ML17312B229
| ML17312B229 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 02/12/1997 |
| From: | Clifford J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | James M. Levine ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR |
| References | |
| TAC-M96528, NUDOCS 9702140202 | |
| Download: ML17312B229 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMNllSSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 2055~001 February 12, 1997 Mr. James M. Levine Executive Vice President, Nuclear Arizona Public Service Company Post Office Box 53999 Phoenix, Arizona 85072-3999
SUBJECT:
PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3 STEAM GENERATOR OPERATIONAL INTERVAL (TAC NO. M96528)
Dear Mr. Levine:
By letters dated August 6,
- 1996, and November 27, 1996, Arizona Public Service Company (APS), provided information to support a full cycle of operation for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 3 (PVNGS) steam generators.
The information pertains to Cycle 6 operation of PVNGS Unit 3 which began in December 1995.
"Mid-cycle" steam generator tube inspections have been performed at PVNGS Unit 3 since the PVNGS Unit 2 steam generator tube rupture event in 1993.
Since this event, the operating intervals between the PVNGS Unit 3 inspections have been 3 months, 5 months, and 10.5 months.
The information in the current submittals provide the licensee's basis for operating the PVNGS Unit 3 steam generators for 15.5 months.
The licensee's submittals contain, in part, information pertaining to past inspection results and an analysis of the structural and leakage integrity of the PVNGS Unit 3 steam generator tubes following Cycle 6 operation.
The licensee concluded that the structural and leakage integrity of the PVNGS Unit 3 steam generators will be maintained until the scheduled refueling at the end of Cycle 6.
The analysis performed by the licensee is similar to that used in justifying an approximate 12 month operating interval for PVNGS Unit 2, which ended in the spring of 1996, and an approximate 10.5 month operating interval for PVNGS Unit 3, which ended in the fall of 1995.
The staff did not review the licensee's probabilistic methodology in detail; however, the staff requested that the licensee provide a comparison of the actual PVNGS Unit 3 steam generator tube inspection results to those which were predicted (or assumed) at the completion of Cycle 5 operation.
Such a
comparison, if conservative for PVNGS Unit 3 Cycle 5, would provide added confidence that the projections for PVNGS Unit 3 Cycle 6 are conservative.
The licensee submitted this comparison in the November 27, l996,.letter, which concluded, in part, that all projections for the end of Cycle 5 tube conditions in PVNGS Unit 3 were conservatively confirmed based on inspection r g results.
These projections are for tube indications in the region of the steam generator referred to as the ARC (i.e., the region where free span outside diameter stress corrosion cracking has been observed).
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Mr. James M. Levine February 12, 1997 The staff concludes that the actions taken by the licensee (i.e., tube integrity analyses, defense-in-depth measures.[e.g.,
improvements in water chemistry, leakage monitoring, and emergency operating procedures])
and benchmarking of the tube integrity model providetreasonable assurance that PVNGS Unit 3 can be safely operated until the"end of Cycle 6 (approximately 15.5 months of operation) before conducting the next steam generator eddy current inspection.
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'incerely, P
Or igi.'nal.Signed By Charles R." Thomas James W.'lifford, Senior Project Manager
'Project Di'rectorate IV-2 Divi,sion of Reactor Projects - II;I/IV Office of, Nuclear React'or 'Regulation Docket Nos.
STN 50-528, STN 50-529 and STN 50-530 cc:
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PV96528.LTR OFC PDIV-2 NAME JClifford DATE 2
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Hr. James H. Levine February 12, 1997 CC:
Hr. Steve Olea Arizona Corporation Coamission 1200 W. Washington Street Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Douglas Kent Porter Senior Counsel Southern California Edison Company Law Department, Generation Resources P.O.
Box 800
- Rosemead, California 91770 Senior Resident Inspector USNRC P. 0.
Box 40 Buckeye, Arizona 85326 Regional Administrator, Region IV U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Harris Tower 5 Pavillion 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Arlington, Texas 76011-8064
- Chairman, Board of Supervisors ATTN:
Chairman 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, Arizona 85003 Hr. Aubrey V. Godwin, Director Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency 4814 South 40 Street Phoenix, Arizona 85040 Hs. Angela K. Krainik, Hanager Nuclear Licensing Arizona Public Service Company P.O.
Box 52034 Phoenix, Arizona 85072-2034 Hr. John C. Horne, Vice President Power Supply Palo Verde Services 2025 N. Third Street, Suite 220 Phoenix, Arizona 85004 Hr. David Summers Public Service Company of New Mexico 414 Silver SW, f0604 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 Hr. Bob Bledsoe Southern California Edison Company 14300 Mesa
- Road, Drop D41-SONGS San Clemente, California 92672 Mr. Robert Henry Salt River Project 6504 East Thomas Road Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 Terry Bassham, Esq.
General Counsel El Paso Electric Company 123 W. Hills El Paso, Texas 79901 Hr. Robert Burt Los Angeles Department of Water 8 Power Southern California Public Power Authority 111 North Hope Street, Room 1255-B Los Angeles, California 90051
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