IR 05000329/1978003
| ML19281A127 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Midland |
| Issue date: | 02/08/1979 |
| From: | Heishman R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Howell S CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19281A128 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7903060586 | |
| Download: ML19281A127 (1) | |
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""** FEB 8 n9 Docket No. 50-329 Docket No. 50-330 Consumers Power Company ATTN: Mr. Stephen H. Howell Vice President 1945 Wes t Parnall Road Jackson, M: 49201 Gentlemen: Thank you for your letter Howe-19-79 dated January 19, 1979, in response to our letter dated September 13, 1978, concerning noncompliance matters addressed in our letter dated May 4,1978.
Please be advised that the information you provided is under review. You will be contacted at a latar date regarding this matter.
Sincerely, I7 ot e t s-R. F. Heishman, Chief . Reactor Construction and ' Engineering Support Branch - cc w/1tr dtd 1/19/79: Central Files Reproduction Unit NRC 20b PDR Local PDR NSIC TIC Ronald Callen, Michigan Public Service Commission Dr. Wayne E. North Myron M. Cherry, Chicago 79030605Fb Q
. . Consumcr5 ' Powcr C0mp%' 5a "*a " " a* * Senior the PressJent General Of fices' 1945 West Pernall Road. Jackson. Michigan 49201. (517) 788-0453 January 19, 1979 Hove-19-79 Mr J G Keppler, Regional Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement US Nuclear Regulatory Co= mission Region III 799 Roosevelt Road Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 UNSPECIFIED VOLTAGE IN AWS PREQUALIFIED WELDIIU PROCEDURES Reference: (1) NRC IE Inspection Report No 50-329/78-03 and No 50-330/78-03; dated May k, 1978 (2) S H Howell letter to J G Keppler; Midland Nuclear Plant - NRC Items of Noncompliance, Inspection Report No 50-329/78-03 and No 50-330/78-03; Serial Hove-89-78; (3) R F Heish=an letter to S H Howell; Docket No 50-329 and 50-330; dated Septe=ber 13, 1978 (4) S H Howell letter to J G Keppler; Unspecified Voltage in Bechtel WPS No Pl-A-LH; Serial Hove-223-78; dated October 31, 1978 (5) R F Heishman letter to S H Howell; Docket No 50-329 and 50-330; dated November 22, 1978 (6) NRC IE Inspection Report No 50-329/78-17andNo50-330/78-17 The referenced correspondence deals with the subject identified in reference 1 as UNSPECIFIED VOLTAGE IN BECHTEL WPS NO P1-A-LH.
An infraction was issued for not specifying volta 3e in an AWS Welding Procedure Specification (WPS).
References 3 and 5 identify as NRC specified " requirements" two items as follows: "The velding procedure specification and qualification record must identify a.
an acceptable combination of voltage and amperage for each electrode size, and velding shall be performed at values within + 15% of these nominal values."
_ b.
"...we request that your sampling measurement system provide assurance that all velding machines are covered by your amperage and voltage measurements."
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- . _ Hove-19-79 . In regard to a., Consumers Power has maintained that this is an incorrect interpretation of the AWS Dl.1 Code for prequalified velding procedures.
Attachments 1 and 2 to this letter are correspondence to and from the AWS Structural Welding Committee on this subject. The reply as given in Attachment 2 completely substantiates the Consumers Power position. The voltage and emperage checks being made vill use the range specified in the procedures as the accept / reject criteria.
In regard to b., we discussed with Mr Vandel on December 18, 1978, the possibility of doing a monthly voltage check on each velding supply grid to satisfy the NRC's request to include til machines. The information necessary to define the grid systems and the appropriate measurement locations is expected to be available February 1,1979 The surveillance syste= presently implemented, as described in reference 2, vill be continued for both voltage and emperage measurements until such time as agreement can be reached with the NRC to discontinue them.
Measurements were initiated on December 2, 1978. After December 9,1978, the recording form was revised to reconi each individual veld machine which is subject to the surveillance checks. The records show, for the conth of December, that starting on the 9th,17 checks were made on 17 different machines. The total nu=ber of measurements made in December represent over 7 percent of the listing of qualified velders for the month of November.
Consumers Power Company has expended significant effort to comply with the NRC specified " requirements." Concurrently, we have sought to obtain additionel information to clarify the usefulness of voltage measurements as an aid in assuring the quality of velding required to meet the AWS Dl.1 Structural Welding Code. In this regard, Messrs T E Vandel and K Naidu attended a demonstration at Ohio State University on December lb, 1978. A technical report on the study conducted at Ohio State is expected to be released by March, 1979 This report and the videotapes of the effect of voltage variations on the shielded metal are veldin5 process vill be made available to you and the Headquarters Staff. Our conclusion is that a usable are length (voltage) is easily discernable by the velder. Only where the voltage is significantly outside the specified range does it abruptly cause poor veld quality. This breakdown is clearly visible to the velder in the velding arc.
')J M Mw *-k , _ _ _ Attachments: (1) J W Walvoord letter to Dr Moss V Davis, Secretary of AWS Structural Welding Committee, Serial Walv 60-78, dated November 2, 1978 (2) Dr Moss V Davis letter to J W Walvoord, Response to Inquiry on Prequalified Welding Procedures, dated November 15, 1978
- _ , Hove-19-79 CC: Director, Office of Inspection & Enforcement Att: Mr John G Davis, Acting Director, USNRC (15) Director, Office of Management Information and Pro 6 ram Control, USIGC (1) _ G
Attachment 1
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/ 'i . < . % C... n..,] mpuu ps,- .w . Gerioral Offices. 212 West uscNgen Avenvo.. Jackson, Michigan 40201. Area Code $17 700 0500 November 2, 197o Walv 60-73
Dr lions V Davis, Secretary . AUS Structural Uciding Cc=mittee American Uelding Society 2501 I!ortht.est 7th Street Minmi, FL 33125
Dear Dr Davis:
Inspection acencies have recently been interpreting Paragraph 5 5 2.l(4) of the AUS Dl.1 Structural Ucidir-Code as applyin:; to precualified 3:c1 ding procedures. This parur;raph nec.ls tuth limitations of variables for the shielded teto.1 are treldin;; process.
Cens=.ers Pot:cr Comcaly believes that the limitaticns of vs.riables listed under Paragraph 5 5.2.1 apply cnly to
velding procedure specifications tinich recnire cualification and that the requirements of Pcr:sgraph h.lO.2 apply for these variables (current and voltage) for prcoualified treldinc procedures. Ue at Consu*cers Po.cr Company vould grateitilly appreciate your interpretation of the Structural relainc Ccde in this catter.
Sincerely, [lm., D .V~ttd u ohn U hlvoord CC: RCEauman WRBird AJBirkle 9 _ I'3W_[[. fif<i,p), P1 Dull C.R1aynard h4 ' ' DB'4 iller /TCCooke NOV 2 1978 QUbUl1A$SURQCE . . .
- _.. - - - . ,, _ - _ _ M AVERICAN WEDl\\G Sd5Y N " ' 49'6b
-/ 2501 NORTHWEST 7th STREETe MI AMI, FLOR!DA 33125 * (305) 642-7090 Y Tu r n A n v.n D w. MiA .... N:h 514:4 5......_ _ .y g 3 ~' November 15, 1978-2m q l
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, ' i- = b ......___....._. _ ____, Mr. John Walvoord ' , Consumers Power Cc=pany l - 212 West Michigan Avenue i Jackson, Michigan 49201 ,' ' Re: Your inquiry regarding Prequalified Welding Procedures'
Dear nr. Halvoord:
i ! This is in response to your letter asking for an interpre-tation of 5.5.2.1 (4) of AWS Dl.1 as it applies to Prequalified Welding Procedures.
Please be advised that the limitation of variables.in 5.5.2 of Section 5, Part B, only apply to welding procedure j , qualification established by tests; thei do not apply to I, prequalified SMAW procedures which are governed by 4.10 in i AWS Dl.1 Rev2-77 or 4.6 in AWS Dl.1-79.
I trust this answers your question with regard to this matter.
.
Sincerely, @ / Moss V. Davis, Secretary AWS Structural. Welding Co:=nittee - MVD/sd File: Dl-30.1 . cc: J. T. Diskup F.
H. Ray D. L.
Sprow L.
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