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NRC reviews Indian Point compliance following Fukushima
Compliance level "Green" says the NRC
BUCHANAN – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a finding of very low safety significance with the Indian Point response to the events at Fukushima.
One area reviewed was the FLEX equipment acquired by the plant. That’s equipment such as portable generators and pumps used to help cool down the reactor in if off-site and on-site power were lost.
The inspectors found that at low temperatures the diesel fuel in the portable equipment could begin to gel/solidify and cause the equipment to malfunction during below freezing temperatures.
“Due to the design of the FLEX storage building, temperatures for FLEX equipment stored in the FLEX storage building have been estimated to drop to minus 6 Fahrenheit when outside temperatures reach minus 15 Fahrenheit,” the NRC report stated. “Once the FLEX deployment is begun, the area and equipment will be subjected to ambient conditions, potentially as low as minus 15 Fahrenheit. Indian Point fuel oil samples show that the cloud point was approximately 21 degrees Fahrenheit, which is substantially above the worst-case beyond design basis temperatures. At temperatures below the cloud point, the fuel oil crystallizes and gels, causing it to clog fuel lines and filters, thereby disabling the equipment.”
The NRC inspecting finding has been classified as “Green,” very low safety significance.
When federal inspectors identified the condition, Entergy, the company that owns Indian Point, took immediate actions to ensure the equipment was supplied with suitable diesel fuel that would not be susceptible to the gelling condition.
