LR-N970570, Forwards Cycle 4 Startup Physics Testing, Per Requirements of TS Section 6.9, Reporting Requirements. Description of Design Changes of GE9B Product Line,Also Encl

Forwards Cycle 4 Startup Physics Testing, Per Requirements of TS Section 6.9, Reporting Requirements. Description of Design Changes of GE9B Product Line,Also Encl

ML20211M604
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	10/07/1997
From:	Eric Simpson Public Service Enterprise Group
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
Shared Package
ML20211M609	List: LR-N970570, Forwards Cycle 4 Startup Physics Testing, Per Requirements of TS Section 6.9, Reporting Requirements. Description of Design Changes of GE9B Product Line,Also Encl ML20211M612
References
LR-N970570, NUDOCS 9710150055
Download: ML20211M604 (3)

Text

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. iecue as company E.c. Simpson Pubke Service Electric and Gas uompany P O, Box 236, Hancocks Bridge, IU 08038 60 4 339-1700 s.,=, u. e,- . u- r,- OCT 7 1997 LR-N970570 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 HOPE CREEK CYCLE 4 STARTUP REPORT HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION FACILITY OPERAT!NG LICENSE NPF-57 DOCKET NO. 50-354 Gentlemen:

This letter transmits a startup repoit for Hope Creek Operating Cycle 4 (February 1991 to September 1992) as required by Technical Specification (TS) Section 6.9,

" Reporting Requirements." Specifically, TS 6.9.1.1 requires that a summary report of plant startup and power escalation testing be submitted following installation of fuel that has a different design. The Cycle 4 reload consisted of 264 fresh GE9B fuel bundles and was the first Hope Creek reload core to utilize GE9B fuel. The remaining assemblies were retainea from previous cycles, and were GE7B product line bundles.

An evaluation prepared in 1991 concluded that the new fuel was not considered a  ;

"different design" and therefore a startup report was not considered to be required; however, a recent re-evaluation of the fuel design change determined that the GE9B fuel did have a "different design." Attachment 1 to this letter describes the design changes of the GE9B product line while Attachment 2 includes the results of the startup physics testing program for Cycle 4.

ShouH you have any questions regarding this request, we will be pleased to discuss thnm with you, J

Sincerely /, -

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Attachments (2) 1 9 7 0'j 5 9710150055 971007 PDR ADOCK 05000354 P PDR e:=:- kkk,kh,k'

Document Control Desk OCT i 1997

.LR-N970570 C Mr. H. Miller, Administrator - Region I U. S. Nuclear Regulatnr/ Commission 475 Allondale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 l

l Mr. D. Jaffe, Licensing Project Manager - HC l U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l l One White Flint North

' 11555 Rockville Pike Mail Stop 14E21 Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. S. Morris (X24)

USNRC Resident Inspector - HC Mr. K. Tosch, Manager IV Bureau of Nuclear Engineering 33 Arctic Parkway CN 415 Trenton, NJ 08625-65-4933 l

4 ATTACHMENT 1 TO LR N970570 CilANGES TO THE FUEL DESIGN The changes in fuel design from the GE7B to GE9B are listed below:

1. The GE9B has a large central water rod with different flow hole locations and a different number of holes. This chango provides greater neutron enhancements.

The GE7B has 2 smaller water rods.

2. The GE9B has 60 fuel rods compared to 62 fuel rods in GE78.

3. The GE9B design included axial zoning of Gadolinium and U* enrichment for reload bundles.

4. The GE9B upper tie plate is thinner.

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5. GE9B has new Zircaloy 2 fuel rod spacers.

6. GE9B has flush weld bottom end plugs as an enhancement to load rods in new spacers. Inspoction of the weld is significantly enhanced with the new design.

7. Gadolinium rod stack height is 144 inches in GE9B compared to 150 inches in GE78.

8. Cold Rod Intemal Pressure is 75 PSIA in GE9B compared to 44.7 PSIA in GE78.

9. The fuel rod cladding goes through an additional in-process heat treatment which provides increased corrosion resistance.

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