Information Notice 1984-16, Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

Failure of Automatic Sprinkler System Valves to Operate

ML070180076
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, 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, 05000000, 05000496, 05000497, 05000262, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Skagit, Marble Hill
Issue date:	03/02/1984
Revision:	0
From:	Jordan E L NRC/IE
To:
References
IN-84-016, NUDOCS 8402090008
Download: ML070180076 (4)

N -)' 1ý '. IZ7.SSINS No.: 6835IN 84-16UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555March 2, 1984IE INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 84-16: FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM VALVESTO OPERATE

Addressees

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or aconstruction permit (CP).

Purpose

This information notice provides notification of a problem involving theoperational failure of deluge and pre-action fire protection water controlvalves, identified as Model C, manufactured by Automatic Sprinkler Corporationof America of Cleveland, Ohio. It is expected that recipients will review thisinformation notice for applicability to their facilities. No specific actionor response is required.

Description of Circumstances

On September 4, 1983, Mississippi Power and Light (MP&L) Company's Grand GulfUnit 1 was performing an operational test of an emergency diesel-generator whena fire Involving the di&sel engine occurred. The fire brigade arrived to findthat the automatic deluge valve had not opened. The manual release failed toopen the valve. A mechanic opened the actuator box cover and struck theactuation weight, forcing the clapper latch to release, permitting water sprayfrom the sprinkler system to extinguish the fire. (See Attachment 1.) Thevalve was a 6-inch Model C, manufactured by Automatic Sprinkler Corporationof America of Cleveland, Ohio. (Reference LER 50-416/83-126.)During subsequent testing and examination, excessive friction was noted betweenthe weight and the weight guide rod; bowing (0.005-inch) was observed in theweight guide rod; evidence of scoring was found in two locations on the rod'ssurface; the weight's upper guide collar had an inside diameter (ID) of 0.637inch rather than the manufacturer's recommended minimum of 0.647 inch; andscoring was noted on the enclosing box along the path that the weight guidebushing traces during actuation.On December 5, 19o3, a Model C valve for a pre-action sprinkler system pro-tecting a diesel generator room failed to operate during a test at Grand Gulf.Similar roughness was found in its internals. A search of records uncovered8402090008 840302PDR I&E 8402090008NOTICEB4-16 PDR IN 84-16March 2, 1984 another event at Grand Gulf in which a Model C valve installed to protect amain transformer failed to open during a test in September 1979.The valve manufacturer has been notified of these failures and is evaluatingthis problem to determine the action required.The licensee's preliminary investigation indicates that these failures may berelated to the surface conditicn of the latch which holds the water clapper inthe normally closed position. If the mating surfaces of the latch and clapperare not smooth, the latch may fail to disengage when the actuation weight hitsthe latch arm. If the normal water system pressure applied to the clappervalve exceeds 140 psig, the problem becomes more acute. The water pressure atGrand Gulf is maintained at 140 psig.MP&L has sanded and trued the guide-rod; reworked the ID of the weight's upperguide collar; lubricated the rod, latch pin, clapper hinge pin, and the en-closed box along the path of the weight guide bushings; temporarily increasedthe testing frequency of the valves; and revised the surveillance proceduresto visually verify that the clapper has lifted and locked open following thetest under normal system pressure.If you have any questions regarding this matter, contact the Regional Administratorof the appropriate NRC Regional Office, or this office.rdwa rd ordan, DirectorDivisi n of Emergency Preparednessand Vgineering ResponseOffice of Inspection and Enforcement

Technical Contact:

M. S. Wegner, IE(301) 492-4511

Attachments:

1. Drawing of Automatic Model C Valve2. List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices Attachnent 1IN 84-16March 2, 1984 RUT? OC¶WATU W~cs&..cpm %TOOCLAPPIS MO.MODEL C VALVE Attachment 2IN 84-16March 2, 1984LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED-IE INFORMATION NOTICESInformation Date ofNotice No. Subject Issue Issued to84-1584-1484-1384-1284-11Reporting of RadiologicalReleasesHighlights of Recent Trans-port Regulatory Revisions byDOT and NRCPotential Deficiency inMotor-Operated Valve ControlCircuits and AnnunciationFailure of Soft Seat ValveSealsTraining Program Deficienc-IesHotor-Operated Valve TorqueSwitches Set Below themanufacturer's RecommendedValueLessons Learned from NRCInspections of Fire Pro-tection Safe ShutdownSystems (10 CFR 50,Appendix R)Pontential Failures ofWestinghouse ElectricCorporation Type SA-110 CFR 50.7, "EmployeeProtection"3/2/843/2/842/28/842/27/842/24/842/21/8402/13/842/15/842/14/84All power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll NRC licenseesAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL Or CPAll power reactorfacilities holdingan OL or CP; andNSSS & AE84-1084-0983-63Supp 184-08OL = Operating LicenseCP = Construction Permit