The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission began a special inspection on 31 August at Florida Power & Light Company’s Turkey Point nuclear power station to review three Unit 3 trips, or unplanned shutdowns, that occurred between 17 August and 20 August.
On 17 August operators manually tripped the reactor from more than 90% power in response to rising steam generator water levels; on 19 August, the plant’s reactor protection system automatically tripped the reactor during startup when an instrument sensed higher than expected neutron activity in the reactor core; and on 2 August operators manually tripped the reactor from about 35% power in response to the loss of the single operating steam generator feedwater pump.
On 17 August operators manually tripped the reactor from more than 90% power in response to rising steam generator water levels; on 19 August, the plant’s reactor protection system automatically tripped the reactor during startup when an instrument sensed higher than expected neutron activity in the reactor core; and on 2 August operators manually tripped the reactor from about 35% power in response to the loss of the single operating steam generator feedwater pump.
NRC inspectors will review the circumstances of each trip, assess the company’s response, operator performance, corrective actions, and evaluate the application of industry operating experience.
The onsite portion of the inspection is expected to last about one week, and a report documenting the results is expected to be issued within 45 days of the completion of the inspection.
The Turkey Point station, about 40 km south of Miami, has two pressurised water reactor units that have been in commercial operation since the early 1970s.
