ML19351F769
| ML19351F769 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Point Beach  |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Burstein S WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102200097 | |
| Download: ML19351F769 (1) | |
Text
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799 ROOSEVELT ROAD og,.....f GLEN ELLYN.1LLINOIS 60137 January 16, 1981 Gentlemen:
This Information Notice No. 81-01 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 hTC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular or Bulletin will be issued to recommend or request specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, 08 w
e( James G. Keppler Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 80-01 l
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l, Docket No. 50-266 Docket No. 50-301 Wisconsin Electric Power Company ATTN:
Mr. Sol Burstein Executive Vice President t
Power Plants 231 West Michigan Milwaukee, WI 53201 4
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Reed, Plant Manager tral Files AD/ Licensing AD/ Operating Reactors T. Colburn, ORB /NRR AEOD Resident Inspector, RIII PDR Local PDR NSIC TIC John J. Duffy, Chief Boiler Inspector Peter Anderson, Wisconsin's Environmental Decade i
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SSINS No.:
6835 Accession No.:
8011040254 IN 81-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASPINGTON, D. C.
20555 January 16, 1981 IE INFORMATION NOTICE N0. 81-01: POSSIBLE FAILURES OF GENERAL ELECTRIC TYPE HFA RELAYS
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 matarial that is susceptible to surface cracking when expused to hydrocarbons.
The concern here is that such surface cracks could ultimately deteriorate to Luch a degree that relay actuation would be blocked by the resultant debris, thereby inhibiting a required safety function.
Indications t;f the above mentioned cracks were recently detected on the HfA relays used to sequence the emergency loads on the diesel generators at Terkey 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 cum followers used on GE type SBM 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 relay actuation.
Accordingly, this Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter that is still under review by the NRC. staff.
Recipients should, therefore, review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
Although no specific action or response is requested at this time, further licensee actions may be requested or required pending the outcome of the NRC staff evaluation.
If you have any question regarding this matter, please contact the director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
IN 81-01 January 16, 1981 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Date of Notice No.
Subject Issue Issued to 80-45 Potential Failure of 12/17/80 All PWR facilities BWR Backup Manual Scram with an OL or CP Capability 80-44 Actuation of ECCS in the 12/16/80 All PWR facilities Recirculation Mode While with an OL or CP in Hot Shutdown 80-43 Failures of the Continuous 12/5/80 All power reactor Water Level Monitor for facilities with OL the Scram Discharge Volume or CP at Dresden Unit No. 2 80-42 Effect of Radiation on 11/24/80 All power reactor Hydraulic Sr,ubber Fluid faciS ties with OL or CP 80-41 Failure of Swing Check 11/10/80 All power reactor Valve in the Decay Heat facilities with an OL Removal System at Davis-or CP Besse Unit No. 1 80-40 Excessive Nitrogen Supply 11/10/80 All power reactor Pressure Actuates Safety-facilities with Relief Valve Operation to 0L or CP Cause Reactor Depressur-ization 80-39 Malfunctions of Solenoid 10/31/80 All light water reactor Valves Manufactured By facilities with Valcor Engineering Corporation OLs or cps 80-38 Cracking in Charging Pump 10/30/80 All PWR facilities Casing Cladding with an OL or CP 80-37 Containment Cooler Leaks 10/24/80 All power reactor and Reactor Cavity facilities with Flooding at Indian Point OLs or cps Unit 2 OL = Operating Licenses CP = Construction Permits