IE Circular No. 79-23 - Motor Starters and Contractors Failed to Operate

CR79023 

                             November 19, 1979 

MEMORANDUM FOR:     B. H. Grier, Director, Region I 
                    J. P. O'Reilly, Director, Region II 
                    J. G. Keppler, Director, Region III 
                    K. V. Seyfrit, Director, Region IV 
                    R. H. Engelken, Director, Region V 

FROM:               Harold D. Thornburg, Director, Division of Reactor 
                      Construction Inspection, IE 

SUBJECT:            IE CIRCULAR NO. 79-23 - MOTOR STARTERS AND CONTRACTORS 
                    FAILED TO OPERATE 

The subject Circular is transmitted for issuance on November 26, 1979. The 
Circular should be issued to all power reactor operating facilities and 
holders of reactor construction permits. 

The text of the circular and draft letter to the licensees and permit 
holders are enclosed for this purpose. 


                                   Harold D. Thornburg, Director 
                                   Division of Reactor Construction 
                                     Inspection 
                                   Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Enclosures
1.   Draft transmittal letter
2.   IE Information Notice No. 79-23

CONTACT:  W. Laudan, IE 
          49-27551 
.

(Draft letter to all power reactor operating facilities and holders of 
reactor construction permits.) 

                                                      IE Circular No. 79-23 

Gentlemen: 

The enclosed Circular 79-23 is forwarded to you for your information. No 
written response to this circular is required. If you have any questions 
related to the subject, please contact this office. 

                                        Sincerely, 


                                        Signature 
                                        (Regional Director) 

Enclosure:
1. IE Circular No. 79-23
.

                              UNITED STATES                SSINS No.: 6830 
                       NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION        Accession No: 
                   OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT     7910250496 
                          WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 

                             November 26, 1979 

                                                      IE Circular No. 79-23 

MOTOR STARTERS AND CONTRACTORS FAILED TO OPERATE 

Gould, Inc., Electrical Products Group, reported to the NRC on September 11,
1979 potential defects in certain NEMA size 3, Starters and Contractors. A 
possible binding or seizure of the carrier assembly, within the support 
plate of the stationary contact assembly, is caused by an undersized 
dimension of the support legs. 

Starters and contractors with date code 7822 to 7935, model and serial 
numbers A1O, A11, A12, A13, A14, A20, A21, A22, and P1O are involved. Faulty
units were manufactured and distributed between June 1, 1978 and August 30, 
1979. The attached listing of nuclear plants, which have received some of 
this motor control equipment, represents a preliminary check of shipment 
records. This listing, however, may not be complete. 

Gould, Inc., will recall uninstalled items for retrofit and has retrofit 
kits available for field installation. 

Based on the above, licensees are advised to verify all motor starter and 
contractor shipments received from Gould, Inc., between June 1, 1978 and 
August 30, 1979, and assure that applicable model and serial number 
components are corrected by retrofit and subsequent electrical operation 
tests. 

No written response to this Circular is required. 

If you desire additional information regarding this matter, contact the 
Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office. 

Attachments:
1.   List of Plants that may have
       Received Defective Starters
       or Contractors
2.   List of Recently Issued IE
       Circulars
.

                                                              Enclosure: 1 

     According to a preliminary check of Gould's shipment records, the 
     following nuclear facilities have been shipped motor control equipment 
     which could include one or more defective NEMA Size 3 starters or 
     contractors: 

                                                  Purchase       Date 
     Facility                 Owner/Contractor    Order          Shipped 

Farley Nuclear Plant, Unit 1  Alabama Power       FNP1-3676      7-21-78
     Operation 8-77                Bechtel        FNP2-131       7-20-78
                                                  FNP2-125B      4-24-79

Arkansas Nuclear Plt. One     Arkansas Power &    6600-E2011-AC  12-18-78
Unit 2 Operation 12-77        Light Bechtel       Rev. 1B 

Sharon Harris Nuclear Plt.    Carolina Power and  NY-435120      7-31-79
     Unit 1 Construction           Light Ebasco   8-20-79        8-31-79

Zimmer Nuclear Station Unit 1 Cincinnati G & E    Z-50001        12-14-78
     Construction 

Midland                       Consumers Power Co. 7220-E-7-AC    Various
     Construction                  Bechtel                       Shipment in
                                                                 78 & 79 

Fermi 2 Nuclear Station       Detroit Edison      1E-90235       8-14-78
   Construction                Sargent & Lundy    Change Order 6

Beaver Valley Unit 2          Duquesne Light Co.  2BV-310        Various
     Construction                Stone & Webster                 Shipment in
                                                                 78 & 79 

Clinton Nuclear Station Units Illnois Power Co.   Contract K-2976 8-24-78
1&2       Construction             Baldwin Assoc. 

Wolf Creek Unit 1             Kansas Gas &        10466-E-018-1  Various
Construction                  Electric Bechtel                   Shipment in
                                   (SNUPPS)                      78 & 79 

San Onofre Nuclear Gen,       Limitorque          3A4777         12-26-78
Sta 2/3 Construction 

Kuosheng Nuclear Pwr. Sta.    Taiwan Power Co.    9713-E-0003A   1-8-79
Units 1&2 Construction             Bechtel 

Bellefonte Nuclear Plant      T V A               76K5-86242     Various
     Construction                                                shipment in
                                                                 78 & 79 

Watts Bar Units 1&2           T V A               74C5-84646     Various
     Construction                                                shipments 
                                                                 in 78 & 79 

                                                                Page 1 of 2 
.

Continued Page 2 of 2 

     Facility                 Owner/Construction  Order          Shipped 

Callaway Unit 1               Union Electric      10466-E-018-2  Various
     Construction                  Bechtel (SNUPPS)              shipments
                                                                 in 78 & 79 

WPPSS Nuclear Project Unit 2  WPPSS               Contract No.   Various
     Construction                  Burns & Roe    49 C/D 7       shipments
                                                                 in 78 & 79