"SWITCHYARD FAULT RESULTED IN MAIN GENERATOR TRIP/TURBINE TRIP/REACTOR TRIP."

See event #36585

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/DAILY/der.htm

-- (pigs@do.fly), January 14, 2000

Answers

Yeap, that's two shutdowns from 1/07-1/13, for those of you still following my 1/07-1/31 US Nuke shutdown predictive challenge.

(Still possible for a shutdown late in 1/13 to not show up till tomorrow's status report).

Still on pace to win my prediction with room to spare but I'd expect to make it more comfortably.

-- John H Krempasky (johnk@dmv.com), January 14, 2000.

From http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/DAILY/der.htm

SWITCHYARD FAULT RESULTED IN MAIN GENERATOR TRIP/TURBINE TRIP/ REACTOR TRIP. At 0059CT a Reactor Trip occurred on Unit 2. A fault in the switchyard resulted in a Main Generator Trip which caused a Turbine Trip/Reactor Trip.

All rods fully inserted into the core. All other systems responded per design with the following exceptions: 1) Unit 1/Unit 2 Containment Ventilation Actuation occurred (caused by electrical spike in the switchyard). This is not an ESF Actuation because all the Containment Ventilation Isolation valves were already closed. 2) Fuel Handling Building Ventilation ESF Actuation occurred (caused by the electrical spike in the switchyard). 3) "A" Train Main Control Room Makeup Air Filter Unit ESF Actuation occurred (caused by the electrical spike in the switchyard). All Emergency Core Cooling Systems and the Emergency Diesel Generators are fully operable if needed. At this time the Motor Driven Auxiliary Feedwater Pump is maintaining proper Steam Generator Water Levels with Tave being maintained at a no load temperature of 557 degrees F. Switchyard fault is being investigated. The NRC Resident Inspector will be notified of this event by the licensee.

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), January 14, 2000.

In the same web site, there were two different incidences in two different states of Stolen Density Gauges which have 2 radioactive sources.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 14, 2000.

John --

My fuzzy recollection is that the shutdowns listed during the May period which you took as a model, were planned shutdowns as opposed to "trips" or hot standbys. Is this not so? Comments?

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.tree), January 14, 2000.

Hot standby.

That sounds like the politically correct way of saying that it is ready to begin meltdown.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), January 14, 2000.

Trying to tie the current nuke controversy on one thread.

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002JTb

-- (pigs@do.fly), January 14, 2000.

"caused by electrical spike in the switchyard"

Would I be offbase if I were to assume that it must have been one hell of a spike?

I mean, common sense would seem to dictate that a nuke plant would be designed to handle at *least* the level of "normal" spikes, plus a comfortable amount of safety margin beyond that.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), January 14, 2000.

Anyone who cannot see an acceleration in "glitches" in all embedded- prone sectors is a "polly". As in ostrich.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 14, 2000.

yikes, that is kind of scary to me as i can look out my window and see the cooling towers to the byron nuke plant, funny thing is i didnt find out about this till got online, no mention of it on our local news yet. i live about 6 miles from the plant.

-- nate (yikes@screwed.com), January 14, 2000.

Yes, there is definitely an acceleration of glitches now. This one also appears to be Y2K related.

-- (moren@hovtek.net), January 14, 2000.

To Bardou-- I noticed and posted about the gauges yesterday. It seemed very odd to me. But I got laughed at. It was probably just a coincidence but I will be looking to see if any more turn up missing.

-- Pam (jpjgood@penn.com), January 14, 2000.

nate

You might want to consider moving, Y2K or not. 6 miles is not very far.

-- J (Y2J@home.com), January 14, 2000.

To Bardou --- To make the missing gauges question more interesting:

What are they used for ???

Two stolen in the same time period, but what applications do they have???

Annoyance thefts ???

Or maybe some other use ???

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), January 14, 2000.

Snooze--I wish I knew what they are used for, measuring moisture? But what is significant is that they both contain 2 radioactive sources, and it was significant enough to have them reported stolen on that site. One of the reports is offering a reward for their return. Maybe call the company "Humboldt," and ask them what they are used for and how radioactive they are. But then again, you may have the feds showing up at your door step wanting to know why you wanted to know....

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 14, 2000.

My friend Homer Simpson works at one of these nuke plants, so I asked him to explain some of the codes listed on those event reports.

The "SCRAM CODE" is how they know whether or not it is safe to stay on duty at the plant. "N" means "No need to scram yet", "Y" means "Yes, scram now", and "A/R", as in the case of this event, means "Already Radioactive", or in other words, if you haven't already scrammed it's probably too late.

Another important code for employees and people who live in the vicinity is the "RX CRIT" code. This is to let them know whether it is critical to take their prescription medication (KI, or Potassium Iodate). In the report of this particular event, of course the answer is "Y", for "Yes."

"If you live within 50 miles of a nuke plant, you're toast"

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), January 14, 2000.

Hummm...

Notice the 2 reports, 1 employee caught with a controlled substance, and the supervisor under the influence of alcohol?

Does wonders for my confidence level, y2k bugs or not....

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 14, 2000.

I wonder if those guys were reacting like Lloyd Bridges character in "Airplane!"? "I picked a heck of a week to stop smoking, drinking, shiffing glue, etc".

Bad times do bring out bad habits you know. How bad are those plants acting?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), January 14, 2000.

LOL WW

I just flashed on Lloyd Bridges standing glassy eyed in front of a nuclear plant control console ... ROFLMAO!

-- Carl (clilly@goentre.com), January 14, 2000.

bardou,

do you have a link to this:" In the same web site, there were two different incidences in two different states of Stolen Density Gauges which have 2 radioactive sources."?

-- Not Again! (seenit@ww2.cpm), January 14, 2000.

Squirrel,

I believe "Hokie" made the silly assertion that the May outages last year were "planned", in response to one of my posts, based on absolutely nothing.

I then tediously went through and reviewed ALL those event reports, and posted the first 5-6 (all the rest were similar.)

They were ALL unplanned automatic or manual shutdowns due to a sudden failure or alarm. JUST like the Byron outage, the 2 Limerick outages in the last couple weeks, etc.

-- John H Krempasky (johnk@dmv.com), January 15, 2000.