ML19341C065
| ML19341C065 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Haddam Neck File:Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co icon.png |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Counsil W CONNECTICUT YANKEE ATOMIC POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102280572 | |
| Download: ML19341C065 (1) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES g
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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631 PARK AVENUE
,d KING OF PRUS$1A, PENNSYLVANIA 19406 JAN 161981 Docket No. 50-213 Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company ATTN:
Mr. W. G. Counsil Vice President - Nuclear Engineering and Operations P. O. Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06101 Gentlemen:
The enclosed IE Information Notice No. 81-01, "Possible Failures of General Electric Type HFA Relays," is forwarded to you for information.
No written response is required.
If you desire additional information regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, Cd yce H. Grier Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Information Notice No. 81-01 2.
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices CONTACT:
E. G. Greenman (215-337-5267)
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION N
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WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 January 16, 1981 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-01: POSSIBLE FAILURES OF GENERAL ELECTRIC TYPE HFA RELAYS
Purpose:
The intent of this Information Notice is to alert licensees and holders of constructica permits of a potentially generic problem involving defective coil spools used ir. 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); (2) the cracking phenomena seems to be similar to that experienced on the cam followers used on GE type SBN switches (e.g., these cam followers are fabricated of Lexan, and after their exposure to hydrocarbons during fabrication or during maintenance severe cracking resulted.
See.IE Information Notice No. 80-13 for additional details.)
The above information identifies means whereby the integrity of a major safety related system can be jeopardized or compromised by the blocking of l
relay actuation.
Accordingly, this Information Notice is provided as an early l
notification of a possibly significant matter that is still under review by j
the NRC staff.
Recipients should, therefore, review the information for l
possible applicability to their facilities.
Although no specific action or response is requested at this time, further licensee actions may be requested j
or required pending the outcome of the NRC staff evaluation.
If you have any question regarding this matter, please contact the director of l
the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
IE Information Notice No. 81 '"
January 16, 1981 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Subject Date Issued to Notice No.
Issued 80-45 Potential Failure of 12/17/80 All holders of a BWR Backup Manual power reactor Scram Capability OL or CF 80-44 Actuation of ECCS in 12/14/80 All holders of a the Recirculation Mode PWR power reactor OL While in Hot Shutdown or CP 80-43 Failures of the 12/5/80 All holders of a Continuous Water Level BWR power reactor Monitor for the Scram OL or CP Discharge Volume at Dresden Unit No. 2 80-29 Broken Studs on Terry 11/26/80 All holders of a Supplement Turbine Steam Inlet power reactor No. 1 Flange OL or CP 80-42 Effects of Radiation on 11/24/80 All holders of a Hydraulic Snubber Fluid power reactor OL or CP 80-41 Failure of Swing Check 11/10/80 All holders of Valve in the Decay Heat a power reactor Removal System at OL or CP Davis-Besse Unit No. 1 80-40 Excessive Nitrogen 11/6/80 All holders of Supply Pressure a power reactor OL Activates Safety-Relief or CP Valve Operation to Cause Reactor l
Depressurization 80-39 Malfunctions of 10/31/80 All holders of a Solenoid Valves power reactor OL or CP Manufactured by Valcor Engineering Corporation 80-38 Cracking in Charging 10/30/80 All holders of Pump Casing Cladding a PWR power reactor OL or CP
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