ML053260542

(BFN) - Units 1, 2, and 3 - License Renewal Application (LRA) - Response to NRC Request for Clarification for BFNs Use of Linde 80 Weld Material on Unit 1

ML053260542
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	11/21/2005
From:	Crouch W Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
TAC MC1704, TAC MC1705, TAC MC1706
Download: ML053260542 (11)

Text

November 21, 2005 10 CFR 54 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Mail Stop: OWFN P1-35 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 Gentlemen:

In the Matter of

)

Docket Nos. 50-259 Tennessee Valley Authority

)

50-260 50-296 BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT (BFN) - UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 -

LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (LRA) - RESPONSE TO NRC REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR BFNs USE OF LINDE 80 WELD MATERIAL ON UNIT 1 (TAC NOS. MC1704, MC1705, AND MC1706)

By letter dated December 31, 2003, TVA submitted, for NRC review, an application pursuant to 10 CFR 54, to renew the operating licenses for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3. As part of its review of TVAs LRA, the NRC staff, through an informal request on October 12, 2005, identified additional information needed concerning the use of Linde 80 weld material on Unit 1.

The enclosure to this letter contains the specific NRC request for additional information and the corresponding TVA response.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 2 November 21, 2005 If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Ken Brune, Browns Ferry License Renewal Project Manager, at (423) 751-8421.

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on this 21st day of November, 2005.

Sincerely, Original signed by:

William D. Crouch Manager of Licensing and Industry Affairs

Enclosure:

cc: See page 3

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 3 November 21, 2005 Enclosure cc (Enclosure):

State Health Officer Alabama Department of Public Health RSA Tower - Administration Suite 1552 P.O. Box 303017 Montgomery, Alabama 36130-3017 Chairman Limestone County Commission 310 West Washington Street Athens, Alabama 35611 (Via NRC Electronic Distribution)

Enclosure cc (Enclosure):

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 23T85 Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8931 Mr. Stephen J. Cahill, Branch Chief U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 23T85 Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8931 NRC Senior Resident Inspector Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, Alabama 35611-6970 NRC Unit 1 Restart Senior Resident Inspector Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, Alabama 35611-6970 cc: continued page 4

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 4 November 21, 2005 cc: (Enclosure)

Margaret Chernoff, Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (MS 08G9)

One White Flint, North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739 Eva A. Brown, Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (MS 08G9)

One White Flint, North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739 Yoira K. Diaz-Sanabria, Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (MS 011F1)

One White Flint, North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739 Ramachandran Subbaratnam, Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (MS 011F1)

One White Flint, North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 5 November 21, 2005 JEM:TLE:BAB Enclosure cc (Enclosure):

B. M. Aukland, POB 2C-BFN A. S. Bhatnagar, LP 6-C K. A. Brune, LP 4F-C J. C. Fornicola, LP 6A-C R. G. Jones, NAB 1A-BFN R. F. Marks, Jr., PAB 1A-BFN N. M. Moon, LP 6A-C G. W. Morris, LP 4G-C B. J. OGrady, PAB 1E-BFN J. R. Rupert, NAB 1F-BFN K. W. Singer, LP 6A-C E. J. Vigluicci, ET 11A-K NSRB Support, LP 5M-C EDMS, WT CA-K s://Licensing/Lic/Submit/Subs/BFN LR Clarification for Linde 80 weld material.doc

ENCLOSURE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT (BFN)

UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (LRA)

RESPONSE TO NRC REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR BROWNS FERRY USE OF LINDE 80 WELD MATERIAL ON UNIT 1 (SEE ATTACHED)

E-1 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT (BFN)

UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION (LRA)

RESPONSE TO NRC REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR BFNs USE OF LINDE 80 WELD MATERIAL ON UNIT 1 By letter dated December 31, 2003, TVA submitted, for NRC review, an application pursuant to 10 CFR 54, to renew the operating licenses for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3. As part of its review of TVAs LRA, the NRC staff, through an informal request on October 12, 2005, identified additional information needed concerning the use of Linde 80 weld material on Unit 1.

The enclosure to this letter contains the specific NRC request for additional information and the corresponding TVA response.

NRC Request The limiting beltline circumferential weld - heat # 406L44 for BFN Unit 1 is made of Linde 80 material. According to Section B.3.4 of the BWRVIP-74, "BWR Reactor Pressure Vessel Inspection and Flaw Evaluation," report, fracture toughness of the weld shall be established by using J-R curve based on the values of copper and fluence. In the LRA, the applicant provided EMA for this weld by using figure 2 of the RegGuide 1.99 which is not appropriate for Linde 80 weld. Therefore, the staff requests that the applicant revise the Table 4.2.1.1 of the LRA to indicate that the EMA analysis for the circumferential Linde 80 weld in BFN Unit 1 complies with the requirements specified in Section B.3.4 of the BWRVIP-74 report, and submit any calculations to substantiate its claim of compliance with this method.

TVA Response To NRC Request Since no upper shelf energy value was available, the J-R curve for heat # 406L44 was calculated using copper content and fluence in accordance with the methodology originally applied in the Equivalent Margin Analysis (Reference 1). The copper content and fluence for the BFN Unit 1 Linde 80 weld are 0.27% and 1.33E18 n/cm2 (1/4 thickness), respectively.

E-2 The mean J-R curve for Linde 80 weld material can be represented by the following equation, which is equation 4-2 of Reference 1:

(

)

[

]

{

}

4 C

2 C

d a

3 C

exp

)

a (1

C J

=

(in-lb/in2) (See Note 1.)

where Jd = the deformation J-Integral lnC1 = a1+a2*Cu(t)a5+a3*T C2 = d1+d2(lnC1)

C3 = d4+d5(lnC1)

C4 = -0.0491 (per Table 4-2 of Reference 1)

Cu = copper content in percent = 0.27 a = crack growth, inches Note 1: The results of the calculation are multiplied by 1,000 to obtain the correct units. See example calculation.

The values for the constants a1, a2, a3, a5, d1, d2, d4, and d5 were obtained from Table 4-2 of Reference 1 as follows:

a1 = 2.413 d1 = 0.077 a2 = - 0.506 d2 = 0.116 a3 = - 0.0025 d4 = - 0.0812 a5 = 0.634 d5 = - 0.0092 T = 550°F t = fluence at 1/4 thickness, n/cm2x1018 (1.33 for BFN)

Example Calculation (crack growth = 0.10 inches) lnC1 = 2.413- 0.506*0.27*1.330.634 - 0.0025*550 lnC1 = 0.874

E-3 C1 = 2.397 C2 = 0.077 + 0.116*0.874 C2 = 0.178 C3 = - 0.0812-0.0092*0.874 C3 = - 0.0892 Jd = 2.397*(0.10) 0.178 *{exp(-0.0892*0.10 -0.491)}*1,000 Jd = 1205 in-lb/in2 This J-R value, however, is the mean value. For purposes of this evaluation, the mean minus two sigma J-R curve was used, consistent with the methodology presented in Section 4.5 of Reference 1. The mean minus two sigma curve is obtained by multiplying the mean curve by a factor of 0.626 (see Table 4-2 of Reference 1). Therefore, the J-R value for a crack growth of 0.10 inches is:

Jd = 1205 *0.626 = 754.76 in-lb/in2 The remaining values of Jd were calculated in a similar manner, varying the crack growth value, a. The results of the calculations are presented in Figure 1.

To determine if the material maintains adequate fracture toughness, the Japplied values are also plotted in Figure 1; the Japplied values were obtained from Figure 5-5 of Reference 1. As can be seen in the figure, the Japplied values are shown to be well within the J-R curve limits. Therefore, BFN Heat 406L44 will maintain adequate fracture toughness throughout the period of extended operation.

The revised version of Table 4.2.1.2 is enclosed as to this Enclosure.

REFERENCE

1. H.S. Mehta, T.A. Caine, and S.E. Plaxton, 10CFR50 Appendix G Equivalent Margin Analysis for Low Upper Shelf Energy in BWR/2 Through BWR/6 Vessels, NEDO-32205-A, Revision 1, February 1994.

E-4 Figure 1 Lined 80 Weld J-R Curve 0.00 200.00 400.00 600.00 800.00 1000.00 1200.00 1400.00 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 Crack growth (inch)

J-Integral, in-lb/in^2 Mean-2sigma J,Applied-Stability

E-5 ATTACHMENT 1 Table 4.2.1.2: Equivalent Margin Analysis for BFN Unit 1 Weld Material BWR/2-6 WELD Surveillance Weld USE:

%Cu = N/A 1st Capsule Fluence = N/A 2nd Capsule Fluence = N/A 1st Capsule Measured % Decrease = N/A (Charpy Curves) 2nd Capsule Measured % Decrease = N/A (Charpy Curves) 1st Capsule R.G. 1.99 Predicted % Decrease = N/A (R.G. 1.99, Figure 2) 2nd Capsule R.G. 1.99 Predicted % Decrease = N/A (R.G. 1.99, Figure 2)

Limiting Beltline Weld USE:

%Cu = 0.27 54 EFPY 1/4T Fluence = 1.33E+18 n/cm2 R.G. 1.99 Predicted % Decrease = N/A (Linde 80 Weld Material) (R.G. 1.99, Figure 2)

Adjusted % Decrease = N/A (R.G. 1.99, Position 2.2)

For the specific copper and fluence for the BFN Unit 1 Linde 80 weld material, the vessel welds meet the requirements of the BWRVIP-74-A equivalent margin analysis.