Information Notice 1992-06, Reliability of ATWS Mitigation System and Other NRC Required Equipment Not Controlled by Plant Technical Specifications

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Reliability of ATWS Mitigation System and Other NRC Required Equipment Not Controlled by Plant Technical Specifications
ML031200738
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  Entergy icon.png
Issue date: 01/15/1992
From: Rossi C
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-92-006, NUDOCS 9201080305
Download: ML031200738 (7)


UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C.

20555

January 15, 1992

NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 92-06: RELIABILITY OF ATWS MITIGATION SYSTEM AND

OTHER NRC REQUIRED EQUIPMENT NOT CONTROLLED

BY PLANT TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice

to alert addressees of the importance of maintaining the reliability of

equipment required by NRC regulations but not addressed in plant technical

specifications.

It is expected that recipients will review this information

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

avoid similar problems. However, suggestions contained in this information

notice are not NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written

response is required.

Background

In 1983, the Salem Nuclear Generating Station experienced an anticipated

transient without scram (ATWS) event. Following this event, efforts then

in progress to establish requirements to address ATWS events were completed, and the NRC issued, on June 1, 1984, Section 50.62 of Title 10 of the

Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.62), "Requirements for reduction of risk

from anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) events for light-water-cooled

nuclear power plants." This regulation required that each reactor have equip- ment, diverse from the reactor trip system, that would automatically initiate

actions to mitigate the consequences of an ATWS. The regulation also required

that the equipment for this system be independent from the existing reactor

trip system and be designed to perform its function in a reliable manner. The

NRC did not require licensees to address the operability of this equipment in

plant technical specifications nor did the NRC require that this equipment be

designated as safety-related.

Description of Circumstances

To meet the requirements of 10 CFR 50.62, the Houston Lighting and Power

Company, the licensee for the South Texas Project (STP), installed ATWS

mitigation system actuation circuitry (AMSAC). In May and June of 1991, a\\\\\\O3O5Z/

IN 92-06 January 15, 1992 the NRC inspected the implementation of this system at STP, Units 1 and 2, and

identified three situations in which the reliability of the ATWS mitigation

system had been compromised.

While inspecting Unit 2, the NRC found that the licensee had left open the

switches for the interface circuit between the AMSAC system and the auxiliary

feedwater (AFW) system.

These open switches disabled the automatic AFW flow

Initiation feature of the AMSAC, an important part of the ATWS mitigation

system. The NRC also found that the licensee had bypassed the automatic

initiation feature of the AMSAC system, causing the system to be inoperable, at

least 15 percent of the time that the system was designed to be operable.

While inspecting Unit 1, the NRC found that the licensee had bypassed the

automatic initiation feature of the AMSAC system 36 percent of the time that

the system was designed to be operable.

The NRC issued the licensee a Severity

Level III violation and assessed a civil penalty.

The NRC also issued the licensee for Comanche Peak a Severity Level IV violation

because the ATWS mitigation system was bypassed for approximately 10 days while

the reactor was operating at full power.

Discussion

In April 1985, the staff issued Generic Letter 85-06, "Quality Assurance

Guidance For ATWS Equipment That Is Not Safety-Related," to provide explicit

quality assurance guidance for the nonsafety-related equipment encompassed by

the ATWS rule_ Although-much of the equipment- required-by-10-cR-50.62-is not- -

designated safety-related, it does perform an important safety function if the

plant's primary reactor protection system fails. The regulation was issued to

reduce the risk posed by such an event. The NRC considers the failure of

licensees to comply with this regulation and to ensure that the ATWS mitigation

system and equipment function reliably to be a significant regulatory concern.

The events described above indicate that licensees may not place an appropriate

level of priority on resolving problems with the ATWS mitigation system because

it is not a safety-related system and because the plant's technical specific- ations do not govern its operability.

However, maintenance of this system is

of high priority and appropriate because such action assures the important

safety function of the system and satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 50.62 for the system to function reliably. Actions taken by licensees to ensure the

reliability of the ATWS mitigation system have included performing timely

surveillance testing, completing repairs and preventive maintenance promptly, implementing necessary modifications, and updating procedures to reflect system

changes.

Plant technical specifications only address the minimum personnel and equipment

requirements for the various modes of plant operations.

However, it is important

that licensees maintain equipment and systems required by NRC regulations, to

ensure their reliability, even though they are not addressed by a plant's

technical specifications.

IN 92-06

January 15, 1992 This information notice requires

you have any questions about the

of the technical contacts listed

Reactor Regulation (NRR) project

no specific action or written response. If

information in this notice, please contact one

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

manager.

arls't. Rossi, Director

/

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts:

R. Evans, RIV

(512) 972-2507

C. Paulk, RIV

(817) 860-8236

J. Mauck, NRR

(301) 504-3248 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Attciment

11 92-06 January IS. 1992 LIST OF RECCEITLY

ISS1ED

SRC INFOWATIOR

WTICES

Information

Date of

Notice no.

Subject

Issuance

Issued to

92-45 Potential Coil Insuletion

02/08/92

All holders of OLs or CPs

Breakdown 1 ABB RJDH2 Relays

for nuclear power reactors.

92-04 Potter S Bruefitld Model

01/06/92

All holders of OLs or CPs

MtDR

Rotary Relay Failures

for miclear power reactors.

92-03 R ote Trip Function

01/06/92

All holders of OLs or CPs

Failures in General Electric

for nuclear power reactors.

F-Frae Molded-Case Circuit

Breakers

92-02 Relp5/NWo3 tComuter Code

01/03/92

All holders of OLs or CPs

Error Associated with the

for nuclear power reactors.

Conservation of Energy

Equation

92-01 Cable Damage Caused by

01/03/92

All holders of 0Ls or CPs

Inadequate Cable Installa- for nuclear power reactors.

tion Procedures and Controls

91-87 Hydrogen Embrittlement of

12/27/91

All holders of OL or cps

Raychee Cryofit Couplings

for nuclear power reactors.

91486 kw Reporting Requireents

12/27/91

All licensees authorized

for Contauination Events at

to use byproduct materials

Medical Fecilities

for humus

use.

(10 tFR 30.10)

9145 Potential Failures of

12/26/91

All holders of OLc or CPs

Thermostatic Control valves

for nuclear power reactors.

for Diesel generator Jacket

Cooling Water

9144 Problems uith Criticality

12/26/91

All Muclear Regulatory

Alarm Cot onents/Systems

Commission (NRC) fuel

cycle licensees. interim

spent fuel atorage licens- ees and critical mass

licnsees.

OL

  • Operating License

CP

  • Construction Permit

IN 92-06 January 15,

1992 This information notice requires

you have any questions about the

of the technical contacts listed

Reactor Regulation (NRR) project

no specific action or written response. If

information in this notice, please contact one

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

manager.

Orig /s/'d by CERossi

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts:

R. Evans, RIV

(512) 972-2507

C. Paulk, RIV

(817) 860-8236

J. Mauck, NRR

(301) 504-3248 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

D/ OE~rtR51

  • C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR*RPB:ADM
  • C/SICB:IYST:NRR *SC/SICB:DST:NRR

CHBerlinger

TechEd

SNewberry

JMauck

01/06/92

11/26/91

12/20/91

12/20/91

  • OGCBI.DOEA:NRR
  • RESINSP:RIV
  • DRS:RIy
  • SC/DRS:RIV
  • D/DRS:RIV

JLBirmingham

REvans

CPaulk

TWesterman

SCollins

12/17/91

12/17/91

12/17/91

12/18/91

12/18/91 DOCUMENT NAME:

IN 92-06

IN 91-XX

December xx, 1991 This information notice requires

you have any questions about the

of the technical contacts listed

Reactor Regulation (NRR) project

no specific action or written response. If

information in this notice, please contact one

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts:

R. Evans, RIV

(512) 972-2507

C. Paulk, RIV

(817) 860-8236

J. Mauck, NRR

(301) 504-3248 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Document Name: ATWS-IN.RFT

  • SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES/

D/DOEA:NRR

C/OGC 1fldLA:NRR*RPB:ADM

CERossi W'-'

CHBerlinger

TechEd

01/ /92 4

01/VP/92

11/26/91

  • OGCB:DOEA:NRR
  • RESINSP:RIV
  • DRS:RIV

JLBirmingham

REvans

CPaulk

12/17/91

12/17/91

12/17/91

  • C/SICB:DST:NRR

SNewberry

12/20/91

  • SC/DRS:RIV

TWesterman

12/18/91

  • SC/SICB:DST:NRR

JMauck

12/20/91

  • D/DRS:RIV

SCollins

12/18/91

IN 91-XX

December xx, 1991 This information notice requires

you have any questions about the

of the technical contacts listed

Reactor Regulation (NRR) project

no specific action or written response. If

information in this notice, please contact one

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts:

R. Evans, RIV

(512) 972-2507

C. Paulk, RIV

(817) 860-8236 L.t tIc

NRCInorati ion N ot

List of R ecent W Issuel NRC Information Notices

/A

Attachment:

Document Name:

ATWS-IN.RFT

  • SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

D/DOEA:NRR

C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR*RPB:ADM

CERossi

CHBerlinger

TechEd

12/ /91

12/ /91

11/26/91

  • OGCB:DOEA:NRR
  • RESINSP:RIV
  • DRS:RIV

JLBirmingham

REvans

CPaulk

12/17/91

12/17/91

12/17/91 C/SICB ST:NRR

SNe fry&sk45

12

/91 C12

  • SC

S:RIV

TWesterman

12/18/91 J

12/ /91

  • D/DRS:RIV

SCollins

12/18/91

IN 91-XX

December xx, 1991 This information notice requires

you have any questions about the

of the technical contacts listed

Reactor Regulation (NRR) project

no specific action or written response. If

information in this notice, please contact one

below or the appropriate Office of Nuclear

manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contacts:

R. Evans, RIV

(512) 972-2507

64'J

a4--CL

C. Paulk, RIV

(817) 860-8236 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

Document Name:

ATWS-IN.RFT

  • SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES

OGCB:DOEA:NRR

Jirming ym

12/17/91 RESINSP:RIY

REvans,,

f

12/17/1e

D/DOEA:NRR

CERossi

12/ /91 DRS:RIV

CPaulk iJd

12/l/91

/DPl

C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR*RPB:ADM

CHBerlinger

TechEd

12/ /91

11/26/91 SC/DRS:RIV

D/DRS:RIV

TWesterman V

SCollins

12/1I/91 o

12/;r/91 (