U.S. NRC Experience with Undervoltage Trip Attachments on Reactor Trip Switchgear

An overview of the failures of reactor trip switchgear to trip soley on loss of voltage is presented. There are three types of switchgear in reactor protection systems in pressurized water reactors in the United States. The review of the failures to date and the corrective actions taken suggest that proper maintenance and surveillance testing of existing undervoltage trip attachments on reactor trip switchgear should reduce substantially the number of failures.