Loss of integrated control system power and overcooling transient at Rancho Seco on December 26, 1985

Technical Report · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6131365

On December 26, 1985, Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station, located in Clay, California, about 25 miles southeast of Sacramento, experienced a loss of dc power within the integrated control system (ICS) while the plant was operating at 76% power. The plant is owned by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Following the loss of ICS dc power, the reactor tripped on high reactor coolant system (RCS) pressure followed by a rapid overcooling transient and automatic initiation of the safety features actuation system on low RCS pressure. The overcooling transient continued until ICS dc power was restored 26 minutes after its loss. The fundamental causes for this transient were design weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the ICS and in the equipment controlled by that system. These weaknesses and vulnerabilities were not adequately compensated by other design features, plant procedures or operator training. These weaknesses and vulnerabilities were largely known to SMUD and the NRC staff by virtue of a number of precursor events and through related analyses and studies. Yet, adequate plant modifications were not made so that this event would be improbable, or so that its course or consequences would be altered significantly. The information was available and known which could have prevented this overcooling transient; but in the absence of adequate plant modifications, the incident should have been expected. The report includes findings and conclusions of the NRC Incident Investigation Team sent to Rancho Seco by the NRC Executive Director for Operations in conformance with NRC's recently established Incident Investigation Program. 33 figs.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6131365
• Report Number(s): NUREG-1195; ON: TI86901022
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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