ML19351F774
| ML19351F774 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Zimmer |
| Issue date: | 01/16/1981 |
| From: | James Keppler NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Borgmann E CINCINNATI GAS & ELECTRIC CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8102200109 | |
| Download: ML19351F774 (1) | |
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8 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
- . E REGION lli d'['
799 ROOSEVELT ROAD o,
C EN ELLYN,lLLINOIS 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 NRC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular or Bulletin will be issued to recommend c,r request specific licensee actions.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, aB w
-,< Ja.nes G. Keppler Director
Enclosure:
IE Information Notice No. 80-01 fl Ob MO 10]
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Docket No. 50-358 Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company ATTN:
Mr. Ea rl A. Borgmann Senior Vice Fresident Engineering Services and Electric Production 139 East 4th Street Cincinnati, OH 45201 cc w/ enc 1:
J. R. Schott, Plant Superintendent Central Files AD/ Licensing AD/ Operating Reactors AEOD Resident Inspector, RIII PDR Local PDR Harold W. Kehn, Power Siting Commission Citizens Against a Radioactive Environment Helen W. F.rans, State of Ohio
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IN 81-01 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 0FFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D. C.
20555 January 16, 1981 IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 81-01: POSSIBLE FAILURES OF GENERAL ELECTRIC TYPE HFA RELAYS
Purpose:
l 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 degre.e 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-coclant 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 Sll 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 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.
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IN 81-01 e
Jant:ary 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 Manitor 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 Snubber Fluid facilities with OL or CP I
80-41 Failure of swing Check 11/10/80 All powee 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 1r T1/80 All light water reactor Valves Manufactured By facilities with Valcor Engineering Corporation OLs or cps 80-38 Cracking in Chargir.g 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 i
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