ML20154L155

Forwards Addl Copies of Part 21 Rept Re Tobar Model 32-2 Transmitters W/Steel,In Place of Polyester or Aluminum Amplifier Housings,Originally Submitted on 860303

ML20154L155
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	03/05/1986
From:	Timothy Fisher TOBAR, INC.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
References
REF-PT21-86-075-000 PT21-86-075-000, PT21-86-75, NUDOCS 8603110403
Download: ML20154L155 (3)

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March 5, 1986 Director Office of Inspection and Enforcement U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Washington, D.C. 20555 It has just been brought to my attention that 10CFR21.21(b)(2) requires three copies of the written report of a reportable incident. A single copy was mailed to you on March 3, 1986, by certified mail, receipt num-ber P-314-418-Oll . Enclosed are the two additional copies required.

Please excuse our error of omission.

T. R. Fisher President and General Manager

/la encl.

ADO 4 OR TOSAR, WC.1441 W. Alameda Dnvo Tempo, Anzona 85282 = (602) 968-3171 Telex 66-8391 /l[

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- 1 10CFR21 REPORTABLE INCIDENT TOBAR MODEL 32 TRANSMITTERS WITil POLYESTER IIOUSINGS Tobar has, starting August 1983, supplied to Bechtel Power Corporation for installa tion at PSE&G llope Greek Station, 188 Model 32-2 pressure and differential pressure transmitters which have aluminum or glass filled polyester amplifier housings. We have also supplied 43 such transmitters directly to PSE&G.

The Bechtel technical specification applicable to this contract, 10 8 5 5-J- 3 01- (0 ) - AC , 'contains normal ope ra t ion and accident environments of 10 Mrad gamma, 148 deg.F, 100% Hit and 2 PSIG.

The Tobar Model 32-2 transmitters were fully tested per IEEE 323-1974 and IEEE 344-1975 in 1980 * . Ilowever, the test units all had stainless steel amplifier housings, not polyester or aluminum. There was an earlier seismic test of these transmitters with polyester housings by Westinghouse Nuclear Energy Systems; the report is Westinghouse proprietary. There was also a later seismic only test, especially for Bechtel, of Tobar 32-2 transmitters with polyester housings * * .

The current situation then is that, even though we believe that Tobar Model 32-2 transmitters with polyester and aluminum housings would successfully meet the normal and accident environment requirement of Bechtel 10 8 5 5-J-30 5- (0) , Class B applications, Tobar does not have actual test data to substantiate this contention.

The reportable situation is that at the llope Creek Station there are transmitters in applications which are not strictly suppor ted by qualification test data. Tobar first learned of a possibly serious situation at ifope Creek via a letter f rom Bechtel on Tuesday, February 25, 1986. The concern was further identified in a phone conversation between Tobar and Bechtel personnel on Wednesday, February 26. The possibility of a reportable incident was confirmed in a 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday phone call to the man who was the Westinghouse Engineering Manager at this site during the bulk of the Bechtel llope Creek contract negotiations and review.

Tobar management reported a possible 10CFR21 reportable incident via phone to Dennis Allison, Chief of Events Analysis, USNRC, at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 27, 1986.

The problem is currently in process of being corrected. Tobar shipped 13 stainless steel amplifier housing assemblies to PSE&G last Thursday, another 40 housings last Friday, and will complete the 107 housings ordered by PSE&G by Wednesday, March 5, 1986. Bechtel and PSE&G will, we are informed, install the steel housing on all of the

,s transmitters which are in the applicable accident condition environments. PSE&G has reportedly filed a ,10CFR50. 55E report detailing this situation and the resolution tiioteo f .

Tobar has reviewed and recorded all ' shipments of Model 32-2 transmitters with polyester and/or aluminum amplifier housings to all other customers. This information is listed by customer, housing type, quantity, Tobar sales order number, and customer required environmental conditions.

The only other shipments of Model 32-2 transmitters with aluminum or polyester housings were on contracts requiring only seismic operability. The question of accumulated radiation level prior to the seismic event is still being studied on one otder. Temperature and humidity specs on these orders were within normal operating range of 32-2 transmi tters, i .e. , required no environmental quali fication ,

our preliminary conclusion is that polyester housings are completely adequate for all of these applications and no further action is required of Tobar on these contracts. We will pursue the contract technical review until we can state with certainty that this conclusion is valid. -

• Qualification test results detailed in Tobar Qualification Test Report 5518A32.

• • WAESD Report EL:2017 dated July 1983.

T. R. Fisher President & General Manager Tobar, Inc.

Dated: March 3, 1986 l

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