Transformer

Indian Transformer Fire

NRC inspectors track transformer fires at the Indian Point Energy Center on weekends. NRC resident inspectors in India - working daily at the factory - are monitoring the work of the site while the factory workers are troubleshooting the main transformer No. 3 and looking for reasons.

The transformer fire happened at about 6 p.m. on Saturday night. A sprinkler system initially extinguished the flames, but it reignited and was put out by the onsite fire brigade and local fire departments. The fire caused the reactor to automatically shut down, as designed. All safety systems worked as designed. There was no danger to the public and no release of radiation. The reactor is stable. Unit 2 continues to operate at full power.

Plant operators declared an “unusual event” – the lowest of the emergency classifications – in accordance with plant procedures. All plants have procedures, approved by the NRC, that dictate how events are classified to ensure appropriate steps are taken to respond to the event and to communicate the event to local and state agencies and the NRC.

In addition to cooling provided by fans, the main transformer is also cooled by oil flowing through it. On Saturday, oil from the transformer spilled into the plant’s discharge canal. Entergy has been working to determine how much oil was spilled.

The transformer that failed carries electricity from the main generator to the electrical grid. The same type of equipment can be found at any plant that generates electricity. It is on the electrical generation side of the plant – not the nuclear side.

As far as next steps go, plant employees will determine what happened and why. They will repair or replace any equipment that was damaged in the fire. The plant can restart when ready. NRC inspectors will be monitoring Entergy’s actions every step of the way, ensuring workers are taking all appropriate actions.

Just like any event in the factory, we will continue to review what happened and the factory's response. If necessary, we will send more inspectors to the website to learn more about events and their impact.

So this event tells us that we must pay more attention to the transformer safety and avoid this disaster happens again.

Article from:

https://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/