ML20125C661
| ML20125C661 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Saint Lucie  |
| Issue date: | 09/17/1979 |
| From: | NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20125C659 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-GTECI-A-44, REF-GTECI-EL, TASK-A-44, TASK-OR NUDOCS 8001110138 | |
| Download: ML20125C661 (2) | |
Text
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-ENCLOSURE
. ST AFF EVALUATION D**
D 3'kh~
ST. LUCIE PLANT, UNIT NO. 2
.S.\\ L c
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Coolant Pu co Seals Follor:ing Station Blackout
_F_ailure of Reactor Ue have reviewed the testirony of Frederick George Fluc;er related to Question B2 of ALAB-537, Failure of Reactor Coolant Pump Seals, provided in the June 22, 1979 submittal to William D. Paton, US* RC, from i;orran A. Coll of the law firm of Steel, Hector and Davis (Enclosure-2).
The content of this testimony is censistent with the information provided by F. Fehlau, Technical Administrator for Byron, Jackscn Purps, manufacturer of the reacter ccolant pumps for the 16, 1979 between St. Lucie Nuclear Pc,;2r Plant, Unit 2 at a meetir.g held en i'ay The the US';?C, staff and the coplicant, Florida Fotier cnd Light Cocgany.
testircony of Frederick George Flugger concluded that in the event of a station bbckout, t.hich results in a loss of cooling rater ficw to the cartridge seal assembly of the reactor coolant p0mp, an ar;reciable leakage path through the seal assctbly to the reactor containmant building that could result in a The bases for this significant loss of privary reactor coolant does not exist.
conclusion tcere:
All seal components are captured within the seal cartridge ass wbly
]
1.
and held together by hydraulic and spring fccces thereby mininizing the leakage paths.
Each of the four seals that comprise the seal assembly is designed 1
2.
to provide sealing against full system pressure.
All the conpenents that comprise the seal cartridge assembly, except 3.
for the elastomeric U-cups and 0-rings, are nede of raterials that are unaffected by the elevated temperatures resulting from a loss of coolant to the seals.
Confined o-rings ".ade of the elastec.eric rraterial used cn the U-cups 4.
and o-rings have.been used on flanged joints of a reactor coolant pump Fot test icop there they have been subjccted to te peratures of 550 F The 0-rings rainteined their sealir,g capability for in excess of 100 hcurs.
althcugh hardar.ing and pericanent set of the 0-cines, as expected, occurred.
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Essed on our review of the information provided, we agree that the above reasons provide strong basis for acceptance of' the concit.-ion that a significant loss of reactor coolant through the seal cartridge will not occur.
However, since no test data on the seal design under expected reactor temperatures and pressures following a station blaci:out and specifically on the elastomeric seals in' the geometry utilized in the seal assembly design is available, it is our reco.endation that a con-firnatory test on one of the four seal assemblies that comprises the seal cartridge, be performed under expected blackout conditions of temperature, pressure and time
'to prcvide the additional verification necessary to determine the adequacy of the reactor coolant punp seal design.
e ft is our position that the informa ion provided by the appifcant in combination with results from the confirmatory test, which show that the loss of coolant through the reactor coolant putp seals during the duratien of station blackout is not sufficient to adversely affect natural circulatio",, p'
'de adequate assurance that the ability to cool the reactor core will be maintained.
90012280
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