ML20244D807
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g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION usamorow. o. c. mss APR 171986 MEM0PANDUM FOR James G. Keppler, Regional Administrator, RIII THRU:
James M. Taylor, Director'h OfficeofInspectionandEnfog ent FROM:
Edward L. Jordan, Director Division of Emergency Prep edness and Engineering Response Office of Inspection and Enforcement
SUBJECT:
SURVEY OF LICENSEES FOR INTERFACE WITH THE EMERGENCY.
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RESPONSE DATA SYSTEM The policy issue of how best to obtain data from nuclear power facilities during emergencies was presented to the Commission in SECY-84-481 (enclosed).
The Commission approved the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS) option.
Briefly, the ERDS design concept includes the following:
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b 1.
Parameter inputs to ERDS would be obtained from an existing computer l
system at the plant (e.g., SPDS, plant computer, EOF data systems, etc.).
I' 2.
Data will be transmitted to the NRC Operations Center via modem over a l
commercial telephone line or a dedicated line maintained by NRC (e.g.,
ENS).
3.
A process k ; system maintained by the NRC will receive the data stream via i
modem.
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tystem d 11 be designed to receive all varied data streams and will refonhat the data into a consistent format.
The reformatted data will be outputted to an appropriate video display and printer, j
4.
The parameter list would include those necessary to ensure that appropri-ate action is being taken with respect to offsite recommendations.
The list would be limited to those parameters involving plant status and
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radiological and meteorM ogical conditions.
5.
Licensees will not be required to backfit their systems to include addi-tional parameters to match the NRC parameter list.
Data that is not available from the electronic data stream can be provided by voice commu-nication over existing phone lines.
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Contact:
J. B. Hickman, IE 492-4155 O
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James G. Keppler O s.
The updating frequency of the licensees' systems will determine transmis-sion frequency to NRC.
If more frequent updates are required than those provided electronically by a particular licensee, the increased frequency will be accomplished (for a very limited subset of parameters) by voice communications over existing telephone lines.
7.
The licensee will have complete control over data transmission.
ERDS would be " switched on" by the licensee in the early stage of a declared emergency.
This data transmission concept has been presented to several licensees at AIF and other meetings, and has been generally well received.
ERDS provides the potential for biproving NRC response and coordination with licensees while lessening the burden on licensees in supplying data to NRC.
Two tests of the ERDS concept have been conducted, with McGuire and LaSalle, and in both cases i
improvements in the quality of the assessment and in the reduction of verbal data communications were noted.
At this point we are in the survey and design phase of ERDS implementation. A contract has been awarded to visit or contact all sites, obtain information on l
the licensees data systems, and design the ERDS system.
In order to accomplish i
this effort we will need some regional support to schedule the site visits.
l Therefore, I am requesting that you send the enclosed letter to all licensees i
in your region by April 18, 1986, and designate an individual as a contact point to work with members of my staff.
A member of my staff will participate i O in each site visit and wiii de resPonsib1e for the interrace of the contractor with the licensee. Your contact point should establish initial contact with the licensee, obtain utility concurrence for the proposed visit, identify a utility point of contact, and provide the traditional " good guy" letter identi-fying the visiting surveyor.
Questions of policy regarding ERDS should be i
directed to Ken Perkins at 492-7361.
Questions on planning the site visits should be directed to John Hickman at 492-4155.
or,ginal sie.3 Efi E; 0 b da6 Edward L. Jordan, Director Division of Emergency Preparedness and Engineering Response Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Enclosures:
As stated Distribution:
DCS KPerkins EBrach DEPER R/F SSchwartz JPartlow l
IRB R/F EJordan BGrimes l
JHickman.
RVollmer JAxelrad RPriebe JTaylor
- See previous concurrence
- IRB:DEPER:IE *IRB:DEPER:IE *IRB:DEPER:IE *DD:DEPER:IE E
- IE JBHickman:ans RFPriebe KEPerkins SASchwartz LJordan O
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i To Power Reactor Licensees Q
1 This letter is to inform you of an emergency communications capability that the i
NRC is considering establishing with licensed nuclear power facilities and an upcoming site visit by an NRC contractor to obtain information on how such a system would interface with your facility.
The emergency communication capability being considered is called the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS). The ERDS concept has been determined by the NRC to be a design which best addresses the requirements of the NRC with minimal impact on the licensee.
The development of the ERDS concept began with an assessment of what is the NRC's role in an emergency at a licensed nuclear facility. The Commission determined that the NRC's primary role is one of monitoring the licensee to assure that appropriate recommendations are made with respect to offsite protective actions.
To fulfill this role the NRC requires accurate, timely data on four types of parameters:
(1) core and coolant system conditions must be known well enough to assess the extent or likelihood of core damage; (2) conditions inside the containment aust be known well enough to assess the likelihood of its failure; (3) radioactivity release rates must be available promptly to assess the immediacy and degree of public danger; and (4) the data from the plant's meteorological tower is necessary to assess the distribution of potential or actual impact on the public.
A list of the particular parameters considered necessary to these assessments is in tiuded as Enclosure 1.
Experience with the voice-only emergency communications link, currently uti-lized for data transmission, has demonstrated that excessive amounts of time are needed for the routine transmission of data and for verification or correc-tion of data that appear questionable.
Error rates have been excessive; initiations have been slow; frequency of updates have been unreliable.
In addition, the current system creates an excessive drain on the time of valuable
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experts at the NRC and at the facility.
When errors occur, they frequently create false issues which, at best, divert experts from the real problems for l
serio~usly long periods of time.
At worst, incorrect data may cause the NRC to l
i respond to offsite officials with inaccurate or outdated advice that results in the implementation of inappropriate protective actions.
Several options were considered for upgrading the data acquisition capabilities at the Operations Center.
The options included various means of acquiring the data:
manually, automatically using existing systems, or automatically using new systems. Appropriate options for transmitting the data to the Operations Center were considered:
electronically formatted data, image facsimile, or by voice through specially qualified communicators.
The criteria used to compare these options involved accuracy, reliability, timeliness, completeness, cost (in dollars and expert personnel), and l
backfitting requirements.
The NRC determined that automatic transmission of selected parameters from licensees' existing electronic data systems is most capable of providing acceptably complete and reliable data on a timely basis at reasonable cost with the minimum potential for burdening licensees in an
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emergency. Most licensees either already have developed or are developing electronic data systems for their emergency response facilities (ERFs).
Because the role of the licensees' ERFs is similar to the role of the NRC during emergencies, the licensees' data systems already include most of the parameters desired by NRC.
Those few parameters which are not included in any particular licensee's system can be communicated by voice over the Emergency
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Notification System (ENS), thus avoiding backfitting requirements on the licensee to include additional parameters on their electronic data systems.
O Data would be accepted in whatever format the licensee uses and reformatted at the Operations Center, as necessary.
Because of the diversity of data systems utilized by the licensees, the best means for extracting the NRC's parameters from each system would be determined on a case-by-case basis.
The licensees would have control over transmission and would use the system only during emergencies.
This option is the Emergency Response Data System (ERDS).
The design concept for the ERDS is outlined in Enclosure 2.
Previous discussions with several licensees and two tests of the ERDS concept which were conducted with Duke Power and Commonwealth Edision have indicated that the ERDS concept ha: the potential to significantly improve the NRC incident response function and our response relationship with licensees.
Therefore, to determine more specifically the factors that would effect imple-mentation of an ERDS we have initiated an effort to survey the equipment and facilities at licensees' sites and determine the hardware and software require-ments of such a system.
You should designate an individual to act as a contact i
point for this effort and have that individual contact (fill in name of regional contact) of this office within the next two weeks.
A site visit by a NRC Headquarters staff member accompanied by a NRC contractor will be arranged.
The visit is an information gathering process.
It is oriented toward determi-nation of:
The availability of a particular set of PWR or BWR parameters in digital form.
O The verification end velieation method, if any.
Characterization of the available data feed point (s).
Access will be needed to documentation and knowledgeable individuals typically from instrumentation and control, technical, telecommunications, and computer system cadres within the plant staff.
Further information on the personnel and information desired is provided in Enclosures 3, 4, and 5.
Should you have any questions on this site visit please contact (Fill in name and number of regional contact).
Should you have any question on the ERDS concept in general please contact Ken Perkins of the Incident Response Branch at NRC Headquarters.
He can be reached at 301-492-7361.
Sincerely, Division of Reactor Projects O
Enclosura 1 PWR PARAMETER LISTS
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Primary Coolant Pressure
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System Temperatures - hot leg Temperatures - cold leg Temperatures - core exit thermocouple Subcooling margin Pressurizer level RCS charging / makeup flow Reactor vessel level-(when available)
Reactor co61 ant flow Neutron' flux - startcp range Secondary Coolant Steam generator levels System Main feedwater flows Auxiliary / Emergency feedwater flows Safety Injection High pressure safety injection flows -
Low pressure safety injection flows Sa'fety injection flows (Westinghouse)
Borated water storage tank level Containment Containment pressure Containment temperatures Hydrogen concentration Containment sump levels O
Radiation Monitoring Reactor coolant radioactivity System Containment radiation level Condenser air removal radiation level Effluent radiation monitors Process radiation monitor levels Meteorological Wind speed Wind direction Atmospheric stability i
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BWR PARAMETER LISTS Reactor. Coolant Reactor pressure l
D System Reactor vessel level i
reeowater n-Neutron flux-Startup range Safety Injection RCIC flow HPCI/HPCS flow Core spray flow LPCI flow Condensate storage tank level Containment Drywell' pressure Drywell temperature Hydrogen'& 0xygen Concentration l
Drywell sump level Suppression pool temperature Suppression pool level' Radiation Monitoring Reactor coolant radioactivity level Systems Primary containment radiation level Condenser off gas radiation levels Effluent radiation monitor j
Process radiation levels j
Meteorological-Wind speed Wind direction Atmospheric stability 0
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I Enclosura 2 i
EMERGENCY RESPONSE DATA SYSTEM (ERDS) i DESIGN CONCEPT
- O Data Acquisition Parameter inputs to ERDS would be obtained from an existing computer system (e.g. SPDS, plant computer, EOF data systems, etc.) at the plant.
Data Transmission Data will be transmitted to the NRC Operations Center by modem to commer-cial telephone line or a dedicated line maintained by NRC (e.g. ENS).
Data Collection
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i A processing system maintained by the NRC will receive the data stream by j
modem.
The system will be designed to receive all varied data streams and to reformat the data into a consistent format.
The reformatted data will j
be output to CRTs and printer.
Parameter L'ist The parameter list would include those parameters necessary to ensure that appropriate protective action is being taken with respect to offsite recommendations. The list would be limited to those parameters involving plant status, radiological and meteorological conditions.
A)
Licensees will not be required to backfit their systems to include addi-(
tional parameters to provide data on NRC's parameter list.
Data that is not available from the electronic data stream can be provided by voice over existing phone lines.
Transmission Frequency The updating frequency of the licensees' systems will determine transmis-s, ion frequency to NRC.
If more frequent updates are required than those provided electronically by a particular licensee, the increased frequency will be accomplished (for a very limited subset of parameters) by voice over existing telephone lines.
1 Control The licensee will have complete control over data transmission.
ERDS would be " switched on" by the licensee in the early stage of a declared emergency.
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PERSONNEL AND REFERENCE MATERIAL It is recognized that the key disciplines necessary to support the ERDS survey will represent different. departments and organizational relationships unique,to each utility surveyed (e. g., Corporate vs. Plant Site Engineering staff).
It is-believed that most of the appropriate personnel will be the same as those on the project teams for SPDS and Emergency Response Facility Data Acquisition System development.
The appropriate utility manager to coordinate the ERDS site survey is likely to be the same individual who is responsible for SPDS, RGl.97 or ERF upgrade programs.
The app.;ximate man-hours for each site survey are based on a 2 to 2 day survey for a single unit site or a 2 unit site where both units are identical and a common Data Acquisition System has been installed at a common TSC or EOF.
Personnel Approximate Person or Discipline Man-Hours Required ERDS Survey Coordinator 8 - 12 1
NSSS System Expert 4-6 l
Plant.I&C Expert 2-4 Computer Hardware Expert
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, for ERDS signal source (s))
4-6 i
Computer Applications Expert 4-6 Emergency Planning Coordinator 1/2 - 1 l
Telecommunications Expert 2-4 Meteorologist or Environmental Engineer 1/2 - 1 Radiological Monitoring System Expert 1
RGl.97, RVLIS, SMM Instrument Expert 1
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It is understood that many of the areas of expertica listed
.above may be represented by a single individual (e.g.,
one I&C engineer may be able to address instrument characteristics and display conventions for RVLIS, SMM, Radiological, and Meteorological instruments).
Reference Material FSAR Any locally generated Plant Data Book (Compilation of System Design Data)
Systems Training Manuals Tables or graphs for engineering unit conversion (e.g.,
feet to gallons for containment sumps)
Data System Design documents and block di$ grams Hardcopy printouts of Data Ac'quisition System displays O
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_______._____._._.____._[________.______._____________.______.__________________._
___.______._.__.____._______________-_______________.___m
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This attachment consists of three samples from the parameter-specific section of the ERDS survey instrument.
The three y
samples are as follows:
Generic Checklist:
This four page checklist is repeated
.for each of the 29 PWR parameters and 25 BWR parameters.
Sone questions in the checklist do not apply to every
. parame ter (e.g., questions on engineering unit conversion factors would not be. applicable to paraneters such as Hot Leg Temperature which is always expressed in degrees Farenheit).
Parameter-Specific Checklist for Atmospheric Stability (applicable to both PWRs and BWRs).
Parameter-Specific Checklist for BWR Low Pressure Coolant Injection Flow
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GENERIC CHECKLIST:
1.
Is.this parameter available as a digital signal at the preferred host location,
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Appendix 1, section 27 the pickoff point determined in A.
If not, what is best alternative host location?
2.
At the host location, is this" parameter available as a processed signal (i.e. validated averaged, range checked, etc.) or only as one or more unpr,ocessed discrete signals?
3.
Describe the following attributes of the instruments supplying either the discrete data points or the inputs to the processed variable:
A.
Sensor type?
O-B.
Instrument failure mode for:
1.
Loss of power (offsite & onsite AC, but static inverter battery systems survive),
instrument display survive?):does the control room I
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2.
Instrument in test?
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3.
If instrument is placed in test, does the preferred host location recognize instrument in test?
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C.
Nunbar of ceparcte locations cenitorad (i.o. loop 1, lo p 2,
loop 3 ote)?
O D.
How many ranges of instrumentation are provided for each location monitored?
E.
For each of these ranges, describe instrument range:
F.
Reference point of each instrument range (e.g. BWR level; ref.
to bottom head or feedwater sparger or steam separator shroud; PWR RVLIS; etc.)?
G.
Number of instruments within each range for each location monitored (e.g. PWR loop 2: Th; 2 NR & 1 WR etc.)?
H.
For those cases where data does not read out at the host location in final required units, what is the engineering j
conversion factor for each range (i.e. tank level measured in feet, factor to convert to gallons)?
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NOTE:
If canv0roien factor io not a cicplo canatont, coy rcquiro o copy of the curve.
you (For exc3plo, of on irrogulcrly chepad RWST tcnk whors lovel dcta isin tho ccos providsd in feet, you must obtain a copy of the tank capacity curve to allow the ERDS system to convert levels to gallons).
O Not applicable.
Conversion is a constant, value is:
Conversion is not a constant, curve attached.
Conversion is not a constant, not obtained.
curve not required or 1.
Engineering units for each range?
4.
If parameter is a processed value, describe the following attributes of how the above instrument inputs are processed arrive at a single value:
to A.
Does the processed variable take instrument range?
inputs from more than one O
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If yes, then describe method used to switch between ranges.
B.
For each range of the parameter available, instruments whose signals are combined to provideidentify the the processed parameter?
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D3scriba the volidotien ochsoe uosd for rcnge checking, C.
orror chseking and overoging the input parcaeters?
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PARAMETER: ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY i
SPECIFIC CHECKLIST:
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- 1. IF THE SITE EMPLOYS MORE THAN ONE METEOROLOGICAL TOWER FOR REASONS OF TERRAIN (AS OPPOSED TO REDUNDANCY). THEN COLLECT THE DATA BELOW FOR BOTH TOWERS.
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- 2. WHAT IS THE LOCATION OF EACH OF THE TOWERS WITS RESPECT TO THE PLANT POWER BLOCK?
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- 3. WRAT.IS THE HEIGHT OF THE LOWER TEMPERATURE DETECTOR?
l 4.
WHAT IS THE HEIGHT OF THE UPPER TEMPERATURE DETECTOR?
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- 5. WHAT IS THE DISTANCE IN METERS BETWEEN THE LOWER AND UPPER TEMPERATURE DETECTORS?
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6.
DOES THE HOST COMPUTER CONVERT THE DELTA T INTO A DEGREES CENTIGRADE PER 100 METERS VALUE7
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OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM INFORMATION NEEDS Computer Systems Related The computer systems related portions of the survey instrument focus on the following general areas of investigation:
Characterization of each utility computer. system that is a potential data feeder to ERDS:
its hardware and system sof tware environment its data communication technical details Characterization of the potential siting locations for NRC provided hardware.
Characterization of the documentation available that describes the plant-specific details of the engineering evolution of a parameter value (as.it travels f rom a
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sensor through analog and digital logic-and computer systems to a reactor operator's eyes).
Telephony Related The telephony-related portions of the survey instrument focus on the following general areas of investigation:
Characterization of potential site-related engineering difficulties associated with the utility providing a dial-up phone line accessible to, and suitably configured for, + the NRC provided ERDS computer hardware.
Characterization of potential operating procedures for utility personnel creating and maintaining the dial-up phone connection between the site and NRC headquarters.
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, SPECIFIC CHECKLIST:-
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- 1. HOW MANY TRAINS OF RHR ARE AVAILABLE?
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- 2. HOW MANY RHR PUMPS PER TRAIN?
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- 3. WHAT IS THE DESIGN CAPACITY OF EACH RER PUMP?
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- 4. WHAT IS THE SHUTOFF HEAD OF THE RHR PUMPS?
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- 6. IS THE RER' SYSTEM SHAREL WITH ANOTHER UNIT'?
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