Information Notice 1984-16, Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

ML070180076
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, 05000000, 05000496, 05000497, 05000262, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	03/02/1984
From:	Jordan E NRC/IE
To:
References
IN-84-016, NUDOCS 8402090008
Download: ML070180076 (4)

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SSINS No.: 6835 IN 84-16 UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT

WASHINGTON, 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

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 IN 84-16 March 2, 1984 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED-

IE INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issue Issued to

84-15 Reporting of Radiological 3/2/84 All power reactor

Releases facilities holding

an OL or CP

84-14 Highlights of Recent Trans- 3/2/84 All NRC licensees

port Regulatory Revisions by

DOT and NRC

84-13 Potential Deficiency in 2/28/84 All power reactor

Motor-Operated Valve Control facilities holding

Circuits and Annunciation an OL or CP

84-12 Failure of Soft Seat Valve 2/27/84 All power reactor

Seals facilities holding

an OL or CP

84-11 Training Program Deficienc- 2/24/84 All power reactor

Ies facilities holding

an OL or CP

84-10 Hotor-Operated Valve Torque 2/21/84 All power reactor

Switches Set Below the facilities holding

manufacturer's Recommended an OL or CP

Value

84-09 Lessons Learned from NRC 02/13/84 All power reactor

Inspections of Fire Pro- facilities holding

tection Safe Shutdown an OL or CP

Systems (10 CFR 50,

Appendix R)

83-63 Pontential Failures of 2/15/84 All power reactor

Supp 1 Westinghouse Electric facilities holding

Corporation Type SA-1 an OL Or CP

84-08 10 CFR 50.7, "Employee 2/14/84 All power reactor

Protection" facilities holding

an OL or CP; and

NSSS & AE

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit