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A REPORT TO

THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

Electrical
Mechanical
Civil
Protection & Control

:::

& Distribution

System Planning

Automate Generator Deluge Systems on Units


5 and 6
Bay d'Espoir Hydroelectric Generating Station
March 2012

newfoundland labrador

hydro
a nalcor energy company

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

SUMMARY
This project is the first year of a three year program to replace the existing generator deluge
systems on the seven hydroelectric generating units in Powerhouse 1 and 2 at Bay dEspoir
Hydroelectric Generating Station (Bay dEspoir). Under this project two units will be
upgraded. A deluge system is a fire suppression method that will spray water onto the
generator in the event of a fire. At present these systems have to be activated manually by
plant personnel opening a deluge valve that is located next to the generator. This procedure
has been identified by Hydros insurance provider, FM Global, as a significant risk and they
have recommended automating these systems to improve response time and ensure a
response is made if human access is not possible. An automatic system will also provide a
safer fire protection system for plant personnel to operate. In addition the National Fire
Protection Association recommends providing automated systems for generator fire
protection.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. i
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1
2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................ 2
3 JUSTIFICATION .................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Existing System .......................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Operating Experience ................................................................................................ 6
3.2.1 Legislative or Regulatory Requirements ........................................................ 6
3.2.2 Safety Performance ....................................................................................... 6
3.2.3 Industry Experience ....................................................................................... 7
3.2.4 Maintenance or Support Arrangements........................................................ 7
3.2.5 Maintenance History ..................................................................................... 7
3.2.6 Anticipated Useful Life ................................................................................... 8
3.3 Development of Alternatives ..................................................................................... 8
4 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Budget Estimate ......................................................................................................... 9
4.2 Project Schedule ...................................................................................................... 10
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................. A1
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................. B1
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................. C1

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

ii

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

INTRODUCTION

Hydros largest hydroelectric generating station in the Island Interconnected System is


located at Bay dEspoir. The Bay dEspoir Hydroelectric Generating Station consists of seven
generating units producing a total capacity of 604 MW which is approximately 39 percent of
the Island Interconnected Systems installed capacity. The companys insurer, FM Global,
visits hydro generating stations annually and makes recommendations for improvements
that will reduce the risk of asset damage, increased costs, and power interruption. This
report addresses a condition identified by FM Global. At present the fire protection systems
serving the generating units at Bay dEspoir are all manually activated. This project will
replace these systems on two generating units with automatically activated systems as
recommended by FM Global and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The scope of work for this project is to replace the existing manually operated generator
deluge system on generating Units 5 and 6 with a modern fully automatic deluge system. A
new deluge control cabinet will be installed along with a new sprinkler distribution ring as
the existing ring is not compatible with the new system as well it is not advisable to connect
a new automated control to the old existing sprinkler ring. The existing piping is over 45
years old and its condition is unknown. In the event of a fire the reliability of the existing
piping with a new automated control would be uncertain. The distribution ring is a system
of pipes that surround the generator and deliver water to spray nozzles in the event of a
fire. When the system is activated water flows immediately through all nozzles at once. The
budget estimate to complete this project is $532,000 and the work is scheduled to be
performed in 2013. An outage on each generating unit will be required to complete the new
installations. The outages will take place concurrently during the annual maintenance
period and will be two to four weeks in duration.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

JUSTIFICATION

This project is justified on the need for Hydro to upgrade the existing equipment to reduce
exposure to harm by operations personnel and reduce the potential for damage to
equipment in the event of a fire on a generator.
The FM Global Risk Report for Bay dEspoir (see Appendix A, Section 07-11-002) indicates
the hazard associated with a manual system is the ability of a generator fire to spread
rapidly during the time it takes an operator to respond to the initial alarm. The longer it
takes to respond to a fire would result in more extensive damage to the equipment and
increased cost of repairs. A large fire could also prevent access to the manual valves
altogether leading to greater damage with potential loss of 450 MW of generating capacity
to the Island Interconnected System for a period of time ranging in duration from several
months to over a year.
Hydro has not experienced a fire on any of its seven generating units at Bay dEspoir
however the existing manual system poses a significant risk if there is a fire. It is required
that the deluge systems for each generating unit be upgraded to a fully automatic system to
limit employee exposure to harm and reduce potential equipment damage in the event of a
fire.

3.1

Existing System

Each generator at the Bay dEspoir Hydroelectric Generating Station is equipped with a
manually operated deluge system that can be used to extinguish a fire that may occur in the
vicinity of the upper and lower stator windings. There have been no major upgrades of the
deluge system since the original installation.
The existing generator fire protection systems consist of an upper and lower sprinkler ring
connected to the main firewater header through a series of piping and valves. In the event

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

of a fire, an alarm sounds in the control room. An operations person is then fitted with a
self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and proceeds to the appropriate generating unit
to determine if a fire exists. If a fire is present and the unit is still rotating the operator must
stop the unit, open the main disconnect and place the main ground switch to the On
position to ensure the unit is de-energized. Once the unit has stopped rotating and has
been de-energized the operator proceeds to the proper generator manual deluge station
and opens the main fire water valve to release water onto the fire (See Figure 1).
FM global indicates that a generator fire could occur if there is a short circuit which could
ignite the insulation on the generator. The fire would start small, however once established
fire can spread rapidly within two to three minutes. The estimated response time of
operations, from the time they receive the alarm to when the unit deluge system is
activated, is approximately six to eight minutes. By this time there could be significant
damage done to the generator and access to the manual deluge valve maybe impeded. The
approximate distance from the valve to the generating unit is 16 feet (Figure 2).
The proposed new system will be activated automatically such that when a fire is detected,
by a sensor located in the generator area, the generating unit will be shut down and deenergized, the ventilation fans shut down and exhaust louvers closed, and then water
applied to the fire. Shutting down the ventilation system helps to control the fire by
reducing the supply of oxygen to a fire. The operators remain safe in the control room
during automatic activation.
FM Global updated their risk report for Powerhouse 1 and 2 in Bay dEspoir in 2011 and
identified the lack of an automatic deluge system on generating Units one, three, four and
seven as a hazard that needs to be corrected. This recommendation was based on the units
that still had asphalt windings (Units 1, 3 and 4) or a unit in a different powerhouse (Unit 7).
As noted in the FM report Hydro indicated that all the generating units from one to seven
will be converted to automatic systems. Hydro is taking this approach as this would correct
the operations safety hazard and give better protection to all the units, and would also

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Figure 1: Typical Deluge Valve Arrangement on Units 1 6

Figure 2: Deluge Valve (left) with respect to Generating Unit (right)

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

3.2

Operating Experience

FM Global believes that in the time taken for an operator to respond to a fire alarm on a
generating unit a potentially small fire could turn into something much larger thus leading
to more equipment damage and increased replacement costs. An automatic system is more
effective because there is no delay in responding to an alarm thereby ensuring a greater
potential for extinguishing a fire before major equipment damage occurs.

3.2.1 Legislative or Regulatory Requirements


The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) maintains a recommended practice
referred to as NFPA851: Recommended Practice for Fire Protection for Hydroelectric
Generating Plants. Within this document the NFPA recommends that the protection of
generator windings be provided by an automatically actuated fire suppression system.
Currently Hydro meets this recommended practice at all of its hydroelectric generating
stations with the exceptions of Powerhouse 1 and 2 at Bay dEspoir. The applicable section
of NFPA 851 is provided in Appendix B.

3.2.2 Safety Performance


In the event of a fire a plant operator must be equipped with SCBA before entering the
generator hall. The operator comes in close proximity to a generating unit that may be on
fire to access manual control valves. The operator first verifies that there is a fire before
proceeding to follow a series of steps to ensure the unit is stopped and de-energized before
the deluge valve is manually opened to release water. This current practice exposes the
operator to unnecessary risk and increases the likelihood of personal harm and extensive
equipment damage.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

3.2.3 Industry Experience


The Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI), an
international utilities interest group in which Hydro participates, released a technology
review in 2006 titled Fire Protection and Suppression in Hydroelectric Plants that outlines
the current design standard currently used by BC Hydro (see Appendix C). For generator
housings BC Hydro ensures that each generator shall incorporate an automatic water spray
type fire protection system, similar to what Hydro is proposing for Bay dEspoir. Hydro also
meets this standard at all of its other hydraulic generating.

3.2.4 Maintenance or Support Arrangements


Maintenance of the current generator deluge systems in Bay dEspoir has been completed
by Hydro.

3.2.5 Maintenance History


There is no maintenance history specifically for the generator deluge system. The five year
history for the Fire Protection and Detection System is provided in Table 1.
Table 1: Five-Year Maintenance History
Fire Protection and Detection System

Year
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

Preventive
Maintenance
($000)
1.4
0.4
0.0
0.6
4.8

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Corrective
Maintenance
($000)
0.9
9.1
6.0
3.9
1.3

Total
Maintenance
($000)
2.3
9.5
6.0
4.5
6.1

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

3.2.6 Anticipated Useful Life


The anticipated useful life for fire fighting equipment is 45 years.

3.3

Development of Alternatives

The status quo is not acceptable and there are no viable alternatives to this project. When
obtaining budgetary quotes for this project only the full system was considered for
replacement. This was under the recommendation of a certified sprinkler contractor as the
proposed system is different than the existing and is assumed to not be compatible, and
even if the sprinkler ring is compatible it is not advisable to leave the 40 plus year old piping
in place while upgrading to a fully automated system.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

CONCLUSION

The current manual generator deluge systems on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir need to be
upgraded to fully automatic control. A fully automated system will reduce the safety risk to
plant operators and also will have the potential to significantly reduce equipment damage
in the event of a fire. An automated deluge system will align Hydro with FM Global
recommendations, other Hydro generation plant installations, the standard put forth by the
NFPA Recommended Practice, as well as the industry standard currently adopted by CEATI.
All other Hydro Generating Plants have an automatic generator deluge system. The status
quo is not acceptable and there is no viable alternative to this project.

4.1

Budget Estimate

A budget estimate for this project is provided in Table 2.


Table 2: Project Budget Estimate
Project Cost:($ x1,000)
Material Supply
Labour
Consultant
Contract Work
Other Direct Costs
Interest and Escalation
Contingency
TOTAL

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

2013
40.0
160.6
24.9
170.0
16.1
38.1
82.3
532.0

2014
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

Beyond
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

Total
40.0
160.6
24.9
170.0
16.1
38.1
82.3
532.0

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir

4.2

Project Schedule

The anticipated schedule for this project is provided in Table 3.

Table 3: Project Schedule


Planning

Design
Procurement

Construction

Commissioning
Closeout

Activity
Review Scope
Confirm Schedule
Review Budget
Submit design transmittal
Risk workshop
Confirm Schedule
Tender materials / review tenders
Award tender for supply
Safety meetings
Schedule meetings
Risk / Change management
Site safety tour
Safety meeting
training
Financial close out
Post implementation review

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

Start Date
February 2013

End Date
February 2013

March 2013

March 2013

March 2013

March 2013

May 2013

May 2013

June 2013

June 2013

October 2013

October 2013

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Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

APPENDIX A
FM Global Risk Report

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A1

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A2

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A3

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A4

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A5

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A6

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A7

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix A

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

A8

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix B

APPENDIX B
NFPA 851

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

B1

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix B

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

B2

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix C

APPENDIX C
BC Hydro Standard

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

C1

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix C

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

C2

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix C

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

C3

Automate Generator Deluge system on Units 5 and 6 in Bay dEspoir


Appendix C

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro

C4

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