ML19341B832
| ML19341B832 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | South Texas  |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Oprea G HOUSTON LIGHTING & POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102270881 | |
| Download: ML19341B832 (1) | |
Text
- - _
p# *%,
UMTED STATES
[w v **E NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 7 t2!
' ca,
'8 REGloN IV 5
8 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE. SUITE 1000 h,,
, ~#
ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011 January 16, 1981 In Reply Refer To:
RIV f
Docket Nos. 50-498/IE Infonnation Notice No. 81-01 50-499/IE Infomation Notice No. 81-01 q
C pr
~
q
,. L i.
FED 0 31981 =
I Houston Lighting & Power Company 9,,,, _ _,.
ATTN: Mr. G. W. Oprea, Jr.
o, co=suma s
Executive Vice President e
Post Office Box 1700 4
Houston, Texas 77001
/a Gentlemen:
This IE Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If further NRC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular or Bulletin will be issued to recommend or request specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Sincerely,
/
m f
Of7 - f' :
I KarY e Nit
)
Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Information Notice No. 81-01 2.
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices 0M 810227 $
SSINS No..
6835 Accession No.-
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 IE Informaticn Notice No. 81-01 January 16, 1981 Page 1 of 1 Purcose:
The intent of this Information Notice is to alert licensees and holders of construction permits of a potentially generic problem involving defective coil spools used in General Electric (GE) type HFA relays.
Such defective relays were recently found at Turkey Point Unit 4 (Docket No. 50-250).
Descriotion of Circunstances:
The defective coil spools are fabricated of either black or clear Lexan, a polycarconate material that is susceptible to surface cracking when exposed to hydrocarbons.
The concern here is that such surface cracks could ultimately deteriorate to such a degree that relay actuation would be blocked by the resultant debris, thereby inhibiting a required safety function.
Indications of the above mentioned cracks were recently detected on the HFA relays used to sequence the emergency loads on the diesel generaters at Turkey Point Unit 4 upon a loss of-coolant accident coincident with a loss of offsite power.
After detecting the cracks, the spare coils in the storeroom were in-spected and, although these coils are new units, one was found to be cracked.
The possible failures of GE type HFA relays highlights two salient points:
(1) HFA relays have had a long history of failures (e.g., GE has issued several Service Information Letters (SIL) addressing these relays, the oldest one of which dates back to 1975, and it is anticipated that GE will issue a new SIL in the near future addressing this new concern); (2) the cracking phenomena seems to be similar to that experienced on the cam followers used on GE type SBM switches (e.g., these cam folicwers are fabricated of Lexan, and after neir exposure to hycrocarcons curing faorication or during "aintenance severe cracking resulted.
See IE Information Notice No. 50-13 for accitional ::e: ails. )
The above information identifies means whereby the integrity of a major safety-related system can be jeccarci:ed or cencremisec by :ne 01ccking of relay actuation.
Accorcingly, this Information Notice is previcea as an early nctification of a possicly significant T.atter tna; is stili ;ncer evi w by
- ne NRC staff.
Reciaients snculd, therefore, review the information for possible applicacility to their facilities.
Althcugn no specific action or respense is recuestec at this time, furtner licensee acticns may be rect.estec or recuired perding the cutccme of tne NRC staf f evaluation.
If you have ar.y ::uestion regarding tnis matter, please contact the cirec r of tne apprcoriate NRC Regicnal Office.
O r
IE Information Notice No. 81-01 January 16, 1981 LISTING 0F RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Subject Date Issued To Notice No.
Issued 80-39 Malfunctions Of Solenoid 10/31/80 All light water reactor Valves Manufactured By facilities holding Valcor Engineering Corporation power reactor Operating Licenses (OLs) or Construc-tion Permits (cps) 80-40 Excessive Nitrogen 11/7/80 All power facilities Supply Pressure with an Operating License Actuates Safety-Relief (0L) or Construction Valve Operation to Permit (CP)
Cause Reactor Depressuriza-tion 80-41 Failure of Swing Check 11/10/80 All power reactor Valve in the Decay Heat facilities with an Operating Removal System at Davis-License (0L) or Construction Besse Unit No. 1 Permit (CP) 80-42 Effect of Radiation 11/24/80 All power reactor on Hydraulic Snub.ar Fluid facilities with an Operating License (OL) or Construction Permit (CP)
'80-43 Failures of the Continuous 12/5/80 All power reactor Water Level Monitor for facilities with an the Scram Discharge Volume Operating License (OL) at Dresden Unit No. 2 or Construction Permit (CP) 80-44 Actuation of ECCS in the 12/16/80 All power reactor Recirculation Mode While facilities witn an in Hot Shutdown Operating License (CL) or Construction Permit (CP) 30-25 Potential :ailure of 12/17/80 All pressurized water SWR Backup Manual Scram reactor facilities wita Capability an Ocerating License (OL)
Construction ?srmit (CP)
Enclosu"e