Part 21 Report - 1995-035
ACCESSION #: 9504110027
TELEPHONE (815) 727-2600
POST OFFICE BOX 3339
JOLIET, IL 60434
CRANE NUCLEAR OPERATIONS
CRANE VALVES 104 NORTH CHICAGO STREET JOLIET, IL 60431
January 27, 1995
Document Control Desk
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555
SUBJECT: FINAL REPORT ON 10 CFR PART 21 EVALUATION OF CRANE VALVES
INSTALLED WITH SHIM BETWEEN YOKE AND ADAPTER PLATE.
REF: A.) Crane Letter dated August 30, 1994
B.) Northern States Power Letter to the NRC Dated April 18,
1994
Ladies/Gentlemen:
I. FINAL REPORT:
As outlined in our August 30, 1994 letter, Crane Valves Nuclear
Operations (CVNO) undertook an evaluation of the design of certain
Crane Gate to Valves. One of these valves was involved in a January
1994 incident at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant.
Details of that incident are contained in the correspondence
referenced above (B).
II. BACKGROUND:
A Containment Isolation Valve at the Prairie Island Nuclear Plant
was damaged as a result of operational problems involving
maintenance procedures. Details of the incident have been reported
to the NRC via Prairie Island's Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306 and
associated NRC Inspection Report Nos. 282/94002 and 306/94002. The
valve in question was a Crane 10", Figure 63174.
The extraordinary conditions experienced by the valve during the
event resulted in a failure of the welds joining the yoke and
adapter plate and more catastrophic failure to other valve parts.
Valve drawings reviewed as part of the evaluation did not explicitly
indicate that shims had been installed between the yoke and the
adapter plate.
SUBJECT: FINAL REPORT ON 10 CFR PART 21 EVALUATION OF CRANE VALVES
INSTALLED WITH SHIM BETWEEN YOKE AND ADAPTER PLATE.
Page 2
CVNO assisted the utility in identifying other valves of the same
design for existence of shims and in evaluating the adequacy of the
attachment welds on valves with shims. It was concluded that a
substantial safety hazard does not exist at the Prairie Island
Nuclear Generating Plant based on the walk-down that was performed
and additional analytical evaluations of the as-built valve
characteristics.
III. RESULTS OF EVALUATION:
As part of the evaluation CVNO retrieved documents located in
archives stored in a Crane facility in Pennsylvania. The valves at
the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant were produced by Crane
as part of an order for Westinghouse Electric in the early 1970's.
CVNO has also contacted Westinghouse Electric's NATD Engineering
Technology Department concerning their December, 1969, P.O. 546-CAK-
116878 BN on which the valves in question were purchased from Crane
Company. Westinghouse Electric Corporation in turn supplied the
valves to a number of nuclear utilities, some records for which have
been retrieved from Crane archives. The records reviewed contained
no information on the addition of shims. This order was placed
prior to 10 CFR 50, Appendix B being issued.
On August 23, 1994, CVNO sent a letter to utilities identified as
having been supplied with the valves. Each utility was offered
assistance in evaluating the condition of the hardware and in
performing any analytical evaluations to determine if potential
safety hazards exist. Valves of the 63174 design were supplied in
10" and 12" sizes.
Historical records contain neither information on the total number
of valves of this configuration manufactured by Crane, nor on their
application throughout the industry. Attachment 1 identifies the
utilities that were contacted. Four utilities responded formally to
CVNO thereby facilitating technical discussion and additional
analytical support. No substantial safety hazards were identified
as a result of those technical discussions or analytical support
efforts.
SUBJECT: FINAL REPORT ON 10 CFR PART 21 EVALUATION OF CRANE VALVES
INSTALLED WITH SHIM BETWEEN YOKE AND ADAPTER PLATE.
Page 3
IV. CONCLUSION:
Crane supplied 10" and 12" Gate Valves, Figure 63174 to Westinghouse
Electric in the early 1970's for nuclear stations. As a result of
an operational problem involving maintenance procedures at a nuclear
generating station that utilized this valve design, the welds
joining the yoke and adapter plate failed followed by additional
damage to other valve operator assembly parts. This incident did
not constitute a substantial safety hazard.
An evaluation of the original valve order retrieved from Crane
archive records identified many of the utilities to whom valves,
purchased by Westinghouse Electric, were shipped. This enabled CVNO
to send a special letter to these utilities discussing the incident,
providing a technical discussion, and offering analytical
engineering support. Analysis of the as-built valve configurations
brought to CVNO's attention indicates there is adequate thrust
capacity with respect to design basis. Based on its evaluation of
this matter, and given the relevant facts and circumstances, CVNO
concludes that the valve design of Figure 63174, when installed and
operated properly does not constitute a reportable item under 10 CFR
Part 21.
Should you have any questions or request additional information, please
contact me at (815) 740-7571.
Sincerely,
Henry G.L. McCullough, P.E.
Manager of Engineering/Quality
HGMcC/cs
cc: J. Algozino
P. Hundt
J. Carlson
B. Harry
File
attachments
Attachment
Names / Address of Recipients of August 23, 1994 Letter
Beaver Valley Power Station Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant
SEB-3 Wisconsin Public Service Corp.
Duquesne Light Company N 490 Hwy 42
PO Box 4 Kewaunee, WI 54216
Shippingport, PA 15077
ATTN: Mr. Neil Morrison ATTN: Mr. Larry L. Limberg
Senior Engineer Maintenance Engineer
Diablo Canyon Power Plant MC N-50
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Public Service Electric & Gas
Company
PO Box 56 PO Box 236
Avila Beach, CA 93424 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
ATTN: Mr. Don Bauer ATTN: Mr. Robert S. Lewis
Senior Staff Engineer
Corporate Office
BR 5A
Tennessee Valley Authority
1101 Market St.
Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801
ATTN: Mr. Richard Simmons
Program Manager, Valves
Innsbrook Technical Center
Virginia Power Company
5000 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, VA 23060
ATTN: Ms. Pamela E. Deline
Project Engineer
CRANE VALVES NUCLEAR OPERATIONS
TELECOPIER TRANSMITTAL
104 North Chicago Street, Joliet IL 60431
DATE:
TO: FROM:
TITLE: TITLE:
COMPANY:
PHONE: PHONE:
FAX: FAX: (815) 727-4246
TOTAL PAGES:
TELEPHONE (815) 727-2600
POST OFFICE BOX 3339
JOLIET, IL 60434
CRANE NUCLEAR OPERATIONS
CRANE VALVES 104 NORTH CHICAGO STREET JOLIET, IL 60431
August 23, 1994
Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant
Wisconsin Public Service Corp.
N 490 Hwy 42
Kewaunee, WI 54216-9510
Gentlemen:
In January of this year a containment isolation valve at the Prairie
Island Nuclear Station was damaged as a result of operational problems
involving maintenance procedures. Details of the event have been
reported to the NRC via Prairie Island Docket Nos. 50-282 and 50-306 and
associated NRC Inspection Report Nos. 282/94002 and 306/94002.
The valves in question was a Crane 10" Figure 63174 and during the course
of the investigation, it was discovered that, contrary to inform shown on
the valve assembly drawing, shims were installed between the yoke and the
adapter plate. The extraordinary conditions experienced by the valve
during the event resulted in failure of the welds joining the yoke and
adapter plate and more catastrophic failure to the other valves parts.
Crane assisted the Utility in evaluating additional valves of the same
design for evidence of the existence of shims and for the adequacy of the
attachment welds where shims did exist. It was concluded that a
substantial safety hazard did not exist at the Prairie Island plant,
based on the walk-down that was performed and additional analytical
evaluations of the as-built valve characteristics.
Since that incident, Crane has conducted additional evaluations,
including a search of archives stored in a Crane facility in
Pennsylvania. The valves at the Prairie Island plant were part of a
order produced by Crane for Westinghouse Electric in the early 1970's.
Although the records indicate that valves of the Figure 63174 design were
supplied to you on the same Westinghouse order.
Crane requests your cooperation in determining if those valves are in
your system. We will be glad to assist you in evaluating the condition
of the hardware and in performing any analytical evaluations to determine
if safety hazards exist. Valves of the 63174 design were supplied in 10"
and 12" sizes.
You have been contacted based upon your affiliation with the Motor
Operated Valves User's Group and its Member Roster. We appreciate your
cooperation in channeling this communication to the appropriate personnel
at your facility.
Your questions can be directed to the writer or to our Manager of
Development Engineering, Mr. Bruce Harry (who performed the initial on-
site evaluation at Prairie Island) or Mr. David Dwyer, our Analytical
Project Engineer, who has paid subsequent visits to the Prairie Island
plant. Our general number in Joliet is 815-727-2600.
Very Truly Yours,
R. F. Hornyak
Manager QA/Support Engineering
RFH/llk
cc: J. Carlson
K. Hutchinson
B. Harry
D. Dwyer
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