ML073520539
| ML073520539 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Calvert Cliffs, Salem, Perry, Indian Point, Hope Creek, Brunswick, Vermont Yankee, Quad Cities, Crane  |
| Issue date: | 10/28/2007 |
| From: | Tom Gurdziel State of NY |
| To: | Wallace M Constellation Energy Group, NRC/EDO, Office of New Reactors, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, NRC/OCM, NRC/SECY |
| References | |
| LTR-07-0819 | |
| Download: ML073520539 (7) | |
Text
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY CORRESPONDENCE CONTROL TICKET Date Printed: Dec]
17, 200 7 11:48 PAPER NUMBER:
ACTION OFFICE:
AUTHOR:
AFFILIATION:
ADDRESSEE:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
DISTRIBUTION:
LETTER DATE:
ACKNOWLEDGED SPECIAL HANDLING:
LTR-07-0819 EDO LOGGING DATE: 12/17/2007
.s 0(ckm&4 3o Mr. Tom Gurdziel Ivy PRES Michael Wallace (Constellation Energy Gp)
Concerns new generation of nuclear plants CGS.
EDO DEDMRS DEDR DEDIA AO Information Chrm, Comrs, EDO 10/28/2007 No NOTES:
FILE LOCATION:
ADAMS DATE DUE:
DATE SIGNED:
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Oswego, NY 13126 October 28, 2007 Mr. Michael J. Wallace President, Constellation Energy Group 750 East Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202
Dear Mr. Michael J. Wallace:
There is a construction story that goes like this:
After being assigned to a construction site for a while, one of the employees working in the field. office had a chance to talk with the General. Superintendent.
"Ihave noticed that a certain foreman is frequently in your office getting chewed out because of one problem or another. Why don't you fire him?
The answer was: "I can't fire him, he is the only one getting any work done!"
I mention this because it introduces a philosophy that I believe the present nuclear industry needs to change to in order to successfuilly build the new generation of nuclear plants.
Maybe I should first describe my impression of the current nuclear industry philosophy.
It is: "Do not be associated. with failure." It sounds good. And, if you. have a well-designed plant with experienced people running equipment in which initial operating/design bugs have been removed, and YOU ARE NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES, it is maybe a good goal. Here the guiding expression "Do it right the first time" would apply.
- However, suppose change is encountered. Trying to address change will, in my opinion, likely lead to a mis-step: a failure. (People are not perfect and make mistakes.) It is now that "Do not be associated with failure" becomes a very large nuclear industry problem.
This is because operating staff, (not just operators), know how not to be associated with failure: they just don't see any problem. Not seeing any, they are not obligated to fix any.
And,. not trying. to fix any, they do not. make mistakes..
Here are a few examples of not seeing problems.
Entergy/Vermont Yankee mechanical draft cooling tower Newspaper accounts available on the Internet report that timber deflected 4 inches and that a crackling sound was heard. Failure requiring immediate tower shutdown was not identified. (After-a-tower cell collapsed, the tower was shutdown.)
Entergy/Indian Point new backup power emergency sirens In a newspaper report available on the Internet, Mr. M. Kansler stated that his people did not listen to reports from the public that the newly installed sirens were not loud enough.
Today, they still aren't.
PSEG/Hope Creek 8" pipe failure at condenser A pipe hanger was not connected; not seen on operator rounds. An air line broke, this was not seen either. A drain valve failed open dumping (undesigned for) 2 phase flow into the condenser through the 8" connection. It broke, for the second time.
PSEG/Salem (1 or 2?)
condenser "grassing' Look for this every fall and every spring. I got tired of seeing it so I wrote a letter with about 22 things to try. They can tell you a reason for not trying any. (Effectively they harvest grass from inside their condenser.)
?/Brunswick aluminum bus bars Although not recommended for residential housing, aluminum remains the choice for their bus bars. (I have discussed this with you at the last Nine Mile Point/NRC Annual Public meeting.)
Exelon/Quad Cities (1 or 2?)
fracture of replacement steam dryer Recurring problems with Electromatic relief valves (but not the Target Rock) were only solved after fracturing a new, replacement steam dryer.
FirstEnergy/Perry air introduction into the ESW system A keepfill system provides water to this system starting just past the ESW pump discharge check valve.
Check valves installed as vacuum breakers on the ESW pump casing provide air to the pump part of the system every time it is stopped. I tried to suggest that this arrangement, lacking an air removal valve, injects air into the system each time it is started. I believe I was unsuccessful. (I tried twice.)
The philosophy that I believe is needed accepts honest failure because of an optimistic outlook that it does not prevent. final success. In fact, people not being perfect,. you would have to expect occasional failures and then make additional efforts to overcome them, especially when doing new things.
Of course, that optimism would not be realistic if it is not based on a good scientific education and additionally, some experience of your technical people.
Now, more specifically, let me tell you that I think accepting failure is necessary because it is the fastest way of accomplishing a favorable result. Let me use a construction example.
The present power plants were built in this way: buy a heat source from somebody, buy all the Architect-Engineer work from somebody else and buy the construction effort from.
somebody else. At the two unit, fossil fueled Roseton plant, located in the Hudson Valley, the boilers came from Combustion Engineering, The Architect-Engineer was
Bums & Roe, Inc. and the contractor (who I worked for), was Bums & Roe Construction Corporation.
In the nuclear field, building the steel plate, steel reinforced, and post tensioned containment structure for a pressurized water reactor would require that the area engineer be informed of all problems requiring engineering resolution because it was his (or her) responsibility to clearly describe the problem verbally and in writing to the Architect-Engineer's on-site representative. It was then sent to the Architect-Engineering office for resolution. If possible, a suggested solution would be included as well because it would usually result in an Architect-Engineer provided suggested solution in 1/2/ week instead of 2 weeks.
When you pour, (we say "place"), concrete 5'-6" high each Friday for 180 degrees of the containment, you can see that we only have 2 weeks until we start over again. In actual practice, the Ironworker crews and the Carpenter crews usually can identify problems (they are usually clearance related) a little bit earlier. However, the point here is that you need people actually looking for problems and persisting until an acceptable and timely solution is reached.
Well, that's a lot and I realize this last part is not very clear. Let me add that this method was used successfully by United Engineers & Constructors when they built the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 containment building. Matthew G. was the on-site representative of Bums & Roe, the Architect-Engineer. I was the area engineer. Since the containment successfully withstood internal accident pressure, I conclude that it was adequately designed and constructed.
Based on my experience, (which also includes construction of a US BWR), it is my opinion that economically building the next generation of nuclear power plants will require people who can identify problems and get them solved promptly using, in part, their own education and experience.
Are you preparing them now?
Thank you, Tom Gurdziel
Ti A. r Jnit 2 Containment
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Page 1 of 1 Tom Gurdziel From:
Tom Gurdziel [tgurdziel@twcny.rr.com]
Sent:
Sunday, October 28, 2007 10:43 PM To:
'opa@nrc.gov'; 'OPAl OPAl
Subject:
Letter to Mr. Mike Wallace Good morning, Please give a copy of this letter to the Chairman, the Commissioners, the EDO, and Mr. Collins.:
The picture, looking west, probably in 1974, shows, from left to right, one of two Unit 2 natural draft cooling towers, the Unit 2 Turbine Building, the Unit 2 Containment structure, and the common Fuel Storage Building at Three Mile Island. You will note that the containment is not finished.
Thank you, Tom 12/5/2007
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