Combustible Dust Testing

Laboratory testing to quantify dust explosion and reactivity hazards

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Gas and Vapor

Laboratory testing to quantify explosion hazards for vapor and gas mixtures

UN-DOT
Classification of hazardous materials subject to shipping and storage regulations
Hydrogen
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Thermal Stability

Safe storage or processing requires an understanding of the possible hazards associated with sensitivity to variations in temperature

Adiabatic Calorimetry
Data demonstrate the consequences of process upsets, such as failed equipment or improper procedures, and guide mitigation strategies including Emergency Relief System (ERS) design
Reaction Calorimetry
Data yield heat and gas removal requirements to control the desired process chemistry
Battery Safety

Testing to support safe design of batteries and electrical power backup facilities particularly to satisfy UL9540a ed.4

Safety Data Sheets

Develop critical safety data for inclusion in SDS documents

Cable Testing
Evaluate electrical cables to demonstrate reliability and identify defects or degradation
Equipment Qualification (EQ)
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Water Hammer
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent unwanted hydraulic pressure transients in process piping
Acoustic Vibration
Identify and eliminate potential sources of unwanted vibration in piping and structural systems
Gas & Air Intrusion
Analysis and testing to identify and prevent intrusion of gas or air in piping systems
ISO/IEC 17025:2017

Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the field of Testing

ISO 9001:2015
Fauske & Associates fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001:2015
Dust Hazards Analysis
Evaluate your process to identify combustible dust hazards and perform dust explosion testing
On-Site Risk Management
On-site safety studies can help identify explosibility and chemical reaction hazards so that appropriate testing, simulations, or calculations are identified to support safe scale up
DIERS Methodology
Design emergency pressure relief systems to mitigate the consequences of unwanted chemical reactivity and account for two-phase flow using the right tools and methods
Deflagrations (Dust/Vapor/Gas)

Properly size pressure relief vents to protect your processes from dust, vapor, and gas explosions

Effluent Handling

Pressure relief sizing is just the first step and it is critical to safely handle the effluent discharge from an overpressure event

FATE™ & Facility Modeling

FATE (Facility Flow, Aerosol, Thermal, and Explosion) is a flexible, fast-running code developed and maintained by Fauske and Associates under an ASME NQA-1 compliant QA program.

Mechanical, Piping, and Electrical
Engineering and testing to support safe plant operations and develop solutions to problems in heat transfer, fluid, flow, and electric power systems
Hydrogen Safety
Testing and consulting on the explosion risks associated with devices and processes which use or produce hydrogen
Thermal Hydraulics
Testing and analysis to ensure that critical equipment will operate under adverse environmental conditions
Nuclear Safety
Our Nuclear Services Group is recognized for comprehensive evaluations to help commercial nuclear power plants operate efficiently and stay compliant
Radioactive Waste
Safety analysis to underpin decomissioning process at facilities which have produced or used radioactive nuclear materials
Adiabatic Safety Calorimeters (ARSST and VSP2)

Low thermal inertial adiabatic calorimeters specially designed to provide directly scalable data that are critical to safe process design

Other Lab Equipment and Parts for the DSC/ARC/ARSST/VSP2 Calorimeters

Products and equipment for the process safety or process development laboratory

FERST

Software for emergency relief system design to ensure safe processing of reactive chemicals, including consideration of two-phase flow and runaway chemical reactions

FATE

Facility modeling software mechanistically tracks transport of heat, gasses, vapors, and aerosols for safety analysis of multi-room facilities

Blog

Our highly experienced team keeps you up-to-date on the latest process safety developments.

Process Safety Newsletter

Stay informed with our quarterly Process Safety Newsletters sharing topical articles and practical advice.

Resources

With over 40 years of industry expertise, we have a wealth of process safety knowledge to share.

Recent Posts

Fire Analysis Modeling and Other FATE Applications

Posted by Fauske & Associates on 07.18.18

Fire analysis is a key component of assessing risk in nuclear as well as many other facilities.  It is required as part of a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (fire PRA).

We perform detailed fire modeling of nuclear, government and industrial facilities using our own in-house software FATETM and widely used public domain tools.  With experience in model development, validation, participation in international exercises and application to nuclear power stations and fuel cycle facilities, we have developed and benchmarked our own models.  We understand the strong points and the limitations of public domain tools, so that we can correctly judge the applicability of results for individual scenarios and the impact of modeling uncertainties.

Fire modeling services include:

  • Plant walk-down to identify vulnerabilities and scenarios
  • Scoping fire modeling with simplified tools
  • Detailed fire modeling with public domain tools: FDS, CFAST
  • Detailed fire modeling with in-house tools: FATETM
  • Circuit failure analysis and cable selection
  • Integration of fire modeling and risk assessments

Fauske & Associates, LLC (FAI) provides a full range of services related to fire modeling.  Levels of attack include modeling to support a full fire PRA, modeling to support safe shutdown analysis; a “triage plan” to determine where fire modeling would certainly resolve issues, could potentially resolve issues, or cannot realistically provide benefit; or a management plan to determine realistic cost and schedule associated with such undertakings given a plant –specific state of information. 

The key challenge in drawing conclusions from fire modeling results is simply how do you know if the results are correct, conservative or non conservative?  This challenge is met through the experience of the analyst and familiarity with experimental data that are used to validate the fire models.  The analyst must understand the similarities and differences between experimental configurations and scenarios and those plant configurations and scenarios that are being modeled.

FATETM has multiple uses in a variety of industries and is a key to tool for severe accident prevention. 

LOGIC FOR SELECTION OF FIRE MODELING SOFTWARE

 

FDS FATETM  CFAST
Public domain CFD FAI-developed & licensed Nuclear QA Public domain "zone"
Most complex "Medium sophistication" Least complex
Best for complicated flow patterns and temperature profiles are anticipated Best for multiple room situations, heavier –than-air gases and tracking radioactive & toxic aerosols Good for quick modeling of one or two rooms
Improved target model available soon, not practical for multiple rooms Target model similar to FDS, hybrid of zone with multi-dimensional targets No aerosol capability

 

From the U.S. perspective, fire PRA methodology is outlined in a key document created jointly by EPRI and NRC, EPRI-1011989, NUREG/CR-6850. Tasks 8 and 11 pertain to fire modeling and cover scoping and detailed modeling respectively.

Using FATETM software, FAI can calculate temperatures, pressures, flow rates and compositions for fluids, FATE Facility Fire Modelgases and structures associated with waste management process D&D.  It is uniquely suited to nuclear facility operations because it combines models for fluid flow and heat transfer with models for aerosol transport and deposition, explosions and fire.  FATETM has been applied to dozens of United States Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial nuclear applications and its predecessor code was awarded a DOE Silver Award for Technology Innovation at Hanford.

Please also see:
Fire Modeling & Cable Selection Analysis
Reactor Auxiliary Building Analysis
Fukushima - Related Engineering
Waste Management and D&D Process Engineering

Your facility may have an innovative idea or need to address similar issues for which FATE can be tailored to suit. If you'd like to learn more about FATE, check out FAI's work on the Development of the Source Term Analysis Tool SAS4A-FATE for Lead-and Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors by clicking below. 

Download Now

Topics: FATE

cta-bg.jpg

Is My Dust Combustible?

A Flowchart To Help You Decide
Download Now