Information Notice 2003-16, Icing Conditions Between Bottom of Dry Storage System and Storage Pad
| ML032520821 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/06/2003 |
| From: | Brach E NRC/NMSS/SFPO |
| To: | |
| O'Connor S NMSS/SFPO (301) 415-8561 | |
| References | |
| IN-03-016 | |
| Download: ML032520821 (7) | |
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY AND SAFEGUARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
October 6, 2003
NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2003-16:
ICING CONDITIONS BETWEEN BOTTOM OF
DRY STORAGE SYSTEM AND STORAGE PAD
Addressees
All 10 CFR Part 72 licensees and certificate holders.
Purpose
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice to apprise
addressees of an icing condition at an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) that
placed the dry spent fuel storage systems into an unanalyzed condition. It is expected that
recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as
appropriate, to address the potential issue. However, suggestions contained in this information
notice are not new NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action nor written response is
required.
Description of Circumstances
In February 2003, Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company (MYAPC) discovered that the surface
area between the storage system vertical concrete casks (VCCs) and the concrete ISFSI
storage pad had a significant covering of ice (approximately 80 - 95 percent of the surface).
The design basis for the NAC-UMS dry spent fuel storage system used by MYAPC at the Maine
Yankee ISFSI did not specifically address ice formation between the bottom of the VCC and the
pad during storage operations. The icing condition created a different operating parameter
than those presented in the NAC-UMS Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR).
Discussion:
On January 7, 2003, while MYAPC was moving an empty VCC on the heavy-haul trailer from a
storage area up an incline to the fuel handling building, the VCC unexpectedly slid
approximately 0.6 meters (2 feet) toward the rear of the trailer. The licensee immediately
stopped work and investigated the cause for the VCC sliding. During the transfer operation, the
VCC was resting on an inactivated air pad and positioned approximately in the center of the
heavy-haul trailer. The root cause was determined to be the presence of ice between the air
pad and the bottom of the VCC. To determine the extent of this condition, MYAPC lifted six
additional VCCs and examined the bearing surfaces of the VCCs and the ISFSI pad. The
licensee examined a variety of VCC parameters to see if any patterns developed. The MYAPC
review took into account the VCCs manufacturers, VCCs with north and south sun exposure, loaded and empty VCCs, and one empty VCC with a sheet of linoleum placed between the
VCC and concrete pad. The licensee found that approximately 80 - 95 percent of the VCC-bearing surfaces were
consistently covered with a layer of ice ranging from 1.5- to 6.4-mm (0.06- to 0.25-inches) thick.
All the VCCs had a clean central surface area ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 m2 (5 to 15 ft2) and all the
VCCs had a considerable buildup of ice around the outer diameter.
The NAC-UMS Certificate of Compliance states that the design basis site-specific parameters
and analysis that require verification by MYAPC include physical testing to demonstrate that the
coefficient of friction between the VCC and the ISFSI pad surface is at least 0.5. However, the
significant icing condition of the bearing surfaces of the VCCs indicated that the coefficient of
friction may not be 0.5.
Conclusion:
The icing condition identified at Maine Yankee could potentially occur at other ISFSI sites using
free-standing ventilated concrete cask designs (e.g., VSC-24, NAC-UMS, NAC-MPC,
HI-STORM, and FuelSolutions) located in the northern regions of the country. This information
notice is to inform licensees of this potential icing condition. NRC expects licensees to assess
their particular ISFSIs for a similar condition and to take appropriate actions, if necessary.
This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any
questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below
or the appropriate regional office.
/RA/
E. William Brach, Director
Spent Fuel Project Office
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Stephen OConnor, NMSS
(301) 415-8561 E-mail: sco@nrc.gov
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
2. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices The licensee found that approximately 80 - 95 percent of the VCC-bearing surfaces were
consistently covered with a layer of ice ranging from 1.5- to 6.4-mm (0.06- to 0.25-inches) thick.
All the VCCs had a clean central surface area ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 m2 (5 to 15 ft2) and all the
VCCs had a considerable buildup of ice around the outer diameter.
The NAC-UMS Certificate of Compliance states that the design basis site-specific parameters
and analysis that require verification by MYAPC include physical testing to demonstrate that the
coefficient of friction between the VCC and the ISFSI pad surface is at least 0.5. However, the
significant icing condition of the bearing surfaces of the VCCs indicated that the coefficient of
friction was likely to be much less than 0.5.
Conclusion:
The icing condition identified at Maine Yankee could potentially occur at other ISFSI sites using
free-standing ventilated concrete cask designs (e.g., VSC-24, NAC-UMS, NAC-MPC,
HI-STORM, and FuelSolutions) located in the northern regions of the country. This information
notice is to inform licensees of this potential icing condition. NRC expects licensees to assess
their particular ISFSIs for a similar condition and to take appropriate actions, if necessary.
This information notice requires no specific action nor written response. If you have any
questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below
or the appropriate regional office.
/RA/
E. William Brach, Director
Spent Fuel Project Office
Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards
Technical Contact:
Stephen OConnor, NMSS
(301) 415-8561 E-mail: sco@nrc.gov
Attachments:
1. List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices
2. List of Recently Issued NMSS Information Notices
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OFC:
SFPO
SFPO
SFPO
SFPO
SFPO
NAME:
SOConnor *
EZiegler *
EKraus *
JMonninger *
WHodges*
LCamper*
DATE:
08/11/03
07/03/03
07/09/03
08/12/03
09/08/03
09/08/03 OFC:
SFPO
NAME:
EWBrach
DATE:
10/06/03
- - see previous concurrence
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
______________________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
Attachment 1 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NRC INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2003-15
Importance of Followup
Activities in Resolving
Maintenance Issues
09/05/2003
All holders of operating licenses
for nuclear power reactors except
those who have permanently
ceased operation and have
certified that fuel has been
permanently removed from the
reactor vessel.
2003-14
Potential Vulnerability of Plant
Computer Network to Worm
Infection
08/29/2003
All holders of operating licenses
for nuclear power reactors, except those who have
permanently ceased operations
and have certified that fuel has
been permanently removed from
the reactor vessel.
2003-13
Steam Generator Tube
Degradation at Diablo Canyon
08/28/2003
All holders of operating licenses
for pressurized-water reactors
(PWRs), except those who have
permanently ceased operations
and have certified that fuel has
been permanently removed from
the reactor.
89-69, Sup 1
Shadow Corrosion Resulting in
Fuel Channel Bowing
08/25/2003
All holders of operating licenses
for boiling water reactors (BWRs),
except those who have
permanently ceased operations
and have certified that fuel has
been permanently removed from
the reactor vessel.
Note:
NRC generic communications may be received in electronic format shortly after they are
issued by subscribing to the NRC listserver as follows:
To subscribe send an e-mail to <listproc@nrc.gov >, no subject, and the following
command in the message portion:
subscribe gc-nrr firstname lastname
______________________________________________________________________________________
OL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit
Attachment 2 LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED
NMSS INFORMATION NOTICES
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Information
Date of
Notice No.
Subject
Issuance
Issued to
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2003-12
Problems Involved in
Monitoring Dose to the Hands
Resulting from the Handling of
Radiopharmaceuticals
08/22/2003 All holders of 10 CFR Parts 32,
33, and 35 licenses.
2003-10
Criticality Monitoring System
Degradation at BWX
Technologies, Inc., Nuclear
Products Division, Lynchburg, VA
08/04/2003
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) licensees
authorized to possess a critical
mass of special nuclear material.
2003-09
Source Positioning Errors and
System Malfunctions During
Administration of Intravascular
Brachtherapy
07/16/2003 All medical licensees.
2002-31, Sup 1
Potentially Defective UF6
Cylinder Valves (1-inch)
03/24/2003
All U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) licensees
authorized to possess and use
source material and/or special
nuclear material for heating, emptying, filling, or shipping 30-
and 48-inch cylinders of uranium
hexafluoride (UF6).
2002-36
Incomplete or Inaccurate
Information Provided to the
Licensee and/or NRC By Any
Contractor or Subcontractor
Employee
12/27/2002
All materials and fuel cycle
licensees and certificate holders.
2002-35
Changes to 10 CFR Parts 71
and 72 Quality Assurance
Programs
12/20/2002
All holders of 10 CFR Part 71
quality assurance program
approvals and all 10 CFR Part 72 licensees and certificate holders
Note:
NRC generic communications may be received in electronic format shortly after they are issued by
subscribing to the NRC listserver as follows:
To subscribe send an e-mail to <listproc@nrc.gov >, no subject, and the following command in the
message portion:
subscribe gc-nrr firstname lastname