Information Notice 1989-28, Weight and Center of Gravity Discrepancies for Copes-Vulcan Air-Operated Valves

Weight and Center of Gravity Discrepancies for Copes-Vulcan Air-Operated Valves

ML031180690
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, 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, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	03/14/1989
From:	Rossi C Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-89-028, NUDOCS 8903080372
Download: ML031180690 (10)

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 March 14, 1989 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 89-28: WEIGHT AND CENTER OF GRAVITY DISCREPANCIES

FOR COPES-VULCAN AIR-OPERATED VALVES

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors.

Purpose

This information notice is being provided to alert addressees to potential

problems resulting from incorrect weight and center of gravity information

provided by Copes-Vulcan, Incorporated (CV) with air-operated valves which

they supplied before 1980. It is expected that recipients will review the

information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as

appropriate, to evaluate the significance of any discovered discrepancies.

However, the suggestions contained in this information notice do not consti- tute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is

required.

Description of Circumstances

During recent reverification of piping stress analyses at the Prairie Island

Nuclear Station, significant discrepancies were discovered in valve weight

and center of gravity information for air-operated valves supplied by CV.

Copes-Vulcan, (formerly the Blaw Knox Company), is a division of White

Consolidated Industries. Before 1980, the information listed on the valve

drawings in many cases did not account for the air operator and, consequently, significantly understated the valve assembly weight and center of gravity.

Some of these valves are located in various lines connected to the accumulator

tanks of the safety injection system, and in the charging and letdown systems.

The new piping stress analyses performed for Prairie Island with the corrected

values have shown that, as a result of this discrepancy, the allowable code

stresses have been exceeded in'many cases. In several instances, the piping

stress analyses brought into question the ability of the associated system to

withstand a seismic event.

The NRC has also confirmed the existence of this discrepancy at the D. C. Cook

and Zion stations at which a number of the same valves were identified in safety

systems. Reanalyses at the D. C. Cook station using the appropriate values for

valve weight and center of gravity resulted in piping stresses that exceeded the

allowable code limits. In at least one instance, the stresses exceeded the

allowable limits to the extent that the operability of the associated piping

Q903080372 7A-ji~-~~~

rn-- -

IN 89-28 March 14, 1989 system was brought into question. At Zion, the extended valve operators were

supported independently minimizing the impact of the discrepancies in the

weight or center of gravity location on the stress analyses.

Discussion:

As far as the NRC Is aware, the incorrect information supplied by CV has

affected small-bore piping systems having valves ranging in size from 3/4 only

inch

to 3 inches with pressure ratings ranging from 150 psi to 1500 psi. Table 1 is

a partial listing of the valves supplied with the incorrect information.

does not know if any larger valves are affected. The actual valve weights NRC

are

as much as 40 percent greater than the values originally provided, although

a few cases the actual weights are less. All of the center of gravity valuesin

are significantly different from the original values-provided. The original

center of gravity locations were given as approximately 5 inches from the datum

points, while the actual locations range from 15 to 20 inches from the datum

points. The corrections of the center of gravity values typically have resulted

in the most significant problems in meeting allowable code stress levels.

IE Bulletin 79-14, 'Seismic Analyses for As-Built Safety-Related Piping Systems,"

which was issued July 2, 1979, required all power reactor owners to verify that

their seismic analyses applied to the actual configuration of safety-related

piping. That bulletin applied only to safety-related piping 2 1/2 inches in

diameter and greater and to seismic Category I piping, regardless of size, that

was dynamically analyzed by computer. The incorrect information supplied with

the CV valves mainly affected small-bore piping systems and is generally outside

of the scope of Bulletin 79-14. However, since the small-bore piping had been

analyzed by computer, the licensee for Prairie Island included this piping in

its verification program required by Bulletin 79-14. It was during a reverifi- cation of the Bulletin 79-14 program that the recent CV valve data was found to

differ from the original data.

The discovery of the incorrect CV valve data at D. C. Cook and Zion was made as

a result of NRC Inquiries following the Prairie Island discovery. The original

design criteria for small-bore piping at these plants was based on generic span

and standardized support criteria and was not part of the Bulletin 79-14 scope.

At Zion, the extended valve operators are independently supported, therefore, the incorrect valve information did not cause any significant problems. However, CV typically recommended that attachments be made no higher than the body-to-bonnet

flange connection. If the valves are supported in a manner not recommended by

the manufacturer, it is important that the utility ensure that the valves are

requalified with appropriately induced loads from the piping system. Analyses

of the valve assemblies at Zion showed that the valves are qualified with the

installed support systems, even though they do not. comply with the vendor

recommendations for supports.

Additional information on this problem was obtained during an NRC inspection

at

CV. The incorrect valve weight and center of gravity information typically was

supplied to the licensees' Nuclear Steam System Suppliers or Architect-Engineers

before 1980, who supplied it along with the system designs to the licensees.

1988, CV notified its purchasers of the incorrect valve weights and center In

of

IN 89-28 March 14, 1989 gravity values. A copy of the CV letter to the purchasers is attached. However, as these purchasers were usually Nuclear Steam System Suppliers and Architect- Engineers, some licensees who were the final users may not have been notified

of the problem in a timely fashion. Additional technical information and a

partial list of licensees who may have received the Incorrect information can

be found in the NRC inspection report (99900080/88-01).

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the techni- cal contacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate

regional office.

aresRE.Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: J. A. Gavula, RIII

(312) 790-5761 J. J. Petrosino, NRR

(301) 492-0979 Attachments:

1. Table 1

2. Copes-Vulcan Letter

3. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

to

Attachment 1 IN 89-28 March 14, 1989 TABLE 1 COPES VULCAN DRAWING NO.

L PRINT S PRINT SIZE PRESSURE RATING

L-137857 S-129989 3/4 1500

L-140209 S-129989 3/4 1500.

L-137820 S-133149 1 150

L-137914 S-133149 1 600

L-138930 S-133150 1 1500

L-137918 S-133150 1 600

L-137919 S-133150 1 600

L-140975 S-133149 1 1500

L-137968 S-133150 1 1500

L-143864 S-130032 2 1500

L-138023 S-133269 2 600

L-144157 S-130032 2 1500

L-138049 S-133269 2 1500

L-141003 S-133151 2 150

L-143844 S-131642 3 1500

I

Attachment 2

9r IN89-28 M~arch 14, 1989 COPES-VULCAN, INC.

P.O. BOX 577 - LAKE CITY PENNSYLVANIA 16423-0577 PHONE (814) 774-3151 FAX (814) 774-2646 TRT. 199140

November 22, 1988 Office of Nuclear Reactor

USNRC

Mail Stop OWFN9D4 Washington, DC 20555 ATTENTION: Mr. Brian Grimes

Director, Division Inspection and Safe Guards

Mr. Grimes, Enclosed for your records is a copy of the letter which

Copes-Vulcan will issue to our customers regarding incorrect

valve weight and center of gravity. This letter will be

to our customers over the next 30 days. If you receive any mailed.

further data, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Cordially, Si>MW

Quality Control Manager

DRM/pjg

Enclosure

cc: Joe Petrosino, NRC

Attachment 2 IN 89-28 Mlarch 14, 1989 COPES-VULCAN, INC.

PO. BOX 577 LAKE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA 16423-0577 PHONE (814) 774.3151 FAX (8u) 774-2646 TRT-199140

November 22, 1988 Copes-Vulcan has determined that the valve weight and/or

center of gravity referenced on some assembly drawings prior to

1980 may be incorrect. If the assembly drawings Copes-Vulcan

provided your company includes this data and you require

additional information, please contact Dale Mays, Quality

Control Manager. Listed below are the job numbers on which

Copes-Vulcan supplied valves to your company during the time

frame in question.

Cordially, Dale R. Mays

Quality Control Manager

I

Attachment 3 IN 89-28 Parch 14. 1989 Page I of 1 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

InfovnatoM UiI Dr

Notice no. SubJect Issuance Issued to

89-27 Limitations on the Use /189 All holders of Ots

of Waste Form and High or CPs for nuclear

Integrity Containers for power reactors, fuel

the Disposal of Low-Level cycle licenses and

Radioactive Vaste certain by-product

materials licenses.

89-21 Instrument Air Supply to 3/7/89 All holders of OLs

Safety-Related Equipment or CPs for nuclear

power reactors.

89-25 Unauthorized Transfer of 3/7/89 All U.5. NRCsource.

Ownership or Control of byproduct. and special

Licensed Activities nuclear material

licensees.

89-24 huclear Criticality Safety 3/6/89 All fuel cycle

licenss and other

licensees possessing

rore than critical

mass quantities of

special nuclear

material.

39-23 Environmental Qualificatiom 3/3/89 All holders of Mus

of Litton-Yeam CIR Series or CPs for nuclear

Electrical Connectors power reactors.

89-22 Questionable Certification 3/3/89 All holders of CLs

of Fasteners or CPs for nuclear

power reactors.

8S-2I Changes In Performance 2/27/89 All holders of OUs

Charactaristics of Molded- or CPs for nuclear

Case Circuit Breakers power reactors.

88-73, Direction-Dependent Leak 2/27/89 All holders of Mts

Supple mt I Characteristics of Contain- or CPs for nuclear

ment Purge Valves power reactors.

OU* Opeat1nt L1icense

CP* Construton P1ermt

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FIRT CASS AI

POSTAGE & FEESP ;ID

WASHINGTON, D.C. 2055 USSNNC

PERMTe4 . V j

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE. $300

IN 89-28 March 14, 1989 gravity values. A copy of the CV letter to the purchasers is attached. However, as these purchasers were usually Nuclear Steam System Suppliers and Architect- Engineers, some licensees who were the final users may not have been notified

of the problem in a timely fashion. Additional technical information and a

partial list of licensees who may have received the incorrect information can

be found in the NRC inspection report (99900080/88-01).

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the techni- cal contacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate

regional office.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: J. A. Gavula, RIII

(312) 790-5761 J. J. Petrosino, NRR

(301) 492-0979 Attachments:

1. Table 1

2. Copes-Vulcan Letter

3. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

03/q/89

• OGCB:DOEA:NRR RVIB:DRIS:NRR *RIII *PPMB :ARM *C/GGCB:DOEA:NRR

DCKirkpatrick JJPetrosino JAGavula TechEd CHBerlinger

02/28/89 03/ /89 02/28/89 02/23/89 03/7/89

IN 89-XX

March xx, 1989 CV letter to the purchasers is attached. However, as these purchasers were

usually Nuclear Steam System Suppliers and Architect-Engineers, some licensees

who were the final users may not have been notified of the problem in a timely

fashion. Additional technical information and a partial list of licensees who

may have received the incorrect information can be found in the NRC inspection

report (99900080/88-01). The NRC Is still reviewing this matter and additional

action may be taken In the future.

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the techni- cal contacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate

regional office.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: J. A. Gavula, RIII

(312) 790-5761 J. J. Petrosino, NRR

(301) 492-0979 Attachments:

1. Table 1

2. Copes-Vulcan Letter

3. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

D/DOEA:NRR

CERossi

03/ /89

• OGCB:DOEA:NRR RVIB:DRIS:NRR *RIII *PPMB:ARM C/OGCB:DOEA RE

DCKirkpatrick JJPetrosino JAGavula TechEd CHBerling efHp

02/28/89 03/ /89 02/28/89 02/23/89 , el

03/7 /89 z2 4A,

r,

IN 89-XX

February xx, 1989 corrected

some licensees who were the final users may may not have received the partial

values in a timely fashion. Additional technical information and a

be found

list of licensees who may have received the incorrect information can

in the NRC report of the Copes-Vulcan inspection (IR 99900080/88-01).

notice.

No specific action or written response is required by this information techni- contact one of the

If you have any questions about this matter, please

cal contacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate

regional office.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: J. A. Gavula, RIII

(312) 790-5761 J. Petrosino, NRR

(301) 492-0979 Attachments:

1. Table 1

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

D/DOEA:NRR

CERossi

VCc- 02/ /89 OGCB:DO -f RR e: IS:NRR PPMB'ARM C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR

DCKirkpatrick J etrosino AGavy la TechEd CHBerlinger

02/W189 02/ /89 02/2i/89 02/,2W89 02/ /89 i3/ #9