Information Notice 1984-16, Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate
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SSINS No.:
6835 IN 84-16
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
D.C.
20555
March 2, 1984
IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 84-16:
FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM VALVES
TO OPERATE
Addressees
All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL)
or a
construction permit (CP).
Purpose
This information notice provides notification of a problem involving the
operational failure of deluge and pre-action fire protection water control
valves, identified as Model C, manufactured by Automatic Sprinkler Corporation
of America of Cleveland, Ohio.
It is expected that recipients will review this
information notice for applicability to their facilities.
No specific action
or response is required.
Description of Circumstances
On September 4, 1983, Mississippi Power and Light (MP&L)
Company's Grand Gulf
Unit 1 was performing an operational test of an emergency diesel-generator when
a fire Involving the di&sel engine occurred.
The fire brigade arrived to find
that the automatic deluge valve had not opened.
The manual release failed to
open the valve.
A mechanic opened the actuator box cover and struck the
actuation weight, forcing the clapper latch to release, permitting water spray
from the sprinkler system to extinguish the fire.
(See Attachment 1.) The
valve was a 6-inch Model C, manufactured by Automatic Sprinkler Corporation
of America of Cleveland, Ohio.
(Reference LER 50-416/83-126.)
During subsequent testing and examination, excessive friction was noted between
the weight and the weight guide rod; bowing (0.005-inch) was observed in the
weight guide rod; evidence of scoring was found in two locations on the rod's
surface; the weight's upper guide collar had an inside diameter (ID) of 0.637 inch rather than the manufacturer's recommended minimum of 0.647 inch; and
scoring was noted on the enclosing box along the path that the weight guide
bushing traces during actuation.
On December 5, 19o3, a Model C valve for a pre-action sprinkler system pro- tecting a diesel generator room failed to operate during a test at Grand Gulf.
Similar roughness was found in its internals.
A search of records uncovered
8402090008 840302 PDR I&E
8402090008 NOTICEB4-16 PDR
IN 84-16 March 2, 1984 another event at Grand Gulf in which a Model C valve installed to protect a
main transformer failed to open during a test in September 1979.
The valve manufacturer has been notified of these failures and is evaluating
this problem to determine the action required.
The licensee's preliminary investigation indicates that these failures may be
related to the surface conditicn of the latch which holds the water clapper in
the normally closed position.
If the mating surfaces of the latch and clapper
are not smooth, the latch may fail to disengage when the actuation weight hits
the latch arm.
If the normal water system pressure applied to the clapper
valve exceeds 140 psig, the problem becomes more acute.
The water pressure at
Grand Gulf is maintained at 140 psig.
MP&L has sanded and trued the guide-rod; reworked the ID of the weight's upper
guide collar; lubricated the rod, latch pin, clapper hinge pin, and the en- closed box along the path of the weight guide bushings; temporarily increased
the testing frequency of the valves; and revised the surveillance procedures
to visually verify that the clapper has lifted and locked open following the
test under normal system pressure.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, contact the Regional Administrator
of the appropriate NRC Regional Office, or this office.
rdwa rd
ordan, Director
Divisi n of Emergency Preparedness
and Vgineering Response
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contact:
M. S. Wegner, IE
(301) 492-4511 Attachments:
1.
Drawing of Automatic Model C Valve
2.
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices
Attachnent 1
IN 84-16 March 2, 1984 RUT? OC¶WATU W~
cs&..cpm %TOO
CLAPPIS MO.
MODEL C VALVE
Attachment 2
March 2, 1984
LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED-
IE INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issue
Issued to
84-15
84-14
84-13
84-12
84-11
Reporting of Radiological
Releases
Highlights of Recent Trans- port Regulatory Revisions by
DOT and NRC
Potential Deficiency in
Motor-Operated Valve Control
Circuits and Annunciation
Failure of Soft Seat Valve
Seals
Training Program Deficienc- Ies
Hotor-Operated Valve Torque
Switches Set Below the
manufacturer's Recommended
Value
Lessons Learned from NRC
Inspections of Fire Pro- tection Safe Shutdown
Systems (10 CFR 50,
Appendix R)
Pontential Failures of
Westinghouse Electric
Corporation Type SA-1
10 CFR 50.7, "Employee
Protection"
3/2/84
3/2/84
2/28/84
2/27/84
2/24/84
2/21/84
02/13/84
2/15/84
2/14/84
All power reactor
facilities holding
All NRC licensees
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
All power reactor
facilities holding
NSSS & AE
84-10
84-09
83-63 Supp 1
84-08 OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit