ML033250530
| ML033250530 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Catawba  |
| Issue date: | 11/21/2003 |
| From: | Martin R NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | Tuckman M Duke Energy Corp |
| Martin R, NRR/DLPM, 415-1493 | |
| References | |
| TAC MB7863, TAC MB7864 | |
| Download: ML033250530 (9) | |
Text
November 21, 2003 Mr. Michael S. Tuckman Executive Vice President Duke Energy Corporation 526 South Church St Charlotte, NC 28201-1006
SUBJECT:
CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: MIXED OXIDE LEAD FUEL ASSEMBLIES (TAC NOS. MB7863 AND MB7864)
Dear Mr. Tuckman:
By letter dated February 27, 2003, you submitted an application for amendments to the operating licenses for Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2. The proposed amendments would revise the Technical Specifications to allow the use of four mixed oxide fuel assemblies at the Catawba station. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed the information provided and has determined that additional information is required as identified in the Enclosure.
We discussed these questions with your staff on November 20, 2003. Your staff indicated that a response to these issues could be provided within thirty (30) days. Please contact me at (301) 415-1493, if you have any other questions on these issues.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Robert E. Martin, Senior Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-413 and 50-414
Enclosure:
Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page
- See previous concurrence NRR-088 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-1/LA RLEP
- SPSB/SC*
PDII-1/SC NAME JNakoski for RMartin:sab CHawes RTappert RDennig JNakoski DATE 11/21/03 11/21/03 11/20/03 11/20/03 11/21/03
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON APPLICATION FOR MOX LEAD TEST ASSEMBLIES DUKE POWER COMPANY CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-413 AND 50-414 Environmental Review 1.
Describe any change to the types, characteristics, or quantities of nonradiological effluents discharged to the environment as a result of the proposed change.
2.
Describe any changes to liquid radioactive effluents discharged as a result of the proposed change.
3.
Describe any changes to gaseous radioactive effluents discharged as a result of the proposed change.
4.
Describe any change in the type or quantity of solid radioactive waste generated as a result of the proposed change.
5.
What is the difference in source characteristics of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel (compared to low-enriched uranium fuel) that is considered in the accident analysis?
6.
What is the expected change in occupational dose as a result of the proposed change under normal and design-basis accident (DBA) accident conditions?
7.
What is the expected change in public dose as a result of the proposed change under normal and DBA accident conditions?
8.
What are the performance characteristics of the packages that will be used to ship irradiated assemblies offsite?
9.
What are the expected impacts of transporting the fresh MOX assemblies (to workers/drivers and to the public) under normal and accident conditions?
10.
What are the expected impacts of transporting the irradiated MOX assemblies (to workers/drivers and to the public) under normal and accident conditions?
11.
Provide an assessment of the occupational doses resulting from post-irradiation examinations following each cycle of irradiation of the lead test assemblies.
Radiological Consequences 1.
The table below lists the parameters that the NRC staff plans to use in assessing fission gas release (isotopic gap fractions) and fission gas pressure for the lead test assemblies (LTAs). This data is taken from Dukes submittal dated February 27, 2003, and from NUREG-1754, A New Comparative Analysis of LWR Fuel Designs, as indicated below. The NRC staff requests that Duke complete the missing data items and confirm that the values in the table are those that have been or will be used for safety analyses and thus become part of the design basis for the LTA irradiation.
Parameter Value Basis Number of fuel rods per assembly 264 Submittal, Table 3-1 Fuel rod pitch, in.
0.496 Submittal, Table 3-1 Cladding OD, in.
0.374 Submittal, Table 3-1 Cladding ID, in.
0.329 Submittal, Table 3-1 Cladding thickness, in.
0.0225 Submittal, Section 3.5.1 Cladding material M5 Submittal Fuel diameter, in.
0.3225 Submittal, Table 3-1 Fuel pellet length, in.
? 0.45 ?
NUREG-1754 Fuel pellet volume reduction due to dish and chamfer, %
1.0 Submittal, Table 3-1 Fuel pellet dish diameter, in
? 0.158 ?
NUREG-1754 Fuel pellet dish depth, in.
? 0.0113 ?
NUREG-1754 Fuel rod length, in.
152.40 Submittal, Table 3-1 Active fuel length, in.
144.0 Submittal, Table 3-1 Plenum length, in.
? 10 ?
NUREG-1754 Pellet initial density, % TD 95 Submittal, Table 3-1 Pellet oxygen to metal ratio (a realistic value is preferred to a manufacturing limit)
?
Rod internal void volume, cu. in.
?
Plenum spring diameter
? 0.3225 ?
NUREG-1754 & Table 3-1 (based on pellet diameter)
Plenum spring wire diameter, in.
? 0.05 ?
NUREG-1754 Turns in plenum spring
? 28 ?
NUREG-1754 Helium fill gas pressure, psi
? 350 ?
NUREG-1754 RCS pressure, psia 2310 Submittal, Table 3-2 Reactor Power, MWt 3411 Submittal, Table 3-2 Coolant Flow, lb/ft2-hr
? 2.55E6 ?
NUREG-1754 Coolant inlet temperature, F 555 Submittal, Table 3-2 Coolant outlet temperature, F 616 Submittal, Table 3-2 Channel temperature rise, F (for the limiting LTA)
?
Temperature at which pellets were sintered, F
? 2911 ?
NUREG-1754 Limit on pellet density increase, %TD
? 0.9 ?
NUREG-1754 Limit on pellet swelling, %
? 5 ?
NUREG-1754 Fuel surface roughness, in.
? 3E-5 ?
NUREG-1754 Cladding ID surface roughness, in.
? 2E-5 ?
NUREG-1754 Initial crud thickness, in.
? 0 ?
NUREG-1754 Lattice geometry 17 x 17 Submittal Maximum fuel rod burnup, MWD/MThm 50,000 Submittal, Table 3-1 Heavy metal loading per assembly, kg 462.6 Submittal, Table 3-1 Hot pin and hot assembly radial peaking factors*
1.60 Submittal, Table 3-1 Highest allowable total peaking for MOX fuel assembly (FQ)*
2.4 Submittal, Table 3-1 Core axial peaking factor*
1.50 Submittal, table 3-1
- See question #2 below.
Nominal average Pu concentration, weight percent Pu, in a radially zoned fuel assembly containing pellets with nominal Pu concentration (4.37 x TD = 4.15 w/o-% fissile) 4.37 4.94 (176 rods) 3.35 (76 rods) 2.40 (12 rods)
Submittal, Section 3.2 Submittal, Section 3.2 & Fig. A3-6 Submittal, Section 3.2 & Fig. A3-6 Submittal, Section 3.2 & Fig. A3-6 Unirradiated isotopic composition, %
of base element Pu-238 Pu-239 Pu-240 Pu-241 Pu-242 U-235 U-234 U-236 U-238 0.025 92.5 6.925 0.5 0.05 0.25 0.0017 0.0012 99.741 Table Q3(a)-2 Ltr dtd 11/3/2003 2.
Please provide projected power histories for the LTAs. These would typically tabulate or plot peak rod average power, kW/ft, versus time (days) since start of irradiation (or versus average burnup, MWD/MThm). If a projected power history specifically for the LTAs is not available, please provide the average kW/ft data and the appropriate peaking factors.
3.
Please provide the axial power profile expected in the LTAs. These would typically tabulate or plot normalized power versus height.
4.
In the response to Question 3(f) in Dukes letter dated November 3, 2003, Duke identified that the SCALE/SAS2H code suite was used to establish the source term used in the safety analyses. Please provide a listing of the SAS2H input data file(s) for the case(s) that generated the fuel assembly inventory used in the fuel handling accident shown in Table Q3(f)-1. The NRC staff is particularly interested in the SAS2H case that would have generated the MOX fuel cross-section library used in the safety analysis work.
Definitions:
in.
inches TD Theoretical Density psi pressure, pounds per square inch psia pounds per square inch absolute MWt Megawatts thermal lb/ft2 - hr pounds/square foot - hour
F degrees Farenheit percent MWD/MThm Megawatt days/Metric ton heavy metal kg kilogram Pu Plutonium kW/ft kilowatts/foot
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. Larry Rudy, Acting Regulatory Compliance Manager Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Ms. Lisa F. Vaughn Duke Energy Corporation Mail Code - PB05E 422 South Church Street P.O. Box 1244 Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1244 Anne Cottingham, Esquire Winston and Strawn 1400 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 1427 Meadowwood Boulevard P. O. Box 29513 Raleigh, North Carolina 27626 County Manager of York County York County Courthouse York, South Carolina 29745 Piedmont Municipal Power Agency 121 Village Drive Greer, South Carolina 29651 Ms. Karen E. Long Assistant Attorney General North Carolina Department of Justice P. O. Box 629 Raleigh, North Carolina 27602 NCEM REP Program Manager 4713 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-4713 North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation P. O. Box 27306 Raleigh, North Carolina 27611 Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4830 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Henry Porter, Assistant Director Division of Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201-1708 Mr. Michael T. Cash Manager - Nuclear Regulatory Licensing Duke Energy Corporation 526 South Church Street Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1006 Saluda River Electric P. O. Box 929 Laurens, South Carolina 29360 Mr. Peter R. Harden, IV VP-Customer Relations and Sales Westinghouse Electric Company 6000 Fairview Road 12th Floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28210
Catawba Nuclear Station cc:
Mr. T. Richard Puryear Owners Group (NCEMC)
Duke Energy Corporation 4800 Concord Road York, South Carolina 29745 Richard M. Fry, Director Division of Radiation Protection North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources 3825 Barrett Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609-7721