ML19338G031
| ML19338G031 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 10/23/1980 |
| From: | Conway W VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP. |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| WVY-80-152, NUDOCS 8010280337 | |
| Download: ML19338G031 (2) | |
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VERMONT Y AN KEM NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION SEVENTY SEVEN GROVE STREET B.3.2.1 RUTLAND, VERMONT 05701 WVY 80-152 NEPLY TO:
ENGINEERING OFFICE TURNPIKE ROAD WESTsORO. M ASSACHUSETTS 0 t S8 9 TELEPHONE 6t ? 166-90t t October 23, 1980 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 Attention:
Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References:
(a) License No. DPR-28 (Docket No.59-271)
(b) Inspection No. 50-271/80-05 (c) Meeting Minutes dated January 16, 1980, re: December 11, 1979 Meeting Between Vermont Yankee, NRC, and General Electric Company
Dear Sir:
Subj ect:
Fuel Inspection Plans In References (b) and (c), it is indicated that Vermont Yankee will be inspecting four modified surveillance assemblies during the 1980 refueling outage. These four assemblies were modified during the 1979 refueling outage to obtainilead information on the in-reactor performance of short end plugs. The modification consisted of replacement of the water rods with spacer capture rods with short
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end plugs.
All testing and theoretical treatment of the water rod wear problem would indicate or: support the thesis that the wear is caused by flow-induced vibration which would be reduced by shortening the lower end pl.ug.
Consequently,~there is no reason to expect that the modified end plugs will wear at a faster rate than the standard pro-duction.end plugs and in fact, all theory and data at this-time would indicate a reduced wear rate.
It is now our plan to inspect only one of these bundles.to confirm that some unexpected phenomenon is not operative.. The fact that the-spacer capture rods wear at a lesser rate than the water rod, reduces the value of 'ata from these d
assemblies after a single operating cycle.
It is long-term perform-
-ance that is of primary interest.
We will be inspecting four standard fuel bundles which have been irradiated for two full operating cycles. We will also be doing f( 010sr$0 h-9.
L_..
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r VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION [
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i United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission October 23, 1980 Page 2 I
other fuel inspections during the outage which are unrelated to the water rod wear problem and, assuming time is available, we may ex-amine additional' fuel bundles for water rod wear. We believe that this program will satisfy any reasonable requirements or concerns regarding water rod wear at the Vermont Yankee plant and we will j
proceed in the fashion described unless we receive information to the contrary.
We will advise you of our inspection program for our 1981 re-fueling outage within 60 days after startup of the next operating cycle.
Very truly yours, VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION William F. Qu7ay Vice Presidenc & bbnager of Operations WFC/jh 6
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