Pilgrim SRV Leaks and Bellow's Failure Timeline

Added  Jan 32 2015:

 Licensee Event Report 2013-002-01, SRV-3B Safety Relief Valve Declared Inoperable Due to Leakage and Setpoint Drift

Originally published on May 8, 2013. Republished today. 

April/May 2011: New SRV valves installed.

*May 18, 2011 (disclosed on April 18, 2013) first small leak on SRV RV-203-3C

*Nov 25, 2011 (disclosed on April 18, 2013) second small leak on SRV RV-203-3C

Dec 26, 2011: First Pilgrim plant leak, shutdown and 3 day shutdown. Replaced SRV RV-203-3D per LER 2013

*RV 203-3C on this shutdown per LER 2013-002-00

LER 2011-007-00

LER 2011-007-01

*Jan 20, 2013: Second leak, required shutdown and another 3 day shutdown. ("On Sunday, January 20, 2013, at 2050 hours, the station entered a 24-hour action statement...)

Feb 3, 2013: Third leak, restricted to 80-84% power to control leak.

Feb 6, 2013: Pilgrim admitted leaking media.

*Feb 8, 2013: Nemo blizzard strikes, plant trip, two LOOPs, and just repair and replace of one SRV.*Feb 26, 2013: New leak develops and restricted to 94% power to control leaks.

*March 3, 2013: Discovered gross failure of a SRV bellows, assumed to come out of the Nemo shutdown and leaking SRV replacement.

March 30, 2013: Power restricted to 85%. We don't know if the leak got worst or an addition SRV is leaking, or something else.

April 11, 2013: My Pilgrim Safety Relief Valve NRC Petition.

April 14, 2013: Pilgrim shuts down and had difficulties during shutdown for refueling.

April 18, 2013: Feb 20, 2013 SRV leak and plant shut down LER 2013-02-00

*Added April 19, 2013

1) Get a load of the title: SRV-3B Safety Relief Valve Declared Inoperable Due to Leakage and Setpoint Drift

2) March 18, 2013: Entergy's LER 2013-02-00 date of submittal is March 21, 2013.

3) Event date: Jan 20, 2013 per Entergy

4) Submitted my Pilgrim SRV request for emergency shutdown on March 13, 2013.

4) Reported date: March 21, 2013 per Entergy

5) Pilot

S/N SRV Position As-Found Deviation 23 RV-203-3B 1112 psig (-)3.8%

6) This LER disclosed:

a) First small SRV leak on May 18, 2011 (SRV RV-203-3C)

b) Second small leak on Nov 25, 2011 (SRV RV-203-3C)

c) Shutdown on Jan 26, 2013 RV- 203-3 DRV- 203-3D

*May 7, 2013:INTERIM PART 21 REPORT OF POTENTIAL DEFECT IN A (Pilgrim SRV) RELIEF VALVE BELLOWS gets disclosed on NRC site

1) The date of a unprecedented loud pop bellows failure was on March 3, 2013.

2) It is assumed this valve came out of the Nemo Feb 9, 2013 shutdown and pilot valve replacement. There are heavy hints the it might have come from a prior event.