ML063330143

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11/13-14/2006 Summary of Category 1 Meeting with PSEG Nuclear LLC, Regarding Application for Extended Power Uprate for Hope Creek
ML063330143
Person / Time
Site: Hope Creek PSEG icon.png
Issue date: 12/15/2006
From: Stewart Bailey
NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLI-2
To:
Public Service Enterprise Group
Bailey S N,NRR/DLPM,415-1321
Shared Package
ML063330138 List:
References
TAC MD3002
Download: ML063330143 (6)


Text

December 15, 2006 LICENSEE: PSEG NUCLEAR LLC FACILITY: HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION

SUBJECT:

SUMMARY

OF NOVEMBER 13 AND 14, 2006, CATEGORY 1 MEETING WITH PSEG NUCLEAR LLC, REGARDING APPLICATION FOR EXTENDED POWER UPRATE FOR HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION (TAC NO. MD3002)

On November 13 and 14, 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff conducted a working level meeting with representatives of PSEG Nuclear LLC. (PSEG), the licensee for the Hope Creek Generating Station (Hope Creek), to discuss the September 18, 2006, application for an extended power uprate (EPU). PSEG proposed to increase the maximum power level at Hope Creek from 3339 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3952 MWt, an increase of approximately 15%. The NRC staff considers an EPU to be any uprate in excess of approximately 8%, and typically involving major plant modifications to achieve the higher power level.

PSEG presented information in two technical areas, steam dryer structural analyses and core analyses, and then met with various review groups to discuss other technical areas. The licensees slides are enclosed.

For the steam dryer structural analyses, the licensee used a combination of computer modeling and scale model testing to evaluate the effects of higher steam flow rates that result from operation at EPU conditions. Industry operating experience has shown that acoustic excitations in the steam lines can damage steam dryers and other equipment attached to the steam lines.

The licensee used an acoustic circuit computer model, an 1/8 scale model, and in-plant vibration monitoring to assess the acoustic loads. The licensee installed strain gauges at two locations on each steam line to measure the acoustic loads, but the lower set of strain gauges failed on the C and D steam lines. The licensee used the scale model test and Susquehanna data to account for the missing strain gauges, instead of assuming worst-case phasing of the steam lines. The acoustic loads were entered into a finite element analysis of the steam dryer to evaluate stress levels.

The licensee and NRC staff discussed the uncertainty and conservatism in the licensees methods. The scale model predicted that a 118 hertz acoustic load would initiate below 90% of Hope Creeks current power level, and increase with increased power. However, strain gauges on the Hope Creek main steam lines show that the load is not present at current full power level. Therefore, the licensee reduced this load when predicting steam dryer loads at EPU conditions. The licensee also reduced an 80 hertz load that the licensee believes is an artifact of the acoustic circuit model. The licensee stated that, while the model predicts this load for Hope Creek and other plants, vibration monitoring at Hope Creek and other plants has demonstrated that it does not exist. With the above loads removed, the licensee predicted that the maximum stress in the steam dryer will be approximately 65% (stress ratio of 1.54) of the allowable stress.

For the core analyses, the licensee used General Electric (GE) interim methodologies to evaluate the steady state and transient neutronic and thermal-hydraulic response at Hope Creek, including the non-GE legacy fuel. During the first cycle of EPU operation, approximately 25% of the core will be thrice-burned Westinghouse SVEA 96+ fuel. The licensee discussed their analyses of the mixed core and presented data comparing the operation of the GE 14 and SVEA 96+ fuel types.

For the other technical areas, the licensee met with the responsible NRC staff reviewers to discuss the information in the application and provide clarifying information. Some NRC technical reviewers requested additional information from the licensee, and these requests will be documented in a letter to the licensee.

The meeting notice indicated that a portion of the meeting would be closed to discuss proprietary information; however, no proprietary information was discussed.

A list of meeting attendees is enclosed. Additional members of the public, licensee technical personnel, contractors for the licensee, and contractors for the NRC staff attended by telephone conference bridge.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1321 or snb@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Stewart N. Bailey, Sr. Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-354

Enclosures:

1. Licensee Slides
2. Attendee List cc w/enclosures: See next page

For the core analyses, the licensee used General Electric (GE) interim methodologies to evaluate the steady state and transient neutronic and thermal-hydraulic response at Hope Creek, including the non-GE legacy fuel. During the first cycle of EPU operation, approximately 25% of the core will be thrice-burned Westinghouse SVEA 96+ fuel. The licensee discussed their analyses of the mixed core and presented data comparing the operation of the GE 14 and SVEA 96+ fuel types.

For the other technical areas, the licensee met with the responsible NRC staff reviewers to discuss the information in the application and provide clarifying information. Some NRC technical reviewers requested additional information from the licensee, and these requests will be documented in a letter to the licensee.

The meeting notice indicated that a portion of the meeting would be closed to discuss proprietary information; however, no proprietary information was discussed.

A list of meeting attendees is enclosed. Additional members of the public, licensee technical personnel, contractors for the licensee, and contractors for the NRC staff attended by telephone conference bridge.

Please direct any inquiries to me at 301-415-1321 or snb@nrc.gov.

/RA/

Stewart N. Bailey, Sr. Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch I-2 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-354

Enclosures:

1. Licensee Slides
2. Attendee List cc w/enclosures: See next page DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC LPL1-2 Reading RidsNrrDorlLplb RidsNrrPMSBailey RidsNrrLACRaynor RidsOgcRp RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter R. Jasinski, NRR R. Caruso, ACRS B. Sosa, EDO Region I RidsRgnIMailCenter Accession Nos.:Summary - ML063330143, Slides - ML063330154, Package - ML063330138 OFFICE LPL1-2/PM LPL1-2/LA LPL1-2/BC NAME SBailey CRaynor HChernoff DATE 12/06/06 12/06/06 12/15/06 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Hope Creek Generating Station cc:

Mr. William Levis Jeffrie J. Keenan, Esquire Senior Vice President & Chief Nuclear PSEG Nuclear - N21 Officer P.O. Box 236 PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Post Office Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Township Clerk Lower Alloways Creek Township Mr. Dennis Winchester Municipal Building, P.O. Box 157 Vice President - Nuclear Assessments Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 PSEG Nuclear P.O. Box 236 Mr. Paul Bauldauf, P.E., Asst. Director Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Radiation Protection Programs NJ Department of Environmental Mr. George P. Barnes Protection and Energy Site Vice President - Hope Creek CN 415 PSEG Nuclear Trenton, NJ 08625-0415 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. Brian Beam Board of Public Utilities Mr. George H. Gellrich 2 Gateway Center, Tenth Floor Plant Support Manager Newark, NJ 07102 PSEG Nuclear P.O. Box 236 Regional Administrator, Region I Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 475 Allendale Road Mr. Michael J. Massaro King of Prussia, PA 19406 Plant Manager - Hope Creek PSEG Nuclear Senior Resident Inspector P.O. Box 236 Hope Creek Generating Station Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Drawer 0509 Mr. Darin Benyak Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Director - Regulatory Assurance PSEG Nuclear - N21 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038 Mr. James Mallon Manager - Locensing 200 Exelon Way - KSA 3-E Kennett Square, PA 19348

ATTENDEE LIST NOVEMBER 13 AND 14, 2006, MEETING ON EXTENDED POWER UPRATE HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION Name Organization T. Alexion NRC/NRR/ADRA/DPR/PGCB S. Bailey NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPL1-2 H. Chernoff NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPL1-2 G. Cranston NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SBWB R. Ennis NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPL1-2 J. Flemming NRC/NRR/ADRO/DRL/REBA H. Garg NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EICB C. Hinson NRC/NRR/ADRO/DIRS/HIPB A. Hiser NRC/NRR/ADES/DCI/CSGB J. Honcharik NRC/NRR/ADES/DCI/CVIB R. Karipini NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SCVB J. Kim NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPL1-2 P. Lein NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SBWB R. Lobel NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SCVB G. Makar NRC/NRR/ADES/DCI/CSGB G. Malone NRC/R-I/DRP/PB3 K. Manoly NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EEMB K. Martin NRC/NRR/ADRO/DIRS/IOLB M. McConnell NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EEEA R. Pettis NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EQVB G. Purchiarello NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SBPB M. Rozzaque NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SBWB T. Scarbrougn NRC/NRR/ADES/DCI/CPTB M. Stutzke NRC/NRR/ADRA/DRA/APLA G. Thomas NRC/NRR/ADES/DSS/SBWB A. Tsirigotis NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EEMB J. Wu NRC/NRR/ADES/DE/EEMB P. Cowan PSEG/Exelon L. Curran PSEG P. Davison PSEG/Exelon T. DelGaizo PSEG P. Duke PSEG S. Kugler PSEG M. Jesse PSEG/Exelon J. Mallon PSEG/Exelon A. Olson PSEG/Exelon J. Sindoni PSEG H. Trenka PSEG M. Teske Continuum Dynamics, Inc. (PSEG Contractor)

R. Pistolas PPL Susquehanna J. Humphries New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (by phone)

Enclosure 2

LICENSEE SLIDES NOVEMBER 13 AND 14, 2006, MEETING ON EXTENDED POWER UPRATE HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION Enclosure 1