ML051890248
| ML051890248 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry  |
| Issue date: | 07/06/2005 |
| From: | Stephen Monarque NRC/NRR/DLPM/LPD2 |
| To: | Christian D Virginia Electric & Power Co (VEPCO) |
| Monarque S, NRR/DLPM, 415-1544 | |
| References | |
| TAC MC6435, TAC MC6436 | |
| Download: ML051890248 (5) | |
Text
July 6, 2005 Mr. David A. Christian Sr. Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Virginia Electric and Power Company Innsbrook Technical Center 5000 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060-6711
SUBJECT:
SURRY POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING PROPOSED LICENSE AMENDMENT TO SUPPORT INCREASE IN THE LEAD ROD AVERAGE BURNUP LIMIT (TAC NOS. MC6435 AND MC6436)
Dear Mr. Christian:
By letter dated March 17, 2005, Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) submitted proposed license amendments for Surry Power Station, Units 1 and 2 to increase the lead rod average burnup to 62,000 MWD/MTU. Based on its review of the March 17, 2005 submittal, the NRC staff has determined that additional information is required to complete its review.
The NRC staffs questions are provided in the Enclosure. In its March 17, 2005 submittal, VEPCO requested approval of these license amendments by September 2005 to support the spring 2006 refueling outage. In order to support VEPCOs requested date, the NRC staff requests a response to this request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter.
Sincerely,
/RA by RMartin for/
Stephen R. Monarque, Project Manager, Section 1 Project Directorate II Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-280 and 50-281
Enclosure:
As stated
ML051890248 NRR-088 OFFICE PDII-1/PM PDII-2/LA PDII-1/SC NAME RMartin for SMonarque EDunnington EMarinos DATE 6/24/05 6/22/05 6/24/05
REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE LEAD ROD AVERAGE BURNUP LIMIT SURRY POWER STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY By letter (Reference 1) dated March 17, 2005, Virginia Electric and Power Company (the licensee) requested amendments to the Operating Licenses and Technical Specifications for Surry Power Station Units 1 and 2 to increase the lead rod average burnup from 60,000 MWD/MTU to 62,000 MWD/MTU. The licensee is currently restricted to a lead rod average burnup of 60,000 MWD/MTU (References 2 and 3). In its license amendment request (LAR) the licensee states this restriction has caused them an economic penalty to maintain the lead rod average burnup below 60,000 MWD/MTU. The NRC staff requests responses to the following questions in order to continue the review of this LAR:
Questions 1.
Typically, fuel assemblies with individual fuel rods approaching a rod average burnup of 60,000 MWD/MTU are in their third operating cycle with a correspondingly high assembly average burnup. This high assembly average burnup means they will have less reactivity vis--vis fresh assemblies or assemblies in their second operating cycle.
Power will shift away from the low reactivity assemblies, increasing power, peaking, temperature, and burnup in the higher reactivity assemblies. Increasing the lead rod average burnup will exacerbate the power shift by allowing fuel assemblies with higher burnups to be utilized in the core pattern or allowing high burnup assemblies to be burned longer. The licensees LAR focuses on the fuel assemblies with the high burnup. Please include the impact of the extended burnup on other assemblies in the core.
2.
Please clarify whether the analyses provided are for a transition or equilibrium cycle and whether they are bounding analyses.
3.
In paragraph 4.4.1.3 of Reference 1, the licensee states a maximum region average burnup has been conservatively defined that, if not exceeded, ensures that the prompt neutron lifetime assumed for the current Surry safety analyses remains applicable.
What is the maximum region average burnup and how was it determined?
4.
In paragraph 4.4.2.3 of Reference 1, the licensee indicates there are maximum region average burnups used in heat load calculations. How do these maximum region average burnups compare with the maximum region average burnups used in the prompt neutron lifetime analysis?
REFERENCES 1.
Letter serial no.05-108, Leslie N. Hartz, Vice President Nuclear Engineering to USNRC, Virginia Electric and Power Company Surry Power Station Units 1 and 2 License Amendment Request Proposed Increase in the Lead Rod Average Burnup Limit, dated March 17, 2005.
2.
Letter from the NRC (Mr. B. C. Buckley, Sr. and Mr. L. B. Engle) to Virginia Electric and Power Company (Mr. W. L. Stewart), Surry, Units 1 and 2 and North Anna, Units 1 and 2 - Removal of 45,000 MWD/MTU Batch Average Burnup Restriction (TAC NOS.
M87767, M87768, M87812, and M87813), December 14,1993.
3.
Letter from the NRC (Mr. B. C. Buckley, Sr. and Mr. L. B. Engle) to Virginia Electric and Power Company (Mr. W. L. Stewart), Surry, Units 1 and 2 and North Anna, Units 1 and 2 - Removal of 45,000 MWD/MTU Batch Average Burnup Restriction (TAC NOS.
M87767, M87768, M87812, and M87813), April 20, 1994.
4.
NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan, 4.2 Fuel System Design
Surry Power Station, Units 1 & 2 cc:
Ms. Lillian M. Cuoco, Esq.
Senior Counsel Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Building 475, 5th Floor Rope Ferry Road Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Mr. Donald E. Jernigan Site Vice President Surry Power Station Virginia Electric and Power Company 5570 Hog Island Road Surry, Virginia 23883-0315 Senior Resident Inspector Surry Power Station U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 5850 Hog Island Road Surry, Virginia 23883 Chairman Board of Supervisors of Surry County Surry County Courthouse Surry, Virginia 23683 Dr. W. T. Lough Virginia State Corporation Commission Division of Energy Regulation Post Office Box 1197 Richmond, Virginia 23218 Dr. Robert B. Stroube, MD, MPH State Health Commissioner Office of the Commissioner Virginia Department of Health Post Office Box 2448 Richmond, Virginia 23218 Office of the Attorney General Commonwealth of Virginia 900 East Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 Mr. Chris L. Funderburk, Director Nuclear Licensing & Operations Support Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Innsbrook Technical Center 5000 Dominion Blvd.
Glen Allen, Virginia 23060-6711