Information Notice 1992-24, Distributor Modification to Certain Commercial-Grade Agastat Electrical Relays

Distributor Modification to Certain Commercial-Grade Agastat Electrical Relays
	ML031200430
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, 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, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	03/30/1992
From:	Rossi C; Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	;
References
	IN-92-024, NUDOCS 9203230145
	Download: ML031200430 (13)
	v • d • e

{{#Wiki_filter:UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 March 30, 1992 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 92-24: DISTRIBUTOR MODIFICATION TO CERTAIN

COMMERCIAL-GRADE AGASTAT ELECTRICAL RELAYS

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 to part modifications and serial number changes that

authorized distributors (ADs) have made to commercial-grade Agastat Series 7000 electrical relays. These alterations may affect the subsequent dedication of

the relays for safety-related use. It is expected that recipients will

review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider

actions, as appropriate. However, suggestions contained in this information

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

response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On April 22, 1991, after being informed by Spectrum Technologies USA, Incorpo- rated, (Spectrum) that nameplate labels for Agastat Series 7000 relays could

have been altered, the NRC staff performed a review of the manufacture and

distribution of those relays. Agastat relays are manufactured by the Amerace

Corporation (Amerace), Livingston, New Jersey, and its commercial-grade relays

are distributed by its authorized distributors. In early 1991, Spectrum

ordered six Agastat Model 7032 PBB commercial-grade relays from the

Westinghouse Electric Supply Company (WESCO). Spectrum specified in the

purchase order that the relays be traceable to the manufacturer Amerace and

that the relays be from the same lot and date code. Spectrum included these

requirements because Spectrum intended to dedicate the relays for safety- related use. WESCO ordered the relays from an authorized Amerace distributor, Control Components Supply (CCS), Short Hills, New Jersey. However, the relays

did not have the required traceability to Amerace because of modifications

that CCS made to the relays, and because of changes CCS made to the serial

number nameplates the relays may not have been from the same production lot.

Amerace representatives have told the NRC that its authorized distributors are

allowed to modify its commercial-grade relays to comply with a customer's

specific requirements. Those modifications may include changing the electrical

920323014 f A

I. S7/Af_.//

- A.N92-24 March 30, 1992 coil module for different voltage level applications, adding or changing the

electrical contact assembly module, or changing the time duration disc and

wafer.

Amerace personnel have also told the NRC that

(1) The first four digits of the serial number indicate the year and week of

manufacture. The next four digits in the serial number designate the

sequential order of relay assembly for a particular week. For example, Agastat Model 7012 PC, serial number (S/N) 91161875, was the 1,875th relay

to be assembled the 16th week of 1991 at the Amerace Corporation, Livingston, New Jersey facility. Amerace used similar marking systems for

its subassembly coil and contact modules.

(2) When an AD modifies a commercial-grade 7000 series relay, the AD should

install a new nameplate label with the original S/N containing an

"F" prefix. For example, an AD could change the contact and coil modules

appropriately in the above Model 7012 PC relay and yield a Model 7014 QE

relay. However, the S/N on the nameplate should be changed to F91161875.

The F designator would indicate that the relay had been "field'! modified.

The NRC staff determined that Amerace did not contractually state this

policy to its ADs (see NRC Inspection Report No. 99900296/91-01). After

the NRC performed its review, Amerace issued a notification letter to its

ADs stating this policy. Attachment 1 is a copy of the Amerace notifica- tion letter.

(3) Before performing the final calibration, test, and acceptance of the

7000 series relays, Amerace heat stabilizes each relay by maintaining it

"at a specific temperature for 4 hours. This heat stabilization mates the

timing disc with the ceramic timing wafer to prevent timing drift and to

ensure repeat accuracy. The process also stress-relieves the nonmetallic

parts. Amerace requires that its 7000 series relays be stabilized again

--after they are modified such as-by changing the timing disc. To comply

with the Agastat model number that was ordered, CCS changed the timing

discs of the six relays that were supplied to Spectrum. However, the

staff found no evidence that the relays had been restabilized.

Discussion

FromOctober 1991 through January 1992, the NRC staff conducted several meet- ings with representatives of Amerace and CCS. The NRC staff found that, when

CCS modifies an Agastat 7000 Series relay, CCS typically removes the Amerace

installed label, assigns the relay a new number, types the new serial number

and other relevant information on a blank label, and affixes the new label to

the modified relay. However, the blank labels that the NRC staff observed at

the CCS facility do not contain the F prefix to indicate that the 7000 Series

Agastat relays were modified. The NRC staff found that CCS had disassembled, modified, and reassembled the six relays discussed herein. However, the labels

affixed by CCS did not contain the required F prefix, and the labels did not

contain the original Amerace serial number. CCS had assigned new serial

numbers which indicated that the relays were manufactured in 1991 to reflect

IN 92-24 March 30, 1992 that the relays had been modified by CCS in 1991. However, Amerace personnel

informed the NRC that the six relays had been manufactured in 1989.

The NRC also found that CCS does not heat stabilize the 7000 Series Agastat

relays that it modifies, although Amerace has stated that the heat stabilization

treatment is necessary on modified 7000 series relays to ensure repeat accuracy

and to relieve the stress to nonmetallic parts. The NRC staff reviewed

CCS's customer list and found that the list contained the names of 25 NRC

nuclear power plant licensees and several other Amerace ADs.

This information suggests that consecutive serial numbers on commercial-grade

Agastat relays, obtained through an authorized distributor, may not ensure

traceability to a particular production lot. Amerace has stated that its ADs

do not heat stabilize the 7000 series relays after they are modified. *As

discussed in NRC Inspection Report No. 99900296/91-01, Amerace told the NRC

that there are differences between its Class 1E qualified relays and its

commercial-grade 7000 series relays, such as design control, internal components, and the level of inspection that is applied. Similar differences may exist

between commercial-grade components and the safety-related product line of

other manufacturers. The availability of a safety-related product line is

often an indicator of substantive differences from the commercial-grade product.

In any case, it is important that information relied on when upgrading com- mercial-grade components for use in safety-related applications be supported by

objective evidence of quality to support the suitability of use of the component.

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 Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation (NRR) project manager.

Char~les E. Rossi Erector

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical contact: Joseph J. Petrosino, NRR

(301) 504-2979 Attachments: 1. Amerace Letter on Field Modifications of Agastat Relays

2. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

ttachment 2 IN 92-24 March 30, 1992 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED

NRC -INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to

Results of Validation Test- 03/27/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

92-23 for nuclear power reactors

ing of Motor-Operated Valve

Diagnostic Equipment and all vendors of motor- operated valve (MOV) diag- nostic equipment.

92-22 Criminal Prosecution and 03/24/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Conviction of Wrongdoing for nuclear power reactors.

Committed by A Commercial- Grade Valve Supplier

92-21 Spent Fuel Pool Reactivity 03/24/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Calculations for nuclear power reactors.

92-20 Inadequate Local Leak Rate 03/03/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Testing for nuclear power reactors.

92-19 Misapplication of Potter & 03/02/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Brumfield MDR Rotary Relays for nuclear power reactors.

92-18 Potential for Loss of Re- 02/28/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

mote Shutdown Capability for nuclear power reactors.

during A Control Room Fire

92-17 NRC Inspections of Pro- 02/26/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

grams being Developed at for nuclear power reactors.

Nuclear Power Plants in

Response to Generic

Letter 89-10 92-16 Loss of Flow from the 02/25/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Residual Heat Removal for nuclear power reactors.

Pump during Refueling

Cavity Draindown

92-15 Failure of Primary System 02/24/92 All holders of OLs or CPs

Compression Fitting for nuclear power reactors.

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit

92-1 Attachment 1 NO:

                                      IN 92-24       !             January 1992 March 30, 1992  DATE: PAGE NO:            1         01 1 Industrial

Controls

TO: AUTHORIZED AGASTAT DISTRIBUTORS

FROM: MIKE BHOJWANI

SUBJECT: AGASTAT 7000 SERIES - FIELD MODIFICATIONS

Occasionally, coils or switchblock assemblies on AGASTAT Series 7000 timers are changed in the field. These field changes by our

authorized distributors are necessary to better service our end

customers. Instructions for changing coils, etc. are clearly defined

on Installation and Operation Data Sheet P/N 39999-03. Please ensure

the label P/N 38010-01 enclosed with the replacement kits is filled

out correctly to reflect the new catalog number. Please note, the

serial number must be exactly the same as on the original unit except

the number will be prefixed by an "F" indicating field modifications

were made. Non-adherence of this procedure will void all factory

warranties.

Mike R. Bhojwani

Senior Product/Market Manager

MRB:cip

cc: Internal Distribution

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