Part 21 Report - 1998-021

 
 

ACCESSION #: 9712240281



RGE AND E



ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC CORPORATION o 89 EAST AVENUE, ROCHESTER,

N.Y.

14649-0001                                         AREA CODE 716 546-2700



ROBERT C.  MECREDY

Vice President

Nuclear Operations



                            December 22, 1997



U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Operations Center

Facsimile Number 301-816-5151

Telephone Number 301-816-5100



Subject:  Initial Notification of 10 CFR Part 21 Defect

          R.E.  Ginna Nuclear Power Plant

          Docket No.  50-244



In accordance with 10 CFR Part 21, Reporting of Defects and

Noncompliance, Section 21 (d) (3) (i), which requires "Initial

notification by facsimile", the enclosed initial notification is

provided.  Written notification, in accordance with 10 CFR Part 21,

Section 21 (d) (3) (ii), will be provided by January 16, 1998.



                                        Very truly yours,



                                        Robert C.  Mecredy



Enclosures



                                                                   PAGE 2

                 10CFR21 INITIAL FACSIMILE NOTIFICATION



I.        NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL INFORMING THE COMMISSION:



          NAME:     Robert C.  Mecredy

                    Vice President Nuclear Operations Group



          ADDRESS:  Rochester Gas & Electric Corporation

                    89 East Avenue

                    Rochester, New York 14649



II.       IDENTIFICATION OF THE FACILITY, THE ACTIVITY, OR THE BASIC

          COMPONENT SUPPLIED FOR SUCH FACILITY WHICH FAILS TO COMPLY OR

          CONTAINS A DEFECT:



          The facility is the R. E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant.  The basic

          component is the shunt trip coil an the "B" Emergency Diesel

          Generator (EDG) Supply Breaker to Bus 16.  This breaker is a

          Westinghouse DB-75 breaker and the Ginna equipment

          identification number is EIN 52/EG1B1.



III.      IDENTIFICATION OF THE FIRM CONSTRUCTING THE FACILITY OR

          SUPPLYING THE BASIC COMPONENT WHICH FAILS TO COMPLY OR

CONTAINS

          A DEFECT:



          The shunt trip coil was supplied by:



               Westinghouse Electric Corporation

               Power Systems

               Switchgear Division

               700 Braddock Avenue

               East Pittsburgh, PA 15112



IV.       NATURE OF THE DEFECT OR FAILURE TO COMPLY AND THE SAFETY

HAZARD

          WHICH IS CREATED OR COULD BE CREATED BY SUCH DEFECT OR FAILURE

          TO COMPLY:



          The plunger of the assembly-shunt trip coil was binding.  The

          bound plunger was not returning to its deenergized position.

          This maintained the breaker tripper bar in the trip free

          position and prevented the DB-75 circuit breaker from closing.



                                                                   PAGE 3



          Testing of the "B" EDG Supply Breaker to Bus 16 was performed

          during the 1997 outage.  The breaker failed to close.  The

          breaker could not be closed electrically or manually with the

          tripper bar in the trip free position.  This failure would

          prevent the "B" EDG from supplying power to the safeguards

          loads on Bus 16.  This is considered a major degradation since,

          in conjunction with a single failure on the redundant train,

          required safety functions could not be performed.



V.        THE DATE ON WHICH THE INFORMATION OF SUCH DEFECT OR FAILURE TO

          COMPLY WAS OBTAINED:



          The information was obtained on November 14, 1997.



VI.       IN THE CASE OF A BASIC COMPONENT WHICH CONTAINS A DEFECT OR

          FAILS TO COMPLY, THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF ALL SUCH

COMPONENTS

          IN USE AT, SUPPLIED FOR, OR BEING SUPPLIED FOR GINNA STATION:



          There are six Westinghouse DB-75 breakers permanently installed

          at Ginna Station, in safeguards buses 14 and 16.  One of the-se

          breakers is manually operated and the shunt trip coil is not

          used.  In addition, there is one spare DB-75 breaker in stock.

          The 52/EG1B1 breaker is the only DB-75 breaker that has had the

          shunt trip coil replaced.  The replacement shunt trip coil that

          failed was one of ten purchased in 1977 as spares.



VII.      THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WHICH HAS BEEN, IS BEING, OR WILL BE

          TAKEN; THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE

          FOR THE ACTION; AND THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT HAS BEEN OR WILL BE

          TAKEN TO COMPLETE THE ACTION:



          Corrective action is complete.  The failed shunt trip coil was

          replaced with a spare from stock.  The assembly was manually

          and electrically bench tested.



          The remaining eight assemblies in stock were inspected.  Two

          assemblies had coil plungers that did not fully return to the

          deenergized position during manual manipulation.  These were

          removed from stock.



          The other DE-75 breakers were visually inspected.  Acceptable

          plunger movement is indicated by adequate plunger to tripper

          bar gap and full retraction of the alarm switch attachment push

          rod, No additional binding concerns were found.



                                                                   PAGE 4



VIII.     ANY ADVICE RELATED TO THE DEFECT OR FAILURE TO COMPLY ABOUT

THE

          FACILITY, ACTIVITY, OR BASIC COMPONENT THAT HAS BEEN, IS BEING,

          OR WILL BE GIVEN TO PURCHASERS OR LICENSEES:



          Receipt inspection could verify acceptable plunger movement.

          During DB-75 breaker maintenance, consider verifying that the

          shunt trip coil plunger moves freely in the coil assembly.



GENERAL INFORMATION  or OTHER           EVENT NUMBER:  33442



LICENSEE: ROCHESTER GAS ELECTRIC CORP   NOTIFICATION DATE:  12/22/97

    CITY: ROCHESTER      REGION: 1      NOTIFICATION TIME:  09:10 [ET]

  COUNTY:                 STATE: NY     EVENT DATE:         11/14/97

LICENSE#:             AGREEMENT: Y      EVENT TIME:         12:00[EST]

  DOCKET:                               LAST UPDATE DATE:   12/22/97



                                                  NOTIFICATIONS



                                        JAMES NOGGLE        RDO



NRC NOTIFIED BY: JOHN ST. MARTEN        VERN HODGE          NRR

HQ OPS OFFICER:  DOUG WEAVER



EMERGENCY CLASS: NOT APPLICABLE

10 CFR SECTION:

CCCC 21.21          UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH



                               EVENT TEXT



PART 21 - DEFECTIVE SHUNT TRIP COILS



THE LICENSEE DISCOVERED A WESTINGHOUSE DB - 75 BREAKER THAT WAS

FAILING

TO CLOSE.  THE PLUNGER OF THE SHUNT TRIP COIL ASSEMBLY WAS BINDING,

MAINTAINING THE BREAKER TRIPPER BAR IN THE TRIP FREE POSITION.  THE

LICENSEE HAS SEVEN DB-75 BREAKERS ON SITE, ONLY ONE HAD THE PROBLEM

DESCRIBED.  THE BREAKER WITH THE FAILED SHUNT TRIP COIL IS THE ONLY

ONE

TO HAVE HAD THAT PART PREVIOUSLY REPLACED.  THE REPLACEMENT SHUNT

TRIP

COIL THAT FAILED WAS ONE OF TEN PURCHASED IN 1977 AS SPARES.



THE FAILED SHUNT TRIP COIL WAS REPLACED WITH A SPARE FROM STOCK.  THE

REMAINING EIGHT ASSEMBLIES IN STOCK WERE INSPECTED.  TWO ASSEMBLIES

HAD

COIL PLUNGERS THAT DID NOT FULLY RETURN TO THE DEENERGIZED POSITION

DURING MANUAL MANIPULATION.  THESE WERE REMOVED FROM STOCK.



LICENSEE RECOMMENDS RECEIPT INSPECTION TO VERIFY ACCEPTABLE

PLUNGER

MOVEMENT AND ALSO VERIFYING THAT THE SHUNT TRIP COIL PLUNGER MOVES

FREELY

IN THE COIL ASSEMBLY DURING BREAKER MAINTENANCE.



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