the test chamber rapidly and decreased them shortly. And the maximum gas temperature and pressure of the test chamber in spray fires ore greatly changed according to the inlet sodium temperature in the test chamber. The characteristics of the columnar fires were almost similar to those of spray fires, but the maximum temperature and pressure of the test chamber were much smaller even for a large amount of sodium injection. And it was shown in spray and columnar fires that the temperatures at each measurement position in the test chamber were quite different due to the instantaneous sodium oxidation in comparision with pool fires. Finally, the graphex powder was proved to be a very effective extinguisher against sodium pool fires.

시험용기가 1.7㎥가 되는 소규모 나트륨화재 실험 시설을 건설하여 나트륨 관련시설에서 발생가능한 풀형화재, 분무형화재, 그리고 원주형화재와 같은 나트륨화재 실험을 실시하였다. 그 결과 풀형화재는 나트륨 주입량에 비하여 온도 및 압력 증가치가 분무형화재와 원주형화재보다 훨씬 작지만 상당기간 나트륨풀과 용기안의 온도를 높게 유지시키며 나트륨 주입량이 많을 경우 용기내의 산소를 거의 소모시켜 용기안의 산소농도를 0mol%에 근접시키고 진공 상태까지 이르게 하였다. 분무형화재는 분산된 작은 나트륨이 순간적으로 산소와 반응하여 급격히 용기내의 온도와 압력을 증가시키며 곧 감소하였다. 분무형 화재의 최고 도달온도와 압력은 초기 산소농도 그리고 나트륨 주입온도에 따라 크게 다름을 보여 주었다. 원주형화재는 분무형화재와 거의 유사하지만 좀 더 많은 양의 나트륨을 시험용기내에 주입시켜도 최고 도달 온도와 압력이 분무형보다 작았다. 그리고 분무형화재와 원주형화재에서는 풀형화재에 비하여 순간적으로 분산된 나트륨이 산화하여 용기내의 측정위치에 따라 온도분포가 크게 다름을 보여주었다. 끝으로, 풀형화재 소화실험에서는 소화제 graphex가 효과적으로 나트륨 화재를 진화시킬 수 있음을 확인하였다.