ML20147B120
| ML20147B120 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/22/1988 |
| From: | Stone J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Merschoff E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II) |
| References | |
| REF-QA-99900369 NUDOCS 8803010468 | |
| Download: ML20147B120 (3) | |
Text
F:bruary 22, 1988 Docket,No. 99900369 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Ellis Merschoff, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Projects Region II FROM:
James C. Stone, Acting Chief Vendcr Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
AUTOMATIC SWITCH COMPANY (ASCO) S0LEN0ID PROBLEM AT BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR PLANT Please find enclosed our inspector's report on the trip to the ASCO facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, to witness their inspection and tests of ASCO valves that recently failed to operate at the Brunswick nuclear plant.
We will be conducting a follow-up inspection at the ASCO facility to pursue concerns we have with the differential pressure between the valva seat springs, ASCO's generic modification and replacement kits, and to review past customer problems that were communicated to ASCO.
If you have someone familiar with the problems encountered at Brunswick, we would welcome their participation.
It was determined that the Brunswick January 2,1988 event and a December 16, 1987 event at LaSalle appear to share a similar valve seat contamination problem potentially from the associated actuator's internal atmosphere, probably occuring during the purge operation.
If you or your staff have any questions please contact me or Joe Petrosino at (FTS 492-0979).
Sincerely, g
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James C. Stone, Acting Chief Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reac*.or Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated DISTRIBUTION:
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Fobrucry 22, 1988 Docket No. 99900369 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Ellis Merschoff, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Projects Region 11 FROM:
James C. Stone Acting Chief Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
AUTOMATICSWITCHCOMPANY(ASCO)S0LEN0IDPROBLEMAT BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR PLANT Please find enclosed our inspector's report on the trip to the ASCO facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, to witness their inspection and tests of ASCO valves that recently failed te operate at the Brunswick nuclear plant.
We will be conducting a follow-up inspection at the ASCO facility to pursue concerns we have with the differential pressure between the valve seat springs, ASCO's generic modification and replacement kits, and to review past customer -
problems that were communicated to ASCO.
If you have someone familiar with the problems encountered at Brunswick, we would welcome their participation.
It was determined that the Brunswick January 2, 1988 event and a December 16, 1987 event at LaSalle appear to share a similar valve seat contamination problem potentially from the associated actuator's internal atmosphere, probably occuring during the purge operation.
If you or your staff have any questions please contact me or Joe Petrosino at (FTS 492-0979).
4 Sincerely, l
J(
James C. Stone, Acting Chief Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection aiid Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated DISTRIBUTION:
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February 22, 1988 Docket No. 99900369 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Ellis Merschoff, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Projects Region II FROM:
James C. Stone, Acting Chief Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
AUTOMATIC SWITCH COMPANY (ASCO) SOLEN 0ID PROBLEM AT BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR PLANT Please find enclosed our inspector's report on the trip to the ASCO facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, to witness their inspection and tests of ASCO valves that recently failed to operate at the Brunswick nuclear plant.
'ne will be conducting a follow-up inspection at the ASCO facility to pursue concerns we have with the differential pressure between the valve seat springs, ASCO's generic modification and replacement kits, and to review past customer problems that were communicated to ASCO.
If you have someone familiar with the problems encountered at Brunswick, we would welcome their participation.
It was determined that the Brunswick January 2,1988 event and a December 16, 1987 event at LaSalle appear to share a similar valve seat contamination problem potentially from the associated actuator's internal atmosphere, probably occuring during the purge operation.
If you or your staff have any questions please contact me or Joe Petrosino at (FTS492-0979).
Sincerely, hi C, sw-Ja:nes C. Stone, Acting Chief Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated
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February 22, 1988 Docket No. 99900369 MEMORANDUM FOR:
Edward T. Baker, Acting Chief Program Development and Reactive Inspection Section Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Joseph J. Petrosino Program Development and Reactive Inspection Section Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
TRIPREPORTTOAUTOMATICSWITCHCOMPANY(ASCO)
BACKGROUND:
We were requested by Region II to witness the inspection and testing of valves returned to ASCO and to participate in the vendor-licensee discussions concerning the ASCO pilot valve event at the Brunswick nuclear plant that occurred on January 2, 1988.
I contacted Mr. Shank, Production Engineering Manager for ASCO, on January 7,1988 and requested him to keep me informed as to the tentative schedule for their inspection and testing of the Carolina Power and Light Company (CP&L) ASCO valves. On January 19, 1988, I was informed by ASCO that CP&L would be at the ASCO facility on January 20, 1980 to begin testing.
DISCUSSION:
I met with the CP&L representative and ASCO personnel at approximately 8:00 am on January 20, 1988 at ASCO's Florhan Park, New Jersey facility. At that time ASCO presented its proposed valve check out procedure to CP&L for review and approval. Only minor modifications were made by CP&L, and CP&L then presented its pilot valves that they had brought with them for ASCO's inspection and test. Discussions on the K18-CR120 GE relay failure and its associated valves (CP&L #G-16-F004 and F020) were also conducted.
It was revealed that valves F004 and F020 operated satisfactorily after the defective K18 relay was replaced.
Simultaneously, as F004 and F020 commenced operation, F003 operated.
It was CP&L's conjective that the minor vibration from F004 and F020 aided the previously stuck valve F003 enough to enable it to operate. The four valves that were brought to ASCO by
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Edward T. Baker.
February 22, 1988 CPSL are listed below, as well as a fifth valve that was previously supplied to ASCO for its initial evaluation and tests.
1.
CP R valve #G-16 F003, Nane plate missing.
2.
CP&L valve #G-16 F004, Ser. #98222N-7, Cat. #L206832-3RF 3.
CP1 valve fG-16 F019, Ser. #98222N-9, Cat. #L206832-3RF 4.
CP&L valve #G-16 F004, Ser.165989R-1, Cat. #L206832-3RG 5.
CP A valve #G-16 F020, Ser. #99222N-10 Cat. #L206332-3RF TEST OBSERVATIONS:
Item #4 was taken out of service by CP1 in October,1987 due to operability problems and was replaced by item #2.
Item #2 was disassembled, inspected and reassembled by CP 1 and Region 11 prior to this ASCO test inspection.
Items #2 and !4 were not disassembled prior to this ASCO test and inspection for any other maintenance by CP&L.
Item #2 and #5 were the valves associated with the K-18 GE CR120 relay failure.
Item #1 had the worst history of problems, and was rebuilt twice by CP&L.
Item 23 was disassembled by CP&L at its olant, where the seats and internals were removed, manually operated and observed that only a film of lubricant was present.
Items #3 and #4 were observed to have shorter upper springs than valves il and #2.
Items #2 and #5 had a coating on their lower valve discs.
CONCLUSION:
No substantial reasons were revealed that would indicate any cocoon problems. However, discussions revealed that a potential contamination of the lower valve disc appears to be occurring due to the mechanical operator atmosphere during the purge cycle. Additional follow-ups will be performed by the licensee and ASCO to determine if the operator contanina-tion theory is credible.
The recent LaSalle MSIV transient event involved several ASCO valves with clear indications of a varnish like material in the exhaust port of the valve disc.
The VIB will be following up in this area.
It was noted that in a typical nuclear plant, there is no filter between the ASCO valve and the associated mechanical operator.
1 i
Februcry 22, 1988
. Edward T. Baker '
. Additional VIB follow-up may focus on the following areas:
(1) Upper & lower spring differential pressure; (2) ASCO conversion kits; (3) ASCO replacement kits; (4) Potential operator internal atmosphere contamination of_the ASCO valve; (5) Lubricant usrd by ASC0; and (6) Licensee methodology in its utilization of the ASCO kits.
PERSONNEL CONTACTED AT ASCO:
John Shank - Product Engineering Manager, ASCO Kenneth Thomas - Service Engineer, ASCO Erich Plant - Product Engineer, ASCO Stephen Casadervall - Engineer Technician, ASCO William Bracey - CP&L, ASCO i
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Joseph. Petrosino Program Development and Reactive Inspection Section i
Vendor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Inspection and Safeguards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation t
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