ML17345A404

LER 88-019-00:on 880822,boric Acid Transfer Pump 3A Declared out-of-svc.Caused by Lack of Visible Water Level & Zero Nitrogen Pressure in Seal Pot & Failure of Pump Seal.Seal Replaced & Pump Returned to svc.W/880921 Ltr

ML17345A404
Person / Time
Site:	Turkey Point
Issue date:	09/21/1988
From:	Conway W, Lyons E FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM)
References
L-88-423, LER-88-019, LER-88-19, NUDOCS 8809280002
Download: ML17345A404 (6)

Text

AC CZLERATED Ds~ IBUTION DEMONS LTION SYSTEM REGULATORY INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (RIDS)

ACCESSION NBR:8809280002 DOC.DATE: 88/09/21 NOTARIZED: NO DOCKET FACIL:50-250 Turkey Point Plant, Unit 3, Florida Power and Light C 05000250 AUTH. NAME AUTHOR AFFILIATION LYONS,E. Florida Power & Light Co.

CONWAY,W.F. Florida Power & Light Co.

RECIP.NAME RECIPIENT AFFILIATION

SUBJECT:

LER 88-019-00:on 880822,boric acid transfer pump seal failure results in no flow path from boric acid tank to RCS.

W/8 ltr.

DISTRIBUTION CODE: IE22D COPIES RECEIVED:LTR 2 ENCL ( SIZE:

TITLE: 50.73 Licensee Event Report (LER), Incident Rpt, etc.

NOTES:

RECIPIENT COPIES RECIPIENT COPIES ID CODE/NAME LTTR ENCL ID CODE/NAME LTTR ENCL PD2-2 LA 1 1 PD2-2 PD 1 1 A EDISON,G 1 1 INTERNAL: ACRS MICHELSON 1 1 ACRS MOELLER 2 2 ACRS WYLIE 1 1 AEOD/DOA 1 1 AEOD/DSP/NAS 1 1 AEOD/DS P/ROAB 2 2 AEOD/DSP/TPAB 1 1 ARM/DCTS/DAB 1 '1 DEDRO 1 1 NRR/DE ST/ADS 7E 1 0 NRR/DEST/CEB 8H 1 1 NRR/DEST/ESB 8D 1 1 NRR/DEST/ICSB 7 1 1 NRR/DEST/MEB 9H 1 1 NRR/DEST/MTB 9H 1 1 NRR/DEST/PSB 8D 1 1 NRR/DEST/RSB 8E 1 1 NRR/DEST/SGB 8D 1 1 NRR/DLPQ/HFB 10 1 1 NRR/DLPQ/QAB 10 1 1 NRR/DOEA/EAB 11 1 1 NRR/DREP/RAB 10 1 1 NRR/DREP/RPB 10 2 2 NQR/BRIC IB 9A 1 1 NUDOCS-ABSTRACT 1 1 02 1 1 RES TELFORD,J 1 1 RES/DSIR DEPY 1 1 RES/DSIR/EIB 1 1 RGN2 FILE 01 1 1 EXTERNAL: EG&G WILLIAMS,S 4 4 FORD BLDG HOY,A 1 1 H ST LOBBY WARD 1 1 LPDR 1 1 NRC PDR 1 1 NSIC- HARRIS,J 1 1 NSIC MAYS,G 1 1 S

A TOTAL NUMBER OF COPIES REQUIRED: LTTR 46 ENCL 45

NRC Form 388 V.S, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (8 53)

APPROVEO OMB NO, 31504104 LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER) EXPIRES.'/31/88 FACILITY NAME (II DOCKET NUMBER (2) PAGE 3 Turkey Point Unit 3 o s o o o 250 i oFO Boric Acid Transfer Pump Seal Failure Results in No Flow Path from Boric Acid Tank to Unit 3 Reactor Coolant -S stem EVENT OATS (5) LER NUMBER (8) REPORT DATE (7I OTHER FACILITIES INVOLVED ISI YEAR <<$ SEGUBNTIAL OAY YEAR FACILITYNAMES DOCKET NUMBER(SI KS NUMBER MONTH MONTH DAY YEAR NvtnIER N/A 0 5 0 0 0 0 8 2 2 8 8 8 019 0 0 9 2 1 8 8 0 5 0 0 0 THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO THE REOUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR (It ICnecl one or more Ol tne /orrorrinpi (11 OPERATING MODE (Ql 20.402(8) 20.405(cl 50,73( ~ I (2)(i el 73.7((el POWE R 20AOS(e l(1)(i) 50.38(cl (I ) 50.73( ~ l(21(c) 73.71(cl LEVEL 1 p p 20AOB(e) (I I (8 I 50.38(cl(2) 50.73(e) I 2)(c i() OTHER ISpecily in Aettrect trerow encl /n yen/, NRC Form 20.405 4) l1) (ib I X 50.73( ~ l(2)(il 50.73(e)12) (cbl) IA) 366AI 20AOB(el(Ill(el 50.73( ~ I(2) (4) 50.73(el(2)(rib) (BI 20.408(e) (1)(c) 50.73(e) 12) lilil 50.73(el (2)(el LICENSEE CONTACT FOR THIS LER (12)

NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER AREA CODE Edward Lyons, Compliance Engineer 305 24 6- 67 31 COMPLETE ONE LINE FOR EACH COMPONENT FAILURE DESCRIBEO IN THIS REPORT (13)

CAUSE SYSTEM COMPONENT MANUFAC TVRER EPORTABLE TO NPROS iki5!I CAUSE SYSTEM COMPONENT MANUFAC TVRER EPORTABLE TO NPRDS W4~9471 C'A EA L G2 00 PAEm(kl i((()k.k>>

SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT EXPECTED (14) MONTH DAY YEAR EXPECTED SUBMISSION DATE (15)

YES illyet, complete EXPECTED SUBMISSION DATE/ NO ABSTRACT ILlmit to /400 tpecee, I A, epproeimetely lifteen tlnpie tpece typewr/Iten //net/ (18)

On August 22, 1988, at 1757, Unit 3 entered Technical Specification 3.0.1 for 22 minutes when the 3A Boric Acid Transfer Pump (BATP)

(EIIS:CA, Component:P) was declared out of service . At the time of the event, the Unit 3 BATP s were aligned in their normal configuration, with the 3A pump aligned to the Unit 3 Charging Pumps and the 3B BATP aligned to recirculate the B Boric Acid Tank. At 17S7, while making normal rounds, Operations personnel discovered that the seal pot, whi h provides seal cooling water, had no visible water level and zero nitrogen pressure . Operations personnel were directed to align the 3B pump to the Unit 3 Reactor Coolant System via the Charging pumps. This was successfully completed 22 minutes later, and the unit exited Technical Specification 3.0.1. The cause of the 3A pump being out of service was a failure of the pump seal . The pump seal was replaced and the pump returned to service . The design of the seal is being evaluated and will be modified to remove the seal pot.

SS092S0002 SS0921 PDR ADGCK 05000250 PDC NRC Form 388 IB 83)

NRC Form 300A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (883 j LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER) TEXT CONTINUATION APPROVED OM8 NO. 3150&IQ4 EXPIRES: 8/31/88 FACILITY NAME ul DOCKET NUMBER 12) LER NUMSER (81 PAGE IS)

YEAR RrQ SEGVENTIAL o."$> REVISION NI<1 NUMBER NVMSER Turkey Point Unit TEXT /4 INo/0 RMOP N /Er/v8ld, Qoo ~ 3

/YRC FORR 3854'4/ ( Ig o s o o o 8 8 1 9 0 0 0 2 OF 0 3 Descri tion of the Event On August 22, 1988, at 1757, Unit 3 entered Technical Specification 3.0.1 for 22 minutes when the 3A Boric Acid Transfer Pump (BATP) (EIIS:CA, Component:P) was declared out of service . Unit 3 was operating at 100 percent power with the 4B BATP out of seqvice for planned maintenance . Under normal operating conditions, the 4A and 4B BATP s are aligned to take suction from the A Boric Acid Tank (BAT) and discharge to the suction header of the Unit 4 Charging Pumps; the 3A BATP is aligned to take suction from the C BAT and discharge to the suction of the Unit 3 Charging Pumps; the 3B BATP is aligned to recirculate the B BAT. At the time of the event, the Unit 3 pumps were aligned in their normal configuration. At 1757, the 3A BATP was declared out of service when Operations personnel making normal rounds, discovered that the seal pot, which contains seal cooling water under Nitrogen (N2) pressure, was under zero N2 pressure and had no visible water level. These normal rounds are performed on a four hour interval. Since the 3B BATP was aligned to recirculate the B BAT, there was no flow path established from the BAT s to the Unit 3 Reactor Coolant System (RCS). Technical Specification 3.6.d requires that during power operation, "System piping, interlocks and valves shall be operable to the extent of establishing one flow path from the boric acid tanks, and one flow path from the refueling water storage tank, to each Reactor Coolant System." Unit 3 entered Technical Specification 3.0.1 which requires that within one hour, action be initiated to shutdown the unit. Following the discovery, Operations personnel were directed to align the 3B BATP to the Unit 3 RCS via the Charging Pumps . This was accomplished 22 minutes later at 1819, and Unit 3 exited Technical Specification 3.0.1.

Cause of the Event The event was caused by a failure of the pump seal on the 3A BATP. The cause of the seal failure has been determined to be one of two possible failure mechanisms. The first possibility is that frequent pump starts and stops caused axial sh-ft movement which results in separation of the seal faces.

This allows the process fluid (12% boric acid) to come in contact with the seal faces. The particles are flushed out by the seal water, however, repetitive occurrences develop a clearance between the seal faces and the pump shaft.

This allows the seal water, which is at a higher pressure than the process fluid, to pass from the seal pot into the process fluid . The secondthepotential lines

.failure mechanism involves the seal cooling lines. The routing of may not promote optimal circulation of the seal cooling water . This may result in the seal faces becoming dry and failing.

This event is reportable because the current Turkey Point Technical Specifications do not allow any time to realign operable portions of the system that are normally used to recirculate the BAT s.

NRC fOAM 340A *U,S.GPO'.1888 0.824 538/455

/9 + 3l

NRC Form 388A U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (983 l LICENSEE EVENT REPORT ILER) TEXT CONTINUATION APPROVED OMB NO, 3150M(04 SKI'IR ES.'/31/88 DOCKET NUMBER (2l FACILITY NAME (Il LER NUMBER Id) PAGE (3)

YEAR SEGVENTIAL REVISION NVMSER NVMSEA Turkey Point Unit 3 o s o o o 2 5 0 8 019 00 03 QF 0 3 TEXT /Er moro NMoo 8 rodoBSIS Iroo or/EORo////IC Forrrr 3////AB/ (IT(

~Anal srs No credit is taken for the concentrated boric acid contained in the BAT s in any of the design basis transients. Sufficient shutdown capability for the most severe anticipated cooldown transient (main steam line break) assuming the most reactive control cluster to be fully withdrawn is achieved via the use of boron from the refueling water storage tank through the safety injection system. The BAT s and the BATP s provide a source of concentrated boric acid to be added to the reactor coolant system to offset reactivity changes caused by normal plant operating transients, changes in power levels, and in order to maintain shutdown conditions . An additional means of providing borated water is from the refueling water storage tank through the charging pumps to the RCS.

These flow paths were available throughout the event. Based on the above, the health and safety of the public were not affected .

Corrective Actions

1) The 3B BATP was realigned to provide a flow path to the Unit 3 RCS.

2) The 3A BATP seal was replaced and the pump returned to service .

3) The current seal design is under evaluation and will be modified to remove the seal pot. The Engineering work required for this modification is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 1988.

4) Turkey Point has submitted draft Technical Specifications to the NRC for review. This draft version would provide an action statement to realign the required flow paths under the situation described in this report.

Additional Information The BATP s are manufactured by Goulds, Inc model number 3196-ST-8. The seals are manufactured by Durametallic,.

Similar occurances: previous BATP seal failures have been reported in LER 250-88-05 and LER 250-87-17.

NRC FORM SSSA *U.S.GPO:(988 0 824 538/455 (983(

SEPTEMBER 2 1 1988 L-88-423 10 CFR 50.73 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, D. C. 20555 Gentlemen:

Re: 'Turkey Point Unit 3 Docket No. 50-250 Reportable Event: 88-19 Date of Event: August 22, 1988 Boric Acid Transfer Pump Seal Results in No Flow Path from Boric Acid Tank to Unit 3 Reactor Coolant S stem The attached Licensee Event Report (LER) is being submitted pursuant to the recpxirements of 10 CFR 50.73 to provide notification of the subject event.

Very truly yours,

~ W.SenioF. C ay V ce President Nuclear WFC/SDF/gp Attachment cc: Dr. J. Nelson Grace, Regional Administrator, Region II, USNRC Senior Resident Inspector, USNRC, Turkey Point Plant gp an FPL Group cornea."q-