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Category:NRC Information Notice
MONTHYEARInformation Notice 2012-11, Age Related Capacitor Degradation2012-07-23023 July 2012
Age Related Capacitor Degradation
Information Notice 2008-04, Counterfeit Parts Supplied to Nuclear Power Plants2008-04-0707 April 2008
Counterfeit Parts Supplied to Nuclear Power Plants
Information Notice 2002-22, Degraded Bearing Surfaces in Gm/Emd Emergency Diesel Generators2002-06-28028 June 2002
Degraded Bearing Surfaces in Gm/Emd Emergency Diesel Generators
Information Notice 1999-28, Recall of Star Brand Fire Protection Sprinkler Heads1999-09-30030 September 1999
Recall of Star Brand Fire Protection Sprinkler Heads
Information Notice 1999-27, Malfunction of Source Retraction Mechanism in Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Treatment Units1999-09-0202 September 1999
Malfunction of Source Retraction Mechanism in Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Treatment Units
Information Notice 1999-26, Safety and Economic Consequences of Misleading Marketing Information1999-08-24024 August 1999
Safety and Economic Consequences of Misleading Marketing Information
Information Notice 1999-25, Year 2000 Contingency Planning Activities1999-08-10010 August 1999
Year 2000 Contingency Planning Activities
Information Notice 1999-24, Broad-Scope Licensees' Responsibilities for Reviewing and Approving Unregistered Sealed Sources and Devices1999-07-12012 July 1999
Broad-Scope Licensees' Responsibilities for Reviewing and Approving Unregistered Sealed Sources and Devices
Information Notice 1999-23, Safety Concerns Related to Repeated Control Unit Failures of the Nucletron Classic Model High-Dose-Rate Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy Devices1999-07-0606 July 1999
Safety Concerns Related to Repeated Control Unit Failures of the Nucletron Classic Model High-Dose-Rate Remote Afterloading Brachytherapy Devices
Information Notice 1999-22, 10CFR 34.43(a)(1); Effective Date for Radiographer Certification and Plans for Enforcement Discretion1999-06-25025 June 1999
10CFR 34.43(a)(1); Effective Date for Radiographer Certification and Plans for Enforcement Discretion
Information Notice 1999-21, Recent Plant Events Caused by Human Performance Errors1999-06-25025 June 1999
Recent Plant Events Caused by Human Performance Errors
Information Notice 1999-20, Contingency Planning for the Year 2000 Computer Problem1999-06-25025 June 1999
Contingency Planning for the Year 2000 Computer Problem
Information Notice 1999-19, Rupture of the Shell Side of a Feedwater Heater at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant1999-06-23023 June 1999
Rupture of the Shell Side of a Feedwater Heater at the Point Beach Nuclear Plant
Information Notice 1999-18, Update on Nrc'S Year 2000 Activities for Material Licensees and Fuel Cycle Licensees and Certificate Holders1999-06-14014 June 1999
Update on Nrc'S Year 2000 Activities for Material Licensees and Fuel Cycle Licensees and Certificate Holders
Information Notice 1999-17, Problems Associated with Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analyses1999-06-0303 June 1999
Problems Associated with Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analyses
Information Notice 1999-16, Federal Bureau of Investigation'S Nuclear Site Security Program1999-05-28028 May 1999
Federal Bureau of Investigation'S Nuclear Site Security Program
Information Notice 1999-15, Misapplication for 10CFR Part 71 Transportation Shipping Cask Licensing Basis to 10CFR Part 50 Design Basis1999-05-27027 May 1999
Misapplication for 10CFR Part 71 Transportation Shipping Cask Licensing Basis to 10CFR Part 50 Design Basis
Information Notice 1999-14, Unanticipated Reactor Water Draindown at Quad Cities Unit 2, Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2, & FitzPatrick1999-05-0505 May 1999
Unanticipated Reactor Water Draindown at Quad Cities Unit 2, Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2, & FitzPatrick
Information Notice 1999-13, Insights from NRC Inspections of Low-and Medium-Voltage Circuit Breaker Maintenance Programs1999-04-29029 April 1999
Insights from NRC Inspections of Low-and Medium-Voltage Circuit Breaker Maintenance Programs
Information Notice 1999-12, Year 2000 Computer Systems Readiness Audits1999-04-28028 April 1999
Year 2000 Computer Systems Readiness Audits
Information Notice 1999-11, Incidents Involving the Use of Radioactive Iodine-1311999-04-16016 April 1999
Incidents Involving the Use of Radioactive Iodine-131
Information Notice 1999-08, Urine Specimen Adulteration1999-03-26026 March 1999
Urine Specimen Adulteration
Information Notice 1999-09, Problems Encountered When Manually Editing Treatment Data on the Nucletron Microselectron-HDR (New) Model 105-9991999-03-24024 March 1999
Problems Encountered When Manually Editing Treatment Data on the Nucletron Microselectron-HDR (New) Model 105-999
Information Notice 1999-07, Failed Fire Protection Deluge Valves & Potential Testing Deficiencies in Preaction Sprinkler Systems1999-03-22022 March 1999
Failed Fire Protection Deluge Valves & Potential Testing Deficiencies in Preaction Sprinkler Systems
Information Notice 1999-06, 1998 Enforcement Sanctions as a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements1999-03-19019 March 1999
1998 Enforcement Sanctions as a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements
Information Notice 1999-06, 1998 Enforcement Sanctions As a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements1999-03-19019 March 1999
1998 Enforcement Sanctions As a Result of Deliberate Violations of NRC Employee Protection Requirements
Information Notice 1999-05, Inadvertent Discharge of Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection System and Gas Migration1999-03-0808 March 1999
Inadvertent Discharge of Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection System and Gas Migration
Information Notice 1999-04, Unplanned Radiation Exposures to Radiographers, Resulting from Failures to Follow Proper Radiation Safety Procedures1999-03-0101 March 1999
Unplanned Radiation Exposures to Radiographers, Resulting from Failures to Follow Proper Radiation Safety Procedures
Information Notice 1999-03, Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)1999-01-29029 January 1999
Exothermic Reactors Involving Dried Uranium Oxide Powder (Yellowcake)
Information Notice 1999-02, Guidance to Users on the Implementation of a New Single-Source Dose-Calculation Formalism and Revised Air-Kerma Strength Standard for Iodine-125 Sealed Sources1999-01-21021 January 1999
Guidance to Users on the Implementation of a New Single-Source Dose-Calculation Formalism and Revised Air-Kerma Strength Standard for Iodine-125 Sealed Sources
Information Notice 1999-01, Deterioration of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in a Pressurized Water Reactor Containment Fan Cooler Unit1999-01-20020 January 1999
Deterioration of High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters in a Pressurized Water Reactor Containment Fan Cooler Unit
Information Notice 1998-45, Cavitation Erosion of Letdown Line Orifices Resulting in Fatigue Cracking of Pipe Welds1998-12-15015 December 1998
Cavitation Erosion of Letdown Line Orifices Resulting in Fatigue Cracking of Pipe Welds
Information Notice 1998-44, Ten-Year Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program Update for Licensees That Intend to Implement Risk-Informed ISI of Piping1998-12-10010 December 1998
Ten-Year Inservice Inspection (ISI) Program Update for Licensees That Intend to Implement Risk-Informed ISI of Piping
Information Notice 1998-43, Leaks in Emergency Diesel Generator Lubricating Oil & Jacket Cooling Water Piping1998-12-0404 December 1998
Leaks in Emergency Diesel Generator Lubricating Oil & Jacket Cooling Water Piping
Information Notice 1998-42, Implementation of 10 CFR 55.55a(g) Inservice Inspection Requirements1998-12-0101 December 1998
Implementation of 10 CFR 55.55a(g) Inservice Inspection Requirements
Information Notice 1998-41, Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators from Design Oversight1998-11-20020 November 1998
Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators from Design Oversight
Information Notice 1998-41, Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators From Design Oversight1998-11-20020 November 1998
Spurious Shutdown of Emergency Diesel Generators From Design Oversight
Information Notice 1998-39, Summary of Fitness-for-Duty Program Performance Reports for Calendar Years 1996 and 19971998-10-30030 October 1998
Summary of Fitness-for-Duty Program Performance Reports for Calendar Years 1996 and 1997
Information Notice 1998-40, Design Deficiencies Can Lead to Reduced ECCS Pump Net Positive Suction Head During Design-Basis Accidents1998-10-26026 October 1998
Design Deficiencies Can Lead to Reduced ECCS Pump Net Positive Suction Head During Design-Basis Accidents
Information Notice 1990-66, Incomplete Draining and Drying of Shipping Casks1998-10-25025 October 1998
Incomplete Draining and Drying of Shipping Casks
Information Notice 1998-38, Metal-Clad Circuit Breaker Maintenance Issues Identified by NRC Inspections1998-10-15015 October 1998
Metal-Clad Circuit Breaker Maintenance Issues Identified by NRC Inspections
Information Notice 1998-37, Eligibility of Operator License Applicants1998-10-0101 October 1998
Eligibility of Operator License Applicants
Information Notice 1998-36, Inadequate or Poorly Controlled, Non-Safety-Related Maintenance Activities Unnecessarily Challenged Safety Systems1998-09-18018 September 1998
Inadequate or Poorly Controlled, Non-Safety-Related Maintenance Activities Unnecessarily Challenged Safety Systems
Information Notice 1998-33, NRC Regulations Prohibit Agreements That Restrict or Discourage an Employee from Participating in Protected Activities1998-08-28028 August 1998
NRC Regulations Prohibit Agreements That Restrict or Discourage an Employee from Participating in Protected Activities
Information Notice 1998-34, Configuration Control Errors1998-08-28028 August 1998
Configuration Control Errors
Information Notice 1998-31, Fire Protection System Design Deficiencies and Common-Mode Flooding of Emergency Core Cooling System Rooms at Washington Nuclear Project Unit 21998-08-18018 August 1998
Fire Protection System Design Deficiencies and Common-Mode Flooding of Emergency Core Cooling System Rooms at Washington Nuclear Project Unit 2
Information Notice 1998-30, Effect of Year 2000 Computer Problem on NRC Licensees and Certificate Holders1998-08-12012 August 1998
Effect of Year 2000 Computer Problem on NRC Licensees and Certificate Holders
Information Notice 1998-29, Predicted Increase in Fuel Rod Cladding Oxidation1998-08-0303 August 1998
Predicted Increase in Fuel Rod Cladding Oxidation
Information Notice 1998-28, Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations1998-07-31031 July 1998
Development of Systematic Sample Plan for Operator Licensing Examinations
Information Notice 1998-27, Steam Generator Tube End Cracking1998-07-24024 July 1998
Steam Generator Tube End Cracking
2012-07-23
[Table view] |
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 July 23, 2012 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2012-11: AGE-RELATED CAPACITOR DEGRADATION
ADDRESSEES
All holders of an operating license or construction permit for a nuclear power reactor under
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of
Production and Utilization Facilities, except those who have permanently ceased operations
and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.
All holders of or applicants for an early site permit, standard design certification, standard
design approval, manufacturing license, or combined license issued under 10 CFR Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.
PURPOSE
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform
addressees of recent problems involving age-related degradation of capacitors. The NRC
expects that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider
actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. Suggestions contained in this IN are not
NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required.
DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Surry Power Station Unit 1
On June 8, 2010, an automatic reactor trip occurred from full power because of an inadvertent
electrical contact made during maintenance activities. The plant conditions encountered and
system responses as a result of the trip were generally as expected, except as noted below.
Approximately 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br /> following the event, failure of a resistor/capacitor (RC) suppressor in a
nuclear instrument (NI) cabinet resulted in a small control room fire, which was extinguished by
the use of manual carbon dioxide fire extinguishers. Approximately 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> later, another RC
suppressor failed in a second NI cabinet, causing a control power fuse to blow and the source
range NIs to become deenergized. The source-range NIs were restored in about 5 minutes.
(No power failures or blown fuses resulted from the RC suppressor failures in the first NI
cabinet.)
The most probable cause of the RC suppressor failures was age-related hardening and
cracking of the RC suppressors epoxy insulation, which allowed degradation of the RC
suppressor capacitor. These RC suppressors were original plant equipment and had not been
replaced. The capacitor degradation allowed the RC suppressor circuit to draw excessive
current and overheat. The excessive heat caused the epoxy in the RC suppressor to ignite.
The older (date codes from 1969 to 1971) suppressors contained epoxy which is not flame
retardant. Subsequent to this event, the licensee opted to install newer RC suppressors which
use a flame retardant epoxy.
Additional information is available in NRC Special Inspection Report 05000280/2010006, dated
September 10, 2010, and can be found on the NRCs public website in the Agencywide
Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML102560333.
Edwin I. Hatch Unit 2
Between March 2005 and February 2009, three loss-of-offsite-power/loss-of-coolant-accident
(LOSP/LOCA) loading timers associated with redundant plant service water pumps for the two
Unit 2 and swing emergency diesel generators experienced failures. After the failure in
February 2009, the licensee established a root cause team which determined the failures were
caused by age-related degradation of electrolytic capacitors.
Specifically, the power supplies for the LOSP/LOCA circuitry were exhibiting excessive voltage
ripple on their outputs. The root cause team attributed this to degradation of electrolytic
capacitors in the power supply circuits, which tend to exhibit increased noise toward the end of
life. These capacitors had been installed for 20 years, which was beyond their vendor- recommended service life of 10 years.
Additional information is available in NRC Inspection Report 05000366/2009005, dated
February 12, 2010, and can be found on the NRCs public Web site in ADAMS under Accession
No. ML100430494.
Additional Examples of Age-Related Degradation of Capacitors and Other Components
Additional examples of problems involving age-related degradation of capacitors can be found
on the NRCs public Web site in ADAMS under Accession No. ML12033A044.
NRC IN 2012-06, Ineffective Use of Vendor Technical Recommendations provides additional
insight on components that are left in service beyond the vendor-recommended service life.
IN 2012-06 can be found on the NRCs public Web site in ADAMS under Accession No.
ML112300706.
DISCUSSION
Criterion XVI, Corrective Action, of Appendix B, Quality Assurance Criteria for Nuclear Power
Plants and Fuel Reprocessing Plants to 10 CFR Part 50 requires licensees to assure that
conditions adverse to quality are promptly identified and corrected and corrective actions are
taken to preclude repetition. Regulatory Guide 1.33, Quality Assurance Program Requirements (Operation) (ADAMS
Accession No. ML003739995), Section 9.b, states preventive maintenance schedules should
be developed to specify lubrication schedules, inspections of equipment, replacement of such
items as filters and strainers, and inspection or replacement of parts that have a specific lifetime
such as wear rings.
RC suppressors contain a capacitor and a resistor connected in series. Both components are
normally completely encased in a molded epoxy package with an electrical lead from one end of
the resistor and one end of the capacitor extending out. In a non-degraded condition, the epoxy
electrically insulates the RC suppressor's capacitor, resistor, and their conductive surfaces in an
encapsulated environment devoid of oxygen, moisture, and other air contaminants.
Aging adversely affects the capacitors in RC suppressors by causing the epoxy insulation to
harden and crack over time. This degrades the capacitor, allowing a high flow of current and
excessive heating. The excessive heat can then ignite the epoxy in the RC suppressor.
Although newer RC suppressors use a fire retardant epoxy, capacitor overheating can still
cause failure.
Capacitors also may exhibit tendencies to leak, drift, or make electronic noise, as a result of
varying environmental conditions (e.g., shifts in temperature, humidity levels, or both). Extreme
temperature conditions can be problematic for capacitors that contain aluminum electrolytes. At
lower temperatures, capacitance falls off rapidly. At higher temperatures, the electrolyte may be
lost through evaporation, thereby accelerating leakage. This may result in premature circuit
damage or malfunction.
Capacitors are energy storage devices that are widely used in electronic and electrical power
circuits. Operating experience has shown that capacitors have finite lifetimes. Placing these
capacitors in a periodic preventative maintenance program that accounts for both time in
storage and time in service can address the adverse effects of aging capacitors in equipment
circuitry and prevent equipment failures.
CONTACT
This IN requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any questions about this
matter to the technical contacts listed below or to the appropriate Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation project manager.
/RA by SBahadur for/ /RA by JLuehman for/
Timothy J. McGinty, Director Laura A. Dudes, Director
Division of Policy and Rulemaking Division of Construction Inspection
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and Operational Programs
Office of New Reactors
Technical Contacts: Rossnyev Alvarado, NRR Robert Bernardo, NRR
301-415-6808 301-415-2621 E-mail: Rossnyev.Alvarado@nrc.gov E-mail: Robert.Bernardo@nrc.gov
Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, under NRC Library.
ML120330272 *via e-mail TAC No. ME7139 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IOEB NRR/DE/EICB Tech Editor BC:NRR/DIRS/IOEB
NAME RBernardo RAlvarado JDougherty* HChernoff (EThomas
Acting)
DATE 4/6/2012 4/17/2012 2/14/2012 6/21/2012 OFFICE BC:NRR/DE/EICB BC:NRR/DLR/RASB BC:NRO/DE/ICE D:NRR/DE
NAME JThorp MMarshall* TJackson* PHiland (MCheok for)
DATE 4/17/2012 6/26/2012 6/20/2012 6/25/2012 OFFICE NRR/DPR/PGCB NRR/DPR/PGCB BC:NRR/DPR/PGCB D:NRO/DCIP
NAME CHawes TAlexion DPelton LDudes (JLuehman for)
DATE 7/05/2012 7/06/2012 7/17/2012 7/20/2012 OFFICE D:NRR/DPR
NAME TMcGinty (SBahadur for)
DATE 7/23/2012
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