ML081060480

Boiling Water Reactor Vessel Internals Project (BWRVIP) Notification of Deviation from BWRVIP-41, BWR Jet Pump Assembly Inspection and Flaw Evaluation Guidelines

ML081060480
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	04/15/2008
From:	Langley D Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML081060480 (5)

Text

April 15, 2008 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 No. 50-296 Tennessee Valley Authority )

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT (BFN) - UNIT 3 - BOILING WATER REACTOR VESSEL INTERNALS PROJECT (BWRVIP) - NOTIFICATION OF DEVIATION FROM BWRVIP-41, BWR JET PUMP ASSEMBLY INSPECTION AND FLAW EVALUATION GUIDELINES In accordance with a prior agreement with the NRC, BWR utilities that are part of the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP) agreed that participating licensees will provide notification to the NRC staff of a decision by the licensee to not fully implement the applicable BWRVIP product. Therefore, TVA is providing notification that BFN Unit 3 will not fully implement the subject guidance of BWRVIP-41, Revision 1, BWR Jet Pump Assembly Inspection And Flaw Evaluation Guidelines.

A deviation disposition was prepared, reviewed, and approved in accordance with BWRVIP-94, Revision 1, BWR Vessel and Internals Project Program Implementation Guide, and TVA internal procedures. The deviation disposition provides assurance that there are no safety implications or reliability concerns with the deviation.

The BFN Unit 3 deviation concerns one item. BFN Unit 3 is not meeting the requirements for an EVT-1 visual examination of the riser brace to yoke welds (Welds RB-2a, b, c, and d) for Jet Pumps 5/6 stipulated by BWRVIP-41, Revision 1.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 2 April 15, 2008 During the In-Vessel Visual Inspection of Unit 3 performed in 1992 in preparation for restart, crack indications were identified at the two attachment welds of the riser brace to the riser pipe (RS-8 and RS-9) adjacent to Jet Pump Number 5 at reactor vessel 90° azimuth. A repair clamp was installed between the riser brace yoke and the riser pipe to capture the riser brace and perform the function of the deficient weld attachment. The repair clamp was also designed so as to allow future inspections of the existing cracks. However, it was discovered during the initial baseline inspection that the repair clamp obstructed inspection of the riser brace to yoke (RB-2) welds. The RB-2 welds are categorized as a medium priority location. A baseline inspection has been conducted for all three units at BFN, and no indications have been observed at this location. This provides a reasonable level of assurance that the RB-2 welds associated with Jet Pumps 5/6 are intact. Therefore, BFN has waived the EVT-1 examination for the Unit 3 Jet Pumps 5/6 (ONLY) in accordance with BWRVIP-41, Revision 1. The vendor recommended inspection will continue to be performed every other refueling outage to ensure that the jet pump riser pipe indications have not increased in length and the repair clamp is performing its function as designed. This inspection will provide us with information as to whether any signs of increased flow-induced vibration are present, which would be indicative of failure of the RB-2 welds.

The next scheduled inspection to ensure that the jet pump riser pipe indications have not increased in length and the repair clamp is performing its function as designed will be performed during the U3C14 Refueling Outage in 2010. Since this inspection will serve in place of the BWRVIP-41 mandated inspection of the RB-2 welds, this deviation disposition will remain in effect until that time. Following the next inspection, the results will be evaluated and another deviation disposition prepared if results are satisfactory.

Evaluating this condition every four years will provide greater attention to this location than would be obtained otherwise by performing the BWRVIP-41 mandated inspection.

This deviation is effective for the next two BFN Unit 3, two-year fuel cycles (Cycle 13-Spring 2006 to Spring 2008, and Cycle 14-Spring 2008 to Spring 2010) only. This

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 3 April 15, 2008 notification is being transmitted for information only.

TVA is not requesting any specific action from the NRC.

There are no new regulatory commitments in this letter. If you have any questions, please contact me at (256) 729-2636.

Sincerely, Original signed by:

D. T. Langley Manager of Licensing and Industry Affairs cc: See Page 4

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 4 April 15, 2008 cc:(Via NRC Electronic Distribution):

Mr. Jon H. Thompson, BWRVIP Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint, North (MS 09H4) 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739 Ms. Rebecca L. Nease, 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 Resident Inspector Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 10833 Shaw Road Athens, Alabama 35611-6970 Ms. Eva A. Brown Project Manager U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission One White Flint, North (MS 08G9) 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, Maryland 20852-2739 Mr. Randy Stark EPRI BWRVIP Program Manager P.O. Box 10412 3412 Hillview Avenue Palo Alto, California 94303 Mr. Robert Carter EPRI BWRVIP Assessment Manager EPRI NDE Center P.O. Box 217097 1300 W. T. Harris Boulevard Charlotte, North Carolina 28221

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 5 April 15, 2008 JEE:JWD:BAB cc: G. P. Arent, EQB 1B-WBN W. R. Campbell, LP 3R-C S. M. Douglas, POB 2C-BFN D. C. Matherly, Jr., BFT 2A-BFN R. F. Marks, Jr., PAB 1C-BFN L. E. Nicholson, BR 4X-C R. G. West, NAB 2A-BFN B. A. Wetzel, BR 4X-C S. A. Vance, WT 6A-K E. J. Vigluicci, ET 11A-K NSRB Support, LP 5M-C EDMS-WT CA-K s:\lic\submit\subs\Unit 3 BWRVIP Notification of Deviation 0408.doc