ML18079A833

Summary of 790717 Meeting W/Util to Discuss Startup of Facility for Second Operating Cycle

ML18079A833
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	07/25/1979
From:	Ross W Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 7908220266
Download: ML18079A833 (8)

Text

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Docket-No. 50-272 ft)~{ l l//}f/J

. !ilrJCJ~tr '~W LICENSEE:

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fj,' 10[/jp!f PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS COMPANY (PSE&G)

FACILITY :

S/11!._EM UN IT NO. ll.

SUMMARY

OF MEETING HELD. ON JULY 17~ 1979 TO DISCUSS SALEM l RELOAD On J111y 17, 1979 members of the.NRG Staff met with representatives of PSE&G to discuss several items that are under review related to startup of Unit 1 for its se-cond operating cycle *. A list of attendees is attached.

The principle topic of discussion concerned the failure of eight u~d cluster control assembly (RCCA) rodlets during the initial operating cycle.

The broken rodlets were reported to NRC on May-31, 1979 du.ring the current re-load shutfilown.

A -presentation of this problem uovered the following items:

1. Description of breaks - Failure of the fingers holding eight rodlets in six RCCAs occurred near the top of the threads that hold the rodlets in the fingers. All of the broken fingers were part of two receiving lots manufactured by one of the vendors of these parts.. Of the* 397 fingers manufa.ctured in these two lots all except 45 have been loaatmd.

onsequentlyp the licensee did not consider this matter fo fall under.10 CFR Part 21.

Failures have not been -ovserved in other.1 ots. The. failure mode is tentatively attributed to rp.pid stress corrosion and related to difficulties -involved* with achieving accurate tapping of threads to hold the rodlet. Corrosion is thought to have been initiated by chloride ions that were formed by the dmcomposition of the lubricant, trictHorosthane, used in the tapping process.

All (25)\\ RCCAs made from the two*--suspect lots of fingers have been remov~d from Sal<im~s core.

. \\

.2.

Detechion of broken rodlets - With hindsight, failure of the*

f-ing~cy is assumed to have occurred very early in the first cycle and can,~e correlated with assumptions-noted in the-early flue maps of Salem l which had been reported to the staff. The

• licensees'* Westinghouse Consultants discussed the accuracy wit.h -~~

which such correlation can be made on var,ious power levels and fractions op operational cycles.. ltJestinghouse believes that a

~; n <

5 to 10% deviation beb1een calculated and observed reaction.

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ed a possibl lndicat on oirF1cm:., *............... dr.opp d... r.odlets *... ;.s ch.. poss:ibH:i *-es--wf.l1***b0**1ll m~-tor.ed.:f.n.. t llURNAMBiJ>. ;............. :~ti~r~; *r~~,.~*~-t-~*1*ry~~~

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........... -...... '......... 1 DATE:..

MlC FORM 318 J9*76) NRCM 0240

• U,5. GOV.,RNME!NTPRINTING O,.FICE: 1,970

• 280

• 789 7 908 2 20 g.bb

.. *.\\_.

,p0' OFFICI!~

OURNAMitll!>- institute action (through technical specifications) on the basis of small flux changes.

3.

3.

In an effort to acquire a more complete understanding of any variations between calGulated and observed flux PSE&G is going to supplement.its flux mapping at zero power(:.with'an additional map.

Also, several other techniques (e.g. using an on-line reactivity computer, continuous measurement of loop tempera~cure average, and continu.ous measurement of ~I were proposed as an augmented surveillance program.

(The staff suggested the possi-bility of swapping symetric RCCAs at zero.power as a menas of detectinggdifferences in RCCAs that should be symmetric~) The staff requested a description of all supplementary actions taken by the licensee for this augmeneted program.

A second topic that was discussed in much less detail related to* damage suffered by 28 straps of fuel assemlbies while the first cycle core was being unloaded.

This event was the topic of a meeting between staff and licensee on May 30, 1979. After reviewing the possible cause of this damage the licensee changed its procedure for handling fuel assernlbl ies during un-loading and loading of the core and now believes that htis problem has been solved.

Salem 1 has been completely r_eloaded for cycle No. 2.

Hestinghouse was not aware of similar problems with any _other plant with 17xl7 assemblies.

In summarizing the status of activities related to the reload and startup of Salem l the staff requested the licensee to provide the following inrormation wlflthin the time frames noted.

• a). Augmented surveillance program Description of program.- 3 weeks Description of criteria to be used in searching for deviations in flux.- 3 weeks Description of action to be taken ir flux

. deviations are observed *.;. 3 weeks Results - 45 days after reaching full power.

b) Analysis of retention of degraded burnable poison rod in cyc~e #2 core. - *3 weeks c) Safety evaluation and technical specifications applicable to the final.reloaded Cycle #2 core. -

~ weeks d) *Safety evaluation addressing all. aspects of broken rodlet rp progl em. - l. w(;?ek

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~h.i~rn~.f~J.J..P.~ ~~r..~...............

DATl!i>

NllC FORM 318 (9*76) NRCM 0240

• U.S. GOVE!:RNMi;?NT PRINTING OP"FICE: t 978.. ZGD

• 789 1

,¥-~FFiCJZ31i1-.

SURNAME..

• DATii.. f)* Safety evaluation of Cycle #2 operation with grid strap pieces in RCS; attention being given to potential flow blockage and interferred with scram. - 1 week~

cc: See next page

• Not discusse4 in this meeting.

William J. Rossg Project Manager

• Operating Reactors Branch #1 Division of OperatdlngRReactors

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MlC FORM 318 (!>*76) NRCM 0240

• U.s. caovERNMll!NT PR,INTING OP"FICE: t 9711.. 2u1 - 1ao

Docket No. 50-272 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 JUL 2 5 1979 LICENSEE:

PUBLIC SERVICE ELECTRIC AND GAS COMPANY (PSE&G)

FACILITY:

SALEM UNIT NO. 1

SUMMARY

OF MEETING HELD ON JULY 17, 1979 TO DISCUSS SALEM 1 RELOAD On July 17, 1979 members of the NRC Staff met with representatives of PSE&G to discuss several items that are under review related to startup of Unit 1 for its second operating cycle. A list of attendees is attached.

The principal topic of discussion concerned the failure of eight rod cluster control assembly (RCCA) rodlets during the initial operating cycle.

The broken rodlets were reported to NRC on May 31, 1979 during the current re-load shutdown.

A presentation of this problem covered the following items:

1.

Description of breaks - Failure of the fingers holding eight rodlets in six RCCAs occurred near the top of the threads that hold the rodlets in the fingers.

All of the broken fingers were part of two receiving lots manufactured by one of the vendors

~f these parts.

Of the 397 fingers manufactured in these two lots all except 45 have been located.

Consequently, the licensee did not consider this matter fa fall under 10 CFR Part 21.

Failures have not been observed in other lots. The failure mode is tentatively attributed to rapid stress corrosion and related to difficulties involved with achieving accurate tapping of threads to hold the rodlet. Corrosion is thought to have been initiated by chloride ions that were formed by the decomposition of the lubricant, trichloroethane, used in the tapping process.

All (25) RCCAs made from the two suspect lots of fingers have been removed from Salem's core.

2.

Detection of broken rodlets - With hindsight, failure of the fingers is assumed to have occurred.very early in the first cycle and can be correlated with assymmetries noted in.the*:early flux maps of Salem 1 which had been reported to the staff.

i~e licensee~s Westinghouse Consultants discussed the accuracy with which such correlation can be made at various power levels and fractions of operational cycles. Westinghouse believes that a 5 to 10% deviation between calculated and observed reaction rate integrals can now be considered a possible indication of dropped rodlets.

Such possibilities will be monitored in the future by Westinghouse when reviewing flux maps from Westinghouse nuclear plants; however, it was not considered appropriate to institute action (through technical specifications) on the basis of small flux changes.

3.

In an effort to acquire a more complete understanding of any variations between ~alculated and observed flux PSE&G is going to supplement its flux mapping at zero power with an additional map.

Also, several other techniques (e.g. using an on-line reactivity computer, continuous measurement of loop temperature average, and continuous measurement of D.I were µropo-s-e'd a*s an augmented surveillance program.

(The staff suggested the possi-bility of swapping S.}lmmetric RCCAs at zero power as a means of detecting differences in RCCAs that should be symmetric).

The staff requested a description of all supplementary actions taken by the licensee for. this augmented program.

A second topic that was discussed in much less detail related to damage suffered by 28 straps of fuel assemoaies while the first cycle core was being unloaded.

This event was the topic of a meeting between staff and licensee on May 30, 1979.

After reviewing the possible cause of this damage the licensee changed its procedure for handling fuel assemblies during un-loading and loading of the core and now believes that this problem has been solved.

Salem 1 has been completely reloaded for cycle No. 2.

Westinghouse was not aware of similar problems with any other plant with l7x17 assemblies.

In summarizing the status of activities related to the reload and startup of Salem l the staff requested the licensee to provide the following information within the time frames noted.

a)

Augmented surveillance program Description of program.- 3 weeks Description of criteria to be used in searching for deviations in flux.- 3 weeks Description of action to be taken if flux deviations. are observed.- 3 weeks Results - 45 days after reaching full power.

b)

Analysis of retention of degraded burnable poison rod in cycle #2 core. - 3 weeks c)

Safety evaluation and technical specifications applicable to the final reloaded Cycle #2 core. - 3 weeks d)

Safety evaluation addressing all aspects of broken rodlet problem. - 1 week e)

Startup test report - 45 days or less after reaching full power.

• f)* Safety evaluation of Cycle #2 operation with grid strap pieces in RCS; attention being given to potential flow blockage and interference with scram. - l week.

Attachment:

List of Attendees cc:

w/attachment See next page

• Not discussed in this meeting.

/

/

William J. Ross, Project Manager Sperat'irrg Reat:tor*s Branch 11 Division of Operating Reactors

Meeting Summary for Sal em Unit l Docket.File NRC PDR Local PDR NRR Reading ORBl Reading H. Denton E. Case

o. Eisenhut G. Zech

... W... Gamm.ti 1 J. Miller L. Shao R. Vollmer W. Russell B. Grimes T. J. Carter T. Ippolito R. Reid A. Schwencer D. Ziemann V. Noonan P. Check G. Lainas G. Knighton Chief, Systematic Evaluation Branch Project Manager DOR Licensing Assistant OELD OI&E (3)

R. Fraley, ACRS (16)

Program Support Branch TERA J. R. Buchanan NRC Participants Mark J. Wetterhahn, Esquire Conner, Moore and Corber Suite 1050 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D. C.

20006 Richard Fryling, Jr., Esquire Assistant General Solicitor Public Service Electric and Gas Company 80 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07101 Gene Fisher, Bureau of Chief Bureau of Radiation Protection 380 Scotch Road Trenton, New Jersey 08628 Mr. Hank Midura, Manager Salem Nuclear Generating Station Public Service Electric and Gas Company 80 Park Place Ne.wa,~k"' New.J.er.sey.0710 l Mr. R. L. Mittl, General Manager Licensing and Environment Public Service Electric and Gas Company 80 Park Place Newark, New Jersey 07101 Salem Free Library 112 West Broadway Salem, New Jersey 08079 Leif J. Norrholm u *. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Drawer I Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey 08038 David K. Long Val ore, McA 11 i ster, Aron ~

Westmoreland Mainland Professional Plaza Northfield, New Jersey 08225

NRC W. Ross L. Norrholm W. Brooks D. Fieno M. 0. Houston R. Riggs J. Moore R. Lobel M. Dunenfeld G. Lanik P. Check K. Kni el J. Rosenthal M. Chatterton H. Richings

0. Bessette P. Wagner ATTACHMENT LIST OF ATTENDEES PSE&G E. Rosenfeld R. Germann J. Nichols R. Gennone R. Uderitz M. Bandeira Counsel for Lower Alloways Creek Township D. Long WESTINGHOUSE L. Beneini P. Lacey D. Williams R. Croley J. Ludwiczak E. Bassler M. Arlotti A. HqyS D. Risher