Information Notice 1988-58, Potential Problems with Asea Brown Boveri ITE-51L Time-Overcurrent Relays

Potential Problems with Asea Brown Boveri ITE-51L Time-Overcurrent Relays

ML031150022
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, 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, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Crane
Issue date:	08/08/1988
From:	Rossi C E Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
IN-88-058, NUDOCS 8808020102
Download: ML031150022 (6)

jUNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATIONWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555August 8, 1988NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 88-58: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH ASEA BROWN BOVERIITE-51L TIME-OVERCURRENT RELAYS

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear powerreactors.

Purpose

This information notice is being provided to alert addressees to potentialproblems involving ASEA Brown Boveri ITE-51L time-overcurrent relays. Itis expected that recipients will review this information for applicabilityto their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similarproblems. However, suggestions contained in this information notice do notconstitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written responseis required.

Description of Circumstances

Several spurious actuations of ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) ITE-51L relays haveoccurred at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant. These actuations resultedin unnecessary interruptions of the electrical power supply to safety-relatedequipment. The ITE-51L relays monitor circuit current. When the magnitudeof the current exceeds a reference value for a specific duration, the relayactuates to energize the circuit breaker's trip coil. The licensee hasdetermined that the spurious relay actuations were caused by faulty silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) that were manufactured by the Motorola Company.SCRs are solid-state devices that are used as electronic switches in electricalcircuits. When a voltage is applied across the terminals of the SCR, the deviceis designed to allow current to flow only when 'gated" or switched on by theproper electrical signal. The SCRs that failed at Beaver Valley allowed cur-rent to flow in the absence of the proper gating signal. These "leakage"currents were of sufficient magnitude to energize the trip coil of the as-sociated circuit breaker.The licensee was informed by Motorola that SCRs manufactured between the late1970s and early 1980s are susceptible to this mode of failure and that theseSCRs are likely to fail within the first 2 years of service. Since 1982, allSCRs manufactured by Motorola have been subjected to a "burn-in" test. In thistest, the SCRs are placed in a high-temperature environment both with and with-'out voltage applied. SCRs that pass this test are expected to perform normallyfor an extended period.88080200

IN 88-58August 8, 1988 Beaver Valley Unit 2 has approximately 105 ITE-S5L relays installed in safety-related applications, and Unit i has 10. The licensee is testing all the relaysin Units 1 and 2 to determine whether the SCRs are faulty.No specific action or written response is required by this informationIf you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of thecontacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriateoffice.notice.technicalregionalCharles E. Rossi, DirectorDivision of Operational Events AssessmentOffice of Nuclear Reactor RegulationK. R. Naidu, NRR(301) 492-0980Technical Contacts:N. E. Fields, NRR(301) 492-1173Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information NoticesS

AttachmentIN 88-58August 8, 1988 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUEDNRC INFORMATION NOTICESInformation Date ofNotice No. Subject Issuance Issued to88-5788-5688-5588-54Potential Loss of SafeShutdown Equipment Due toPremature Silicon ControlledRectifier FailurePotential Problems withSilicone Foam Fire BarrierPenetration SealsPotential Problems Causedby Single Failure of anEngineered Safety FeatureSwing BusFailure of Circuit BreakerFollowing Installation ofAmptector Direct TripAttachmentLicensee Violations of NRCRegulations, Which Led toMedical DiagnosticMisadministrationsFailure of IntrauterineTandem of FletcherApplicator BrachytherapyDevices During PatientTreatment8/8/888/4/888/3/887/28/887/28/887/27/88All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.All manufacturers anddistributors of radio-pharmaceuticals forhuman use, nuclearpharmacies, andmedical licensees.Medical licensees.88-5388-5288-46,Supplement 1Licensee Report ofDefective RefurbishedCircuit Breakers7/26/88All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.88-51Failures of Main SteamIsolation Valves7/21/88All holders of OLsor CPs for nuclearpower reactors.OL = Operating LicenseCP = Construction Permit

IN 88-58August 8, 1988 Beaver Valley Unit 2 has approximately 105 ITE-51L relays installed in safety-related applications, and Unit 1 has 10. The licensee is testing all the relaysin Units 1 and 2 to determine whether the SCRs are faulty.No specific action or written response is required by this informationIf you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of thecontacts listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriateoffice.notice.technicalregionalCharles E. Rossi, DirectorDivision of Operational Events AssessmentOffice of Nuclear Reactor RegulationTechnical Contacts:K. R. Naidu, NRR(301) 492-0980N. E.(301)Fields, NRR492-1173Attachment:List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices*see previous concurrenceEAB:NRR ElKNaidu* N17/18/88 7/*C:GCB:NRRCHBerlinger8/1/88kB:NRRFields*/14/88EAB:NRRDFischer*BCj re*7/19/88NRR:RVIBEBaker*7/19/88VIB:NRRWBrach*7/20/88AD:DRISBGrimes*7/22/88C:EAB:NRRWLanning*8/2/88*D:DESTLShao7/29/88'V/3/88 IN 88-July , 1988 Beaver Valley Unit 2 has approximately 105 ITE-51L relays installed in safety-related applications, and Unit 1 has 10. The licensee is testing all the relaysin Units 1 and 2 to determine whether the SCRs are faulty.No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technicalcontacts listed below or the regional administrator of the appropriate regionaloffice.Charles E. Rossi, DirectorDivision of Operational Events AssessmentOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

K. R. Naidu(301) 492-0980N. E. Fields, NRR(301) 492-1173Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices*see previous concurrenceEAB:NRR EAB:NRR EAB:NRR H:KNaidu

• NFields* DFischer*BC &re*/ /88 / /88 / /88C:G S d--R D: D:DOEA:NRRCHBerlinger LShao CERossi(/* /88 1 / /88/ /88NRR:RVIBEBaker/ /88VIB:NRRWBrach*/ /88AD:DRISBGrimes*/ /88'inkC:EAB:NRRWLanningr/ 2 /88 IN 88-July , 1988 Beaver Valley Unit 2 has approximately one hundred and five ITE-51L typerelays installed in safety-related applications. Unit 1 has ten of the faultyrelays in safety related applications. The licensee is in the process oftesting all the relays in Units 1 and 2 to determine whether the SCRs arefaulty.No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technicalcontact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regionaloffice.Charles E. Rossi. DirectorDivision of Operational Events AssessmentOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

K. R.(301)Naidu492-0980N. E. Fields, NRR(301) 492-1173Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information NoticesEAB: 1RRKNa i du7 /A/88EAB:N1NFieli7//1 lRR &XAB R T2ds DFischeraS 7//1/88 84G3/p/ WTRR:RVIBEBaker7 /A/88r -11) Y- -/4 -j'Vz'X,C:EAB:NRRWLanning/ /88C:GCB:NRRCHBerlinger/ /88u:IMUEA:NRRWRossi/ /88Ra