ML17157A724

Forwards NRC Turbine Fire Hazard Assessment Plan in Preparation for 910730-31 Site Visit to Tour Turbine Bldg & Review Fire Protection Features.Assessment in Response to Oct 1989 Fire at Foreign Reactor Site

ML17157A724
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	06/13/1991
From:	Raleigh J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Keiser H PENNSYLVANIA POWER & LIGHT CO.
References
NUDOCS 9106210176
Download: ML17157A724 (8)

Text

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMIVIISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 June 13, 1991 Docket Nos.

50-387 and 50-388 Hr. Harold W. Keiser Senior Yice President-Nuclear Pennsylvania Power and Light Company 2 North Ninth Street Al 1 entown, Pennsy 1 vani a 18101

SUBJECT:

ASSESSMENT OF TURBINE GENERATOR BEARING LUBE OIL FIRE HAZARD AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON SAFETY RELATED/SAFE SHUTDOWN SYSTEHS-SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1

AND 2 On June 5, 1991, in a conversation between James Raleigh, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and James Kenney, Licensing (PP&L), we requested your assistance in supporting the staff 's subject assessment.

This assessment is being performed by the staff in response to an event which occurred in October, 1989, at a foreign reactor site.

During this event, a major turbine generator lube oil fire and a subsequent hydrogen explosion occurred.

The event was severely complicated by flooding and burning oil spreading on top of the water.

The cause of the fire and its subsequent impact on reactor systems was attributed to a high turbine vibration resulting from a blade/rotor package failure in the high pressure turbine.

In order to perform our assessment and evaluate the applicability of the specific event circumstances on U.S. facilities, staff personnel will be visitino your Susquehanna facility on July 30-31, 1991.

The NRC personnel who will be involved in this evaluation and will be visiting the site are Ralph Architzel, Patrick Madden, and Malcolm Widmann.

During this visit, in addition to touring the turbine building and reviewing the fire protection features, we would like to conduct a working meeting with selected members of your staff.

The major focus of this meeting will be on gathering'information concerning your turbine generator maintenance and inspection

program, the design of your turbine lube oil system and it's associated logic, and the lube oil piping configuration to the turbine bearings.

In addition, during this meeting we will be gathering information on your manual fire fighging capabilities and the ability to suppress a significant lube oil/hydrogen fire in the lower elevations of the turbine building, and other plant areas that contain significant quantities of lubricating oil.

In order to assist you in your preparation for this site visit and meeting, we have enclosed the staff 's turbine fire hazard assessment plan for your information.

9106210176 910613 PDR ADOCK 05000387 F

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Mr. Harold W. Keiser June 13, 1991 If you should have any questions concerning this effort, please feel free to contact Mr. M. Widmann at (301) 492-0280.

Sincerely,

Enclosure:

Assessment Plan cc w/enclosure:

See next page

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James J. Raleigh, Acting Project Manager Project Directorate I-2 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DISTRIBUTION NRC

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Nr. Harold W. Keiser June 13, 1991 If you should have any questions concerning this effort, please feel free to contact Nr. t1. Widmann at (301) 492-0280.

Sincerely,

Enclosure:

Assessment Plan James J. Raleigh, Acting Project Hanager Project Directorate l-2 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc w/enclosure:

See next page

ENCLOSURE ASSESSMENT PLAN TURBINE BUILDING FIRE HAZARDS AND POTENTIAL IMPACT ON REACTOR SAFETY 1.

WORKING MEETING -DISCUSSION OF TURBINE FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS a)

Provide an overview of the Vandellos fire to the licensee.

b)

Discuss/review the licensee's turbine generator inspection and maintenance program.

c)

Discuss/review with the licensee the turbine generator lube oil system design (i.e.

system logic, piping configuration, lube oil piping/bearing configuration) d)

Verify with the licensee that they can quickly isolate the the hydrogen system in the event of a fire event.

Determine if the hydrogen system design incorporates an excess flow check valve.

e)

Discuss with the licensee their methods for coping with a lube oil fire in the lower levels of the turbine building.

These discussions should review.the fire brigade equipment availability and foam capability, method of fire attack,

,method of smoke venting, implementation of offsite assistance, and the potential impact a turbine fire/flooding event may have on safety related/safe shutdown equipment.

2.

PERFORM A WALKDOWN OF THE TURBINE BUILDING AND REVIEW THE FOLLOWING:

a)

Examine the fire protection features provided for the turbine building and associated fire hazards, for example fire protection provided for the turbine bearings fire protection features provided, for the turbine lube oil system, distribution of manual fire hose stations, review manual fire fighting foam capabilities and access and egress to turbine building areas, distribution of emergency lighting, assess the communications available for fire fighting operations, distribution and logic of the turbine fire/smoke detection

system, smoke venting capabilities, fire protection features provided for the turbine generator hydrogen

system, and fire protection features provided for cable trays in the areas of significant turbine building fire hazards.

b)

Examine the lower elevations'f the turbine building and assess the effects a significant lube oil fire may have, for example

- determine if the fire could cause flooding and the potential affects flooding may have on safety, related/safe shutdown

systems,

- determine the impact smoke may have on safety related

areas, and

- determine the direct affect the fire may have on safety related system located in the turbine building.

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Nr. Harold W. Keiser Pennsylvania Power 5 Light Company Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Units 1

& 2 CC:

Jay Silberg, Esq.

Shaw, Pittman, Potts 5 Trowbridge 2300 N Street N.M.

Washington, D.C.

20037 Bryan A. Snapp, Esq.

Assistant Corporate Counsel Pennsylvania Power 5 Light Company 2 North Ninth Street Allentown, Pennsy 1vani a 18101 Nr. J. tl. Kenny Licensing Group Supervisor Pennsylvania Power 5 Light Company 2 North Ninth Street Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101 Nr. Scott Barber Senior Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O.

Box 35 Berwick, Pennsylvania 18603-0035 Hr. Thomas M. Gerusky, Director Bureau of Radiation Protection Resources Commonwealth of Pennsylvania P. 0.

Box 2063 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 171?0 Hr. Jesse C. Tilton, III Allegheny Elec. Cooperative, Inc.

212 Locust Street P.O.

Box 1266 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17108-1266 Nr. S.

B. Ungerer Joint Generation Projects Department Atlantic Electric P.O.

Box 1500 1199 Black Horse Pike Pleasantville, New Jersey 08232 Regional Administrator, Region I U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406 Nr. Harold G. Stanley Superintendent of Plant Susquehanna Steam Electric Station Pennsylvania Power and Light Company 2 North Ninth Street A 1 1 entown, Pennsy lvani a 18101 Nr. Herbert:D.

Woodeshick Special Office of the President Pennsylvania Power and Light Company 1009 Fowles Avenue Berwick, Pennsylvania 18603 l1r. Robert G.

Byram Vice President-Nuclear Operations Pennsylvania Power and Light Company 2 North Ninth Street Al 1 entown, Penn sy 1vani a 18101