ML20196D404

Rev 1 to Special Rept:On 980618,determined That Method Used to Calibrate Wind Speed Instrumentation Loops of Meteorological Monitoring Instrumentation Sys Does Not Meet TS Definition for Channel Calibration.Procedure Revised

ML20196D404
Person / Time
Site:	Catawba
Issue date:	11/19/1998
From:	Gordon Peterson DUKE POWER CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9812020226
Download: ML20196D404 (4)

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Catawba Nuclear Station 4800 Concord had I hk, SC 29745

! Gary R. Peterson (803) 831-4251 om y;gg, (803) 831-34261Ax November 19, 1998 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission  !

Attention: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

SUBJECT:

Duke Energy Corporation Catawba Nuclear Station Units 1 and 2 Docket No. 50-413/414 Special Report Inoperability of Meteorological Monitoring Instrumentation Channels, Revision 1 l Pursuant to Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7.3 and Technical Specification 6.9.2, Revision 1 to this Special ~ l Report is being submitted to clarify a commitment from l Revision 0 of this Special Report. Revision 0 which was I submitted on July 1, 1998 included a commitment to revise l procedure IP/0/B/3343/13 " Meteorological Monitoring System l Calibration and Maintenance Procedure", to include a I calibration (per the technical specification definition) I of wind direction and air temperature instrumentation. In I i fact no procedure changes were required to the method of l ,

calibrating the air temperature' instrumentation because l  ;

the air temperature and wind direction instrumentation is 1 4 being calibrated as required by Selected Licensee l l Commitment 16.7-3 as revised on 7-6-98. The 7-6-98 l revision to Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7-3 changed i f

the calibration requirement from a CHANNEL CALIBRATION l g (per the Technical Specification definition) to an I ,

" Instrument Calibration" and included an extensive I definition of " instrument calibration". A procedure change I was still required for the wind direction instrumentation I to revise calibration methods. The original Special Report l (([8Ihl> ,

was submitted due to portions of the Meteorological i Monitoring Instrumentation System being inoperable for i greater than seven days. I Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7.3 requires the Meteorological Monitoring Instrumentation channels as shown in Table 16.7-3A to be operable. The instrumentation in Table 16.7-3A concerns wind speed, wind direction and t

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission November 19, 1998 Page 2

, air, temperature. The Testing Requirements of Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7.3 require the meteorological monitoring instrumentation channels to be demonstrated operable by the performance of a " CHANNEL CHECK" and

" CHANNEL CALIBRATION" at a semi annual frequency. The use of the capitalized term " CHANNEL CALIBRATION" indicates that the Technical Specification definition for CHANNEL CALIBRATION applies. The Technical Specification definition states:

"A CHANNEL CALIBRATION shall be the adjustment, as necessary, of the channel such that it responds within the required range and accuracy to known values of input. The CHANNEL CALIBRATION shall encompass the entire channel including the sensors and alarms, interlock and/or trip functions and may be performed by any series of sequential, overlapping, or total channel steps such that the entire channel is calibrated."

On June 18, 1998 it was determined from a review of industry operating experience that the method used to calibrate the wind speed instrumentation loops of the Meteorological Monitoring Instrumentation System at Catawba Nuclear Station does not meet the Technical Specification definition for CHANNEL CALIBRATION. The calibration as it is currently performed involves removing the wind speed sensor from the meteorological tower and having it bench calibrated. The cable from the sensor at the top of the tower to the signal processing unit at the bottom of the tower is not included in the channel calibration as it is currently performed.

A Channel Calibration per the Technical Specification Definition is performed from the signal processing unit at the bottom of the meteorological tower to the Control Room.

The wind speed instrumentation loops of the Meteorological Monitoring Instrumentation System were declared inoperable on June 18, 1998.

Since it is not practical to inject a signal at the top of the tower, the " Testing Requirements" of Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7.3 will be revised to reflect the calibration as it is currently being done. The revised wording will clarify that the sensor is bench calibrated, the cable from the top of the tower to the bottom of the tower is not included in the calibration, and that both the sensor and cable are included in a channel check subsequent to any work performed on the instrumentation. The only requirement for the cable is verification of continuity which is a part of the Channel Check.

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission November 19, 1998 Page 3 I This Selected Licensee Commitment revision will be consistent with Regulatory Guide 1,23 which discusses instrument calibration as an activity performed at a frequency as necessary to ensure 90% data recovery (but not to exceed a semi-annual frequency).

While investigating this issue another condition was discovered which affects the wind direction I instrumentation. On June 25, 1998, it was determined that a CHANNEL CALIBRATION had not been performed on the wind direction channels. The wind direction sensors I have been bench calibrated on the proper frequency as I listed in Table 16.7-3B. However, neither the upper nor lower wind direction signal processors have been calibrated.

A review of available past calibration history and interviews with maintenance technicians indicate this calibration has never been performed. The wind direction I instrumentation was declared inoperable on June 25, 1998.

Procedure IP/0/B/3343/13 " Meteorological Monitoring System (EEB) Calibration and Maintenance Procedure", will be changed to revise the calibration method for the wind I direction instrumentation channels. l This condition has no impact on the ability to obtain meteorological data for dose assessment purposes because an alternate method is available. This method can be used until the meteorological instrumentation is returned to an operable status.

The following items are the only commitments described in this Special Report:

1. A revision to Selected Licensee Commitment 16.7.3 to

describe the wind speed instrumentation calibration I process as it is currently performed.

2. A change to Procedure IP/0/B/3343/13 to revise the l l

calibration method for wind direction instrumentation. 1 l Questions on this Special Report may be directed to l J.W. Glenn at (803) 831-3051.

Very ly yours, f0d.

G.R. Peterson

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission November 19, 1998 Page 4 j l

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L. A. Reyes U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regional Administrator, Region II Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth St., SW, Suite 23T85 l Atlanta, Georgia P. S. Tam i NRC Senior Project Manager (CNS) l U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop O-14H25 l Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 D. J. Roberts Senior Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Catawba Nuclear Site l 1 1

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