ML19322B946
| ML19322B946 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 11/18/1977 |
| From: | Case E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Parker W DUKE POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7912191031 | |
| Download: ML19322B946 (4) | |
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NUCLEAR HEGULATORY COMMisslON 5
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ttovember 18, 1977 Docket flos. 50-269 50-270 and 50-287 Duke Power Company ATT!!: Mr. William O. Parker, Jr.
Vice President Stem Production Post Office Box 2178 422 South Church Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28242
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Gentlemen:
On or about Hovember 8,1977, you should have received IE Hulletin No. 77-05 on Electrical Connector Assenblies from the Regional Office of the NRC Office of Inspection and Cnforcemnt crd a supplement to this Bulletin on or about Hovember 15,1977, (cop.es enclosed). This Bulletin requests that, within 30 days, you provide infon.mtion on whether your Oconce 1, 2 and 3 facilities utilize electrical connector assemblies within containt'ent that Nro ce subject to an accident environraent and are required to,be f.e during an accident; and, if they do, to provide docunentation of the environaer.tal qualiticction testing performed for these connectors.
Due to the safety significance of this matter, the staff also conducted a telephone survey of all cperating plcnts to obtain preliminary infor-mation on which facilities utilize such connectors and the adequacy of qualification testing of any such connectors.
As you know, this survey deterrained that such connectors re used in your Oconse 1, 2 and 3 facilities. Furthcr, as a result of c;eetings held uith your
. representatives during the week of kovember 7,1977, we determined on a 'prelinin5ry basis, that the environineni.al. testing of the electric.nl connectors used in your facilities and the docucentation thereof, ascecr to be satisfactory. Confirmation of this is to tc provided by your response to the IE Culletin and the suppleircift thereto.
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P Duke Power Company If, however, in responding to the Bulletin, you are not able, to provide complete documentation of the required qualification testing of all applicable connectors, the Bulletin requires that you submit plans and programs toward qualifying existing equip-ment or plans for replacing unqualified connectors with quali-fied equipment.
This is to advise you that if you are not able to provide the necessary documentation, then, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54(f), at the same time that you respond to the Bulletin, you are requested to submit to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Nuclear Regulatory Coinission, Washington, D. C. 20555, justificatim that continued operation of the facilities for whatever period vill take to environmentally qualify the connectors in accordance with NRC regulations would not create an undue risk to the health and safety of the public.
Please advise us if you have any questions relative to this natter.
Sincdrely,
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Edson G. Case, Actina Director Office of Aclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/ enclosures:
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If, however, in responding to.the Bulletin, you are not able to provide complete docussentaficti of the required qualification...
'ou testing of all applicable ~ connectors, the Bulletin' requires that
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r you subnf t plans and programs toward qualifying existing equip-cent or plans for replacing unqualified connectors with quali-fied equipoent.
.e This is to advise you that if you are not able to provide the
. ;E necessary documentation, then, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54(f), at ~
the sae.e time that you respond to the Bulletin, you are requated to sutmit.to the Office of Nuclear Reacter Regulatica, Nuclear Regulatory Coemission, Washington, D. C. 20555, justification that continued operation of the facilities for whatever period it will take to environtsentally qualify the connectors in accordance with NRC regulations would not create an undue risk to the health and safety of the public.
Please advise us if you have any questions relative to this matter.
Sincerely, Eason G. dase Acting Ofrector Office of Mucle_ar Reactor P.egulation
Enclosures:
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Duke Power Company November 18, 1977 cc:
Mr. William L. Porter Duke Power Company P. O. Box 2178 422 South Church Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28242 J. Michael McGarry, III, Esquire DeBevoise & Liberman 700 Shorenam Building 1
806-15th Street, NW..
Washington, D.C.
20005 Oconee Public Library 201 South Spring Street Walhalla, South Carolina 29691 i
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NUCLEARIREGULATORY C0FdISSI0li OFFICE OF IllSPECTIO?! AllD EtlFORCEME?iT WASilIliGT0il, D. C.
20555 November 8, 1977 IE Bulletin 77-05 ELECTRICAL C0f.flECTOR ASSEMBLIES 1
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Description af Circumstances i
Recent' tests conducted by the Sandia ' Laboratories of electrical i
connector / cable assemblies in a simulated post-LOCA containment '
environment (LWR) demonstrated that the assemblies failed to perform in an acceptable manner. 'The connectors are the pin and socket type, with metal shell and screw couplings.
The specific test specimens were manufactured by Bendix, ITT Cannon and Gulton Indt,stries using combina-
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tions of Anaconda and ITT Surprenant cables.
Details of the specific l
connector / cable combinations, test conditions, test results and other pertinent information are described in the Attachment.
While electrical connectors of the type tested are not normally used in applications that are required to survive LOCA cor.ditions, it is not possible in the absence of specific information to conclude that such applications do not exist.
Further, it. is unknown whether other manu-facturers have supplied similar assemblies, whether such assemblies have i
been ".-operly qualified for the intended service or whether these types of ascemblies are utilized in applications that must continue to operate reliably in a LOCA environment.
Action To Be Taken By Licensees and Permit Holders:
For all power reactor facilities with an operating, license or a construction permit:
1.
Determine whether your facility utilizes or plans to utilize electical 4
connector assemblies of the type tested by Sandia Laboratori :, or any other similar type, in systems that are located inside contais: ment, are subject to a LOCA'environmentsand are required to be operable during a LOCA.
4
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If any such applicatio'ns are^ identified, review tho' adeq[acy of 1
qualification testing for the assemblies and submit the documenta-l tion for !!RC review.
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IE Bulletin 77-05 November 8, 1977 3.
If evidence is not available to support a conclusion of adequacy, submit your plans and programs toward qualifying existing equipment or your plans for replacing unqualified assemblies with qualified equipmen t.
4.
Provide your response in writing within 30 days for facilities with an operating'1.icense and within 60 days for facilities with a construction permit.
Reports should be submitted to the D.irector of the appropriate llRC Regional Office and a copy shculd be forwarded to the U. S. I!uclear Regulatory Conmission, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, Division of Reactor Construction Inspection, Washington, D. C.
20555.
Approved by GAO, B180225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80.
Approval was given under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic problems.
Attachment:
Trip Report by W. R. Rutherford Electrical Connector Assemblies e
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r IE Bulletin-77-05 November 8, 1977 TRIP REPORT by W. R. Rutherford ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES On September 1, 1977 a meeting was held in Alburquerque, New Mexico to investigate the electrical connector assembly malfunctions or failures that occurred during tests under LOCA conditions performed by Sandia Laboratories. The following is a description of the equipment, test scope and results of these tests.
Equipment The test assemblies of particular interest consisted of three types of Bendix, ITT Cannon, and Gulton installed on two types of connectors:
cables; Anaconda and ITT Surprenant.
A 3 conductor /No. 12 AWG with crimp pin conductors, Bendix Connector:
1.
anodized al:::r.inum shell, silicone rubber insert, rigid back plane potting, pliable over-potting.
ITT Cannon Connector; A 3 conductor /No. 12 AWG with crimp iin 2.
conductors, anodized aluminum shell, silicone rubber insert, anodized aluminum back shell, rubber packing boot, mechanical retaining clamp.
A 3 conductor /No. 12 AWG with crimp pin conductor, Gulton Connector:
3.
stainless steel shell, hard fiber insert, pin back sealed with RTV 112, stainless shell, back plane poured with Sylgard potting, mechanical clamp termination.
A 3 conductor /No. 12 AWG, tinne'd copper conductor, Anaconda Cable:
4.
30 mil ethylene propylene rubber insulation 15 mil Hypalon jacket, cable asbestos tape, 60 mil Hypalon jacket, rated 600 volts, cable diameter 0.55".
ITT Surprenant Cable: A 3 conductor /No.
12 AWG, tinned copper conductor, 5.
30 mil Exane II insulation, silicone glass tape, 65 mil Exane jacket, rated 600 volts, cable diameter 0.455".
Attachrent A Page 1 of 3
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r IE Bu11etin-77-05 November 8, 1977 Test Scope The three tests performed by Sandia were composed of two sequential and one simultaneous exposure to LOCA environments.
In each case the equipment was exposed to radiation and thermal aging prior to operating under the simulated LOCA conditions.
Figures 1 and 2 describe the test profiles for sequential and simultaneous tests respectively (Sandia tests were designed to study synergistic effects). Each of the tests satisfy the intent of IEEE 323-1974. The assemblies were electrically loaded to 20 amperes and 600 volts at the start of the tests.
Insulation resistance and capacitance measurements were recorded during the tests to indicate damage.
The equipment assemblies with r.:spect to the seque:tial and simultaneous tests performed were as follows:
1.
Sequential Tests (Two)
.Gulton Connector /ITT Cable 1 Assmbly Gulton Connector / Anaconda Cable 1 Ass mbly Bendix Connector /ITT Cable 2 Assemblies ITT Connector /ITT Cable 1 Assembly 2.
Simultaneous Test (One)
ITT Connector /ITT Cable 1 Assmbly Bendix Connector /ITT Cable 1 Assmbly Bendix Connector / Anaconda Cable 2 Assemblies Test Results Both ITT Cannon connector assemblies and both Guitan connector assemblies 4
showed almost immediate damage in terms of insulation resistance and capacitance as the 70 psig steam was applied.
The ITT Cannon connector assembly failures appeared to be back plane boot seal leakage failures.
The assembly construc: ion did not contain potting compound (by design) to protect the pin ba:ks.
Therefore, boot failure leads directly to connector failure.
In the case of the Gulton Assemblies, failures wers attributed to both the mating surface interface and the back plane seil.
The design uses a rigid insert around the mating pins and the 0-ring seals are tttachment A P. age 2 of 3 l
r IE Bulletin-77-05 November 8, 1977 bypassed by an alignment key slot.
This design may lead to leaks due te non-uniform confinement of the 0-ring which could cause arcing between pins.
Neutron radiography reveaie1 inadequate amounts of potting compound (voids) and cracking of potting compound. These conditions could account for back plane failures.
Neutron radiography performed on untested connectors revealed similar conditions, i.e., voids and cracking, thus indicating an apparent quality control problem at Gulton's facility.
Other problems detected were identified as:
1.
The shrink tube used over the pin cable interface was split length-wise and had pulled away.
2.
The potting material showed virtually no adhesion to, or sealing between, the cable jacket, insulation, and the connector shell.
3.
The mechanical clamp had been secured so tightly that it cut the cable jacket.
The Bendix connector assembly was the only type to survive an entire test cycle. One Bendix/ Anaconda assembly malfunctioned after about eight days into the 10 psig profile and the Bendix/ITT assembly experienced decreasing resistance and increasing capacitance through the simultaneous tests until both readings were off scale at the er.d of the 10 psig profile.
A second Bendix/ Anaconda assembly survived the sinultaneous tests.
During the sequential tests only Bendix and ITT Cannon assemblies were involved and both assemblies failed. The failures of these assemblies would be difficult to define as either connector or cable failures.
The ITT cable exhibited a shrinking characteristic which could have provided a leak path through the sealing medium of the connector.
Attachment A Page 3 of 3
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IE Bulletin 77-05 November 8,1977 LISTING 0F IE BULLETINS ISSUED IN 1977 Bulletin Subject Date Issued Issued To No.
77-04 Calculational Error 11/4/77 All PWR Power Affecting the Design Reactor Facilities Perfonnance of a System with an Operating for Controlling pH of License (OL) or Containment Sump Water Contruction Permit (CP)
Following a LOCA 77-03 On-Line Testing of 9/12/77 All W Power the W Solid State Reactor Facilities Protection System with an Operating License (0L)or Construction Permit (CP) 77-02 Potential Failure 9/12/77 All Holders of Mechanism in Certain Operating Licenses W AR Relays witn.
(OL) or Construc-Relays with Latch tion Permits (CP)
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Attachments 77-01 Pneumatic Time 4/29/77 All Holders of Delay Set Point Operating Licenses Drif t (0L)orConstruc-tion Permits (CP)
Page 1 of 1 i
m NUCLEAR REGULATORY C0it'11SSION OFFICE OF I'45PECTION AND EliFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 -
November 14. 1977 IE Bulletin 77-05A ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLIES
_ Description of Circumstances s.-
This Bulletin is a supplement to IE Bulletin 77-05, issued November 8, 1977, and the two documents should be considered together..
Bulletin 77-05 described the failure, under test conditions, of a general type of electrical connector.
The tests were intended to simulate post-LOCA conditions, therefore the action requested in the Bulletin focussed on the qualification of electrical connectors for use inside containment.
Since issuance of Bulletin 77-05, our attention has been called to circumstances which indicate that the scope of the action requested should be expanded and therefore the response to Bulletin 77-05 should reflect the expanded scope.
Electrical connectors should be qualified to perfom their intended function after having been subjected to accident conditions if they are contained in a system whose function is to mitigate that accident.
The location of the connectors that must be qualified is not limited to those inside containment.
Action To Be Taken By Licensees and Pennit Holders:
1.
Actions requested by Bulletin 77-05 should be expanded to include all connectors in safety systems which are required to function to mitigate an accident where the accident itself could adversely affect the ability of the system to perfonn its safety function.
The examination is not to be limited to only LOCA's nor to areas only within containment.
2.
Responses should be provided within 30 or 60 days, as appropriate, of the date of this supplement.
7 Approved by GAO, B180225 (R0072); clearance expires 7-31-80.
Approval was given under a blanket cicarance specifically for identified generic problems.
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