IR 05000002/1999201

Insp Rept 50-002/99-201 on 990503-06.No Violations Noted. Major Areas Inspected:Organizational Structure & Functions, Operations,Design Control,Review & Audit,Operator Requalification,Maint,Surveillance & Procedures

ML20195C491
Person / Time
Site:	University of Michigan
Issue date:	05/27/1999
From:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20195C482	List: IR 05000002/1999201 ML20195C477
References
50-002-99-201, 50-2-99-201, NUDOCS 9906080188
Download: ML20195C491 (11)

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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Docket No: 50-002 License No: R-28 Report No: 50-002/99-201 Licensee: University of Michigan Facility: Ford Nuclear Reactor Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan i

l May 3-6,1999

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Dates:

Inspector: Thomas M. Burdick, Reactor Inspector Approved by: Ledyard B. Marsh, Director i Events Assessment, Generic Communications and i

Non-Power Reactors Branch Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs

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Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation I-i l

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY t-

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l This routine, announced inspection included onsite review of selected aspects of the:

i organizational structure and functions program, operations program, design control

,. program, review and audit program, operator requalification program, maintenance l ' program, surveillance ' program, procedural control program and the documentation of non-routine reports since.the last NRC inspection of this program.

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The licensee's programs were acceptably directed toward the protection of public health

. and safety, and in' compliance with NRC requirement ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS The licensee has filled the long-vacant position.of reactor laboratory manager.

t OPERATIONS t Routine operations were conducted 'with limited interruptio i DESIGN CONTROLL

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-The licensee con'd ucted modifications after acceptable safety reviews were conducted.

l-REVIEW AND AUDIT

~ Required reviews and audits were completed timel OPERATOR REQUALIFICATION . ,

Operator requalification was implemented as require I MAINTENANCE I

Maintenance was typically preventive and effectiv Corrective maintenance was observed and appeared acceptabl j i

' SURVEfLLANCE -

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Surveillance was conducted timely and documente PROCEDURES

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(. LThe procedure and their implementation were generally acceptabl I NONiROUTINE REPORTS-

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The licensee has an improved event assessment documentation proces ,

More rigor may be required to determine root cause and permanent corrective actio , ,3

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l Report Details Summary of Plant Status During the inspection th's reactor was shutdown for maintenance and refueling then operated to support experiments, education, operator training, surveillance, and service -

wor .0 ORGANIZATICNAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS j

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) Scone (39745)

i The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

e- organization and staffing i e' qualifications e . management responsibilities l e administrative controls

) Observations and Findinas The reactor manager position had been vacant for more than two years and was filled in February 1999. This should provide a positive step toward restoring the facility's infrastructure, management expectations, and focu i

. The acting laboratory director indicated that the Phoenix lab director position may be filled in the near futur !

One member of the Safety Review Committee was scheduled for replacement due :

to retirement this year als l i

= The organizational structure and staffing at the facility and as reported in the

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. Annual Report was as required by Technical Specification (TS). Qualifications of the staff met TS requirements except that the individual appointed to the reactor '

. manager position, unless already licensed, is required to apply for an NRC senior

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operator's license within six months after assuming the role. The reactor manager expects to apply _for a license in June 199 Review of records verified that management responsibilities were administered as required by TS and applicable procedure l Conclusions The organizational structure and functions were consistent with TS requirement ,

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-2- OPERATIONS Scone (397451

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l The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

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e operational logs and records )

! l e staffing for operations e startup activities Observations and Findinas

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The operating logs and records were clear and provided an indication of operational activities. The licensee adopted a more structured event assessment documentation practice. The logs and records indicated that shift staffing including on-call personnel was as required by TS. Logs and records also showed that -

operational conditions and parameters were consistent with license and TS requirements. Observation of a shift tu' rnover, pre-start checks, and a reactor start up further confirmed that these conditions and requirements were satisfied,

, Conclusions The operations program satisfied TS requirement .0 DESIGN CONTROL - l j Scone (40745)

The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

.. e - facility design changes and records

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e facility configuration l Observations and Findinas j l

~ Records and observations showed that changes at the facility were acceptably reviewed in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59 and an applicable licensee administrative controls. None of the changes constituted an unreviewed safety question or required a change to the TS. The licensee made changes to the

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l modification review procedure, AP-201, that provided additional review l

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opportunities which should help minimize errors. The quality assurance program !

, itself which contained the procedure requirements was not updated however. The ;

licensee acknowledged the oversigh ,

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-3-l The licensee made modifications to the air supply line to the reactor building vent damper operating cylinder to ensure that only clean dry air enters the cylinder. This change addressed the root cause of a long-standing problem with vent damper operatio The inspector followed up on the year 2000 upgrade of access control hardware that the licensee said was necessary during the last inspection. The licensee has not installed the upgrades as of this inspection but expects it to be completed before the end of the year 199 ! Conclusions I The design change program satisfied NRC requirement l

4.0 REVIEW AND AUDIT

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1 Scoce (40745) i i

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The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

e safety review records e audit records e responses to safety reviews and audits e review and audit personnel qualifications Observations and Findinos Records showed that the safety reviews were conducted at the TS required frequency. Topics of these reviews were also consistent with TS requirements to provide guidance, direction, and oversight, and to ensure acceptable use of the reacto The audit records showed that audits had been completed in those areas outlined in the TS and at the required frequenc The inspector noted that the safety reviews and audits and the associated findings

were acceptably detailed and that the licensee responded and took corrective

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actions as neede The safety review and audit personnel qualifications satisfied TS requirements and i licensee's administrative controls. Further, the number of personnelinvolved in the safety reviews and audits also satisfied TS and licensee procedural requirement '. .

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4 Conclusions The review and audit program satisfied TS requirement .0 ' OPERATOR REQUAllFICATidN Scope (69003)

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i The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

e' ' the Requalifica't ion Program e operator licenses e operator training records e operator physical examination records e operator examination records ,

e operator active duty status j I Observations and Findinos The Requalification Program was up-to-date. Operator licenses were also curren Records showed that operator training was consistent with the Requalification l Program requirements.. Physical examinations of the operators were conducted as j required. Records showed that written and operating examinations of the ;

operators were acceptably implemented. Logs showed that operators maintained -

l active duty status as require Conclusions -

Operator requalification was conducted as required by the Requalification Progra .0 MAINTENANCE l Scooe (39745) ' i

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The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

o maintenance procedures i e' equipment maintenance records I e . ongoing maintenance -  !

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-5- Observations and Findinas Logs indicated that corrective maintenance activities and problems were addressed as required by procedure. Records showed that routine maintenance activities were conducted at the required frequency and in accordance with the TS, applicable procedure or equipment manual. Maintenance activities ensured that equipment remained consistent with the Safety Analysis Report and TS requirements. Further, maintenance activities were consistent with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.5 I

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The inspector observed the replacement of a demineralizer system pump and motor !

with original equipment components. The pump had exhibited leakage. The pump seal had been replaced in November 1998. Operations and health physics personnel provided oversight while campus maintenance workers performed the tas Conclusions The maintenance program satisfied NRC requirement '

7.0 SURVEILLANCE

! l Scope (61745)

The inspector reviewed selected aspects of:

e _ surveillance and calibration procedures, t

e surveillance, calibration and test data sheets and records

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l l Observations and Findinas Surveillance, test and LCO verifications and calibrations were completed on schedule and in accordance with licensee procedures. Recorded results were within the TS and procedurally prescribed parameters. The records and logs reviewed were complete and were being maintained as required. Checks, tests, l and calibrations were completed as required by TS.

I Conclusions The surveillance program satisfied TS requirement ', i e*

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l . PROCEDURESi Scone'(427411 ;

The inspector reviewed selected aspects of

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e administrative controls e records for changes and temporary changes e procedural implementation e logs and records -

l l Observations and Findinas I Administrative controls of changes and temporary changes to procedures, and associated review and approval processes were generally as required. Training of ]

personnel on procedures and changes was acceptable. ' Personnel conducted activities in accordance with applicable procedures. Records showed that procedures for potential malfunctions (e.g., radioactive releases and contaminations, and reactor equipment problems) were implemented as require o l- The inspector noted some surveillance procedures were still active although their j associated equipment had been retired. The licensee acknowledged these

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oversight . ' Conclusions l

The procedural control and implementation program generally satisfied TS requirement .0 - LICENSEE EVALUATION AND CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR NON-ROUTINE ' EVENTS Scoos (92700)

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L: The inspector reviewed licensee reports, evaluations, and corrections of the causes of reported events including:

-e' Domineralizer leak following system realignment .  ;

h e Control rod drift during reactor operation -

e Calorimeter procedure implementation' error e ; Confinement ventilation damper operation malfunction -!

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- b. : Observations and Findinas Domineralizer Leak <

The licensee reported a leak of primary coolant from a cracked domineralizer (DI) .

- that failed for unexplained reasons. The licensee concluded that the failure may have occurred while shifting the system alignment to place a DI in service. Afte'r attempting to reproduce the event the licensee determined a partial vacuum could be' produced due to DI pump operation that may have caused failure of the Dl. The licensee revised the operating procedure for Di system realignment to ensure that the Di pumps are shut off during the valving operation. The inspector reviewed .

L this event and the licensee's evaluation and corrective action. The licensee's root cause determination was plausible and the corrective action was acceptabl Control Rod Drift Ths licensee reported that the non-safety control rod had been observed drifting inwards with no signal for rod motion present. Their report described only one possible cause which they determined was the likely source of the rod motio During an inspection of the control rod drive train they observed that a gear box -

cavity was dry. The vendor manual stated that the gear box required no maintenance. _ The licensee lubricated the gears and observed that no further.

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drifting occurred. When the inspector questioned the possibility of a more plausible -

cause the new reactor manager indicated that he was doubtful that the gear box lubrication issue was the cause and that the drive train has a worm gear assembly-l which cannot be~ rotated from the driven end. He believed that stray voltages applied to the drive motor were the likely cause of the event. The inspector .

. discussed the problem with the staff members who reviewed the event and they '

stated that they had electrically isolated the motor during their investigation and the rod had still moved. ,The inspector concluded that the licensee had evaluated additional plausible causes and eliminated them through testing although the final

' licensee determination remains unproven. No further spurious motion has been L observed to-date according to the licensee. The safety rod drive trains were also inspected and grease ; Calorimetric' Procedure

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At the time of the .last inspection the licensee had determined that operator error

'during a power increase following a calorimetric power calibration was the'cause l- ifor potentially exceeding the licensed power limit as had been reported. The p -inspector questioned whether the calorimetric procedure's lack of clarity was a

'possible contributor. Since the last inspection the licensee reviewed the procedure

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- and made a change to eliminate possible procedure misinterpretation. The tinspector concluded that this correction may help eliminate operator confusion.

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During the last inspection the licensee experienced a failure of the confinement building ventilation damper pneu'matic operating cylinder. The inspector had previously questioned the licensee's past efforts to correct repeated problems with the piston sticking in the cylinder. The licensee had applied insulation and heat ,.

tracing to the cylinder and its air supply line which were exposed to freezing temperatures during cold months. In November 1998 the licensee installed a copper air line, a filter, und a lubricator in the cylinder air supply following the last failure. They also had reemphasized routine air system blow down with operating staff to remove moisture. The inspector concluded that the licensee's corrective actions were acceptabl The inspector noted that improvements in the licensee's event assessment documentation have been implemente Conclusions The licensee's event review and cause determination, although generally acceptable, may require more rigor to identify and correct problems on a more consistent and permanent basi .0 Exit Meeting Summary The inspector presented the inspection results to members of licensee management at the conclusion of the inspection. The licensee acknowledged the findings presente ,

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Licensee Staff Contacted John Lee Acting Phoenix Laboratory Director -

Chris .Becke Reactor Laboratory Manager

' Bernard DuCamp Assistant Manager Reactor Operations

.. Other members of the' licensee staff and management were also contacted during the

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. inspectio I Inanection Procedures Used IP 39745 ' Class i Non-Power Reactor Organization and Operations and Maintenance Activities ,

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, IP 40745 E

L Class i Non-Power Reactor Review and Audit and Design Change Functions f

IP 69003 - Class i Non-Power Reactor Operator Licenses, Requalification, and Medical L - Activities

1P 42745 Class l Non-Power Reactor Procedures

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IP 61745 - Class i Non-Power Reactor Surveillance

- IP 92700 Event Follow up J

ltems Opened and Closed Open None-Closed None List of Documents Reviewed Safety Analysis Report Maintenance and Surveillance Records

! Safety Evaluation Report Training Program

.. Reactor Operating License . Training Records -

Technical Specifications Various Report Administrative Procedures - Maintenance Procedures Operating Procedures Surveillance Procedures -

List of Acronyms Used

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DI Domineralizer-TS . Technical Specifications -

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