ML19341B833
| ML19341B833 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | River Bend  |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Draper E GULF STATES UTILITIES CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102270885 | |
| Download: ML19341B833 (1) | |
Text
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UMTED STATES s
a-1 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 3
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k [j REGION IV 611 RYAN PLAZA DRPiE. SUITE 1CO',
'4 ARLINGTON. TEX AS 7C011 In Reply Refer To:
January 16, 1931
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N Docket Mos.
50-458/IE Informaticri Notice No. 31-01 50-459/IE Informaticn Notice No. 81-01
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TEE 0 31931 -I rf A i, v.5. ='a =,.= ' 6" Gulf States Utilities
\\g co w sio Attn:
Dr. E. Linn Draper, Jr.
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Post Office Box 2951 Beaumont, Texas 77704 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 recamcid or request specific licensee ac tions.
If you have questions regarding this matter, clease contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Sincerely,
/
-- LQ r/. p/
';f i
O Karl V. Seyfrit Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Informaticn Notice No. 81-01 2.
List of Recently !ssued IE Information Notices 8102270 % S Q
5 SINS No..
6835 Accession No.:
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 IE Information Notice No. 81-01 January 16, 1981 Page 1 of 1 Purpcse:
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).
Description of Circumstances:
The defective coil spools are fabricated of either black or clear Lexan, a polycarbonate 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 innibiting 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 generators 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 histcry of failures (e.g., GE has issued several Service Information Letters (SIL) addressing these relays, the oldest one of which dates back to 1973, and it is anticioated that GE will issue a new SIL in the near future addressing this new concern); (2) the cracking phencmena seems to be similar to that experienced on the ca:r followers used on GE type SEM switches (e.g., these cam folicwers are fabricatec of Lexan, and after their expcsure to hydrocaroons during fabrication or during maintenance severe cracking resultec.
See IE Information Notice No. 80-13 for additicnal details.)
The above information icentifies means wnereby the integrity of a major safety-related system can be jeccardized or comarcmisec by.he blocking cf relay actuation.
Accorcingly, tnis Information Notice is proviced as an early notification of a possicly significant mattar that is still under review by the NRC staff.
Recipients shculd, therefore, review ne information for possible acplicability to their facilities.
Although no-specific action or response is requested at this time, further licensee acticns may be requested or required pending the outcome of the NRC staff evaluation.
If you have any question regarcing this matter, clease contact the director of the apprcpriate NRC Regional Office.
IE Information Notice No. 81-01 s
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 Vzicor 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 (OL) or Construction Besse Unit Ho. 1 Permit (CP) 80-42 Effect of Radiation 11/24/80 All power reactor on Hydraulic Snubber 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) 50-44
' Actuation of ECCS in tne 12/15/80 All power reactor Recirculation Mode While facilities with an in Hot Snutdown Operating License (CL) or Constecction Pernit (CP) 50-25 Poe.ential Failure of 12/17/30 Ali cressurized water EWR Backed Manual Scram reactor facilities with Capability an Cperating License (OL)
Construction Perait (C?)
Enclosure
.