ML19341C044
| ML19341C044 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | Seyfrit K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV) |
| To: | Aswell D LOUISIANA POWER & LIGHT CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102280506 | |
| Download: ML19341C044 (1) | |
Text
C ppa a t g'4,,
UNITED STATES
~.
,y^
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMIGGION
~
e, br
,j REGION IV
[
611 RY AN PLAZA DRIVE. SUITE 1000
<, ?,,,,,a, ARLINGTON. TEX AS 76011 In Reply Refer To:
January 16, 1981 RIV Docket No.
50-332/IE Information Notice 'lo. 81-01 9
0 k
)
N. ;
4 7
Louisiana Power and Light Co.
g g
(Qub l b ATTN: Mr. D. L. Aswell Vice President of Power Production q-j
)
3
,\\ r t t,. 0 yg >-
142 Delaronde Street t
... g % [,
New Orleans, Louisiana 70174 q,y i'
Gentlemen :
/>W N
Q~ J (n
This IE Information Notice is provided as an early notificat v.
.. u possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the informaticn for possible applicability to their facility.
No specific action or resgonse is requested at thic time.
If further NRC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular or Bulletin will be issued to recommend or rec;est specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact the Directer of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
Sincerely,
/
y=-%lf/w,(f Karl V. Seyfrit / /
Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Informaticn Notice No. 81-01 2.
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices 610 2 Zt3 05 0 6
SSINS No..
6835 Accession No.:
'N UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COPMISSION QAg
/
0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 l
IE Information Notice No. 91-01 January 16, 1981 Page 1 of 1
Purpose:
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 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 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 history 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 anticipated that GE will issue a new SIL in the near future addressing this new concern); (.') the cracking phencmena seems tc be similar to'that experienced'on the cam followers used on GE type SBM switches (e.g., these cam follcwers are fabricated of Lexan, and after tneir exposure to hydrecarbons curing fabrication or during maintenance severe cracking resulted.
See IE Information Notice No. 80-13 for acditional details.)
The acove informaticr. identifies : leans whereby the integrity of a major safety-related system can be jeopardized or concr;misec ::y the biccking of relay actuation.
Accorcingly, this Information Notice is crovicec as an early notification of a pcssibly significant matter :nat is s-iii uncer review cy the NRC staff.
Recipients should, therefore, review the informaticn for possible soplicability to their facilities.
Although no specific action or response is requested at this time, further licensee actions may oe requested or required pendir.g the outcome of the NRC staff evaluation.
If you have any question regarding this matter, please centsct the cirector of the apprcpriate NRC Regional Office.
L
IE Information,lotice No. 81-01 January 16, 1981 LISTING OF 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 (0Ls) or Construc-tion Permits (cps) 80-40 Excessive Nitrogen 11/7/80 All power facilities Supply Pressure with an Operating License Actuates Safety-Relief (OL) 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 No. 1 Permit (CP)
L 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) 80-44 Actuation of ECCS in the 12/16/80 Ali power reactor Recirculation Moce While facilities
,i'.a an in Hot Shutdewn Operating Licaase (OL) er Construction Permit (CP) 30-45 Potential Failure of 12/17/50 Ali pressurized wa.ar BWR Backup Manual Scram reactor facilities sith Capability an Ocerating License (OL)
Construction Permit (CP)
Enclosure