ML18141A246
| ML18141A246 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Surry, North Anna, 05000000 |
| Issue date: | 11/23/1983 |
| From: | Stewart W VIRGINIA POWER (VIRGINIA ELECTRIC & POWER CO.) |
| To: | Harold Denton, Eisenhut D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| 678, AOLL-831123, NUDOCS 8311300296 | |
| Download: ML18141A246 (2) | |
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VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23261
- w. L. STEWART VICE PRESIDENT NUCLEAR OPERATIONS November 23, 1983 Mr. Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Attn:
Mr. D. G. Eisenhut, Director Division of Licensinq U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C.
20555 Gentlemen:
Serial No.
PSE/RTR:
Docket Nos. :
License Nos.:
EXTENDED BURNUP OPERATION TO 45,000 MWD/MTU BATCH AVERAGE BURNUPS 678 50-280 50-281 50-338 50-339 DPR-32 DPR-37 NPF-4 NPF-7 In our letters dated May 15, 1980 (Serial No. 400) and March 6, 1981 (Serial No. 109), we proposed changes to the Technical Specifications for Surry Units No. 1 and No. 2 and North Anna Units No. 1 and No. 2 to permit increases in the enrichment limit for new fuel.
This increase in enrichment was necessary to allow Vepco to implement high burnup technology as part of our fuel management strategy.
At the time of our proposal to increase the enrichment limit for the Surry and North Anna Units to 4.1 weight percent, we indicated that utilization of higher enrichment fuel in a high burnup program could eventually allow increased discharge fuel batch average burn-ups of up to 45,000 MWD/MTU.
Amendments Nos. 73 and 74 to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32 and DPR-37 for Surry Unit Nos. 1 and 2 and Amendments Nos. 36 and 16 to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and NPF-7 for the North Anna Unit Nos. 1 and 2 amended the Technical Specifications for the plants to allow use of enrichments to 4.1 weight percent, however, the accompanying Safety Evaluation Reports limited the fuel to a batch average burnup of 37,000 MWD/MTU.
Currently we are utilizing 3.6 weight percent fuel on a reload basis and are approaching batch average burnups of 37,000 MWD/MTU.
In order to continue with the implementation of a high burnup fuel management strategy, a batch average burnup limit greater than 37,000 MWD/MTU would be required as we increase enrichment and reduce the batch size.
As in-dicated in the original Technical Specification changes, high burnup fuel management strategy will result in batch average discharge burnups on the order of 43,000 to 45,000 MWD/MTU.
Batch average discharge burnups in this range would result in improved fuel cycle costs as well as reduced long term spent fuel storage requirements.
8311300296 831123 PDR ADOCK 05000280 p
VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY TO Since the Technical Specification changes which allowed us to use en-richments up to 4.1 weight percent were approved, vJestinghouse has submitted to you a report (WCAP-10125, July 1982) entitled 11 Extended Burnup Evaluation of Westinghouse Fuel" which provides information justifying the use of their fuel for extended burnup application.
We have reviewed this report in con-*
junction with our own experience on individual assemblies with assembly burn-ups greater than 37,000 MWD/MTU and have concluded that no fuel performance restrictions would preclude Westinghouse design fuel from operation to batch average burnups in the 43,000-45,000 MWD/MTU range.
As a result, Vepco re-quests the 37,000 MWD/MTU restriction be removed from the NRC Safety Evalua-tion Reports associated with Technical Specifications Amendments Nos. 73 and 74 to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32 and DPR-37 and Amendments Nos.
36 and 16 to Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and NPF-7.
When the burnup restriction is removed, it will be Vepco's intention to transition its Surry and North Anna units to batch averaqe discharge burnups in the 43,000 - 45,000 MWD/MTU range.
This would be accomplished over 3 -
4 cycles where the batch size would be decreased and the enrichment increased gradually.
We would expect to achieve batch average discharge burnups in this range for equilibrium batch sizes of 52 assemblies at Surry and 60 assemblies at North Anna.
During the transition to batch average discharge burnups of 43,000 -
45,000 MWD/MTU, Vepco would monitor fuel performance on a routine basis.
The program would include*the routine binocular visual inspection of all assemblies during core offloads with a more detailed examination by closed circuit TV of any anomalous assemblies identified during the binocular in-spection.
This monitoring would ensure that fuel performance and fuel integrity would be maintained during and following the transition process.
Based on Westinghouse's report and our proposed strategy to implement and monitor extended burnup operation, we request that you remove the specific burnup restriction while maintaining the technical specification limit of 4.1 weight percent on enrichment.
This would allow operation to batch average burnups in the 43,000 to 45,000 MWD/MTU range with the resulting improved fuel cycle costs and reduced long term spent fuel storage requirements.
cc:
Mr. James R. Miller, Chief Operating Reactor Branch No. 3 Division of Licensing Mr. Steven A. Varga, Chief Operating Reactors Branch No. 1 Division of Licensing Very truly yours, 0{)-8 W. L. Stewart Mr. J. P. 0 1Reilly Regional Administrator Region II