ML19345C248
| ML19345C248 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Humboldt Bay |
| Issue date: | 11/14/1980 |
| From: | Engelken R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| To: | Crane P PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8012040225 | |
| Download: ML19345C248 (1) | |
Text
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A UNITED STATES 8
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION i
E REGION V
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1990 N. CALirORNIA BOULEVARD o
SulTE 202, WALNUT CREEK PLAZA 4
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WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA 94596 November 14, 1980 O
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a Docket No. 50-133
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company O
m 77 Beale Street San Francisco, California 94106 Attention:
Mr. Philip A. Crane, Jr.
Assistant General Counsel Gentlemen:
Enclosed is IE Bulletin No. 80-23 which requires action by you with regard to your nuclear pwer facility (ies) with an operating license or construction permit.
In order to assist the.NRC in evaluating the value/ impact of each bulletin on licensees, it would be helpful if you would provide us an estimate of the manpower expended in conduct of the review and preparation of the report (s) required by the bulletin.
Please estimate separately the manpower associated with corrective actions necessary following identification of problems through the bulletin.
Should you have any questions regarding this bulletin or the action required by you, please contact this office.
Sincerely,
((IT a L>(
R. H. Engelken Director
Enclosures:
1.
- 2. - Recently issued 'IE Bulletins cc w/ enclosures:
J. D. Shiffer, PG&E W. Raymond, PG&E E. Weeks, PG&E, Humbcidt Bay
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1 SSI!!S ?!o.: 6820 Accession ?!o.:
8008220257 IEB S0-23 U:lITED STATES
.1UCLEAR REGULATORY CC"filSSIO!!
CFFICE OF INSPECTIO!! AtiD EMFORCEMEtli D
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4 UASHIt'GTON, D.C.
20555 oo, 2J Movreber 14, 1990 IE Bulletin flo. 80-23:
FAILURES OF SOLE!!OID VALVES pat:UFACTURED BY VALCOR E!! git!EERIrlG CORP 0 PATI 0t!
==
Introduction:==
Valcor Engineering Corporation (Valcor) has submitted 10 CFR Part 21 Reports addressinc failures of Valcor sciencid valves used at nuclear oower facilities.
These failures have occurreo at nuclear facilities ownea by Duke Pcwer Company and Cmaha Public Power District, ana are purportedly limitea to solenoid valves h'aving part nutoers (P/il's) V70900-21-1 and V70900-21-3.
The information presentea in this bulletin is intendeo to shed light on the defective solencia valves so tnat approorlate actions can ce taken to circum-vent the cegradation of any sarety-reietec system using sucn soienoid valves.
DISCUSSION:
'The specific Valccr scienoid vulves accresseo nerein were purportedly designed as Class IE ccnpanents..;owever, in iignt of the reported failures, it appears that neither the design nor une quailfication tests were auequate for Class IE service.
Valccr has a ttributed tile failures to a latant defect in the magnet wire.
Valcor teiieves Oct this defect maniicsts itself unen the solenoid valves are continuously energiac at elevated temperatures by an inccmpata-bility between the ragnet wire's polyvinyl varnish coating and the wire's polyimide insulatica < hich causes a dielectric breakdown leading to turn-to-turn shorts within the coil.
Valcor states that the above inccmpatability is limited to solenoid valves having P/!!'s V70900-21-1 cnd 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.
CUSTCMER
?.0 MO.
VALVE P/fl OTY Anchnr-Darling P-827 V70930-21-1,-3 24 Anchor-Darling i:663 V70900-21-1 6
Cesare Conetti (Italy)
If35/79 V70900-21-3 10 Cuke Power Ccepany E95153-11 V7C900-21-3 100 Duke (:lill Pcwer)
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 LOGO #43 V70900-21-3 8
Copes Vulcan 911,553 V70900-21-1 4
TOTAL 610
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IEB 80-23 November 14, 1980 Pages 2 of 3 Valcor's corrective actions include making arrangements for replacing existing coils with a newly designe.1 coil using a 997 silicone varnish coating instead i
of the polyvinyl. varnish.
Sample coils of the new design are scheduled to undergo qualification tests. He 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 exoerienced five failures of these Valcor solenoid valves.
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 moce of operation and a somewhat elevated temperature inside containment) tend to support Valcor's contention regarding the failure mechanism.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY LICENSEES:
1.
Dete:Toi..J whether Valcor solenoid valves having P/H's V70900-21-1 or -3 are used to perform any safety-related function at your facility.
6 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 resuits of the evaluation of continued operation shall be submitted within ten (10 days of the date of this bulletin and shouldincludefactorssuchas(a{, operator'sabilitytopromptlyidentify a failing or failed solenoid vahe, (b) effect of solenoid valve failures on safety-related systems and schsequent operator actions required, and (c) possible degradaticn of the power supply serving a failed solenoid valve nd 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 itcms.
4 2.
Licensees of operating plants using the aforementioned solenoid valves in safety-related applications shall periodically test the coils for-potential turn-to-turn shorts in a manner that will not violate any LC0 or cause any undesirable transient. The tests should account for coil resistance changes 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.
4 IEB 80-23 flovember 14, 1980 Pages 3 of 3
. Whenever the tests indicate that ten percent or more of the coil turns have been shorted, said solenoid valve, or its coil, shall be replaced with a ::ew unit.
3.
Licensees of operating plants shall submit a report within forty-five
-(45) days'cf 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 c erectite measures should include the replacemut of the coils with fully qualified coils.
New solenoid valve assemblies (i.e., a repaired unit with a replacement coil or a completely new unit) shall be demonstrated to be qualified for-its safety-related application oer the acolicable reouirements of IEEE 323-1974, IEEE 344-1975, IEEE 382-1972 and IE Bulletin fio.79-01B
,and supplements thereto.
ACTIONS TO BE TAKEfl BY HOLDERS OF CONSTRUCTI0fl PERf1ITS:
-1. -Octer nine 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 adcressing this matter snail be submitted by the earlier of the two following ' dates:
(a) within ninety (90) days of the date of this bulletin; (b) two wee'(s prior to the date by which you expect t) receive an operating Lice.ase.
Tte above report should indicate your plans to replace said valves prior to commencing cperation, if this is the case. Othemise, if you p"opose to commence operatica prior to replacing said valves, tne report (could indicate the safety-related systems where such valves are to be used,.
nd should include an evaluation of the acceptability of operatino with 7
ptentially defective valvas.
This evaluation should address factors scch as your proposed tcst plan, cparator's ability to pronptly. identify a failing or failed valve, effect of solenoid valve-failure on safety-related systems and subsequent operator actions required, and the preventive ceasures you plan h implement to circumvent the effects of failures of these valves.
If no such valves are to be used in your fa:ility, 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 f RC region within time stipulated for each item in the this
~ bulletin. A cooy of each report shall be forwarded to the Director,-Division of Reactor Operations Inspection, Office of Inspection and Enforcement,.
United States fluclear. Regulatory Comission, !!ashington, D. C. 20555.
Approved by GAO, B180225(R0072); clearance expires-flovember 30, 1980. Approval was given.under a blanket clearance specifically for identified generic problems.
- - _, _ _. ~, _. _.. - _
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IE2 80-23
- !!ovember 14, 1980 RECEllTLY ISSUED IE CULLETINS Bulletin No.
- Subject Date Issued Issued To
. 80-22 Automation Industries, 9/11/80 All radiography Mode', 200-520-008 Sealed-licensees i
Source Connectors 80-21 Valve yokes supplied by 11/5/80 All light water Malcolm Foundry Company, Inc'.
reactor. facilities holding OLs or cps Supplement 3 Environmental Oualificatien 10/24/80 All power reactor to 79-10B of Class 1E Equipment facilitter with an OL 1
j Supplement 2 Environmental Qualification 9/30/80 All power reactor j
to 79-01B of Class IE Equipment facilities with an OL i
80-22 Autcmation Industries, 9/11/80 All radiography
- l'odel 200-520-008 Scaled-licensees scurce Connectors 79-26 Baron' Loss from BUR 8/29/80 All BWR power
- Revision 1 Control Blades facilities with an OL 80-20 Failures of Westinghouse-7/31/80 To each nuclear Type-W-2 Spring Return power facility in to !;eutral Control Switches your region having:
an OL or a CP 80-19 Failures.of fiercury-7/31/80
' All nuclear power
- Metted Matrix Relays in facilities having 1
Reactor Protective Systems either an OL or a CP
(
of Operating. Nuclear Power Plants Designed by Combus-tion Engineering' ~
Maintenance of Adequate 7/24/80 All PWR power reactor 80-18 Minimum' Flow Thru Centrifugal facilities holding Ols-Charging Pumps Following and to there.PWRs Secondary Side High Energy nearing. licensing Line; Rupture i-y e
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