05000424/LER-2014-001, Unit 1, Operation Outside of Pressure and Temperature Limit Report Curve Required by Technical Specification 3.4.3
| ML14104B435 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 04/03/2014 |
| From: | Tynan T Southern Co, Southern Nuclear Operating Co |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NL-14-0472 LER 14-001-00 | |
| Download: ML14104B435 (5) | |
| Event date: | |
|---|---|
| Report date: | |
| Reporting criterion: | 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(i)(B), Prohibited by Technical Specifications 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(i) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(ii)(A), Seriously Degraded 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(viii)(A) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(ii)(B), Unanalyzed Condition 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(viii)(B) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iii) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(ix)(A) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(iv)(A), System Actuation 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(x) 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(v)(A), Loss of Safety Function - Shutdown the Reactor 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(v)(B), Loss of Safety Function - Remove Residual Heat 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(i)(A), Completion of TS Shutdown 10 CFR 50.73(a)(2)(v), Loss of Safety Function |
| 4242014001R00 - NRC Website | |
text
Torn E. Tynan Southern Nuclear Vice President Operating Company, Inc.
Vogt!e -Units 1 & 2 7821 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830 Tel 706.826,3151 Fax 205980.3321 SOUTHERN COMPANY April 3, 2014 Docket No.:
50-424 NL-1 4-0472 50-425 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, D. C. 20555-0001 Vogtle Electric Generating Plant-Unit 1 Licensee Event Report 2014-001-00 Operation Outside of Pressure and Temperature Limit Report Curve Required by Technical Specification 3.4.3 Ladies and Gentlemen:
In accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.73 (a)(2)(i)(B), Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) is submitting the enclosed Licensee Event Report. This letter contains no NRC commitments. If you have any questions, please contact Doug McKinney at (205) 992-5982.
Respectfully submitted, T. E. Tynan Vice President - Vogtle TET/GWG Enclosure: Unit 1 Licensee Event Report 2014-001-00 cc:
Southern Nuclear Operating Company Mr. S. E. Kuczynski, Chairman, President & CEO Mr. D. G. Bost, Executive Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer Mr. B. L. Ivey, Vice President - Regulatory Affairs Mr. D.R. Madison, Vice President - Fleet Operations Mr. C.R. Pierce, Regulatory Affairs Director Mrs. M. A. Cline, Vogtle OE Coordinator RType: CVC7000 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. V. M. McCree, Regional Administrator Mr. R. E. Martin, NRR Senior Project Manager - Vogtle Mr. L. M. Cain, Senior Resident Inspector - Vogtle
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant-Unit 1 Licensee Event Report 2014-001-00 Operation Outside of Pressure and Temperature Limit Report Curve Required by Technical Specification 3.4.3 Enclosure Unit 1 Licensee Event Report 2014-001-00
NRC FORM 366 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION APPROVED BY OMB: NO. 3150-0104 EXPIRES: 01/31/2017 (02-2014)
Estimated burden per response to comply with this mandatory collection request: 80 hours9.259259e-4 days <br />0.0222 hours <br />1.322751e-4 weeks <br />3.044e-5 months <br />.
Reported lessons learned are incorporated into the licensing process and fed back to industry.
- . *.w(.Send comments regarding burden estimate to the FOIA, Privacy and Information Collections EVENT R(LER)
Branch (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by LI EN E EPR TLE internet e-mail to Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov, and to the Desk Officer, Office of Information and (See Page 2 for required number of Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202, (3150-0104), Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. It a means used to impose an information collection does not display a currentty valid OMB digits/characters for each block) control number, the NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, the information collection.
- 3. PAGE Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) - Unit 1 05000-424 1 OF 3
- 4. TITLE Operation Outside of Pressure and Temperature Limit Report Curve Required by Technical Specification 3.4.3
- 5. EVENT DATE
- 6. LER NUMBER
- 7. REPORT DATE
- 8. OTHER FACILITIES INVOLVED I
FACILITY NAME DOCKET NUMBER MONTH DAY YEAR YEAR SEQUENTIAL REV MNH DY YA NUMBER NO.
DAY YEAR VEGP - Unit 2 05000-425 FACIUTY NAME DOCKET NUMBER 02 20 14 2014 001
- - 00 0
1 21
- 9. OPERATING MODE
- 11. THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR §: (Check all that apply)
U 20.2201(b)
F] 20.2203(a)(3)(i)
E] 50.73(a)(2)(i)(C)
El 50.73(a)(2)(vi0)
El 20.2201(d)
EJ 20.2203(a)(3)(ii)
El 50.73(a)(2)(ii)(A)
El 50.73(a)(2)(viii)(A) 1E 20.2203(a)(1)
El 20.2203(a)(4)
El 50.73(a)(2)(ii)(B)
El 50.73(a)(2)(viii)(B)
[j 20.2203(a)(2)(i)
[E 50.36(c)(1)(i)(A)
Ej 50.73(a)(2)(iii)
[: 50.73(a)(2)(ix)(A)
- 10. POWER LEVEL E] 20.2203(a)(2)(ii)
El 50.36(c)(1)(ii)(A)
El 50.73(a)(2)(iv)(A)
[: 50.73(a)(2)(x)
El 20.2203(a)(2)(iii)
El 50.36(c)(2)
El 50.73(a)(2)(v)(A)
El 73.71(a)(4) 10 20.2203(a)(2)(iv)
El 50.46(a)(3)(ii)
El 50.73(a)(2)(v)(B)
El 73.71(a)(5) 1E 20.2203(a)(2)(v)
El 50.73(a)(2)(i)(A)
El 50.73(a)(2)(v)(C)
El OTHER El 20,2203(a)(2)(vi)
[
50.73(a)(2)(i)(B)
El 50.73(a)(2)(v)(D)
Specity in Abstract below or in
_____________________________________________________________________________NR____FoNRCmorm66A
- 12. LICENSEE CONTACT FOR THIS LER LICENSEE CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER (Indude Area Code)
Vogtle Electric Generating Plant / George Gunn, Licensing Supervisor 1706-826-3596CAUSE SYSTEM COMPONENT MANU-REPORTABLE
CAUSE
SYSTEM COMPONENT MANU-REPORTABLE FACTURER TO EPIX FACTURER TO EPIX D
Y I I
- 14. SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT EXPECTED
- 15. EXPECTED MONTH DAY YEAR SUBMISSION
[] YES (If yes, complete 15. EXPECTED SUBMISSION DATE)
O NO DATE ABSTRACT (Limit to 1400 spaces, i.e., approximately 15 single-spaced typewritten lines)
On February 20, 2014 with VEGP Units 1 and 2 operating at 100 percent thermal power, VEGP identified that both units had operated outside the Pressure / Temperature Limit Report (PTLR) curve required by Technical Specification LCO 3.4.3 RCS Pressure and Temperature Limits following the seven previous refueling outages on each unit. From October 2003 through May 2013, seven refueling outages have been conducted on each unit in which the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) was placed under vacuum to perform fill and vent operations. LCO 3.4.3 requires that Reactor Coolant System (RCS) pressure, temperature, and heatup and cooldown rates be maintained with the limits specified in the Pressure Temperature Limit Report (PTLR) and is applicable at all times. Although minimum RCS temperature and heatup rates were maintained within limits, RCS pressure was lowered below 0 pounds per square inch gauge (psig), the lowest RCS pressure value identified on the curve.
The cause of not entering LCO 3.4.3 was the condition was procedurally allowed and aligned with Operations training. These events are of very low safety significance and resulted in no adverse effects on the health or safety of the public.
NRC FORM 366 (02-2014)
N'RC =
A. REQUIREMENT FOR REPORT This report is required per 10 CFR50.73(a)(2)(i)(B) for an operation or condition which was prohibited by Technical Specifications Limiting Condition of Operation (LCO) 3.4.3, RCS Pressure and Temperature Limits during vacuum refill of the RPV when RCS pressure was lowered below zero (0) psig.
B. UNIT STATUS AT TIME OF EVENT At the time of discovery of the issue, both units were operating in Mode 1 at 100% reactor power. There were no additional inoperable structures, systems, or components at the time of discovery that contributed to this event. This event is considered a discovery of an existing but previously unrecognized condition.
C. DESCRIPTION OF EVENT
On February 20, 2014 with VEGP Units 1 and 2 operating at 100 percent thermal power, VEGP identified that both units had operated outside the PTLR curve required by Technical Specification LCO 3.4.3 RCS Pressure and Temperature Limits following the seven previous refueling outages on each unit. From October 2003 through May 2013, seven refueling outages have been conducted on each unit in which the RPV was placed under vacuum to perform fill and vent operations.
LCO 3.4.3 requires that RCS pressure, temperature, and heatup and cooldown rates be maintained with the limits specified in the PTLR and is applicable at all times.
Although minimum RCS temperature and heatup rates were maintained within limits, RCS pressure was lowered below 0 psig, the lowest RCS pressure value identified on the curve.
The cause of not entering LCO 3.4.3 was the condition was procedurally allowed and aligned with Operations training.
In August 2003, prior to the first use of RCS vacuum fill and vent at VEGP, an engineering analysis was performed to ensure the procedure would have no adverse impact on the system. Since the analysis determined there would be no adverse impact from drawing a vacuum on the RPV, Engineering and Operations did not recognize it was necessary to revise the PTLR curves and operation with the RPV under vacuum would be outside the limits of LCO 3.4.3. Upon review of industry operating experience, the non-compliance was identified and corrective action initiated to update the PTLR curves to account for operation under vacuum conditions.
These events are of very low safety significance and resulted in no adverse effects on the health or safety of the public.
D. CAUSE OF EVENT
The direct cause of the failure to enter the LCO was the condition was procedurally allowed and aligned with training Operations personnel had received. Therefore, establishing vacuum conditions in the RCS was not recognized to be a condition that required entry into the LCO.
E. SAFETY ASSESSMENT
The seven events on each unit posed no threat to public health and safety as the reactor pressure vessel performed as designed. There were no challenges to any design or safety limit. Nuclear safety was not compromised because the negative (vacuum) internal pressures identified did not cause any concerns with applicable material stresses or analysis for the VEGP reactor pressure vessel. There was no impact to the safety of the public, industrial safety or radiological safety as a result of these events.
F. CORRECTIVE ACTION
Corrective Action to revise the VEGP Pressure and Temperature Limit Report (PTLR) for Units 1 and 2 to address establishing a negative pressure (vacuum) in the reactor vessel has been completed.
G. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- 1) Failed Components:
None
- 2) Previous Similar Events:
None
- 3) Energy Industry Identification System Code:
[AB] - Reactor Coolant System
- 4) Other Systems Affected:
None
- 5) Commitment Information:
This report does not create any commitments.