Information Notice 1993-43, Use of Inappropriate Lubrication Oils in Satety-Related Applications
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555
June 10, 1993
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 93-43: USE OF INAPPROPRIATE LUBRICATION OILS IN
SAFETY-RELATED APPLICATIONS
Addressees
All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power
reactors.
PurDose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information
notice to alert addressees to a potential for introducing inappropriate
lubricating oils into safety-related components.
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 are not NRC requirements;
therefore, no specific action or written response is required.
,.
Description of Circumstances
During routine surveillance of plant equipment at the Farley nuclear plant in.
June-July 1992, the operations staff discovered that lubricating oils for the
outboard and inboard bearings of component cooling water pump motors were
discolored. A closer examination revealed some brown sheen on the bearing and
other indications of bearing wear. The licensee analyzed samples of the
lubricating oils and determined that the oils were not of the viscosity
specified for that application.
The licensee subsequently sampled the lubrication oils in all plant safety- related equipment.
Of 33 samples taken, .18 revealed the presence of an
inappropriate lubrication oil.
In some cases, the correct oil was not
present; in others, the sample indicated that a mixture of the correct oil and
an incorrect oil was present.
Discussion
The licensee determined that, because of a wrong label on a drum supplied to
the licensee by the vendor, Texaco Regal R & 0 68 oil was used in safety- related applications where Texaco R & 0 32 oil was specified. The oil was
purchased as a commercial grade product.
The licensee had not sampled the oil
when it was delivered to verify that it had received the oil it had ordered.
The licensee hired a consultant to evaluate the effect of having used the
R & 0 68 oil instead of the R & 0 32 oil.
The consultant determined that no
serious problem was likely to occur in the short term, because the two oils
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IN 93-43 June 10, 1993 differed only in viscosity.
All of the additives were identical.
However, the consultant also indicated that the more viscous oil (R & 0 68) would
generate more heat from higher friction.
This could increase oxidation of the
oil, resulting in shorter oil lifetime.
The higher viscosity might also cause
bearing distress, which could lead to increased wear on the bearing.
The licensee replaced the oil in all of the affected equipment, after assuring
that the correct oil was being used.
Further, the licensee has instituted
procedures to ensure that oil is sampled upon receipt at the warehouse, before
release into the plant, and again before use.
Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50 contains the NRC regulations for procurement
quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for products to be used in
safety-related applications. Generic Letter (GL) 89-02, "Actions to Improve
the Detection of Counterfeit and Fraudulently Marketed Products," and
GL 91-05, "Licensee Commercial-Grade Procurement and Dedication Programs,"
discuss commercial-grade dedication and the characteristics of effective
procurement and dedication programs.
This information notice requires no specific action or written response.
If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
the technical contacts listed below, or the appropriate Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager. -
Brian K. Grimes, Director
Division of Operating Reactor Support
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical contacts:
George Maxwell, RII
(205) 899-3386
Michael Morgan, RII
(205) 899-3387
Todd A. Cooper, RII
(704) 875-1681 Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
-'
S .,
Ki 4- Attachment
June 10, 1993 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
93-42
93-41 Failure of Anti-Rotation
Keys in Motor-Operated
Valves Manufactured by
Velan
One Hour Fire Endurance
Test Results for Thermal
Ceramics Kaowool, 3M
Company FS-195 and
3M Company Interam E-50
Barrier Systems
06/09/93
05/28/93
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
93-40
93-39
93-38
93-37
93-36
93-35
Fire Endurance Test
Results for Thermal
Ceramics FP-60 Fire
Barrier Material
Radiation Beams from
Power Reactor Biolog- ical Shields
Inadequate Testing of
Engineered Safety
Features Actuation
System
Eyebolts with Indeter- minate Properties In- stalled in Limitorque
Valve Operator Housing
Covers
Notifications, Reports, and Records of Misadmin- istrations
Insights from Common-
Cause Failure Events
05/26/93
05/25/93
05/24/93
05/19/93
05/07/93
05/12/93
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power reactors.
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission medical
licensees.
All holders of OLs or CPs
for nuclear power plants
(NPPs).
OL - Operating License
CP - Construction Permit
IN 93-43 June 10, 1993 differed only in viscosity.
All of the additives were identical.
However, the consultant also indicated that the more viscous oil (R & 0 68) would
generate more heat from higher friction.
This could increase oxidation of the
oil, resulting in shorter oil lifetime. The higher viscosity might also cause
bearing distress, which could lead to increased wear on the bearing.
The licensee replaced the oil in all of the affected equipment, after assuring
that the correct oil was being used.
Further, the licensee has instituted
procedures to ensure that oil is sampled upon receipt at the warehouse, before
release into the plant, and again before use.
Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50 contains the NRC regulations for procurement
quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for products to be used in
safety-related applications. In addition, the NRC has provided further
guidance in Regulatory Guides 1.28, 1.33, and 1.123.
These requirements and
guides, if properly implemented, provide a measure of assurance for the
suitability of products to be used in safety-related systems.
Generic Letter
(GL) 89-02, "Actions to Improve the Detection of Counterfeit and Fraudulently
Marketed Products," and GL 91-05, "Licensee Commercial-Grade Procurement and
Dedication Programs," discuss commercial-grade dedication and the
characteristics of effective procurement and dedication programs.
This information notice requires no specific action or written response.
If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
the technical contacts listed below, or the appropriate Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.
odginal signed by
Brian K. Grimes
Brian K. Grimes, Director
Division of Operating Reactor Support
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical contacts:
George Maxwell, RII
(205) 899-3386
Michael Morgan, RII
(205) 899-3387 Todd A. Cooper,
(704) 875-1681 RII
Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
- OGCB:DORS
- RVIB:DRIL
TJKim
LNorrholm
03/30/93
03/30/93
Information Notices
- PDI I-1 JMitchell
03/30/93
- D/DE/NRR
JRichardson
05/27/93
- OGCB:DORS
GHMarcus
04/15/93
- D/DRIL:NRR
CRossi
05/26/93
- DRP:RII *TechEd
JJohnson RSanders
04/1 93
4/13/93 t~RR
//93 Document Name:
93-43.IN
IN 93-XX
May xx, 1993 differed only in viscosity.
All of the additives were identical.
However, the consultant also indicated that the more viscous oil (R & 0 68) would
generate more heat from higher friction. This could increase oxidation of the
oil, resulting in shorter oil lifetime. The higher viscosity might also cause
bearing distress, which could lead to increased wear on the bearing.
The licensee replaced the oil in all of the affected equipment, after assuring
that the correct oil was being used.
Further, the licensee has instituted
procedures to ensure that oil is sampled upon receipt at the warehouse, before
release into the plant, and again before use.
Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50 contains the NRC's regulations for procurement
quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for products to be used in
safety-related applications.
addition, thCpro
-furter
-guidanee-in ReWfatsty Guides-I &*1.33, and 1.312.
h erqurmnsai-/f,;
guides, if properly implemented, provide a-eaureofassura
lt
~f
uc i
ety-related-systems. Generic Letter
(GL) 89-02, "Actions to Improve the Detection of Counterfeit and Fraudulently
/
Marketed Products," and GL 91-05, "Licensee Commercial-Grade Procurement and
Dedication Programs," discuss commercial-grade dedication and the
characteristics of effective procurement and dedication programs.
This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
the technical contacts listed below, or the appropriate project manager in the
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR).
Brian K. Grimes, Director
Division of Operating Reactor Support
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical contacts:
George Maxwell, RII
(205) 899-3386
Michael Morgan, RII
(205) 899-3387
Todd A. Cooper, RII
(704) 875-1681 Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Document Name: INFONOT.KIM
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
- OGCB:DO RS
- RVIB:DRIL
- PDII-1
- DRP:RII *TechEd
TJKim
LNorrholm
JMitchell
JJohnson RSanders
03/30/93
03/30/93
03/30/9
04/12/93 04/13/93
- OGCB:DORS
D/D
/D/DORS:NRR
GHMarcus
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BGrimes
04/15/93
05/
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05/
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IN 93-XX
April xx, 1993 generate more heat from higher friction. This could increase oxidation of the
oil, resulting in shorter oil lifetime. The higher viscosity might also cause
bearing distress, which could lead to increased wear on the bearing.
The licensee replaced the oil in all of the equipment, after assuring that the
correct oil was being used.
Further, the licensee has instituted procedures
to ensure that oil is sampled upon receipt at the warehouse, before release
into the plant, and again before use.
Many utilities are using the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) document
NP-5652, "Guideline for the Utilization of Commercial Grade Items in Nuclear
Safety Related Application," as the basis for a dedication process for
commercially procured materials. According to the EPRI document, the
utilization of commercial-grade items intended for safety-related application
involves two distinct processes: (1) a technical evaluation to assure that
requirements for an acceptable item are specified in the procurement document
and (2) acceptance methods to reasonably assure the item received is the item
that was specified.
This information notice requires no specific action or written response.
If
you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact
the technical contacts listed below, or the appropriate project manager in the
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR).
Brian K. Grimes, Director
Division of Operating Reactor Support
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contacts:
George Maxwell, RII
(205) 899-3386
Michael Morgan, RII
(205) 899-3387
Todd A. Cooper, R11
(704) 875-1681 Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
Document Name: INFONOT.KIM
- SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE
- OGCB:DORS
- RVIB:DRIL
- PDII-1
- DRP:RII *TechEd
TJKim
LNorrholm
JMitchell
JJohnson RSanders
03/30/93
03/30/93
03/30/93
04/12/93 04/13/93 OGCB:DORS
D/DORS:NRR
GHMarcus,5 BGrimes 6
04/aS/93
04/
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Document
- SEE PREVIOUS
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03/ /93 Name: INFONOT.KJ
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This information notice requires no specific action or written
response.
If you have any questions about the information in
this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below, or the appropriate project manager in the Office of Nuclear
Reactor Regulation (NRR).
Brian K. Grimes, Director
Division of Operating Reactor Support
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contacts:
George Maxwell,
(205) 899-3386 RII
Michael Morgan, RII
(205) 899-3387
Todd A. Cooper, RII
(704) 875-1681 Attachments:
List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
OGCB:D QRS
TJKim
03/// 93 OGCB:DORS
GMarcus
03/
/93 DRP:RII
TECH ED
JJohnson JMain Ri"W&Ae
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