ML20205G727

Forwards Second RAI Re GL 95-07, Pressure Locking & Thermal Binding of Safety-Related Power Operated Gate Valves. Response Should Be Provided within 30 Days of Ltr Date

ML20205G727
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	04/01/1999
From:	Nick Hilton NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Hutchinson C ENTERGY OPERATIONS, INC.
References
GL-95-07, GL-95-7, TAC-M93427, TAC-M93428, NUDOCS 9904070360
Download: ML20205G727 (3)

Text

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April 1, 1999 l Mr. C. Randy Hutchinson Vice President, Operations ANO Entergy Operations, Inc.

1448 S. R. 033 : -

l Russellville, AR 72801 l-

SUBJECT:

SECOND REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING GENERIC LETTER 95-07 PROGRAM AT ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE,

. UNITS 1 AND 2 (TAC NOS. M93427 AND M93428) i

Dear Mr. Hutchinson:

! On August 17,1995, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Generic Letter

! (GL) 95-07, " Pressure Locking and Thermal Binding of Safety-Related Power-Operated Gate Valves." This generic letter requested that nuclear power plant licensees take actions to ensure those safety-related power-operated gate valves that are susceptible to pressure locking or thermal binding are capable of performing their safety functions.

On February 13,1996, you submitted a 180-day response to GL 95-07 followed by a minor correction on February 20,1996. .By letter dated June 14,1996, the staff requested additional information, which you provided by letter dated July 15,1996, in a letter dated June 4,1997, you supplemented the 180-day response of February 13,1996. As a result, the NRC staff requires only limited information to complete its GL 95-07 review for your facility.

Enclosed is a request for additional information (RAl) regarding your responses to GL 95-07.

The RAI was discussed with Mr. Steve Bennett and others of your staff on February 23,1999.

We agreed that your response would be provided within 30 days of the date of this letter.

, Several additional questions were also discussed and your staff identified the location of the docketed information or clarifie<* your previous responses. Therefore, these questions were not included in the enclosed RAl.

Sincerely, ORIGINAL SIGNED BY Nicholas D. Hilton, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate IV & Decommissioning Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

. Docket Nos. 50-313 and 50-368

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/ encl: See next page n

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DISTRIBUTION: I

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. PDR ADOCK 05000313 l' P PDR

Mr. C. Randy Hutchinson Entergy Operations, Inc. Arkansas Nuclear One, Units 1 & 2 cc:

Erecutive Vice President Vice President, Operations Support

& Chief Operating Officer Entergy Operations, Inc.

Entergy Operations, Inc. P. O. Box 31995 P. O. Box 31995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995 Jackson, MS 39286-1995  !

Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway ^

Director, Division of Radiation P. O. Box 651 Control and Emergency Management Jackson, MS 39205 '

Arkansas Department of Health 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 30 Little Rock, AR 72205-3867 Winston & Strawn 1400 L Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20005-3502 Manager, Rockville Nuclear Licensing Framatone Technologies 1700 Rockville Pike, Suite 525 Rockville, MD 20852 Senior Resident inspector j U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P. O. Box 310 London, AR 72847 j Regional Administrator, Region IV l U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-8064 County Judge of Pope County Pope County Courthouse Russellville, AR 72801 1

i* ' ' SECOND REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ARKANSAS NUCLEAR ONE. UNITS 1 AND 2 -

RESPONSE TO GENERIC LETTER 95-07.

" PRESSURE LOCKING AND THERMAL-BINDING OF SAFETY-RELATED POWER-OPERATED GATE VALVES"

1. Identify the valves that were considered not susceptible to pressure locking because the Entergy Hub analysis method demonstrated that the valves would operate during pressure locking conditions. The July 15,1996, submittal already identified that this methodology was used for Unit 1 valves CV-1400, CV-1401, and CV-1000 and Unit 2 valves 2CV-4698-1 and 2CV-4740-2.

2. The 180-day Generic Letter (GL) 95-07 submittal states that the Unit 1 emergency feedwater (EFW) injection valves (CV-2620, CV-2626, CV-2627, and CV-2670) and Unit 2 EFW injection valves (2CV-1026-2 and 2CV-1076-2) are susceptible to thermal binding and that procedures were revised to caution against shutting the valves hot. Are these valves required to be reopened after cooling down? If so, explain how your thermal binding corrective actions ensure that the valves will reopen.

3. The 180-day submittal states that a pressure relief valve was installed on the bonnet of the Unit 2 sump recirculation outside isolation valves 2CV-5649-1 and 2CV-5650-2 to eliminate the potential for thermal induced pressure locking. Explain why the valves will not pressure lock when bonnet pressure is less than or equal to the relief valve setpoint but exceeds upstream or downstream pressure.

4. In Attachment 1 to GL 95-07, the NRC staff requested that licensees include consideration of the potential for gate valves to undergo pressure locking or thermal binding during surveillance testing. During workshops regarding GL 95-07 in each Region, the NRC staff stated that,if closing a safety-related power-operated gate valve for test or surveillance defeats the capability of the safety system or train, licensees should perform one of the following within the scope of GL 95-07:

a. Verify that the valve is not susceptible to pressure locking or thermal binding while closed,

b. Follow plant technical specifications for the train / system while the valve is closed,

c. Demonstrate that the actuator has sufficient capacity to overcome these phenomena, or

d. Make appropriate hardware and/or procedural modifications to prevent pressure locking and thermal binding.

The staff stated that normally open, safety-related power-operated gate valves, which are closed for test or surveillance but must return to the open position, would be evaluated within the scope of GL 95-07. Please discuss why the Unit 2 sump recirculation inside isolation valves 2CV-5647-1 and 2CV-5648-2 are not susceptible to pressure locking when these normally open valves are shut during the performance of surveillance testing.

l Enclosure