ML18051B401
| ML18051B401 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 05/24/1985 |
| From: | Reynolds J CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| To: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML18051B402 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8505290091 | |
| Download: ML18051B401 (4) | |
Text
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- i
- e consumers Power company David J VandeWalle Director of Nuclear Licensing General Offices:
1945 West Parnell Road. Jackson, Ml 49201 * (517) 788-1636 May 24, 1985
- Director, Nuclear Reactor Regulation US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 DOCKET 50-255 - LICENSE DPR PALISADES PLANT -
PROPOSED EMERGENCY TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CHANGE REQUEST -
DIESEL GENERATOR OPERABILITY REQUIREMENT Attached are three (3) originals and thirty-seven (37) conformed copies emergency Request for Change to the Palisades Technical Specification.
discovery of a cracked cylinder head on the 1-1 Diesel Generator at Palisades and the subsequent repair schedule has necessitated Consumers Company to request an emergency one time Technical Specification Change pursuant to 10CFR50.9l(a)(5).
of an The Power This change has been thoroughly discussed with the NRC staff through telephone conference calls.
Consumers Power Company has discussed the issue with the designated State of Michigan representative and has verified particulars concerning test start of the alternate diesel generator and alternate power sources as they relate to the situation described in the attached change.
A check in the amount of $150.00 is enclosed as required by 10CFR170.21.
& ;/ Q 1/{M;(hu)oJL David~andeWalle Direct6r, Nuclear Licensing CC Administrator, Region III, USNRC NRC Resident Inspector - Palisades Attachment ll.cd' '-'/ ~'#"'/34'111 OC0585-0208D-NL04 ti°"'- 'ff St>*OtJ Aool
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- CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY Docket 50-255 Request for Change to the Technical Specifications License DPR-20 For the reasons hereinafter set forth, it is requested that the Technical Specifications contained in the Provi~ional Operating License DPR-20, Docket 50-255, issued to Consumers Power Company on October 16, 1972, for the Palisades Plant be changed as described in Section I below:
I. Changes
- a.
Section 3.7.b.
Change "AEC" to "NRC".
- b.
Section 3.7.i.
Change the first line of Section 3.7.i. to read:
"One of the diesel generators may be inoperable for up to 7 days*"
- c.
Add footnote:
"*10 days one.time only, for the month of May 1985."
II. Discussion Circumstances and Need for Prompt Action Diesel Generator 1-1 was declared inoperable at approximately 8:00 AM on May 20, 1985 when it failed to complete a six-hour load test.
Investigation into the cause of the failure and identificatton of possible remedial correc.tive actions commenced immediately with the help of a representative of the equipment vendor (ALCO).
Investigative and repair efforts are proceeding on a 24-hour-a-day basis.
Water was discovered in the crankcase and air-cooler.
Initial investigations which were centered on the air-cooler at the recommendation of the vendor, were completed late on May 22, 1985 and yielded negative results.
Further investigation involving a hydro of the diesel generator cooling system identified a leak in one of the cylinder heads.
Efforts were immediately undertaken to effect a repair of the leaking cylinder head, to confirm or deny the existence of other*
leaks in the system and to inspect the unit to determine condition and need for other repairs.
Replacement parts are being prepared and are expected to be ready by late afternoon on May 24, 1985.
Seyeral parallel paths are being pursued including readying of items in stock and new procurement from the vendor in order to maximize the likelihood of meeting this schedule.
NU0585-0208B-NL04
Assuming this schedule can be met, it is estimated that the unit can be repaired, tested and declared operable by late afternoon on May 26, 1985.
Testing has been completed which confirms that no other leaks exist in the cooling system.
In addition, the unit has been thoroughly inspected and confirmed to be in excellent condition with the exception of the cracked cylinder head.
2 Palisades Technical Specification 3.7.2 permits one of the diesel generators to be inoperable for up to 7 days (total for both) during any month.
Approximately sixteen hours of outage time had been recorded for the diesel generators prior to May 20, 1985 test.
Thus, the Palisades Plant will be required to shutdown at about 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 26, 1985 if the repair cannot be accomplished by then and license relief is not granted.
In addition, we are required to perform the monthly test of the diesel generator 1-2 prior to the end of this month and this test will necessitate approximately two hours of additional diesel generator outage time.
While we intend to make every effort to complete the repair as soon as possible, we believe that significant possibility exists that the repair cannot be completed in time to avoid plant shutdown.
Thus, we are requesting an additional three days in which to complete the repair and perform required testing of the other*
diesel generator.
Plant shutdown at this time would have a significant financial impact on Consumers Power Company and its customers.
The estimated differential replacement power cost for Palisades Plant (i.e., difference between the cost of replacement power and the cost of producing power at Palisades) is $200,000 per day.
Compensatory Measures
- 1.
The alternate diesel generator (D/G 1-2) will be test started prior to the end of the present seven day L.C.O. and daily thereafter until the D/G 1-1 is returned to service.
1
- 2.
The lC bus which is fed by D/G 1-J is presently being powered off the station startup transformer.
Thus in the event of trip of main generator, the bus will continue to be fed through the startup transformer without need for fast transfer.
- 3.
We will administratively prevent the steam driven auxiliary feedwater pump from being taken out of service until the D/G 1-1 is returned to service.
III. Basis for Determination of No Significant Hazards Consideration We have reviewed the proposed request to temporarily change the emergency diesel generators period of inoperability from up to 7 days to up to 10 days to determine whether or not this change involves a significant hazards consideration.
In our review, we have used the guidance of certain examples (48 FR 14870).
One of the examples (vi),
the guidance identifies that a change may result in some increase to the probability or consequences of a previously analyzed accident or may reduce in some way a safety margin, but where the results of the change are clearly within all acceptable criteria with respect t9 the system or component specified in the Standard Review Plan then that NU0585-0208B-NL04
change may also be considered not likely to involve significant hazards consideration.
Extending the period of inoperability an additional three days for one surveillance interval may reduce the safety margin somewhat during this interval; however, considering that the other diesel will be test started to verify operability, and the necessity for the period of inoperability (to replace cracked cylinder head) is unique to the diesel generator 1-1 and diesel generator 1-2 crank case oil will be inspected to assure its reliability and finally previous events which may have caused the occurrence of the cracked head in diesel generator 1-1 have been reviewed to assure that none effected diesel generator 1-2, we can conclude that the results of this change are within all acceptable criteria with respect to the system specified in the Standard Review Plan.
Therefore, we have determined that this change falls within the examples and therefore the change does not involve a significant hazards consideration.
IV.
Conclusion The Palisades Plant Review Committee and the Nuclear Safety Board have reviewed this Technical Specification Change Request and found it acceptable and that it involves no significant hazards consideration.
A copy of this Technical Specification Change Request has been sent to the State of Michigan official designated to receive such Amendments to the Operating License.
CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY By ~
J W Reynolds, Executive Vice President Energy Supply Sworn and subscribed to before me this 24th day of May 1985.
Dempski, Notary ublic Jackson County, Michigan My commission expires October 12, 1987.
NU0585-0208B-NL04 3