PNO-II-13-001, Unplanned Shutdown Greater than 72 Hours Due to High Reactor Coolant Pump Seal Leak Off Rate
| ML13050A611 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Turkey Point  |
| Issue date: | 02/19/2013 |
| From: | Hoeg T, Riches M NRC/RGN-II/DRP/RPB3 |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-II-13-001 | |
| Download: ML13050A611 (1) | |
February 19, 2013 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE - PNO-II-13-001 This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety or public interest significance. Some of the information may not yet be fully verified or evaluated by the Region II staff.
Facility Licensee Emergency Classification Turkey Point Nuclear Station, Unit 3 ___ Notification of Unusual Event Florida Power and Light Co. ___ Alert Florida City, FL ___ Site Area Emergency Docket: 50-250 ___ General Emergency
_X_ Not Applicable
SUBJECT:
UNPLANNED SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 72 HOURS DUE TO HIGH REACTOR COOLANT PUMP SEAL LEAK OFF RATE On February 18, 2013, just before 1:00 a.m., Unit 3 commenced a shutdown due to a high seal leak off rate of approximately 5.5 gallons per minute (gpm) on the 3A reactor coolant pump (RCP). At 1:29 a.m., during a rapid down power, the seal leak off increased to approximately 6.0 gpm, which exceeded the off normal operating procedure limit requiring a reactor trip. The reactor was manually tripped. The Auxiliary Feedwater system actuated as designed based on steam generator levels shrinking following the trip. Unit 3 is in Mode 3 (Hot Standby) and stable. No complications were reported following the trip.
The 3A RCP has been shutdown and the seal leak off line to the Volume Control Tank is isolated. The licensee plans to go to Mode 5 (Cold Shutdown) and replace the seal which is currently planned to take between 10 to 13 days. The NRC resident inspectors continue to monitor the licensees actions. The State of Florida has been notified via email. A press release by Region II is not planned for this event.
This preliminary notification is issued for information only. Region II received the information from the licensee via notification of the Senior Resident Inspector. The information presented herein has been discussed with the licensee, and is current as of 10:30 a.m. on February 19, 2013.
Contact:
Mark Riches Tim Hoeg (404) 997-4531 (305) 245-7669 Mark.Riches@nrc.gov Tim.Hoeg@nrc.gov