ML033390004

Request for Addtional Information Related to Revision of the Safety Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio

ML033390004
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	12/05/2003
From:	Jabbour K NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2
To:	Scalice J Tennessee Valley Authority
Jabbour K, NRR/DLPM, 415-1496
References
TAC MC0918
Download: ML033390004 (4)

Text

December 5, 2003 Mr. J. A. Scalice Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 3 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO REVISION OF THE SAFETY LIMIT MINIMUM CRITICAL POWER RATIO (TAC NO. MC0918)

Dear Mr. Scalice:

By letter dated October 1, 2003,Tennessee Valley Authority submitted an application to revise the Technical Specifications (TSs) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 3. The proposed revision includes a change to the safety limit minimum critical power ratio value in TS 2.1.1.2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed your submittal and finds that a response to the enclosed request for additional information is needed before we can complete the review.

This request was discussed with Mr. T. Abney of your staff on December 3, 2003, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 30 days of receipt of this letter. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1496.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kahtan N. Jabbour, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-296

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page

December 5, 2003 Mr. J. A. Scalice Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 3 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO REVISION OF THE SAFETY LIMIT MINIMUM CRITICAL POWER RATIO (TAC NO. MC0918)

Dear Mr. Scalice:

By letter dated October 1, 2003,Tennessee Valley Authority submitted an application to revise the Technical Specifications (TSs) for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 3. The proposed revision includes a change to the safety limit minimum critical power ratio value in TS 2.1.1.2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed your submittal and finds that a response to the enclosed request for additional information is needed before we can complete the review.

This request was discussed with Mr. T. Abney of your staff on December 3, 2003, and it was agreed that a response would be provided within 30 days of receipt of this letter. If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1496.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kahtan N. Jabbour, Senior Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-296

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/encl: See next page Distribution:

PUBLIC BClayton (hard copy) THuang OGC PDII-2 Reading KJabbour (hard copy) ACRS AHowe SCahill, RII FAkstulewicz Adams: ML033390004 OFFICE PM:PDII-2 LA:PDII-2 SC:PDII-2 NAME KJabbour BClayton MMarshall AHowe DATE 12/4/2003 12/3/2003 12/4/2003 C:\ORPCheckout\FileNET\ML033390004.wpd OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO PROPOSED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION REVISION TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 3 DOCKET NO. 50-296

1. Please provide a reference core loading pattern for cycle 12 operation and a detailed description of the final core and fuel design to achieve a 24-month fuel reload cycle at the licensed rated power of 3458 Mwt and operation to normal end of full power (EOFP);

(cycle exposure of approximately 16,700 Mwd/MTU). Please include post-EOFP and coastdown extensions.

2. Provide a flow chart including input parameters to describe the analysis done for the safety limit minimum critical power ratio (SLMCPR) in the mixed core configuration.

Also, identify the approved methodologies used in this analysis and justify their applicability to the SLMCPR analysis for Cycle 12 operation. Please address the technical position and limitations, and conditions in the staff Safety Evaluation Report stated in ANF-524(P)(A) Revision 2 and ANF-524(P)(A) Supplements 1 and 2, EMF-2209(P)(A) Revision 1, and EMF-2158(P)(A), Revision 0.

3. Please demonstrate, based on results of the SLMCPR analysis, that the margin for the proposed increase of the SLMCPR value is adequate. Also, identify the dominant fuel type with respect to cycle exposure during the Cycle 12 operation, and the main contributors for the increase of the proposed SLMCPR value.

4. Please describe the procedures used in the approved methodologies to generate fuel-and plant-related uncertainties listed in Table A.1 of Attachment A of the October 1, 2003, submittal. Please provide an equation, as a function of these uncertainties, that can be used as an input to the SLMCPR calculations.

5. In relation to the SLMCPR analysis, the submittal did not provide a reference for the conditions listed below. Please identify which approved methodology has the condition listed below.

(a) 50 percent of the local power range monitors (LPRMs) out of service (LPRM bypass model on or off);

(b) up to two traversing incore probe (TIP) machines out of service, or the equivalent number of TIP channels; (c) 2500 effective full power hour (EFPH) LPRM calibration interval; and (d) no reused channels.

Also, please describe the rationale for each of the above conditions.

Enclosure

Mr. J. A. Scalice BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:

Mr. Karl W. Singer, Senior Vice President Mr. Mark J. Burzynski, Manager Nuclear Operations Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 4X Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. James E. Maddox, Vice President Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Engineering & Technical Services Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 6A Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street P.O. Box 2000 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Site Vice President Senior Resident Inspector Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant P.O. Box 2000 10833 Shaw Road Decatur, AL 35609 Athens, AL 35611 General Counsel State Health Officer Tennessee Valley Authority Alabama Dept. of Public Health ET 11A RSA Tower - Administration 400 West Summit Hill Drive Suite 1552 Knoxville, TN 37902 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Mr. Michael J. Fecht, Acting General Manager Nuclear Assurance Chairman Tennessee Valley Authority Limestone County Commission 6A Lookout Place 310 West Washington Street 1101 Market Street Athens, AL 35611 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Michael D. Skaggs, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609