ML062620494

Part 21 Report by Tyco Valves and Controls, LP Re Improper Valve Springs in Pressure Relief Valves. Corrective Actions Taken by Tyco Listed

ML062620494
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Calvert Cliffs, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Salem, Oconee, Nine Mile Point, Wolf Creek, Arkansas Nuclear, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Clinton, Fort Calhoun
Issue date:	09/15/2006
From:	Mcbride M, Thibault D Tyco Valves & Controls, LP
To:	Document Control Desk, NRC/FSME
References
Event #42844
Download: ML062620494 (8)

Text

0917512006 09/15/2006 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event ReportPae1 Page I General Information or Other (PAR)

Event #

42844 Rep Org: TYCO VALVES AND CONTROLS LP Notification Date / Time: 09/15/2006 19:38 (EDT)

Supplier: TYCO VALVES AND CONTROLS LP Event Date I Time: 09/15/2006 (EDT)

Last Modification: 09/15/2006 Region: I Docket #:

City: WRENTHAM Agreement State: Yes County:

License #:

State: MA NRC Notified by: MICHAEL MCBRIDE Notifications: EUGENE COBEY RI HQ Ops Officer: BILL GOTT BINOY DESAI R2 Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY PATRICK LOUDEN R3 10 CFR Section:

CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 21.21 UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH VERN HODGE (email)

IMPROPER VALVE SPRINGS IN PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES The licensee provided the following information via facsimile:

Tyco Valves & Controls LP (TVC) manufactures, sells, and services Pressure Relief Valves (PRVs) to NRC licensees for use in NRC licensed facilities. There is a potential problem with one series of those PRVs, but TVC's analysis to date leads TVC to believe that there is not an imminent safety problem with the PRVs that would require the immediate shutdown of licensed nuclear facilities. Rather, TVC believes that there is adequate assurance that the public health and safety can and will be adequately protected until such time as it is possible to replace the spring(s) at issue. The background of this matter is as follows:

"The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors performed certification testing on PRVs manufactured by the TVC plant located in India-(Tyco Sanmar Ltd). The valves tested by the National Board (NB) were the Crosby series JLT pressure relief valves. These valves are spring-loaded PRVs which are used to provide over-pressure protection for liquid applications. The Series JLT are certified to be in compliance with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Sections III and ViIl. The certification testing performed by the National Board indicated that these JILT valves did not meet ASME standards and so notified TVC. Thereafter, TVC performed its own testing on the JLT valves and confirmed the NB findings.

"TVC performed a root-cause analysis and determined that the Spring Selection Tables were inaccurate in that the Tables specified a spring with a spring rate which was too high for the adjusted set pressure. It was further determined that, in most cases, the Spring Selection Table specified the correct spring for the higher portion of the tabulated set pressure range; however, the Table specified a spring too strong for the lower portion of the range.

• The corrective action which has been taken by TVC is as follows:

1. The Spring Selection Tables are being revised and will take effect by 9/23/2006;

0911512006 09/15/2006 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event ReportPae2 Page General Information or Other (PAR)

Event #

42844

2. All of the safety-reiated PRVs which were affected by the Spring Selection Table have been identified;

3. A list of all nuclear facilities has been compiled;

4. A Product Safety Advisory is being drafted and will be forwarded to all nuclear facilities as identified in Exhibit A; and

5. The Product Safety Advisory recommends replacement of the spring.

"[TvC] believes that, while not in compliance with ASME, these PRVs do not pose a safety hazard inasmuch as there are many levels of conservatism built into the design of pressurized equipment and selection of PRVs such as:

1. These valves will open at the specified set pressure and will flow some capacity at the ASME specified overpressure of 10%. Further, based on our testing, these valves will flow the ASME certified capacity at an overpressure of not more than 20%. Most equipment will have been designed with a safety factor above the set pressure of at least 200%.

2. In sizing a PRV for an application, the "required capacity" is determined by the user and the next largest PRV is selected to assure that the ASME certified capacity of the ARV is always greater than the "required capacity" adding additional conservatism.

3. These val* ves have been supplied to the industry using these same spring selections for over 21 years without incident.

TVC has notified the affected NRC licensees: Arkansas Nuclear One, Beaver Valley, Calvert Cliffs, Clinton Nuclear Station, Columbia Generating Station, Davis-Besse, Fort Calhoun, Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Nine Mile Point, Oconee Nuclear Station, Peach Bottom, Salem Station, Seabrook Station, Wolf Creek Generating Station.

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09-15-2006 2/6 Tyco Valves & Controls LP Anderson Greenwood Crosby 43 Kendrick Street Flow Con7trol Wrenthamn. MA 02093 U.S.A.

Tele. 508-384-3121 Fax: 508.384-5821 September 15, 2006 Via Facsimile (301-816-515 1)

Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington. D.C. 20555 Re. Tyco Valves & Controls LA.; Submission Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. Part 21

Dear Sir or Madam:

Tyco Valves & Controls LP ("TVC"). a contractor to certain NRC licensees, and on behalf of itself and certain of its affiliates, hereby submits information in response to the notification requirements of 10 C.F.R. Part 2 1. TVC manufactures, sells, and services Pressure Relief Valves ("PRVs") to NRC licensees for use in NRC-licensed facilities.

There is a potential problem with one series of those PRVs, but TV C's analysis to date leads TVC to believe that there is not an imminent safety problem with the PRVs that would require the immediate shutdown of licensed nuclear facilities. Rather, TVC believes that there is adequate assurance that the public health and safety can and will be adequately protected until such time as it is possible to replace the spring(s) at issue. The background of this matter is as follows:

The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors performed certification testing on PRVs manufactured by the TVC plant located in India (Tyco Sanmar Ltd).

The valves tested by the National Board were the Crosby series JLT pressure relief valves. These valves are spring-loaded PRVs which are used to provide over-pressure protection for liquid applications. The Series XLT are certified to be in compliance with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Sections III and VIII. The certification testing performed by the National Board indicated that these JLT valves did not meet ASME standards and so notified TVC. Thereafter, TVC performed its own testing on the JILT valves and confirmed the NB findings.

TVC performed a root-cause analysis and determined that the Spring Selection Tables were inaccurate in that the Tables specified a spring with a spring rate which was too high for the adjusted set pressure. It was further determined that, in most cases, the Spring Selection Table specified the correct spring for the higher portion of the tabulated set pressure range; however, the Table specified a spring too strong for the lower portion of the range.

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09-15-2006 3/6 Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission September 15, 2006 Page 2 Re:- Tyco Valves & Controls L P.; Submission Pursuant to 10 C. F. R. Part 2)

The corrective action which has been taken by TVC is as follows:

1)

The Spring Selection Tables ame being revised and will take effect by 9/23/2006;

2)

All of the safety-related PRVs which were affected by the Spring Selection Table have been identified;

3)

A list of all nuclear facilities has been compiled as identified in Exhibit A.

attached hereto;

4)

A Product Safety Advisory is being drafted and will be forwarded to all nuclear facilities as identified in Exhibit A; and

5)

The Product Safety Advisory recommends replacement of the spring.

We believe that, while not in compliance with ASME, these PRVs do not pose a safety hazard inasmuch as there are many levels of conservatism built into the design of pressurized equipment and selection of PRVs such as:

1) These valves will open at the specified set pressure and will flow some capacity at the ASME specified overpressure of 10%. Further, based on our testing, these valves will flow the ASME certified capacity at an overpressure of not more than 20%. Most equipment will have been designed with a safety factor above the set pressure of at least 200%.

2) In sizing a PRV for an application, the "required capacity" is determined by the user and the next largest PRV is selected to assure that the ASME certified capacity of the PRV is always greater than the "required capacity" adding additional conservatism.

3) These valves have been supplied to the industry using these same spring selections for over 21 years without incident.

TVC continues to investigate this matter, and will inform you promptly of any further developments. We have notified all of the NRC licensed facilities listed on Exhibit A who may have an interest in this matter and we are communicating with them contemporaneously with the transmission of this letter to you.

09/15/2006 FRI 19:29

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09-15-2006 416 Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission September 15, 2006 Page 3 Re: Tyco Valves & Controls LP.; Submission Pursuant to 10 C.F.R. Part 2.1 You may contact the undersigned directly on this wafter if you wish. We have also retained counsel, Messrs. Michael F. McBride, Brian D. O'Neill, and Ahren S-Tryon, with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP for this matter. We would appreciate it if you would serve them with copies of all correspondence or other communications regarding this matter. Their addresses are shown below.

Very truly yours, Lo Dave Thibault General Manager Anderson Greenwood Crosby Nuclear Products DT-mbb Enclosures cc(wiencls.):

NRC Regional Administrators Persons Shown on Exhibit A Michael F. McBride, Esq.

Brian D. O'Neill, Esq.

Abren S. Tryon. Esq.

LeBoeuf. Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP 1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20D09-5728 (202)986-8000 Elizabeth Keating, Esq.

Chief Litigation Counsel Tyco Valves & Controls, LP 934 Charter Street Redwood City, CA 94063 (650)766-2906 09/15/2006 FRI 19:29

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10 CFR Part 21 Contacts EXHIBBIT A 0o Projct

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Address3 IAddmress[-..A ARKANSAS NUCLEAR Manager, Operating Energ Operations PO Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286.

ONE Experience M-ECH-595

'1995 BEAVER VALLEY Manager, Site Regulatory Beaver Valley Power Station PO Box 4 Shippingport, PA 15077 Compliance BRUNSWICK Site Vice President w/ cc: Site BrnwcNueaPlt NCHy8 NUCLEAR POWER Sp.- Lite rgBusikNcerPat N w 6Box 10429 Southport, NC 28461 STATION CALVERT CLIFFS Buyer Calvedt Clifss Nuclear Power 1650 Calved Cliffs Lusby, Maryland 20637 Plant Parkway CLINTON NUCLEAR Plant Engineerig M4anager Amergen Energy, An Exelon RR #3, Route 54 East 6 Miles East of Clinton Clinton, IL 61727 STATION Co.

COLUMBIA (WPPS)

Michael Woodruff, Buyer Energy Northwest - Columbia Snake River Warehouse North Power Plant Richland, WA 99352 (WPPS)

Complex Loop DAVIS-BESSE Plant Engineering Manage Davis-Besse Mail Stop 1056 FENOC 5501 N. State, Route 2 Oak Harbor, OH 43449 FORT CALHOUN Manager - Nuclear Licensing Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station P0 Box 550 AMail 6to8026-0050Clhun N

MILLSTONE NUCLEAR Director, Nuclear Licensing Dominion Resourcs, Inc.

lnnsbrook Technical 5000 Dominion Glen Plen, VA 23060 PWR STATION and Operation Support Center Boulevard MILLSTONE UNIT #3 Director, Nuclear Licensing Dominion Resources Inc.

lnnsbrook Technical 5000 Domfinion Glen Allen, VA 23060 and Operation Support Center Boulevard

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10 CFR Part 21 Contacts Project se 10 OCFT Part 21 Contact Adm Ii I Address.2 A~ddrssS3 7Fidrm-.

NINE MILE POINT Procruement Technology Nine Mile Point Nuclear PO Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093 Power Station L.LC.

OCONEE NUCLEAR OEA Manager, Nuclear DueECharlotte, NC 28201-STATION Assessment Division DkEnergy Corp.

Mail Code EC 05P PO Box 1006 1006 PEACH BOTTOM Manager - Licensing Section Correspondence Control Desk Exelon Nuclear P0 Box 160 Kennett Square, PA Company 19348 SALEM STATION Operating Experience Group, PSEG Nuclear, LLC Mail Stop N21 PO Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ NOAB 08038 Site Vice President / Manager SEABROOK STATION

-Nuclear Engineering /

FPL Energy, Seabrook, LLC P0Bx30SbroN087 SEABROOK STATION Procurement Engineering (FPLE Seabrook)POBx30SaroN087 Supervisor I Record Management Supervisor WOLF CREEK WCNOC Manager Document Wl re GENERATINGSevcsWlCre115OxnLnN POBx41BrigoK683 STATIONSevcs15OxnLnN P0Bx41urigoS683 0

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07-41-06 p.m-09-15-2006 116 LEDGEUF, LAMB, GREENE & MACRAE LLF' 1875 CONNECTICUT Ave.. N.W.

SUITE 1200 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-5728 (202) 080-8000 FACSIMILE: (20Z) 980-8 102 FAX TRANSMISSION FROM:

Michael F. McBride I D#:

0553 DATE:

September 15, 2006

[TEL:

(202) 986-8050 PAGES:

1 of 4CLIENTIMATTER NO.:

09398-00011 Comments/Message:

Please see the enclosed letter.

THIS FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL ANO)OR LEGALLY PRIVLEGED INFORMATION INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE INDIVIDUAL(S) NAMED ON THE TRANSMISSION SHEET. IF YOU ARE NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY DISCLOSURE. COPYING, I31STRIBUTION OR THE TAKING OF ANY ACTION IN RELIANCE ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR. PLEASE CALL US COLLECT IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE CAN ARRANGE FOR RETURN OF THE DOCUMENTS TO US AT NO COST TO YOU. THANK YOU.

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