ML20010C688

Interim Deficiency Rept Re Potentially Reportable Diesel Generator Starting Air Sys Design,Initially Reported 810803. Generator Supplier Will Be Contacted to Determine Whether Deficiency Exists.Problem Suspected to Be Generic in Nature

ML20010C688
Person / Time
Site:	Perry, Three Mile Island, Summer, Crystal River, Ginna
Issue date:	08/06/1981
From:	Barker N GILBERT/COMMONWEALTH, INC. (FORMERLY GILBERT ASSOCIAT
To:	Stello V NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
References
10CFR-050.55E, TAC-43912, NUDOCS 8108200314
Download: ML20010C688 (2)

Text

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[ Gilbert / Commonwealth engin rs and consuitants GILBERT AoSOCIATES, INC., P. O. Box 1498, Reading, PA 19603/Tel 215-775-2600/ Cable Gdasoc/ Telex 836-431 CD f

August 6, 1981

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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission .c N Office of Inspection and Enforcement b l,v . lb , [J ,.

Washington, DC 20555 C g ,.y uog#;

y coaoa s Attention: Mr. V. Stello- @

. Direc to r h Subj ect: Potential Reportable Event -

Diesel Generator Starting Air System

Dear Mr. Stello:

This documents the reporting of a potential reportable e"ent to Mr. W. Mills be telephone on August 3, 1981, at approximately 10:10 a.m.

Individual Who Reported Norman R. Barker, Gilbert Associates Quality Assurance Division General Manager,

-at the'above address, made the call.

Activity Involved Design of'the diesel generator starting air system.

Components Involved Diesel generator starting air system sensing line and compressor controls.

Facility Involved Perry Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2, being constructed by the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company.

There is a possibility that a similar problem exists on the following plants for which GAI is the architect / engineer:

V. C. Summer, Unit 1 Three Mile Island, Unit 1 Crystal River, Unit 3 R. E. Ginna, Unit 1 Nature of Defect In the Diesel Generator Starting Air System, a non-safety related compressor is fed with a sensing line from the safety related receiver tanks. If the sensing line or the connecting part of the compressor fails, the starting air for the diesels would be wented to the atmosphere. Loss of starting air supply could g N

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k ' .. c Mr. V.L Stello- .2- August 6, 1981

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~ result in the unavailability of the diesel generators. If this occurred at the same timefas a loss of off-site power, the safe shutdown capability' of the plant would be coepromised.

'The starting air system design is provided by the diesel generator manufacturer.

The requirement for an instrument sensing line feedback from the air receiver tank to the compressor is specified by the manufacturers for each of the nuclear

projects referenced above. The' sensing line may be skid mounted and furnished by the manufacturer, or it may be specified by the manufacturer,'and piped-up in the field.

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-For the Perry Project,'the safety. class and seismic category of the sensing line had not been determined by the manufacturer or by GAI. Also, the line has not been detailed on the GAI physical piping drawing or installed in the ficid'.

. We feel that the safety. class of the' sensing line is academic, because it could also fail at the point of attachment to the compressor. This could be a generic problem to diesel generator systems in general, involving several manufacturers

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and other nuclear plants.

-Date Information Obtained 1

A report of the preliminary engineering evaluation of this problem was given to the QA Division General Manager on August 3, 1981.

Corrective Action

!. We will contact the diesel generator supplier for each of the referenced projects to determine whether a design deficiency actually exists. It is possible that they have each compensated for loss of the sensing line by some other method, such as by oversizing the receiver tank. If there is a design deficiency, we will take appropriate corrective action in t onjunction with the manufacturere.

We'will provide another report af ter we have received a response from the suppliers, but no later than September 30, 1981.

Additional Information f

l ke suspect that this is a generic problem involving projects and diesel suppliers i- other than those with whom we are involved.

Very truly yours, 4

i f

N. R. Barker General Manager

! Quality Assurance Division

-NRB:kb cc: H. Lorenz

. T. M. Demers-V. Stello - 3 U.-Potapovs

. Document Mgmt. Branch o