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Key Elements inSeismic Qualification of EquipmentUsing the Experience-Based Method

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What is the Seismic Experience-Based Method?

• Methods applied to verify that as-installed equipment in operating plants is seismically adequate

• Approach has also been applied in new revisions national standards (IEEE 344-2004 and ASME QME)

• Range of cost savings realized by SQUG member utilities is up to $500,000/year with significantly shorter procurement times

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What is SQUG?

• Seismic Qualification Utility Group, formed to develop resolution of NRC Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-46

• Membership:- Originally there were 30 U.S. companies, but through

consolidation there are now 15 U.S. companies

- 12 International companies

• Charter: EPRI Owner's Group

• Leadership:- Utility Steering Group (6 members currently serving)

- EPRI project management

- Contractor support

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Members of SQUG – Past and Present

American Electric Power Co.AWE (United Kingdom)Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. *Boston Edison Co. *British Energy (United Kingdom)Bruce Power (Canada)Carolina Power & Light Co. *Central Nuclear De Almaraz (Spain) **Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) (France)Commonwealth Edison Co. *Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. *Constellation EnergyConsumers Power Co. *Detroit Edison **DominionDuke Energy (formerly Duke Power Co.)Duquesne Light Co. *Electricité de France (France)ENEL ctn (NIRA) (Italy) **EntergyExelonFirst Energy

Florida Power Corp. *Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB (Sweden) **GPU Nuclear Corp. *Iowa Electric Light & Power Co. **Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (Korea) **Magnox North (United Kingdom)Nebraska Public Power DistrictNew York Power Authority *Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. *Northeast Utilities Services Co. *Northern States Power Co. *Nuclear Electric *Nuclear Management Company *OKG AB (Sweden)Omaha Public Power DistrictOntario Power Generation (Canada)Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. *Philadelphia Electric Co. *Portland General Electric Co. **Progress EnergyPublic Service Company of Colorado **Public Service Electric & Gas Co. *PSEG Nuclear

Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. *Rolls-Royce Power Engineering (United Kingdom)Sacramento Municipal Utility District **Scottish Nuclear (Scotland) *Siemens/KWU (Germany) **Southern California Edison Co. **Southern Nuclear Corp. - Alabama Power Co. - Georgia Power Co.Tennessee Valley AuthorityTokyo Electric Power Company (Japan)Toledo Edison Co. *Tractebel-Suez (Belgium)Vattenfall AB, Ringhals (Sweden)Virginia Power Co. *Westinghouse Savanna River Co. **Wisconsin Electric Power Co. **Wisconsin Public Service Corp. *Yankee Utilities * - Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. - Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. - Yankee Atomic Electric Co.Xcel Nuclear

* SQUG power plant(s) acquired by another SQUG member utility

** Former SQUG member companyAll but one U.S. utility directly affected by USI A-46

became a member of SQUG in the 1980s

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What is the Seismic Experience-Based Method?

Collect Field and Test Experience Data

• Earthquake reconnaissance investigations

• Past shake table tests

Method Includes the Development of:

• More than twenty classes of equipment

• Generic seismic ruggedness levels

• Restrictions, bounds, and conditions on its use- Data limits

- Good practices

- Lessons learned

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What is the Earthquake Experience Database?

• Collection of data from large earthquakes since 1971

• Contains detailed records of equipment performance

• Documents root causes of damaged equipment

• Contains inventories of undamaged equipment

• Continues to be updated as large, significant earthquakes occur

Earthquake Experience Database include success and failure data

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Primary Earthquakes Contributing to the Experience Database

Costa Rica & Panama

San FernandoWhittier

Palm Springs

Chile

Superstition Hills

Brawley & Imperial ValleyCerro Prieto

Mexico

San Salvador

Managua

Adak

Ferndale & Humbolt

Loma PrietaChalfant Valley

Morgan HillCoalinga

Santa BarbaraPoint Mugu

Boram Mt.

Quebec

Painesville

Bishop & Mammoth Mt.GormanUpland

Alum RockGilroy

Livermore

Wales

Italy

Turkey

Iran

Armenia

New Zealand

Australia

Northern Taiwan

Izu Peninsula

Miyagh-Ken-Oki

Central Luzon, Philippines

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Facilities Housing Equipment in Database

• Power generation facilities

• Substations

• Pumping stations

• Industrial facilities

• Commercial facilities

• Refineries

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Classes of Equipment Covered by Experience Data

1. Motor control centers2. Low voltage switchgear3. Medium voltage switchgear4. Transformers5. Horizontal pumps6. Vertical pumps7. Fluid-operated valves8A. Motor-operated valves8B. Solenoid-operated valves9. Fans10. Air handlers11. Chillers12. Air compressors13. Motor-generators

14. Distribution panels15. Batteries on racks16. Battery chargers and inverters17. Engine-generators18. Instruments on racks19. Temperature sensors20. Control and instrumentation

panels and cabinets21. Tanks and heat exchangers22. Cable and conduit raceways23. Overhead cranes24. Piping systems25. HVAC duct and damper

systems

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Extent of Data – Vertical Pumps (Example)

- Not Operable

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Nu

mb

er o

f V

erti

cal P

um

ps

0.20 g 0.30 g 0.40 g 0.50 g 0.60 g

Peak Ground Acceleration(Average Horizontal)

Vast majority of equipment was operable during/after the earthquake

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0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Frequency (Hz)

Sp

ec

tra

l Ac

ce

lera

tio

n (

g)

NEAR FIELD SITES, 1983 COALINGA EQ.

EL CENTRO STEAM PLANT, 1979 IMPERIAL VALLEY EQ.

SYLMAR CONVERTER STATION, 1971 SAN FERNANDO EQ.

LLOLLEO PUMPING PLANT, 1985 CHILE EQ.

SQUG REFERENCE SPECTRUM

5% Damping

Bounds of Application

Ground motion from some of the largest earthquakesformed the basis for equipment seismic capacity

Final SQUG Equipment Capacity

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Development of Generic Equipment Ruggedness Spectra (GERS)

Sp

ectr

al A

ccel

erat

ion

(g

)

Frequency (Hz)

0

2

4

6

8

10

1 5 10 20 30 ZPA

Dry-TypeTransformer

5% Damping

FailureData

SuccessData

GERS

Generic test data was used to establish higher equipment capacities

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1. Overall Approach for Resolving USI A-46

Outlier Resolution

Completion Letter

Summary Report

Safe Shutdown

Equipment List (SSEL)

EquipmentEvaluation

RelayReview

NRC

NRC

SER

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2. Equipment Evaluation

Summary Report

Cable Trays &Conduit Raceways

Tanks &Heat Exchangers

20 Classes ofEquipment

SSEL

15Summary Report

SeismicallyAdequate

3. Equipment Class Screens

SSEL

EquipmentScreens

Outliers

Capacity > Demand?

Caveats Met?

Anchorage OK?

No Seismic InteractionConcerns?

Justify orUpgrade

16Summary Report

SeismicallyAdequate

Seismic ReviewNot Needed

Seismic Cap.vs. Demand

6. Relay Review Screens

System/CircuitAnalysis

EquipmentSelection

SSELSSEL for Relay Review

Essential Relays

Outliers

Outlier Relays

Justify orUpgrade

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Generic Implementation Procedure (GIP)

• GIP includes detailed, NRC-accepted procedures developed prior to execution of USI A-46 reviews by SQUG members

• GIP defines minimum set of safe shutdown equipment

• Includes screening guidelines and acceptance criteria

• Includes plant walkdown procedures

• Includes special evaluations for:- Tanks and heat exchangers

- Cable trays and conduit raceways

- RelaysGIP provides comprehensive seismic evaluation

guidelines and criteria for many classes of equipment

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• GIP facilitated NRC review and approval of the guidelines and criteria for resolution of USI A-46

• GIP walkdowns and evaluations require engineering judgment

• NRC required experienced, trained engineers to use GIP

• SQUG developed several utility training courses to implement the GIP:- Development of Safe Shutdown

Equipment List (SSEL)

- Relay Evaluation

- Walkdown and Screening Evaluation

- Workshops

Generic Implementation Procedure (GIP)

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Key Elements of GIP Method

1. Covers conventional electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, tanks, heat exchangers, and cable/conduit raceways

2. Based on earthquake and test experience data

3. Requires plant walkdowns of the equipment

4. Requires use of engineering judgment

5. Requires use of experienced, trained Seismic Capability Engineers (SCEs)

6. Minimizes need for dynamic analysis and shake table testing

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New and Replacement Equipment (NARE)

GIP method can also be used for seismic qualification of New and Replacement Equipment and Parts

• For qualifying commercial-grade equipment and parts

• Can be used for the remainder of the operating life of plant

• Can be integrated with procurement process for parts

• Seismic, procurement, and licensing engineers involved

• SQUG developed training courses to apply NARE method:- Two-day NARE Training Course to enhance the capabilities of the SCEs

- One-half day SQUG/NARE Awareness Training Course to help other plant personnel understand the key elements of NARE process

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SQUG has compiled examples of NARE evaluations based on members’ use of the method

• NARE evaluation examples include:- Pump- Damper- Pressure gauge- Panels- Transformer inside a battery charger- Ball valve- Pressure regulator

• NARE evaluation examples serve to illustrate:- Key elements of NARE evaluation- Appropriate level of detail, effort, and engineering judgment- Approaches for documenting NARE evaluations

NARE Evaluation Examples

NARE evaluation examples are posted on SQUG web site

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NARE Support Program

SQUG has in place the “NARE Support Program” designed to assist SQUG members in performing plant-specific NARE evaluations- Steering Group provides oversight

- Protocol Chairman guides process on behalf members

- Members submit data needed for NARE evaluations

- SQUG Contractors perform NARE evaluations

- SQUG develops NARE examples from evaluations

• This program allows SQUG members to perform NARE evaluations:- Without developing plant-specific NARE procedures

- Without having trained personnel on staff to perform the NARE evaluations

- At minimal or no cost to support the SQUG contractors who perform the NARE evaluations

Details of NARE Support Program, including how tointerface with SQUG, are posted on SQUG web site

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SQUG Support for Members’ Questions

• SQUG provides answers to members' questions on topics related to use of the SQUG methodology and seismic issues

• Communication methods for supporting members:- SQUG Web Site (http://squgweb.mpr.com/)

- SQUG List Server – Members can communicate by email directly with all the other SQUG member representatives

- E-mail questions – SQUG contractors provide rapid response to issues and questions of concern to SQUG members

- Telephone communication – SQUG contractors provide rapid response to issues and questions of concern to SQUG members

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Conclusion

• SQUG mission is to maintain the validity of and support and broaden the use of experience data as a cost-effective method for seismic qualification of equipment

• The goal of SQUG is to reduce the level of owner’s group effort necessary to maintain and use the GIP in the future

• To accomplish this mission and goal, SQUG provides members with an assortment of tools to help them fully implement and use earthquake and testing experience data

For additional information contact:

Robert KassawaraEPRI

(650) 855-2775RKassawa@epri.com

For additional information contact:

Robert KassawaraEPRI

(650) 855-2775RKassawa@epri.com