ML050030160

Hope Creek Generating Station - Summary of Meeting with PSEG to Discuss B Recirculation Pump High Vibrations

ML050030160
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	01/19/2005
From:	Robert Fretz, Ed Miller NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD1
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Miller G, NRR/DLPM, 415-2481
References
TAC MC5111
Download: ML050030160 (5)

Text

January 19, 2005 LICENSEE: PSEG NUCLEAR, LLC.

FACILITY: HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION

SUMMARY

OF DECEMBER 17, 2004, MEETING WITH PSEG TO DISCUSS B RECIRCULATION PUMP HIGH VIBRATIONS (TAC NO. MC5111)

On December 17, 2004, at 10:00 a.m., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted a Category 1 technical meeting with PSEG Nuclear, LLC (PSEG or the licensee), at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the licensees preliminary responses to questions developed during the NRC staffs review of actions taken to address high vibrations identified on the Hope Creek Generating Station (Hope Creek) B recirculation pump. Members of the public were also given the opportunity to observe the meeting, and to ask questions of the NRC staff, via a telephone conference bridge.

As previously stated, the NRC staff raised a number of questions as a result of its review of the B recirculation pump vibration issue. These questions were first communicated to PSEG verbally by members of the NRC Region I staff, and have subsequently been made available to the public via the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession Number ML043480164. Prior to the meeting, PSEG provided preliminary responses to the questions to the NRC staff. PSEGs preliminary responses to the questions are available in ADAMS under Accession Number ML043510279. The NRC staff notes that, because the questions were first transmitted verbally to the licensee, the questions reiterated in the licensees preliminary response may not necessarily match the NRC questions verbatim.

The meeting was opened by Robert J. Fretz, Project Manager, Division of Licensing Project Management, who discussed the purpose of the meeting and outlined the logistical aspects such as public participation. All participants and observers were given an opportunity to identify themselves and the organization they represented. A list of those in attendance at NRC Headquarters is enclosed.

Michael Gallagher, Vice President of Engineering, PSEG, opened the technical discussion with a brief overview of the history of the B recirculation pump, the analysis provided to the NRC, industry experience with recirculation pump shafts, and the licensees vibration monitoring program.

Following the licensees introductory remarks, Raymond Lorson, Chief of the Materials and Structural Engineering Branch, NRC Region I, led the discussion on the licensees preliminary responses to each of the questions posed by the NRC staff. Members of the NRC staff provided feedback to PSEG on those answers that needed additional supporting information, and identified those questions that had been adequately addressed.

The meeting included a lunch break, and prior to the break, members of the public were provided an opportunity to raise questions to the NRC staff. During this time, two questions were raised by members of the public observing the meeting via telephone conference. The

two questions involved the availability of copies of PSEGs preliminary responses to those not in attendance at NRC Headquarters. An electronic copy of this document was subsequently made available to the public on the NRC public website, and instructions on its location were given at the resumption of the meeting following the lunch break.

After the lunch break, the remaining questions were discussed, and a list of outstanding action items was developed. The following is a list of the items to be provided to the NRC by PSEG:

! Objective information that shows the auxiliary impeller rubbing is no longer a concern

! A pump drawing that shows all clearances including the auxiliary impeller

! The updated vibration monitoring plan

! Additional restrictions for startup of recirculation pumps

! A description of the operators response to a high vibration alarm

! The design change package for the drywell monitoring

! Supporting information for the ability of monitored parameters to predict an incipient shaft failure

! Relocation information for the axial probes and completion time

! Status of the Sargent & Lundy recommendations

! A list of past maintenance items on the residual heat removal system and the recirculation system due to fatigue or vibration

! Provide the engineering evaluation for the B recirculation pump

! A description of the power source for the recirculation pump isolation valves

! A justification of why relocation of the vibration probes would have no impact on the vibration level measurements

! Material strength information for the pump shaft

! Provide background data on the high-pressure coolant injection (HPCI) exhaust

! Bechtel piping design specifications for the HPCI exhaust line Prior to adjournment of the meeting, members of the public were given another opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff. Dr. Jill Lipoti, Director of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Nuclear Engineering, commented on the difficulty in comparing the licensees preliminary responses to the list of questions verbally communicated to PSEG. Dr. Lipoti was concerned that the licensee may have not adequately addressed the NRC staffs questions. Also, Dr. Lipoti requested information about additional public meetings

on this subject, as well as the planned upcoming public meeting prior to the restart of Hope Creek from its extended refueling outage. The NRC staff noted that, because of the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for receiving the additional information from PSEG, the NRC staff was not able to commit to a specific time for future public meetings with the licensee at this time.

Finally, Dr. Kymn Harvin provided a number of comments in reference to PSEGs response to the high vibrations on the B recirculation pump, and urged the NRC staff to require the licensee to replace the B recirculation pump shaft prior to the restart of Hope Creek.

Subsequently, no more questions were identified and the meeting was adjourned.

Please direct any inquires concerning this meeting to Mr. Daniel Collins, Senior Project Manager, Hope Creek. Mr. Collins may be reached at (301) 415-1427, or dxc1@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Robert J. Fretz, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

Attendance sheets Docket No. 50-354 cc w/encl: See next page

NRC staffs questions. Also, Dr. Lipoti requested information about additional public meetings on this subject, as well as the planned upcoming public meeting prior to the restart of Hope Creek from its extended refueling outage. The NRC staff noted that, because of the uncertainty surrounding the timeline for receiving the additional information from PSEG, the NRC staff was not able to commit to a specific time for future public meetings with the licensee at this time.

Finally, Dr. Kymn Harvin provided a number of comments in reference to PSEGs response to the high vibrations on the B recirculation pump, and urged the NRC staff to require the licensee to replace the B recirculation pump shaft prior to the restart of Hope Creek.

Subsequently, no more questions were identified and the meeting was adjourned.

Please direct any inquires concerning this meeting to Mr. Daniel Collins, Senior Project Manager, Hope Creek. Mr. Collins may be reached at (301) 415-1427, or dxc1@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Robert J. Fretz, Project Manager, Section 2 Project Directorate I Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

Attendance sheets Docket No. 50-354 cc w/encl: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC EImbro TKim, EDO PDI-2 Reading KManoly CMiller, EDO JDyer DTerao OGC BSheron JFair ACRS RBorchardt WPoertner ABlough, RGN-I TMarsh CHolden ECobey, RGN-I JLyons DRoberts GMatakas, RGN-I DCollins RFretz RLorson, RGN-I CRaynor GMiller Package Accession No.: ML Meeting Summary Accession No.: ML050030160 Attendance Sheets Accession No.: ML OFFICE PDI-2/PE PDI-2/PM PDI-2/PM PDI-2/LA PDI-2/SC NAME GMiller DCollins RFretz CRaynor DRoberts DATE OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Hope Creek Generating Station cc:

Mr. John T. Carlin Ms. R. A. Kankus Vice President - Nuclear Assessment Joint Owner Affairs PSEG Nuclear - N10 Exelon Generation Company, LLC P.O. Box 236 Nuclear Group Headquarters KSA1-E Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 200 Exelon Way Kennett Square, PA 19348 Mr. Patrick S. Walsh Vice President - Eng/Tech Support Lower Alloways Creek Township PSEG Nuclear - N28 c/o Mary O. Henderson, Clerk P.O. Box 236 Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Michael Brothers Dr. Jill Lipoti, Asst. Director Vice President - Site Operations Radiation Protection Programs PSEG Nuclear - N10 NJ Department of Environmental P.O. Box 236 Protection and Energy Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 CN 415 Trenton, NJ 08625-0415 Mr. James A. Hutton Plant Manager Brian Beam PSEG Nuclear - X15 Board of Public Utilities P.O. Box 236 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Newark, NJ 07102 Ms. Christina L. Perino Regional Administrator, Region I Director - Licensing & Nuclear Safety U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission PSEG Nuclear - N21 475 Allendale Road P.O. Box 236 King of Prussia, PA 19406 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Senior Resident Inspector Jeffrie J. Keenan, Esquire Hope Creek Generating Station PSEG Nuclear - N21 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 236 Drawer 0509 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038