ND-18-1014, Request for Alternative: Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements (VEGP 3&4 - PSI/ISI-ALT-10)

Request for Alternative: Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements (VEGP 3&4 - PSI/ISI-ALT-10)

ML18207A736
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	07/26/2018
From:	Aughtman A Southern Nuclear Operating Co
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of New Reactors
References
ND-18-1014
Download: ML18207A736 (9)

Text

Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

3535 Colonnade Parkway Birmingham, AL 35243 July 26, 2018 Docket Nos.: 52-025 ND-18-1014 52-026 10 CFR 50.55a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001 Southern Nuclear Operating Company Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4 Request for Alternative:

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements (VEGP 3&4- PSI/ISI-ALT-10)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1), Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) hereby requests NRC authorization to use an alternative to the requirements of ASME Section III, NB-4424.2 (a),

of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code, 1998 Edition through the 2000 Addenda (code of record) for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Units 3 and 4. The proposed request for alternative is applicable to distance requirements to maintain surface finish condition from the edge of a weld crown.

The details of the 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) request are contained in Enclosure 1 to this letter.

Approval is requested by January 21, 2019 to support performance of preservice inspection activities prior to the Class 1 hydrostatic test.

This letter contains no regulatory commitments. This letter has been reviewed and confirmed to contain no security-related information. Should you have any questions, please contact Mr. Corey Thomas at (205) 992-5221.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ND-18-1014 Page 2 of4 I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on the 26th day of July 2018.

Respectfully submitted, SOUTHERN NUCLEAR OPERATING COMPANY

~J;. ~

Amy G. Aughtman Licensing Director, Nuclear Development Southern Nuclear Operating Company AGA/BCT/Ijs : Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1)- Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ND-18-1014 Page 3 of 4 cc:

Southern Nuclear Operating Company / Georgia Power Company Mr. S. E. Kuczynski (w/o enclosure)

Mr. D. G. Bost (w/o enclosure)

Mr. M. D. Meier (w/o enclosure)

Mr. D. H. Jones (w/o enclosure)

Mr. J. B. Klecha Mr. G. Chick Mr. D. L. McKinney (w/o enclosure)

Mr. T. W. Yelverton (w/o enclosure)

Mr. B. H. Whitley Ms. C. A. Gayheart Mr. C. R. Pierce Ms. A. G. Aughtman Mr. D. L. Fulton Mr. M. J. Yox Mr. E. W. Rasmussen Mr. J. Tupik Mr. W. A. Sparkman Ms. A. C. Chamberlain Ms. A. L. Pugh Document Services RTYPE: VND.LI.L00 File AR.01.02.06 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. W. Jones (w/o enclosure)

Ms. J. Dixon-Herrity Mr. C. Patel Ms. J. M. Heisserer Mr. B. Kemker Mr. G. Khouri Ms. S. Temple Mr. F. Brown Mr. T.E. Chandler Ms. P. Braxton Mr. T. Brimfield Mr. C. J. Even Mr. A. Lerch State of Georgia Mr. R. Dunn

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ND-18-1014 Page 4 of 4 Oglethorpe Power Corporation Mr. M. W. Price Ms. A. Whaley Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Mr. J. E. Fuller Mr. S. M. Jackson Dalton Utilities Mr. T. Bundros Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC Mr. L. Oriani (w/o enclosure)

Mr. C. Churchman (w/o enclosure)

Mr. M. Corletti Mr. M. L. Clyde Ms. L. Iller Mr. D. Hawkins Mr. J. Coward Other Mr. S. W. Kline, Bechtel Power Corporation Ms. L. A. Matis, Tetra Tech NUS, Inc.

Dr. W. R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., GDS Associates, Inc.

Mr. S. Roetger, Georgia Public Service Commission Ms. S. W. Kernizan, Georgia Public Service Commission Mr. K. C. Greene, Troutman Sanders Mr. S. Blanton, Balch Bingham Mr. R. Grumbir, APOG NDDocumentinBox@duke-energy.com, Duke Energy Mr. S. Franzone, Florida Power & Light

Southern Nuclear Operating Company ND-18-1014 Enclosure 1 Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Units 3 and 4 Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) -

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements (Enclosure consists of 4 pages, not including this cover page.)

ND-18-1014 Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) -

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements Plant Site-Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) - Units 3 and 4 Unit:

Interval-Applies to construction and preservice inspection intervals.

Interval Dates:

Requested Date for Approval is requested by 1/21/19 to support performance of preservice inspection activities prior to the Class 1 hydrostatic test.

Approval:

ASME Code Components ASME Class 1 Piping and Components Affected:

Applicable Code Edition ASME B&PV Code,Section III, 1998 Edition through the 2000 Addenda (code of record).

and Addenda:

ASME Section III NB-4424.2 (a) requires that the surface finish shall be 6.3 Ra or better for a distance of at least 2t (where t equals nominal wall Applicable thickness) plus 4 in., or 6 in., whichever is greater (Fig. NB-4250-2 or Code Fig. NB-4250-3), from the edge of the weld crown on at least one side of Requirements: the weld where an ultrasonic examination is required.

As noted in Fig. NB-4250-2 and NB-4250-3, this distance is required to be free of interferences.

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ND-18-1014 Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) -

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements The requirements for surface finish, surface finish distance, and distance for which any hanger or attachment (or any other interference) can be made, is required to be 2t (where t equals nominal wall thickness) plus 4 inches, or 6 inches, whichever is greater as described in ASME Section III NB-4424.2(a) and shown in ASME Section III NB-4250-2 for ultrasonic examinations.

VEGP Units 3&4 contain interferences where these requirements cannot be met. Figure 1 is an ASME Fig. NB-4250-2 excerpt which illustrates the interference requirement.

Figure 1: ASME Section III Figure NB-4250-2 Excerpt Reason for Request:

The purpose of this distance requirement is to assure the examination area is adequate to perform a volumetric examination from the outside diameter (OD) for component-to-pipe and pipe-to-pipe welds.

Other examination configurations exist that would allow an adequate examination in accordance with ASME Section XI. One specific example is instrumentation bosses, near the AP1000 Steam Generator Hot Leg Safe End-to-Pipe welds, which are within the distance required in ASME Section III NB-4424.2 (Shown in Figure NB-4250-2). Figure 2 shows the example configuration and the method used to verify that the ASME coverage requirements are met with an interference in place.

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ND-18-1014 Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) -

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements Figure 2: Method Utilized to Conclude Essentially 100% of the ASME Section XI Volume is Examined for the Steam Generator Hot Leg Safe End-to-Pipe welds.

Proposed Alternative:

For cases in which there is less than the distance of 2t plus 4 in. or 6 in.,

whichever is greater, an inspectability evaluation will be conducted to ensure that adequate examinations can be performed. The inspectability report will document the percent coverage that can be obtained from the applicable examination area (i.e., ID, OD, or both) and conclude that essentially 100% of the ASME Section XI inspection volume is obtained. This will establish the Proposed method for future inservice inspections.

Alternative For configurations that do not meet those described in NB-4424.2(a) and and Basis shown in Figure NB-4250-2 and Figure NB-4250-3:

for Use:

(a) The requirements of Figure NB-4250-1 shall be met.

(b) The Owners Design Specification shall describe the configuration and surface finish required for preservice inspection in lieu of the configuration shown in Figure NB-4250-2 or Figure NB-4250-3 and surface finish described in NB-4424.2(a).

(c) The Certificate Holder (with agreement of the Owner or Owner Designee) shall verify and document that the required preservice inspection can be performed with the proposed configuration and surface finish.

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ND-18-1014 Proposed Alternative VEGP 3&4-PSI/ISI-ALT-10 in Accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1) -

Alternative Requirements for Preservice Examination Volumetric Surface Configuration Requirements (d) Use of this alternative shall be documented in the applicable VEGP Units 3 and 4 Design Specifications and N-5 Data Reports.

Basis for Use:

For volumetric examination surface configurations that do not meet NB-4424.2(a), which reference Fig. NB-4250-2 and NB-4250-3, an inspectability evaluation is performed and documented to ensure that essentially 100% of the ASME Section XI volumetric examination coverage is obtained. If essentially 100% volumetric examination coverage is not obtained, this alternative shall not apply.

The proposed alternative ensures that essentially 100% of the ASME Section XI preservice inspection volume is obtained and future inservice inspection coverage requirements will be met; therefore, this proposed alternative provides an acceptable level of quality and safety in accordance with 10 CFR 50.55a(z)(1).

Duration of Proposed Until the 10 CFR Part 52.103(g) finding Alternative:

Reference:

None Status: Awaiting NRC authorization 4