ML19345C146
| ML19345C146 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000363 |
| Issue date: | 11/14/1980 |
| From: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Finfrock I JERSEY CENTRAL POWER & LIGHT CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8012040012 | |
| Download: ML19345C146 (1) | |
Text
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION l
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Occket No. 50-363 Jersey Central Power and Light Company D
ATTN:
Mr. I. R. Finfrock, Jr.
c; Vice President 260 Cherry Hill Road Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 w
c; Gentlemen:
=
The enclosed IE Su11etin 80-23, " Failures of Solenoid Valves Manufactured by Valcor Engineering Corporation is fornarded to you for action.
No written response is required.
In order to assist the NRC in evaluating the value/ impact of each Sulletin on licensees, it would ce neipful if you would provice an estimate of the manoower expended in conduc of ne review and preparation of the report (s) recuirec cy the Bulletin.
Please estimata separataly the manpower associated with corrective actions following identification of proclems tnrougn the Bulletin.
If you cesire additional information regarcing this mattar, please contact tnis office.
Sincerely, Boy e H. Grier Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Sulletin No. 30-23 2.
List of Recently Issued IE Bulletins CONTACT:
D. L. Caphton cc w/encis(215-337-5256)
M. X. Pastor, Project Manager 1
8012040 oil
1.6..a SSINS Ns.:
6820 Accession No.:
8008220257 IEB 80-23 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 November 14, 1980 IE Bulletin No. 80-23:
FAILURES OF SOLEN 0ID VALVES MANUFACTURED BY VALCOR ENGINEERING CORPORATION
==
Introduction:==
Valcor Engineering Corporation (Valcor) has submitted 10 CFR Part 21 Reports
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addressing failures of Valcor solenoid valves used at nuclear power facilities.
These failures have occurred at nuclear facilities owned by Duke Power Company and Omaha Public Power District, and are purportedly limited to solenoid valves having part numbers (P/N's) V70900-21-1 and V70900-21-3.
The information presented in this bulletin is intended to shed light on the defective solenoid valves so that appropriate actions can be taken to circum-vent the degradation of any safety-related system using such solenoid valves.
DISCUSSION:
The specific Valcor solenoid valves addressed herein were purportedly designed as Class IE components.
However, in' light of the reported failures, it appears that neither the design nor the qualification tests were adequate for Class IE service.
Valcor has attributed the failures to a latent defect in the magnet wire.
Valcor believes that this defect manifests itself when the solenoid valves are continuously energized at elevated temperatures by an incompata-bility between the magnet wire's polyvinyl varnish coating and the wire's polyimide insulation which causes a dielectric breakdown leading to turn-to-turn shorts within the coil.
Valcor states that the above incompatability is limited to solenoid valves having P/N's V70900-21-1 and V70900-21-3, and that all customers affected by the aforementioned defect have been notified.
A listing of Valcor customers so notified and valves purchased follows.
CUSTOMER P.O. NO.
VALVE P/N QTY Anchor-Oarling P-827 V70900-21-1,-3 24 Anchor-Darling N663 V70900-21-1 6
Cesare Bonetti (Italy) 1535/79 V70900-21-3 10 Duke Power Company E95188-11 V70900-21-3 100 Duke (Mill Power)
C-97733 V70900-21-1,-3 335 Duke Power Company E97822-11 V70900-21-3 70 Ralph Hiller HA-187-0 V70900-21-3 14 Mill Power E52462-73 V70900-21-1,-3 20 Omaha Public Power Dist.
43472 V70900-21-3 19 Stone and Webster LOOO #43 V70900-21-3 8
Copes Vulcan 911,553 V70900-21-1 4
i TOTAL 610
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..w IEB 80-23 November 14, 1980 Pages 2 of 3 Valcor's corrective actions include making arrangements for replacing existing coils with a newly designed coil-using a 997 silicone varnish coating instead of the polys'ay1 varnish.
Sample coils of the new design are scheduled to undergo qualification tests.
We do not know the particulars of these tests, but Valcor has scheduled the first phase of these tests for completion by November 15, 1980, and has identified the second phase as an on going aging test.
Fort Calhoun has replaced twelve of its original solenoid valves with Valcor type V70900-21-3 valves, ten of which are located inside containment and two outside.
This substitution was made because the original solenoid valves did not meet the requirements of IE Bulletin No. 79-01.
However, subsequent to the replacement, Fort Calhoun has experienced five failures of these Valcor
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Each failure involved a solenoid valve located inside contain-ment and designed for operation in the normally energized mode.
These two factors (i.e., continuously energized mode of operation and a somewhat elevated temperature inside containment) tend to support Valcor's contention regarding tne failure mechanism.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY HOLDER OF OPERATING LICENSES:
1.
Determine whether Valcor solenoid valves having P/N's V70900-21-1 or -3 are used to perform any safety-related function at your facility.
If so, identify the safety-related systems using these solenoid valves, the total number of such solenoid valves used, and evaluate acceptability of continued operation with potentially defective solenoid valves.
A report of the results of the evaluation of continued operation shall be submitted within ten (10) days of the date of this bulletin and should include factors such as (a) operator's ability to promptly identify a failing or failed solenoid valve, (b) effect of solenoid valve failures on safety-related systems and subsequent operator actions required, and (c) possible degradation of the power supply serving a failed solenoid valve and the effects on other components served by said power supply.
If no such solenoid valves are used, you need only submit a negative declaration to this effect within thirty (30) days of the date of this bulletin and you need not respond to the remaining items.
2.
Licensees of operating plants using the aforementioned solenoid valves in safety-related applications scall periodically test the coils for potential turn-to-turn shorts :1 a manner that will not violate any LCO or cause any undesirable transient.
The tests should account for coil resistance chgnges due to temperature effects attributed to the environ-ment and to I R losses in the coil to provide accurate indications of changes in resistance due to turn-to-turn shorts.
These tests are to be initiated within ten (10) days of the date of this bulletin.
The following schedule is recommended until the units are replaced with qualified units:
(a) Daily for solenoid valves operated in a normally energized mode; (b) Weekly for solenoid valves operated in a normally deenergized mode.
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-e TEB 80-23
' November 14, 1980
- l Pages 3 of 3 Whenever the-tests indicate that ten porcent or more of the coil turns Lhave-been shorted, said solenoid valve, or its coil, shall be replaced 1
with-s new unit.
i 3.
Licensees of operating plants shall submit a report within forty-five l
(45) days of the date of-this bulletin describing their longer, term corrective action plan and the date by which the corrective actions will be implemented.
As a minimum, the longer term corrective measures should' include the' replacement of the coils with fully qualified coils.
New solenoid valve assemblies (i.e., a repaired unit with a replacement cofi or a completely new unit) shall be demonstrated to be qualified for its safety-related application per the applicable requirements of
.IEEE 323-1974, IEEE 344-1975, IEEE 382-1972 and IE Bulletin No. 79-018 and supplements thereto.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY HOLDERS OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS:
1.
Determine whether Valcor solenoid valves having P/N's V70900-21-1 or -3 are to be used to perform safety-related functions at your facility.
If so, a report addressing this matter shall be submitted by the earlier of the two following dates: -(a) within ninety (90) days of the date i
of this bulletin; (b) two weeks prior to the date by which you expect to receive an operating License.
1 The above report should. indicate your plans to replace said valves-prior to commencing operation, if this is the case.
Otherwise, if you propose to commence operation prior to replacing said valves, the report shculd indicate the safety-related systems where such valves are to be used, and should include an evaluation of the acceptability of operating with potentially defective valves.
This evaluation should address factors such as your proposed test plan, operator's ability to promptly identify a.failing or failed valve, effect of solenoid valve failure on safety-related systems and subsequent operator actions required, and the preventive measures you plan to implement to circumvent the effects of failures of these valves.
If no such valves are to be used in your facility, submit a negative declaration to this effect within forty-five (45) days of the date of this bulletin but prior to the date by which you expect to receive an operating license.
The above requested reports shall be submitted to the director of the appropriate NRC region within time stipulated for each item in the this bulletin.
A copy of each report shall be forwarded to the Director, Division of Resident and Regional Reactor Inspection, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D. C. 20555.
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Approved by GAO, B180225(R0072); clearance expires November 30, 1980.
Approval L
was given under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic problems.
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IE Bulletin No. 80-23 November 14, 1980 RECENTLY ISSUED IE BULLETINS Bulletin Subject Date Issued Issued To No.
80-22 Automation Industries, 9/12/80 All holders of a Model 200-520-008 Sealed-radiography license Source Connectors 80-21 Valve Yokes Supplied by 11/6/80 All holders of a
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Malcolm Foundry Company, Inc.
power reactor OL or CP Revision 1 Boron Loss from 8/29/80 All holders to 79-26 BWR Control Blades of a BWR power reactor OL Revision 1 Fai' ares of Mercury-8/15/80 All holders of a to 80-19 Wetted Matrix Relays in power reactor Reactor Protective OL or CP Systems of Operating Nuclear Power Plants Designed by Combustion Engineering 80-20 Failures of Westinghouse 7/31/80 All holders of a Type W-2 Spring Return to power reactor OL Neutral Control Switches or CP 80-19 Failures of Mercury-7/31/80 All holders of a Wetted Matrix Relays in power reactor OL Reactor Protective Systems or CP of Operating Nuclear Power Plants Designed by Combustion Engineering 80-18 Maintenance of Adequate 7/24/80 All holders of a Minimum Flow Thru PWR power reactor Centrifugal Charging Pumps OL or CP Following Secondary Side High Energy Line Rupture Supplement 3 Failure of Control Rods 8/22/80 All holders of a to 80-17 to Insert During a BWR power reactor Scram at a BWR OL or CP Supplement 2 Failure of Control Rods 7/22/80 All holders of a to 80-17 to Insert During a Scram BWR power reactor OL at a BWR Supplement 1 Failure of Control Rods 7/18/80 All holders of a BWR to 80-17 to Insert During a Scram power reactor at a BWR OL or CP 2
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