ML072890179
| ML072890179 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Fermi  |
| Issue date: | 10/16/2007 |
| From: | Bateman W NRC/NRR/ADES/DCI |
| To: | Libra R DTE Energy |
| John Honcharik (301) 415-1157 | |
| References | |
| BWRVIP-44-A, TAC MD3615 | |
| Download: ML072890179 (4) | |
Text
October 16, 2007 Rick Libra, BWRVIP Chairman DTE Energy Fermi Nuclear Plant (M/S 280 OBA) 6400 N. Dixie Highway Newport, MI 48166-9726
SUBJECT:
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION APPROVAL LETTER FOR BWRVIP-44-A, BWR VESSEL AND INTERNALS PROJECT, UNDERWATER WELD REPAIR OF NICKEL ALLOY REACTOR VESSEL INTERNALS
Dear Mr. Libra:
By letter dated August 31, 2007, the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP) submitted Proprietary Report BWRVIP-44-A, Underwater Weld Repair of Nickel Alloy Reactor Vessel Internals, for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff review.
The BWRVIP-44-A report was submitted as a means of exchanging information with the staff for the purpose of supporting the underwater weld repair of reactor vessel internal (RVI) components that have been experiencing intergranular stress corrosion cracking.
The BWRVIP-44-A report provides guidance for the development of underwater welding parameters and the qualification of underwater welding procedure specifications (WPSs) and welders. The BWRVIP-44-A report also provides guidance for qualification of WPSs and welders in accordance with the requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),Section XI, Code Case N-516, Underwater Welding,Section XI, Division 1, and the ASME Section IX Code. In addition, this report delineates feasibility studies related to the underwater weld repairs and the non-destructive examination (NDE) of the repair welds in RVI components.
The BWRVIP-44-A report presents a compilation of information from the BWRVIP-44 report and the NRC staff's final safety evaluation (SE) dated August 25, 2005, which includes the BWRVIPs associated responses to NRC staff requests for additional information and open items.
The NRC staff has reviewed the information in the BWRVIP-44-A report and has found that the report accurately incorporates all of the relevant information which was submitted by the BWRVIP in the documents noted above to support NRC staff approval of the report. The staff found that minimal revisions were made to the BWRVIP-44 report in the production of the BWRVIP-44-A report. These revisions are discussed in detail below.
The first revision was that the BWRVIP added text to Section 1.1 of the BWRVIP-44 report to address an open item that was identified in the staffs SE, dated August 19, 2005, on the BWRVIP-44 report. With respect to this open item, the staff requested that the BWRVIP
provide information regarding the application of underwater weld repairs at depths greater than 50 feet. BWRVIP-44-A now states that underwater weld repairs that comply with the ASME Code requirements will be limited to a maximum depth of 50 feet for stainless steel and nickel-alloy welds. The staff agrees that by successfully qualifying a WPS in accordance with the requirements of Section IX of the ASME Code and the Code Case N-516, licensees can perform underwater weld repairs on RVI components that are located at depths up to 50 feet.
The second revision was that the BWRVIP added Section 1.6 Implementation Requirements to the BWRVIP-44 report to include the implementation requirements of Nuclear Energy Institute Guideline 03-08 (NEI 03-08), Guideline for the Management of Materials Issues. This section states that if a utility chooses to implement a repair using this method, the guidance in this report [BWRVIP-44-A] should be considered good practice in the context of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 03-08, Guideline for the Management of Materials Issues. The staff finds this revision acceptable because the NEI 03-08 requirements would provide adequate guidelines for implementing the BWRVIP-44-A report at each BWR unit.
Based on the discussion above, the staff has determined that the BWRVIP-44-A report is acceptable. Please contact John Honcharik of my staff at (301) 415-1157 if you have any further questions regarding this subject.
Sincerely,
/RA/
William H. Bateman, Deputy Director Division of Component Integrity Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation cc: BWRVIP Service List
ML072890179 OFFICE DCI/CVIB DCI/CVIB DCI/DD NAME JHoncharik MMitchell WBateman DATE 10/3/2007 10/4/2007 10/16/2007 cc:
Randy Stark, EPRI BWRVIP Integration Manager Raj Pathania, EPRI BWRVIP Mitigation Manager Ken Wolfe, EPRI BWRVIP Repair Manager Larry Steinert, EPRI BWRVIP Electric Power Research Institute 3420 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94303 Paul J. Davison BWRVIP Executive Oversight Committee PSEG Nuclear, LLC Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Station 11 Yubas Ave.
Burlington, NJ 08016 Bob Geier, Technical Chairman BWRVIP Assessment Committee Exelon Corporation Cornerstone II at Cantera 4300 Winfield Rd.
Warrenville, IL 60555 Denver Atwood, Technical Chairman BWRVIP Repair Focus Group Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
Post Office Box 1295 40 Inverness Center Parkway (M/S B031)
Birmingham, AL 35242-4809 Jeff Goldstein, Technical Chairman BWRVIP Mitigation Committee Entergy Nuclear NE 440 Hamilton Ave. (M/S K-WPO-11c)
White Plains, NY 10601 Charles J. Wirtz, Chairman Technical Chairman BWRVIP Integration Committee FirstEnergy Corp.
Perry Nuclear Power Plant (M/S A250) 10 Center Road Perry, OH 44081 Amir Shahkarami, Executive Chairman BWRVIP Integration Committee Exelon Corporation Cornerstone II at Cantera 4300 Winfield Rd.
Warrenville, IL 60555-4012 Joe Donahue BWRVIP Executive Oversight Committee V. P., Nuclear Engineering & Services Progress Energy, Inc.
410 S. Wilmington St. (M/S PEB6)
Raleigh, NC 27601-1849 Richard Anderson, Executive Chairman BWRVIP Assessment Committee Vice President, Nuclear FirstEnergy Service Co.
Perry Nuclear Power Plant (M/S A-PY-290) 10 Center Road Perry, OH 44081 Robert Carter, EPRI BWRVIP Assessment Manager Jeff Landrum, EPRI BWRVIP Inspection Manager EPRI NDE Center P.O. Box 217097 1300 W. T. Harris Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28221 Dennis Madison BWRVIP Executive Oversight Committee Site Vice President Southern Nuclear Operating Co.
Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant US Hwy 1 N Baxley, GA 31515-2010