Part 21 Report - 1998-270
ACCESSION #: 9803130205
Illinois Power Company
Clinton Power Station
P.O. Box 678
Clinton, IL 61727
Tel 217 935-5623
Fax 217 935-4632
ILLINOIS Walter G. MacFarland IV
POWER Chief Nuclear Officer
An Illinova Company
U-602952
4F.140
March 6, 1998
Docket No. 50-461 10CFR21.21
Document Control Desk
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, D.C. 20555
Subject: 10CFR21 Interim Report 21-98-001: ITT Barton Model
580A Series dP Indicating Switch Operating Concerns
Dear Madam or Sir:
On December 22, 1997, ITT Barton issued an Industry Advisory memo to
Illinois Power (IP) identifying a condition potentially affecting ITT
Barton models 580A, 581A, 583A, and 583B differential pressure indicating
switches (DPIS) supplied with certification to IEEE-323/344
qualifications. ITT Barton has recently identified that the miniature
switches used inside the indicated instruments may have operating forces
too low to preclude switch contact chatter in some installations when
subjected to seismic induced vibrations.
ITT Barton had originally certified that these switches would not
experience contact chatter during seismic loadings of up to 12 Gs, as
long as the force required to operate the internal miniature switches is
high (i.e., between 76 and 95 grams). ITT Barton performs operating
force selection testing where all switches with operating force between
76 and 95 grams are identified and marked with a blue paint spot. All
remaining switches are marked with a yellow paint spot. ITT Barton
discovered that their manufacturing system had allowed the yellow paint
spot switches to be used along with the blue paint spot switches in
assembly of models 580A, 581A, 583A, and 583B differential pressure
indicating switches (DPIS) supplied with IEEE-323/344 certification to
ITT Barton Qualification Reports R3-580A-9, R3-580A-10, R3-580A-29 or to
Westinghouse with Certification to ITT Barton Baseline Documents 0580-
11395, 0581-10325, and 0581-10225.
IP determined that this issue was potentially reportable under the
provisions of 10CFR21 on January 7, 1998.
U-602939
Page 2
Condition Report 1-98-01-056 was initiated to track investigation
and resolution of this issue. IP's evaluation of this issue, under the
provisions of 10CFR21, has not been completed. The evaluation of this
issue will be completed by May 30, 1998.
Additional information about this issue may be obtained by
contacting R. D. Weber, Supervisor-Procurement Engineering at (217) 935-
8881, extension 3785.
Sincerely yours,
Walter G. MacFarland, IV
Chief Nuclear Officer
RWF/krk
cc: NRC Clinton Licensing Project Manager
NRC Resident Office, V-690
Regional Administrator, Region III, USNRC
G. C. Wright, Region III, USNRC
Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety
INPO Records Center
ITT Barton
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