ML15022A101

National Institute of Standards and Technology - Request for Additional Information for the Review of Technical Specification Amendment Request

ML15022A101
Person / Time
Site:	National Bureau of Standards Reactor
Issue date:	01/30/2015
From:	Xiaosong Yin Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Dimeo R US Dept of Commerce, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Yin X
References
TAC MF4420
Download: ML15022A101 (6)

Text

January 30, 2015 Dr. Robert Dimeo, Director NIST Center for Neutron Research National Institute of Standards and Technology U. S. Department of Commerce 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8561 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8561

SUBJECT:

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY - CHANGE OF TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION AMENDMENT REQUEST FOR THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS REACTOR (TAC NO. MF4420)

Dear Dr. Dimeo:

By letter dated June 23, 2014, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Test Reactor (NBSR) submitted a license amendment request for NBSR. The proposed amendment request would change NBSRs technical specifications on the replacement of uninterruptable power supplies. During our review, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter. In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.30(b), you must execute your response in a signed original document under oath or affirmation. Your response must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 50.4, Written Communications.

Information included in your response that is considered security, sensitive, or proprietary, that you seek to have withheld from the public, must be marked in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. Following receipt of the additional information, we will continue our evaluation of your license amendment request.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-1404.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Xiaosong Yin, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 50-184

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc: See next page

ML15022A101 *Concurrence via e-mail NRR-058 OFFICE NRR/DPR/PRLB* NRR/DPR/PRLB* NRR/DPR/PRLB NRR/DPR/PRLB NAME XYin GLappert AAdams XYin DATE 1/ 22 /15 1/ 22 /15 1/ 29 /15 1/ 30 /15 National Institute of Standards and Technology Docket No. 50-184 cc:

Director, Department of State Planning 301 West Preston Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Director, Air & Radiation Management Adm.

Maryland Dept of the Environment 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 710 Baltimore, MD 21230 Director, Department of Natural Resources Power Plant Siting Program Energy and Coastal Zone Administration Tawes State Office Building Annapolis, MD 21401 President Montgomery County Council 100 Maryland Avenue Rockville, MD 20850 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING LICENSE AMENDMENT FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER FOR NEUTRON RESEARCH LICENSE NO. TR-5 DOCKET NO. 50-184 By letter dated June 23, 2014 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML14196A043), as supplemented by letter dated August 20, 2014, ADAMS Accession No. ML14241A384), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) requested a revision to the Operating License for its Test Reactor (NBSR). The license amendment request (LAR) would change the NBSRs technical specifications in connection with the replacement of both Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS). The following questions were developed as a result of the staffs review of your LAR using NUREG-1537, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors.

1. On page 1 of the LAR, you proposed to replace both NBSRs UPS that supply emergency alternating current (AC) electrical power to reactor critical loads.

NUREG-1537, Part 1, Section 8.2, Emergency Electrical Power Systems, states that the information contained in this section should be commensurate with required design basis developed in other chapters of the SAR.

a) Provide an overview of the systems that are affected by this LAR.

b) Provide a one-line diagram that shows the current and the proposed configurations of the UPS system including the station battery, direct current (DC) Distribution Panel, and Critical Power Panel.

2. On page 1 of the LAR, you stated the following:

Two redundant battery chargers will be purchased and installed to replace the function previously provided by the T-9 and T-10 UPS. The two replacement UPS are state-of-the-art systems with valve-regulated lead acid (VLRA) or sealed batteries rather than flooded or wet lead acid batteries. Each of the redundant UPS and batteries are capable of carrying the 20 kVA (design basis value for NBSR) of AC reactor critical power loads for 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> (assumes full 20 kVA loading) independently.

NUREG-1537, Part 1, Section 8.2, Emergency Electrical Power Systems, states that the information contained in this section should present a detailed functional description and circuit diagram.

a) Clarify if the battery charger and the VLRA battery are included in the UPS unit.

Also, provide a simplified block diagram that shows how the UPS, the VLRA battery, and the battery charger are interconnected.

ENCLOSURE

b) Provide manufacturer ratings and specifications of the battery chargers, UPS, and the VLRA batteries.

c) Provide a summary of the calculation performed to determine the adequacy of the new equipment (i.e. battery chargers, UPS, VRLA batteries) to supply the reactor critical loads.

3. The current Technical specification (TS) 4.6, Emergency Power System" requires testing the voltage and specific gravity of each cell of the station battery annually. The proposed revised TS 4.6 does not include these requirements for the VRLA battery. You clarified that the specific gravity of the VRLA battery cannot be measured because the electrolyte of the VRLA battery is immobilized in an absorbed glass matte (AGM).

However, you provided no justification for omitting testing of the VRLA battery cell voltage.

NUREG-1537, Part 1, Section 8.2, Emergency Electrical Power Systems, states that the information contained in this section should also identify the . . ., important design parameters, and surveillance and inspection functions that ensure operability of the emergency electric power systems . . .

Provide the TS requirement for testing of the VRLA battery cell voltage. If this testing is not required for the VLRA battery, provide justification for deviating from the requirement of the current TS 4.6.

4. On page 1 of the LAR, you stated: The NCNR [NIST Center for Neutron Research] is not replacing the existing flooded lead acid battery (Vented Lead Acid or VLA),

designated as the Station Battery in the Safety Analysis Report, because it is required to supply the various emergency loads that operate on 125 VDC.

NUREG-1537, Part 1, Section 8.2, Emergency Electrical Power Systems, states that the information contained in this section should be commensurate with required design basis developed in other chapters of the SAR.

a) Provide a copy of the sections of the above Safety Analysis Report (SAR) that are related to NIST emergency electrical power systems including the UPS, the battery chargers, and the station batteries. Also, provide a markup of the changes made to the affected sections as a result of this amendment request.

b) Clarify whether the VRLA batteries will supply the various emergency loads served by the Station Battery at any time.

5. On page 1 of the LAR, you stated that the VLRA maintenance guidance found in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1188-2005, IEEE Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement of Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) Batteries for Stationary Applications, will be used for the VLRA batteries. As described in the IEEE standard 1188-2005, a service test is a test of the batterys ability, as found, to satisfy the design requirements (battery duty cycle) of the DC system.

Provide an explanation why a service test was not included in TS 4.6.