ML042940330

RAI, Power Range Neutron Monitor Upgrade

ML042940330
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	10/19/2004
From:	Jabbour K NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2
To:	Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority
Jabbour K, NRR/DLPM, 415-1496
References
TAC MC1330
Download: ML042940330 (45)

Text

October 19, 2004 Mr. Karl W. Singer 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 1 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE POWER RANGE NEUTRON MONITOR UPGRADE (TAC NO. MC1330)

Dear Mr. Singer:

By letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) dated November 10, 2003, the Tennessee Valley Authority submitted an application to revise the Technical Specifications and the licensing basis for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1. The proposed revision is related to the implementation of the Average Power Range Monitor and Rod Block Monitor Technical Specification improvements and operation in an expanded core power/flow domain, the Maximum Extended Load Line Limit.

The NRC 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. Steven Kane of your staff on October 4, 2004, 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. 50-259

Enclosure:

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

ML042940330 NRR-088 OFFICE PDII-2/PM PDII-2/LA SRSB/SC PDII-2/SC(A)

NAME KJabbour BClayton FAkstulewicz MMarshall DATE 10/5/04 10/5/04 10/5/04 10/19/04 Mr. Karl W. Singer BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority cc:

Mr. Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Mr. Robert G. Jones Nuclear Operations Browns Ferry Unit 1 Plant Restart Manager 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. James E. Maddox, Vice President Mr. Mark J. Burzynski, Manager Engineering & Technical Services 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. Kurt Krueger, Plant Manager Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant P.O. Box 2000 Tennessee Valley Authority Decatur, AL 35609 P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Michael D. Skaggs 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. John C. Fornicola, Manager Nuclear Assurance and Licensing 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. Jon R. Rupert, Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION POWER RANGE NEUTRON MONITOR UPGRADE (TS CHANGE 430)

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT, UNIT 1 DOCKET NO. 50-259

1. Reference 2, page E1-52 of the November 10, 2003, submittal, GE Report NEDC-32433P, Section 2, page 2-1, states that:

These analyses as presented in this report are based on BFNP Unit 2 Cycle 8 at the current rated thermal power of 3293 MWT

[megawatts thermal].

The BFNP Unit 1 MELLLA [Maximum Extended Load Line Limit Analyses] given in NEDC-32433P was based on Unit 2 operating conditions. However, the operating conditions of BFNP Unit 1 may not be identical. Please discuss, in detail, why the conclusions given in the topical report for Unit 2 are valid for Unit 1. Also, identify all differences in plant design and operating conditions between the units.

2. Reference 2, GE Report NEDC-32433P, Section 2, page 2-2, states that:

A portion of these ARTS [Average Power Range Monitor and Rod Block Monitor Technical Specification] limits are intended to be generic for future cycles, utilizing the current GE fuel designs up to GE-13. The application for these generic results for future cycles may need confirmatory verification, especially for future changes in fuel designs, analytical methods or plant configurations.

If TVA decides to load GE-14 fuel for the EPU, then the above criteria apply. However, TVA should confirm that the above conditions are met for other GE fuel designs.

3. Reference 2, GE Report NEDC-32433P, Section 10.3.1, page 10-8, states that:

A generic statistical analysis valid for application to BFNP core has been performed and validated for GE fuel designs through the GE-13 design This analysis may not be valid with any type of fuel. Please confirm that a plant specific, statistically-based, power dependent rod withdrawal error analysis will be performed with the actual core before startup.

Enclosure

4. Enclosure 1 of the November 10, 2003, submittal, TS Change 13, page E1-12, SR [Surveillance requirement] 3.3.2.1.8.

Clarify whether the reactor thermal power (RTP) values listed as 27 percent, 62 percent, and 82 percent will change when EPU is implemented.

5. Enclosure 1, TS Change 14, TS Table 3.3.2.1-1, page E1-13.

Clarify whether the RTP values listed in the footnotes as 29 percent and 90 percent will change when the EPU is implemented. Also, please justify why a bypass timer is not included, since it is part of the Improved Standard TSs. In addition, please justify why the rod block monitor filter time delay is missing, since it is mentioned in NEDC-32433P, Section 11, item 8.

6. Enclosure 1, TS Change 47, page E1-27 Please clarify if the RTP values listed as 27 percent, 29 percent, and 90 percent will change when EPU is implemented.

7. Enclosure 1, Change 52, Section B 3.4.1 (TS pages B 3.4.-5 and B 3.4-10),

page E1-30.

In the applicable safety analysis section and SR 3/4/1-2 bases, a 50 percent core flow is substituted for the current 45 percent core flow value. Please confirm that this value remains valid for EPU.