ML042300253

Safety Evaluation, Evaluation of Steam Generator Tube Inspection Result for 2003

ML042300253
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	08/18/2004
From:	Milano P NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Kansler M Entergy Nuclear Operations
Milano P, NRR/DLPM , 415-1457
References
TAC MC1912
Download: ML042300253 (5)

Text

August 18, 2004 Mr. Michael Kansler, President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601

SUBJECT:

INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 3 - EVALUATION OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION RESULTS FOR 2003 (TAC NO. MC1912)

Dear Mr. Kansler:

By letters dated April 25, August 19, and December 8, 2003, and May 25, 2004, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) submitted reports summarizing the steam generator tubing inservice inspections performed at Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) during Refueling Outage 12 in April 2003. The results of the inspections were submitted pursuant to IP3 Technical Specification (TS) 5.6.8, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed the information in the reports. The staff concludes that Entergy has provided the information required by TS 5.6.8. In addition, the staff did not identify any technical issues that warranted follow-up action at this time.

A copy of the related Staff Evaluation is enclosed.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Patrick D. Milano, Sr. Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-286

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page

August 18, 2004 Mr. Michael R. Kansler, President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601

SUBJECT:

INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 3 - EVALUATION OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION RESULTS FOR 2003 (TAC NO. MC1912)

Dear Mr. Kansler:

By letters dated April 25, August 19, and December 8, 2003, and May 25, 2004, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) submitted reports summarizing the steam generator tubing inservice inspections performed at Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) during Refueling Outage 12 in April 2003. The results of the inspections were submitted pursuant to IP3 Technical Specification (TS) 5.6.8, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed the information in the reports. The staff concludes that Entergy has provided the information required by TS 5.6.8. In addition, the staff did not identify any technical issues that warranted follow-up action at this time.

A copy of the related Staff Evaluation is enclosed.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Patrick D. Milano, Sr. Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-286

Enclosures:

As stated cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC L. Lund S. Little OGC PDI R/F K. Karwoski P. Milano ACRS R. Laufer M. Murphy C. Bixler, R-I Accession Number: ML042300253 OFFICE PDI-1\PM PDI-1\LA EMCB\SC PDI-1\SC NAME PMilano SLittle LLund TColburn for RLaufer DATE 08/16/04 08/16/04 08/12/04 08/17/04 Official Record Copy

Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 cc:

Mr. Gary J. Taylor Ms. Charlene D. Faison Chief Executive Officer Manager, Licensing Entergy Operations, Inc. Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

1340 Echelon Parkway 440 Hamilton Avenue Jackson, MS 39213 White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. John T. Herron Mr. Michael J. Colomb Senior Vice President and Director of Oversight Chief Operating Officer Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. 440 Hamilton Avenue 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 White Plains, NY 10601 Mr. James Comiotes Mr. Fred Dacimo Director, Nuclear Safety Assurance Site Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Indian Point Energy Center Indian Point Energy Center 295 Broadway, Suite 1 295 Broadway, Suite 2 P.O. Box 249 P.O. Box 249 Buchanan, NY 10511-0249 Buchanan, NY 10511-0249 Mr. Patric Conroy Mr. Christopher Schwarz Manager, Licensing General Manager, Plant Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Indian Point Energy Center Indian Point Energy Center 295 Broadway, Suite 1 295 Broadway, Suite 2 P. O. Box 249 P.O. Box 249 Buchanan, NY 10511-0249 Buchanan, NY 10511-0249 Mr. John M. Fulton Mr. Danny L. Pace Assistant General Counsel Vice President Engineering Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. 440 Hamilton Avenue 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 White Plains, NY 10601 Regional Administrator, Region I Mr. Brian OGrady U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Vice President Operations Support 475 Allendale Road Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. King of Prussia, PA 19406 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601 Senior Resident Inspectors Office Indian Point 3 Mr. John McCann U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Director, Nuclear Safety Assurance P.O. Box 337 Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Buchanan, NY 10511-0337 440 Hamilton Avenue White Plains, NY 10601

Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 cc:

Mr. Peter R. Smith, President Mr. William T. Russell New York State Energy, Research, and PWR SRC Consultant Development Authority 400 Plantation Lane 17 Columbia Circle Stevensville, MD 21666-3232 Albany, NY 12203-6399 Mr. Alex Matthiessen Mr. Paul Eddy Executive Director Electric Division Riverkeeper, Inc.

New York State Department 25 Wing & Wing of Public Service Garrison, NY 10524 3 Empire State Plaza, 10th Floor Albany, NY 12223 Mr. Paul Leventhal The Nuclear Control Institute Mr. Charles Donaldson, Esquire 1000 Connecticut Avenue NW Assistant Attorney General Suite 410 New York Department of Law Washington, DC, 20036 120 Broadway New York, NY 10271 Mr. Karl Coplan Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic Mayor, Village of Buchanan 78 No. Broadway 236 Tate Avenue White Plains, NY 10603 Buchanan, NY 10511 Mr. Jim Riccio Mr. Ray Albanese Greenpeace Executive Chair 702 H Street, NW Four County Nuclear Safety Committee Suite 300 Westchester County Fire Training Center Washington, DC 20001 4 Dana Road Valhalla, NY 10592 Mr. Robert D. Snook Assistant Attorney General Ms. Stacey Lousteau State of Connecticut Treasury Department 55 Elm Street Entergy Services, Inc. P.O. Box 120 639 Loyola Avenue Hartford, CT 06141-0120 Mail Stop: L-ENT-15E New Orleans, LA 70113 Mr. David Lochbaum Nuclear Safety Engineer Mr. William DiProfio Union of Concerned Scientists PWR SRC ConsultaNT 1707 H Street NW, Suite 600 139 Depot Road Washington, DC 20006 East Kingston, NH 03827 Mr. Dan C. Poole PWR SRC Consultant 20 Captains Cove Road Inglis, FL 34449

STAFF EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION DURING 2003 REFUELING OUTAGE ENTERGY NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, INC.

INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR GENERATING UNIT NO. 3 DOCKET NO. 50-286

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letters dated April 25 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

Accession No. ML031200250), August 19 (ADAMS No. ML032330262), and December 8, 2003 (ADAMS No. ML033450339), and May 25, 2004 (ADAMS No. ML041560463), Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (the licensee) submitted reports summarizing the steam generator (SG) tube inspections performed at Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit No. 3 (IP3) during Refueling Outage (RFO) 12 in April 2003. The results of the inspections were submitted pursuant to IP3 Technical Specification (TS) 5.6.8, Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report. The inservice inspection of the SG tubes is controlled by the SG Tube Surveillance Program pursuant to TS 5.5.8.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The SGs at IP3 were replaced in 1989 with Westinghouse Model 44F SGs. Each SG contains 3214 thermally-treated Alloy 690 tubes. Each tube has a nominal outside diameter of 0.875 inch and a nominal wall thickness of 0.050 inch. The tubes were hydraulically expanded at both ends for the full length of the tubesheet and are supported by a number of stainless steel tube support plates. The tubes installed in rows 1 through 8 were thermally stress relieved after bending.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The licensee provided the scope, extent, methods, and results of SG tube inspections in its submittals. In addition, the licensee described corrective actions (i.e., tube plugging or repair) taken in response to the inspection findings. Based on a review of the information provided, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has the following observations regarding the tube inspections.

a. Three tubes in row 3 were reported as having restrictions during RFO 12 such that a 0.700 inch bobbin probe could not pass through the U-bend region. These tubes were previously inspected during the pre-service inspection with a 0.740 inch bobbin probe.

Enclosure

The licensee assumed that the tubes were restricted as a result of slightly higher ovality of the tubing in the U-bend region than in other tubes and the use of a different bobbin probe design during the 2003 inspections than had been used during the pre-service inspection. During the 2003 outage, the U-bends of these tubes were inspected with a 0.680 inch rotating probe and no degradation was detected. The NRC staff notes that continued monitoring of tubes for restrictions is important, especially if these restrictions are a result of a service-induced condition rather than fabrication related (i.e., higher ovality).

b. One tube was classified by the licensee as having a trackable anomaly. This tube was not considered to be flaw-like, but was added to the sample population for the next inspection of that SG. In addition to the trackable anomaly, a free span bobbin indication was identified in one tube in 1997 in SG 4 (Row 8 Column 21). During the 1997 outage, a rotating probe inspection was performed at this location which revealed the presence of a small ding. No inspections were required to be performed on this tube and the licensee did not consider it necessary to inspect this tube as part of the sample inspection performed during RFO 12 in 2003 (i.e., the licensee did not consider it necessary to inspect this tube until its regularly scheduled inspection during RFO 14).

The staff notes that continued monitoring of these indications provides added confidence that these signals do not represent a tube integrity concern.

c. The licensee periodically inspects specific components on the secondary side of the SG.

During the 1997 outage, possible indications of erosion-corrosion were identified in two J-tube welds in SG 4 (refer to page 11 of 31 of the December 19, 1997, report).

Inspections of the J-tube welds to the feed ring were performed in SGs 2 and 3 in 2001 and 1999, respectively. These inspections did not reveal any erosion-corrosion of these welds. Since the last visual inspections of the two welds in SG 4 in 1997 were inconclusive and there is no evidence of wear at the J-tube weld for any other SGs, the licensee did not consider it necessary to alter its original plans for performing their next steam drum inspection of SG 4, which is scheduled for RFO 14 in 2007. The staff notes that re-inspection of the possible indications identified during the 1997 inspections may provide added confidence that service-induced degradation of these welds is not occurring/progressing.

4.0 CONCLUSION

The NRC staff concludes that the licensee provided the information required by IP3 TSs. In addition, the staff concludes that there are no technical issues that warrant follow-up action at this time since the inspections appear to be consistent with the objective of detecting potential tube degradation and the inspection results appear to be consistent with industry operating experience at similarly designed and operated units.

Principal Contributor: K. Karwoski Date: August 17, 2004