Issue Date: 06/09/88 - 1 - 9900 STS 3/4.8.1

NRC INSPECTION MANUAL OTSB

PART 9900: TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

STS3481.TG

STANDARD TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

SECTION 3/4.8.1

TDI DIESEL GENERATOR AIR ROLL TESTS

A. PURPOSE

To provide guidance on the performance of the Transamerica DeLaval,

Inc. (TDI) Diesel Generator Air Roll Tests while the plant is in the

Action Statement of Technical Specification 3.8.1.1.

B. BACKGROUND

On June 15, 1987 an inspection of operational activities at Vogtle

Electric Generating Plant identified a violation concerning

activities which rendered the Emergency Diesel Generator inoperable.

"B" train diesel had become inoperable, thus placing the plant in

Action Statement b of Technical Specification 3.8.1.1. Within five

(5) minutes it was restored to OPERABLE condition. However, one of

the notes associated with the Action Statement required that the "A"

train diesel be demonstrated operable in accordance with the

Surveillance Requirements "regardless of when the inoperable diesel

generator is restored to OPERABILITY." In the performance of this

operability demonstration of "A" train diesel, the diesel was made

inoperable in order to perform the Moisture Check/Air Roll Test

required by License Condition 4 of Attachment 1 to the Vogtle

license. The other note associated with this Action Statement

states that "The diesel shall not be rendered inoperable by

activities performed to support testing pursuant to the Action

Statement (e.g., an Air Roll)." NRR was requested to determine (1)

if the licensee is still in the Action Statement until the operable

diesel is demonstrated operable, even though the inoperable diesel

was made operable, and (2) should the Air Roll Test be performed on

the operable diesel.

C. DISCUSSION

NUREG 1216 "Safety Evaluation Report Related To Operability And

Reliability of Emergency Diesel Generators Manufactured by

Transamerica DeLaval, Inc." stated that cylinder heads were one of

the components which warranted special emphasis in the area of

maintenance/surveillance. Therefore, a license condition was
9900 STS 3/4.8.1 - 2 - Issue Date: 06/09/88

required of all plants using TDI diesels which required periodic air

roll tests to check for moisture in the cylinders. The tests were

to be performed prior to planned starts and after diesel engine

shutdowns. The staff recognized that the tests would make the

diesel inoperable for periods up to thirty-minutes. However it was

"....not the staff's intent that an engine should intentionally be

put into a condition where it cannot receive a start signal if the

other diesel(s)
Issue Date: 06/09/88 - 3 - 9900 STS 3/4.8.1

or other ac sources are already inoperable." Thus a caveat was

placed in the license condition and in the Technical Specifications

to prevent the Air Roll Tests while in the Action Statements of

Technical Specification 3.8.1.1. The caveat did not address when

the plant exits the Action Statement.

As long as the diesel is inoperable the plant is considered in the

Action Statements of Technical Specifications 3.8.1.1, and any

demonstrations of operability of the other diesel shall not be

preceded or followed by air roll tests until the plant exits the

Action Statement. If the inoperable diesel is declared operable

prior to the performance of the testing required by the Action

Statement, it is permissible to perform the Air Roll Tests prior to

starting the second diesel, even though the plant is still in the

Action Statement. The basis for this conclusion is the SER

statement quoted above which states that the staff's intent was to

prevent both diesels being inoperable at the same time. As long as

one diesel is operable, the Air Roll Tests must be performed prior

to any planned start per the license condition.

D. REFERENCES

Memorandum from A. Gibson, Director, Division of Reactor Safety, for

G. Lainas, A/D for Region II Reactors, NRR, dated November 20, 1987,

Subject: Technical Specification (TS) Requirement For Testing TDI

Diesels. The memorandum is available in the Document Control System

(DCS 69235/001).

NUREG 1216, "Safety Evaluation Report Related To Operability and

Reliability of Emergency Diesel Generators Manufactured by

Transamerica DeLaval, Inc.," dated August 1986. NUREG 1216 is

available in the Document Control System (DCS 37785/171).

END