Information Notice 1991-27, Incorrect Rotation of Positive Displacement Pump

Incorrect Rotation of Positive Displacement Pump

ML031190640
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, 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, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Crane
Issue date:	04/10/1991
From:	Rossi C Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-91-027, NUDOCS 9104040062
Download: ML031190640 (6)

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

April 10, 1991 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 91-27: INCORRECT ROTATION OF POSITIVE

DISPLACEMENT PUMP

-

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors.

Purpose

This information notice is intended to alert addressees to the potential

'existence of positive displacement pumps with reverse rotation caused by

incorrect wiring. It is expected that recipients will review the information

for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to

avoid similar problems.

However, suggestions contained in this information

notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or

written response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On February 15, 1990, one of the two positive displacement pumps in the standby

liquid control system at Brunswick Unit 2 was observed rotating in the reverse

direction.

This discovery was made after maintenance; however, nothing in the

maintenance procedure could have affected the rotational direction of the pump, and the condition had apparently existed for some indeterminate period of time.

During the resulting investigation, Brunswick personnel discovered that two

electrical leads had been interchanged in the motor control center that fed

power to the standby liquid control pump causing the three-phase pump motor to

rotate in the reverse direction. Although Brunswick personnel routinely made

rotational checks following pump maintenance, apparently in this case the

maintenance personnel mistakenly believed that the existing direction of

rotation was correct.

Discussion:

The standby liquid control system includes positive displacement reciprocating

piston pumps.

The direction of rotation has no immediate effect on the perfor- mance of these pumps.

However, the pump internal drive train lubrication

system does depend upon the correct direction of pump rotation to fill an

elevated reservoir which then drains oil over the drive pistons. Oil splash

would provide some lubrication when the pump is rotated in the reverse direc- tion.

According to the pump vendor, Union Pump, the splash effect could supply

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IN 91-27 April 10, 1991 sufficient lubrication for short-term operation, particularly for the slower

speed pumps used in the standby liquid control systems.

Consequently, these

pumps, which are operated for approximately 15 minutes per month for surveil- lance testing, might not show any adverse effects for some time. In addition

to depriving the pump of adequate lubrication, reverse operation could cause

excessive wear to the pump seals and detectable oil leakage.

Positive displacement pumps are used in the standby liquid control system at

all boiling water reactors and are also used in the charging system at some

pressurized water reactors.

Both of these applications involve important

safety systems that might be required to operate for extended periods of time

in the event of an accident. In keeping with this, Brunswick personnel have

labeled the standby liquid control system pumps to indicate their correct

direction of rotation. Careful visual rotational checks, included with the

pump surveillance procedures, are important in-ensuring that positive displace- ment pumps will continue to operate correctly.

This information n6tice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the.information in this notice, please contact one

of the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

arles

ossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts: Donald C Kirkpatrick, NRR.

(301) 492-1849

Ted Cintula, AEOD

(301) 492-4493 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

II)

Attachment 1

IN 91-27

April 10, 1991 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

Information

Date of

Notice No.

Subject

Issuance

Issued to

89-90,

Supp. 1

91-26

91-25

91-24

91-23

91-22

Pressurizer Safety Valve

Lift Setpoint Shift

Potential Nonconservative

Errors in the Working Format

Hansen-Roach Cross-Section

Set Provided with The Keno

and Scale Codes

Commercial-Grade Structural

Framing Components Supplied

As Nuclear Safety-Related

Equipment

Recent Operating Experience

Involving Reactor Operation

Without A Licensed Reactor

Operatorior Senior Reactor

Operator;Present in the

Control Room

Accidental Radiation Over- exposures to Personnel Due to

Industrial Radiography Acces- sory Equipment Malfunctions

Four Plant Outage Events In- volving Loss of AC Power or

Coolant Spills

Inadequate Quality Assurance

Program of Vendor Supplying

Safety-Related Equipment

04/10/91

All holders of OLs or

CPs for nuclear power

reactors.

04/02/91

All fuel cycle licensees

and other licensees, in- cluding all holders of

operating licenses for

nuclear power reactors, who use physics codes to

support criticality

safety in the use of

fissile material.

04/01/91

All holders of OLs or

CPs for nuclear power

reactors.

03/26/91

All holders of OLs or

CPs for nuclear power, test, and research re- actors, and all Part 55 licensed operators.

03/26/91

All Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) licens- ees authorized to use

sealed sources for indus- trial radiography.

03/19/91

All holders of OLs or

CPs for nuclear power

reactors.

03/19/91

All holders of OLs or

CPs for nuclear power

reactors and all

recipients of NUREG-0040,

"Licensee Contractor and

Vendor Inspection Status

Report" (White Book).

91-21 OL = Operating License

CP = Construct ion Permit

IN 91-27 April 10, 1991 sufficient lubrication for short-term operation, particularly for the slower

speed pumps used in the standby liquid control systems.

Consequently, these

pumps, which are operated for approximately 15 minutes per month for surveil- lance testing, might not show any adverse effects for some time. In addition

to depriving the pump of adequate lubrication, reverse operation could cause

excessive wear to the pump seals and detectable oil leakage.

Positive displacement pumps are used in the standby liquid control system at

all boiling water reactors and are also used in the charging system at some

pressurized water reactors. Both of these applications involve important

safety systems that might be required to operate for extended periods of time

in the event of an accident. In keeping with this, Brunswick personnel have

labeled the standby liquid control system pumps to indicate their correct

direction of rotation. Careful visual rotational checks, included with the

pump surveillance procedures, are important in ensuring that positive displace- ment pumps will continue to operate correctly.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact one

of the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

tgrkal Signed by

tharies E Rossi

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts:

Donald C Kirkpatrick, NRR

(301) 492-1849

Ted Cintula, AEOD

(301) 492-4493 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

Pdg0 R

• C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR

L>3Efn"

CHBerlinger

04/ v1f

04/02/91

• OGCB:DOEA:NRR*ROAB:DSP:AEOD *C/ROAB:DSP:AEOD

• D/DSP:AEOD

• RPB:ADM

DCKirkpatrick TCintula

JERosenthal

TNovak

TechEd

03/13/91

03/14/91

03/14/91

03/18/91

03/11/91 DOCUMENT NAME: IN 91-27

IN 91-XX

March xx, 1991 vendor, Union Pump, the splash effect could supply sufficient lubrication for

short-term operation, particularly for the slower speed pumps used in the

standby liquid control systems.

Consequently, these pumps, which are operated

for approximately 15 minutes per month for surveillance testing, might not show

any adverse affects for a long time. In addition to depriving the pump of

adequate lubrication, reverse operation could cause excessive wearing of the

pump seals. Such wearing would eventually cause oil to leak from the seals

that could be detected.

Periodic surveillance that does not include rotational checks would not reveal

reverse rotation of positive displacement pumps. Although Brunswick personnel

routinely make rotational checks following pump maintenance, this check may not

have received sufficient attention in the past.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact one

of the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts:

Donald C Kirkpatrick, NRR

(301) 492-1849

Ted Cintula, AEOD

(301) 492-4493 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Document Name: PDPROTATION

• SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

D/DOEA:NRR

CERossi

OGCB:DOEA:NRR

DCKirkpat ick

03/13/

M('

ROAB:DSP:AEOD

TCintula

03/141/91 C/ c.P:AEOD

JE osenthal

03/ft 91 C/OGCB: DOEA:NRR

CHBerlinger

03/ /91

• RPB:ADM

TechEd

03/11/91

IN 91-XX

March xx, 1991 vendor, Union Pump, the splash effect could supply sufficient lubrication for

short term operation, particularly for the slower speed pumps used in the

standby liquid control systems.

Consequently, these pumps which are operated

only approximately 15 minutes per month for surveillance testing might not show

any adverse affects for a long time. In addition to depriving the pump of

adequate lubrication, reverse operation could cause excessive wear of the pump

seals. Such wear would eventually be detectable by oil leakage at the seals.

Periodic surveillance that does not include rotational checks would not reveal

reverse rotation of positive displacement pumps. Although Brunswick personnel

routinely make rotational checks following pump maintenance, this check may not

have received sufficient attention in the past.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If

you have any questions about the Information in this notice, please contact one

of the technical contacts listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contacts:

Donald C Kirkpatrick, NRR

(301) 492-1849

Ted Cintula, AEOD

(301) 492-4493 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Document Name:

PDPROTATION

D/DOEA:NRR

CERossi

03/ /91 D/DSP:AEOD

TNovak

03/ /91 OGCB:DOEA:NRR

DCKirkpatrick

03/ /91 ROAB:DSP:AEOD

TCintula

03/ /91 C/ROAB:DSP:AEOD

JERosenthal

03/ /91 C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR

CHBerlinger

03/ /91 RPB:ADM

TechEd