Part 21 Report - 1999-460

 

 

LICENSEE:	TECHNOLOGY for ENREGY CORP.
SITE:	TECHNOLOGY for ENERGY CORP.		EN NUMBER:	36350
DOCKET:			EVENT DATE:	10-26-99
RX TYPE:			EVENT TIME:	13:48
VENDORS:			NOTIFY DATE:	10-26-99
EMERGENCY CLASS:	N/A	REGION: 2	STATE: TN	TIME: 13:48
OPS OFFICER:	JOHN MacKINNON
10 CFR SECTION:	CCCC UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH

RTV SEALANT USED IN THE TEC VALVE FLOW MONITORING SYSTEM CANNOT BE DEMONSTRATED TO MEET THE CONTAINMENT QUALIFICATION CONDITIONS.

10 CFR Part 21 Interim Report submitted by Technology for Energy Corporation (TEC), located in Knoxville, TN.

TEC is reporting a potential defect in Valve Flow Monitoring Systems provided by TEC to the nuclear power industry. Further evaluation is required to determine if the subject condition constitutes a defect as defined in 10CFR21.3.

The RTV-738 sealant used in the TEC Valve Flow Monitoring System cannot be demonstrated to meet the containment qualification conditions.

During discussions with customers concerning the application of RTV-738 sealant at the accelerometer connection to hardline cable, it was discovered that the recommended installation procedure was not specified during the qualification test (1980). One witness to the qualification test confirm that the RTV-738 was present but further stated it had been removed and replaced between qualification stages (aging, irradiation, seismic, and LOCA). Records cannot confirm if this was the test condition, but a set of cable resistance measurements suggest the RTV-738 was removed in order to perform the resistance testing. This uncertainty impacts the qualified life of the Valve Flow Monitoring System since the accelerometer to hardline cable could be exposed to LOCA conditions and the RTV-738 is applied to seal the junction between these components. Internal Corrective Action Report # 0026 has been initiated to track this condition.

After confirming that documentation was not available to conclusively demonstrate the qualified test conditions, a new qualification test plan was generated and has started. This testing is designed to demonstrate if the accelerometer to hardline cable junction can be qualified not only using RTV-738, but also without RTV-738 and with Raychem heat shrink. Thermal aging is complete without failure and irradiation is now underway. The full test is expected to be completed by December 10, 1999 with the final LOCA testing phase scheduled to start on November 8, 1999.

There have been no reported failures of the accelerometer to hardline cable junction except due to physical damage during outages. Therefore, no action is recommended at this time pending verification of the qualified assembly both with and without the RTV-738 sealant.