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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