ML13333B574

Summary of 11/1/2013 Conference Call Regarding the Fall 2013 Steam Generator Tube Inspections

ML13333B574
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	12/05/2013
From:	Jennivine Rankin Plant Licensing Branch IV
To:	Edington R Arizona Public Service Co
George A
References
TAC MF2982
Download: ML13333B574 (4)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 December 5, 2013 Mr. Randall K. Edington Executive Vice President Nuclear/

Chief Nuclear Officer Mail Station 7602 Arizona Public Service Company P.O. Box 52034 Phoenix, AZ 85072-2034

SUBJECT:

PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3-

SUMMARY

OF CONFERENCE CALL REGARDING THE FALL 2013 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTIONS (TAC NO. MF2982)

Dear Mr. Edington:

On November 1, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff participated in a conference call with representatives of Arizona Public Service Company (the licensee) regarding the fall 2013 steam generator tube inspection activities at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3. A summary of the conference call is enclosed.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1530 or via e-mail at jennivine.rankin@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

~~

& K. Rankin, Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch IV-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-530

Enclosure:

Summary of Conference Call cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv

SUMMARY

OF NOVEMBER 1, 2013, CONFERENCE CALL REGARDING THE FALL 2013 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTIONS ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3 DOCKET NO. 50-530 On November 1, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff participated in a conference call with representatives of Arizona Public Service Company (the licensee) regarding the ongoing steam generator (SG) tube inspection activities at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (Palo Verde), Unit 3. Information provided by the licensee in support of the conference call is located in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at Accession No. ML13308C340.

Palo Verde, Unit 3, has two replacement SGs manufactured by Ansaldo. Each SG has 12,580 thermally treated Alloy 690 tubes with an outside diameter of 0. 75 inches and a wall thickness of 0.042 inches. Ferritic stainless steel eggcrate tube supports, diagonal bars, and vertical straps support the tubes at various locations.

Inspection and maintenance activities of the SGs were not scheduled during the 2013 outage.

However, the discovery of foreign objects in the feedwater inlet of a high-pressure feedwater heater that was upstream of the SGs warranted the performance of a foreign object search and retrieval (FOSAR) inspection in the SGs. Additional information discussed during the conference call and not included in the document provided by the licensee is summarized below:

• All three feedwater heaters, in both of the feedwater heater trains, were inspected.

• The licensee clarified that a review of potential sources for the failed flexitallic gasket was still ongoing.

• The tubes near the four locations in SG 31 that had indicated the possible presence of a small loose part will be inspected with an eddy current probe.

• The licensee clarified that the results of the eddy current inspections, which had not yet been performed but were planned for November 10, 2013, may result in additional inspections being performed.

• It is unlikely that a loose part entering the lower SG feedwater nozzle would travel across the baffle plate, since the vast majority of water is directed downward toward the tubesheet.

• A review of historical FOSAR inspections was still ongoing at the time of the call.

Enclosure

• The loose part near the tube with the visual wear mark had wear that matched the shape of the wear on the tube.

Subsequent to the call, the NRC staff was informed that the eddy current testing was completed and that only one 20 percent through-wall indication was detected. The one 20 percent through-wall indication was detected in the tube that had visual evidence of tube wear on the outside of the tube.

Based on the information provided by the licensee, the NRC staff did not identify any issues that warranted immediate follow-up action.

• ML133338574 *Memo dated November 22, 2013 OFFICE NRR/DORULPL4-1 /PM NRR/DORULPL4-1 /PM NRR/DORULPL4-1 /LA NAME AGeorge JRankin JBurkhardt DATE 12/4/13 12/4/13 12/3/13 OFFICE NRR/DE/ESGB/BC* NRR/DORULPL4-1 /BC NRR/DORULPL4-1 /PM NAME GKulesa MMarkley JRankin DATE 11/22/13 12/5/13 12/5/13