Fire at the Turbine-Generator Unit of a Nuclear Power Plant
A technical failure in the High-Pressure turbine blades caused high vibrations in lubricating oil pipes. Some pipes broke off and the oil leak caught fire from hot surfaces. Also the generator's hydrogen leaked out and exploded. The fire caused the loss of control air and electrical power of several safety-related components: for instance, two turbo-blowers and main heat exchanges were inoperable The fire also affected a main circulation water pipe expansion joint causing outpouring of sea water which caused the flood of the lower levels of the turbine and reactor buildings
Event Date
October 19, 1989
Record Quality Indicator
Region / Country
Event Initiating System
Classification of the Physical Effects
Nature of the Consequences
Causes
Cause Comments
The explosion was caused by turbine vibrations which led to rupture of a fastener beating of the turbine shaft.
Facility Information
Application Type
Application
Specific Application Supply Chain Stage
Components Involved
electricity generator, HP turbine, turbine blades
Storage/Process Medium
Location Type
Location description
Industrial Area
Operational Condition
Pre-event Summary
A technical failure in the HP turbine blades caused high vibrations in lubricating oil pipes. Some pipes broke off and the oil leak caught fire from hot surfaces.
Currency
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
Generic lesson learned from major Nuclear Power Plants accidents can be found in IAEA, Experience gained from fires in nuclear power plants: Lessons learned, IAEA-TECDOC-1421Available at https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1421_web.pdf
Event Nature
Emergency Action
It took 4 hours to bring the fire under control, When the fire was extinguished 2 of the 4 gas circulator systems and 2 of the 4 main heat exchanger systems were knocked out and 2 RHR systems in the reactor basements were disabled by flooding.
Release Type
Release Substance
Detonation
No
Deflagration
No
High Pressure Explosion
No
High Voltage Explosion
No
Source Category
References
References
El Pais (Spain) 22, 24, 25, 27 and 28 Oct. 1989