Information Notice 1994-30, Leaking Shutdown Cooling Isolation Valves at Cooper Nuclear Station

Leaking Shutdown Cooling Isolation Valves at Cooper Nuclear Station

ML031060492
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Three Mile Island, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	08/19/1994
From:	Grimes B Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-94-030, Suppl 1, NUDOCS 9408160070
Download: ML031060492 (9)

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY

COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 August 19, 1994 NRC INFORMATION

NOTICE 94-30, SUPPLEMENT

1: LEAKING SHUTDOWN COOLING ISOLATION

VALVES AT COOPER NUCLEAR STATION

Addressees

All holders of operating

licenses or construction

permits for nuclear power reactors.

Purpose

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) is issuing this information

notice (IN) supplement

to clarify the type of valve discussed

in the original notice and to alert recipients

to the potential

that local leak rate testing of primary containment

isolation

valves with pressure applied in the direction opposite of the accident direction

may not be conservative.

It is expected that recipients

will review the information

for applicability

to their facilities

and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems.However, suggestions

contained

in this information

notice are not NRC requirements;

therefore, no specific action or written response is required.Background

The NRC issued IN 94-30, "Leaking Shutdown Cooling Isolation

Valves at Cooper Nuclear Station," on April 12, 1994, to alert addressees

to a precursor

to an unisolable

rupture of shutdown cooling piping with the potential

for core damage and release of radioactive

material outside the containment.

In that event, after receiving

a high-pressure

alarm for the suction piping in the residual heat removal system, the licensee measured the leakage through the inboard isolation

valve, established

a bleedoff path into the pressure maintenance

system and continued

operations.

About 10 months later, the licensee disassembled

the inboard and outboard valves and found cracks in the seating surfaces of both valves.During the preparation

of IN 94-30, the staff determined

that a concern may exist regarding

the method used for testing of primary containment

isolation valves. This concern is described

below. In addition, the NRC has received information

from Anchor/Darling

Valve Company that the description

of the valves in IN 94-30, "Anchor-Darling

20-inch nominal, double-disk, flex-wedge, gate valves," is incorrect.

The correct description

is, "a 20 inch, 900 class, flex wedge gate valve," manufactured

by the Anchor Valve Company before the merger that formed the Anchor/Darling

Valve Company. In IN 94-30, the NRC staff was concerned

about the actions of the licensee after the valve leakage was identified

regardless

of the valve type or manufacturer.

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IN 94-30, Supplement

1 August 19, 1994 Description

of Circumstances

On May 1, 1993, after evaluating

the results of local leak rate testing for several inboard primary containment

isolation

valves, the licensee for the Cooper Nuclear Station (Cooper) determined

that the testing methodology

used for Appendix J, Type C tests of certain flex-wedge

gate valves could not be relied on to be equivalent

to or more conservative

than testing the valves in the accident direction.

The Type C tests for several such valves had been performed

with the pressure applied in the direction

opposite to the accident direction (reverse direction).

The licensee began corrective

actions and notified the NRC in Licensee Event Report (LER)93-019, dated June 1, 1993.In LER 93-019, the licensee reported that the testing of these valves in the reverse direction

was based on an incorrect

interpretation

of information

from the valve manufacturer.

In response to a question from the licensee regarding the acceptability

of valve test methods, the manufacturer

had indicated

that testing in the reverse direction

would not be expected to affect test results, but an unqualified

answer could not be provided.

Results of recent tests by the licensee of some of the primary containment

isolation

valves with pressure applied in the accident direction, indicate that testing in the reverse direction

may not be equivalent

to or more conservative

than testing in the accident direction;

therefore

earlier test results may not be valid.LER 93-019 indicated

that Cooper Nuclear station has 65 inboard primary containment

valves of various types and from various manufacturers.

The licensee found that 24 of those valves were of concern. Of the 24 valves, 8 could be tested in the accident direction

but, before the 1993 refueling outage, were not. The other 16 valves could not be tested in the accident direction

nor had testing in the reverse direction

been qualified

to be equivalent

or more conservative

than testing in the accident direction.

For most of these valves, the licensee qualified

testing in the reverse direction to be equivalent

or more conservative

or modified the testing configuration

to allow testing the valve in the accident direction.

For the remaining

valves, the licensee requested

exemptions

from certain Appendix J requirements

to allow leak .rate testing in the reverse' direction.

Discussion'

Appendix J to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations

Part 50 requires a program for leak testing the primary reactor containment

and related systems and components

penetrating

the primary containment

pressure boundary.Section III.C.1 of Appendix J specifies

that, for Type C tests of valves (local leak rate tests), the pressure shall be applied in the same direction as that when the valve would be required to perform its safety function, unless it can be determined

that the results from the tests for a pressure applied in a different

direction

will provide equivalent

or more conservative

results. This requirement

is intended to ensure that test leak rates are representative

of leak rates that would be experienced

under actual accident conditions.

As described

above, the licensee for Cooper found that, for some of the primary containment

isolation

valves, testing in the reverse direction was not equivalent

to or more conservative

than testing in the accident direction.

IN 94-30, Supplement

1 August 19, 1994 Related Generic Communications

• NRC IN 86-16, "Failures

to Identify Containment

Leakage Due to Inadequate

Local Leak Rate Testing," March 11, 1986.* NRC IN 92-20, Inadequate

Local Leak Rate Testing,'

March 3, 1992.This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Brian s, Director Q Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices s&C 3 Lo

Attachment

IN 94-30, Supp. 1 August 19, 1994 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION

NOTICES Information

Date of Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to 94-59 94-58 94-57 94-56 94-55 Accelerated

Dealloying

of Cast Aluminum-Bronze

Valves Caused by Micro-biologically

Induced Corrosion Reactor Coolant Pump Lube Oil Fire Debris in Containment

and the Residual Heat Removal System Inaccuracy

of Safety Valve Set Pressure Determinations

Using Assist Devices Problems with Copes-Vulcan Pressurizer

Power-Operated

Relief Valves Deficiencies

Found in Thermo-Lag

Fire Barrier Installation

Failures of General Electric Magne-Blast

Circuit Breakers to Latch Closed Possible Malfunction

of Westinghouse

ARD, BFD, and NBFD Relays, and A200 DC and DPC 250 Magnetic Contactors

08/17/94 08/16/94 08/12/94 08/11/94 08/04/94 08/04/94 08/01/94 07/29/94 All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for pressurized

water reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.91-79, Supp. 1 94-54 91-45, Supp. 1 94-42, Supp. 1 Cracking in the Lower Region of the Core Shroud in Boiling-Water

Reactors 07/19/94 All holders for boiling (BWRs).of OLs or CPs water reactors OL = Operating

License CP = Construction

Permit

V IN '-30, Supplement

1 August 19, 1994 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.orig /s/'d by CIGrimes/for

Brian K. Grimes, Director Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices SPraa Proevintic

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OFFICE SCSB:DSSA:NRR

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GHolahan*DATE 07/17/94 1 07/19/94 08/03/94 08/04/94 OFFICE I TECH ED OGCB:DORS:NRR

AC/OGCB:DORS:NRR

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NAME RSanders*

JBirmingham*

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I " 4-30, Supplement

1 August XX, 1994 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Director Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices* See Previnus Concurrence

OFFICE SCSB:DSSA:NRR

SCSB:DSSA:NRR

C/SCSB:DSSA:NRR

D/DSSA:NRR

NAME JPulsifer*

RLobel* RBarrett*

GHolahan*DATE 07/17/94 07/19/94 , 08/03/94 08/04/94 OFFICE TECH ED OGCB:DORS:NRR

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IN"4-30, Supplement

1 August XX, 1994 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Director Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices A* See Previnut Cnncurrence

OFFICE SCSB:DSSA:NRR

SCSB:DSSA:NRR

C/SCSB:DSSA:NRR

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RLobel* RBarrett*

GHolahan DATE 07/17/94 07/19/94 08/03/94 08/e/94 OFFICE TECH ED OGCB:DORS:NRR

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IN 44-30, Supplement

1 August XX, 1994 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Director Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices* See Previous Concurrence

A OFFICE lSCSB:DSSA:NRR

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C/SCS A:NRR AD/DSSA:NRR

NAME JPulsifer*

RLobel* l aWVrgllolDATE 07/17/94 07/19/94 !08/;7/94

08/ /94 OFFICE TECH ED OGCB:DORS:NRR

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NAME RSanders*

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IN 94-30, Supplement

1 June XX, 1994 This information

notice requires no specific action or written response.

If you have any questions

about the information

in this notice, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the appropriate

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Brian K. Grimes, Director Division of Operating

Reactor Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical

contact: Jim Pulsipher, NRR (301) 504-2811 Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information

Notices* See Previous Concurrence

1i'OFFICE S 5 SCSB:DSSA:NRR

C/SCSB:DSSA:NRR

D/DSSA:NRR

NAME JPulsige ZtG RBarrett MVirgiliol DATE _ _06/17/94 i /94/06/ /94 06/ /94 OFFICE TECH ED 9 OGCB:DORS:NRR

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RDennig BKGrimes DATE 06/14/94 I06/ /94 06/ /94 06/ /94 OFF116lAL

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