ML20235U215
| ML20235U215 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000139 |
| Issue date: | 09/22/1987 |
| From: | Jeremy Bowen WASHINGTON, UNIV. OF, SEATTLE, WA |
| To: | Wenslawski F NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20235U197 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8710130412 | |
| Download: ML20235U215 (2) | |
Text
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UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON REG SEADU, WASHINGTON 98195 fg
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September 22, 1987 a
Mr. F. A. Wenslawski Chief, Emergency Preparedness and Radiological Protection Branch Region V, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1450 Maria Lane, Suite 210 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Docket No. 50193
Dear Mr. Wenslawksi:
Receipt of the report of the NRC Inspection of the University of Washington Nuclear Engineering Laboratory by Mr. M. Cillis on July 27-28, 1987 which specified two violations of severity level IV is hereby acknowledged.
A.
Lack of UWNR familiarization training or on site tours of the UWNR for a minimum of eleven police patrolmen who have joined the University Security Force during the period of July 1,1986 and July 28, 1987.
There was a breakdown in communications between University Police and the UWNR staff. The VCR presentation prepared in 1984 for familiarizing the University Police Department staff with the UWNR was inadvertently erased by the University Police Department staff during the first half of 1986.
This event was not reported to the UWNR staff.
Subsequent to the current UWNR inspection, consultation with the University Police Department has led to an improvement in coordination. A new VCR training film is being prepared. The Police Department will make available to the UWNR staff a record of police officers who have viewed the training film or who have taken a reactor familiarization tour. This record will be updated as newly hired officers are trained in response procedures for the reactor. The UWNR training material will be incorporated into the training procedure for new University Police officers.
B.
Failure to report drop times of the Regulating Rod and Shim Rod #3 in excess of one second to the NRC.
The increase in the drop times of the control blades was a slowly developing problem. The UWNR staff have been aware of the problem and were monitoring the drop times on a routine basis prior to every reactor run.
Our estimate was that aging and stiffening of the grease in the B710130412 871006 PDR ADOCK 05000139 G
PDR T& phone: (206) 543-0340 L-_____-_________
, a Page 2 September 22, 1987 Mr. F. A. Wenslawksi drive mechanisms was causing the slowdown. Usually, lifting and dropping the rod a few times reduced the drop time to well within the one second limit. When this procedure finally failed to reduce the drop time of shim rod #3 to below one second, the rod drive assemblies of shim rod #3 and the regulating rod were partially disassembled.
For shim rod #3, the outer rodshaft bearing was cleaned and relubricated and the shaft was shimmed to improve the shaft alignment. These corrections improved the drop time to well.below the one second limit. For the L
regulating rod, two bearings in the rod-drive mechanisms were replaced. Two springs were added to the release clutch to decrease the disengagement time. These corrections improved the drop times to well below the one second limit.
The drop time of shim rod #3 is now being routinely checked prior to the first reactor' run of the day. The drop time was fluctuated from about 650 -
i milliseconds _to 850 milliseconds. The drop times of shim rods #1 and #2 and the regulating rod are being check on a monthly basis. These drop times are maintaining their values well below the one second limit with little variation.
Since the above slow deterioration of the rod drop times was'being monitored on a routine basis and no reactor operation was permitted if the drop time increased above the one second limit and could not be reduced by a few repeated drops, it was not deemed to be a reportable event. In the future, we will report to the NRC any failure of a rod to meet the one second limit for any test drop. There will, of course, be no reactor operation until all rods meet the one second limit.
l The drop time of shim rod #3 will be determined before the first reactor run of the day. The drop times of the other rods will be measure monthly.
The result of the drop time tests will be recorded and reported annually to the NRC.
Full compliance with the above violations will be achieved by i
November 1, 1987.
Sincerely yours, 1
f f
Aw a
J. Ray Bowen Dean i
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K. L. Gar 11d l'
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