ML19260C862
| ML19260C862 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | FitzPatrick  |
| Issue date: | 01/25/1980 |
| From: | Grier B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | Leonard J POWER AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (NEW YORK |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002060282 | |
| Download: ML19260C862 (1) | |
Text
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o
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REGION I D[
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,o KING oF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406 Docket No. 50-333 Jg 2 51980 Power Authority of t M State of New York James A. FitzPatrick u-lear Power Plant ATTN:
Mr. J. D. Leonard Resident Manager P. O. Box 41 Lycoming, New York 13093 Gentlemen:
This Information Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If further NRC evaluations so indicate, an IE Circular or Bulletin will be issued to recommend or request specific licensee action.
If you have questions regarding this matter, please contact this office.
Sincerely, h
m oyce H. Grier
- Director
Enclosures:
1.
IE Information Notice No. 80-02 2.
List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices CONTACT:
D. L. Caphton (215-337-5308) cc w/encls:
George T. Berry, Executive Director P. W. Lyon, Manager - Nuclear Operations A. Klausmann, Director, Quality Assurance M. C. Cosgrove, Quality Assurance Supervisor J. F. Davis, Chairman, Safety Review Committee C. M. Pratt, Assistant General Counsel G. M. Wilverding, Licensing Supervisor 1933 158 8002060 d $ A @
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ENCLOSURE 1 SSINS:
6870 Accession No:
UNITED STATES 7912190654 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT WASHINGTON, D.C.
20555 IE Information Notice No. 80-02 Date: January 25, 1980 Page 1 of 2 8X8R WATER R00 LOWER END PLUG WEAR On October 3, 1979, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corpcration (VY or Licensee) reported (LER-79-25/IP) observance of lower end plug wear on the water rods of 8X8R demonstration fuel assemblies.
These observations were obtained during refueling outage inspections.
Subsequent to the initial LER, the Licensee issued LER 79-25/IT on October 17, 1979, which provided more detailed descrip-tions of the prcbable cause and corrective action associated with this event.
The lower end plug wear was isolated to the water rods of the 8X8R fuel as-semblies.
The cause of the wear was attributed to flow excitation of the water rods by coolant cross flow within the lower tie plate flow volume.
The repetitive contact of the Zircaloy lower end plug with the stainless steel lower tie plate resulted in preferential wear of the softer Zircaloy end plug.
No significant wear was observed in the lower tie plate.
To provide in-reactor experience on the modification proposed to mitigate lower end plug wear, the Licensee will include four modified 8X8R fuel bundles in their upcoming cycle of operations.
The primary modification consists of using two capture water rods with shorter lower end plugs to eliminate the flow-induced excitation.
Two of these fuel assemblies were previously irradiated.
The staff was informed that VY plans to perform surveillance on these four modified bundles at the next refueling outage.
The surveillance will confirm the efficacy of the modifications and the currently estimated rate of wear.
Based on evaluation of the lower end plug wear rates, and the absence of any indicated rotational movement of the water rods with worn lower end plugs, General Electric Company (GE) and the Licensee have concluded that no addi-tional corrective action is warranted at thir time.
To support this conclusion, on December 11, 1979, VY and GE presented detailed status of their evaluations and analyses of this condition to the NRC staff.
As a result of the information provided in the December 11, 1979 meeting, the staff agreed with the conclusion that no additional corrective action is warranted at this time.
The staff requested that GE document and formally submit proprietary, and nonproprietary versions of their evaluations and analysis.
In addition, the staff requested the Licensee to submit a supplement to the earlier LER's considering the potential for loose parts.
1933 159 IE Information Notice No. 80-02 Date:
January 25, 1980 Page 2 of 2 To provide additional confirmatory evidence supporting the findings by GE and the Licensee, GE will develop a surveillance program specifically addressed at inspections for wear of the lower end plugs.
When this program is developed, GE will propose the program to the NRC staff.
BWR Licensees are encouraged to participate in a surveillance program on this matter.
This Inforiiation Notice is provided as an early notification of a possibly significant matter that is still under review by the NRC staff.
It is expected that recipients will review the information for possible applicability to their facilities.
No specific action or response is requested at this time.
If you have any questions regarding this matter please contact the Director of the appropriate NRC Regional Office.
1933 160
ENCLOSURE 2 IE Information Notice No. 80-02 Date:
January 25, 1980 Page 1 of 1 RECENTLY ISSUED IE INFORMATION NOTICES Information Subject Date Issued to Notice No.
Issued 79-28 Overloading of Structural 11/16/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Elements Due to Pipe Support lities with an Operating Loads License (OL) or Construction Permit (CP) 79-29 Loss of Nonsafety Related 11/19/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Reactor Coolant System In-lities with an OL or CP strumentation During Operation 79-30 Reporting of Defects and 12/6/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Noncompliances, 10 CFR lities with an OL Part 21 or CP 79-31 Use of Incorrect Amplified 12/13/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Response Spectra (ARS) lities with an OL or CP 79-32 Separation of Electrical 12/21/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Cables for HPCI and ADS lities with an OL or cv 79-33 Improper Closure of Primary 12/21/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Containment Access Hatches lities with an OL or CP 79-34 Inadequate Design of Safety-12/31/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Related Heat Exchangers lities with an OL or CP 79-35 Control of Maintenance 12/31/79 All Power Reactor Faci-and Essential Equipment lities with an OL or CP 79-36 Computer Code Defect in 12/31/79 All Power Reactor Faci-Stress Analysis of Piping lities with an OL or CP Elbow 79-37 Cracking in Low Presssure 12/31/79 All awer Reactor Faci-Turbine Discs lities with an OL or CP 80-01 Fuel Handling Events 1/4/80 All Power Reactor Faci-lities with an OL or CP 1933 161