ML19344F388

Application for SNM License to Permit,Receipt,Possession, Storage,Insp & Package for Transport of Unirradiated Nuclear Fuel Assemblies,For Period Beginning 810101

ML19344F388
Person / Time
Site:	07002932
Issue date:	07/10/1980
From:	Gary R TEXAS UTILITIES ELECTRIC CO. (TU ELECTRIC)
To:
Shared Package
ML19344F387	List: ML19344F386 ML19344F388
References
NUDOCS 8009150215
Download: ML19344F388 (8)

Text

v-O TEY.AS UTILITIES GENERATING COMPANY -

COMANCHE FEAX STEAM ELECTRIC STATION UNIT 1 APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL LICENSE This application is filed pursuant to Title 10, Chapter 1, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 70 for authorization to receive, possess, store, inspect, and package for transport unirradiated nuclear fuel assemblies for Unit 1 of the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station (CPSES). The tenn of the Special Nuclear Material License requested is for the period beginning January 1,1981 until receipt of the permanent operating license.

The applicants are Texas Utilities Generating Company (TUGCO), Dallas Power & Light Company (DPL), Texas Electric Service Company (TESCO),

Texas Power & Light Company (TPL), Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) and Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (BEPC). DPL, TESCO, TPL, TMPA, and BEPC (collectively the "0wners") respectively own 181/3%,

35 5/6%, 35 5/6%, 6 1/5%, 3 4/5% interest in the station as tenants in common. Neither TUGC0 nor the Owners are owned or controlled by an alien, foreign corporation, or foreign government. TUGC0 is the lead Applicant, and as such acts as agent for the Owners for the design, construction, and operation, as well as in licensing matters,. but will have no ownership interest.

.The location of the offices and principal officers for TUGC0 and the Owners can be found in the Application of TUGC0 and Owners, Docket Nos.

50-445 and 50-446, for Operating Licenses (Class 103) fer the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station Units 1 and 2.

Communicatirns pursuant to this license ' application should be sent to:

Mr. R. J. Gary Executive Vice President and General Manager Texas Utilities Generating Company 2001 Bryan Tower Dallas, Texas 75201 i

i,r*

h e_ ; )

B 0 0 915 0 g/5 g

g,

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Reactor and Fuel 1.1.1 General The Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station is located in 3

Somervell County, Texas, 65 air miles southwest of the Dallas - Fort Worth Metropolitan Area in North Central Texas. A detailed description of the geographic location is provided in the CPSES Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) Section 2.1.1.1, Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446. The Unit 1 construction permit number is CPPR-126 and the Unit 1 Reporting Identification Symbol as assigned by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is YGL.

1.1.2 Fuel Assemblies The nuclear fuel. assemblies consist of slightly enriched uranium dioxide pellets encased in Zircaloy-4 rods. The zircaloy fuel rods have a nominal outside diameter and wall thickness of 0.374 inches and 0.0225 inches, respectively. Each assembly contains 264 fuel rods, 24 Zircaloy-4 control rod guide thimbles, and 1 Zircaloy-4 instrumentation thimble arran5ed in a 17 x 17 matrix. The 17 x 17 matrix is maintained by 8 inconel grid assemblies located along the length of the fuel assembly. The asseably top and bottom nozzles are constructed of stainless steel. The assembly is approximately 160. inches in length with a nominal active fuel length of 144 inches.

Each assembly is approximately 8.4 inches square.

1.1.3 Assembly Enrichment and Weights The initial core contains nominal assembly enrichments of 1.60 w/o, 2.40 w/o, and 3.1 w/o U-235. The total uranium weight per assembly is nominally 461 Kg of which less than 15 Kg is contained as U-235. The total assembly design weight, including structural components, is 665 Kg. The fuel assemblies contain no U-233, Pu, depleted uranium, or thorium.

1.1.4 Total Fuel Assemblies and Uranium The total number of fuel assemblies in the initial core is 193. The total weights of U-235 and uranium are approximately 2,100 Kg and 89,060 Kg, respectively. '

1.2 Storage Conditions 1.2.1 Fuel Storage Area

. Fuel storage and handling operations will be performed in the Fuel Handling Building. One hundred thirty-two (132) fuel assemblies will be stored in the new fuel storage area. The remaining 61 fuel assemblies for the initial core will be placed in storage in the spent fuel pool storage racks. The new fuel storage area capacity can be increased to 140 assemblies. Should this upgrading occur, the remaining 53 fuel assemblies will be placed in storage in the spent fuel pool storage racks. Detailed elevation and plan views of the Fuel Handling Building are shown in FSAR Figures 1.2-38 through 1.2-40.

1.2.2 Fuel Storage Area Activities Only those activities which involve new fuel receipt, fuel inspection, and fuel handling and storage are normally conducted in or adjac.ent to the fuel handling and storage areas. No construction activities which could possibly result in damage to the fuel will be allowed in the fuel storage areas during fuel handling, inspection or storage.

1.2.3 Fuel Handling Building Equipment and Systems The Fuel Handling Building structures, components, equipment, systems, and the design criteria used to assure their structural integrity are described in FSAR Sections 9.1 and 3.8.4.

1.2.4 Fire Alarm and Control Systers As presented in FSAR Figure 9.5-40, the Fuel Handling Building combustible loading classification is low based on tables from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Copper Life Safety Fire Sprinkler System Handbooks. The barriers separating the fire areas are constructed of concrete block or poured, reinforced concrete, or both with approved fire doors, fire dampers,'and penetrations of an equivalent l

rating.

Fire protection will be provided by portable extinguishers, hose stations, and a remote manual deluge system. Fire detection is provided by ionization and flame detectors equipped with both local and remote alarms. A detailed analysis of the fire protection plans is discussed in FSAR Section 9.5.1.3.5.- l

• {-

1.2.5 Access Control'

~

'Only authorized -personnel will be allowed -to enter. the

' fuel' handling and storage areas when special nuclear

_y material is present. Controlled access to these areas will be monitored by utilizing intrusion detection methods to detect unauthorized penetrations or ti

. activities and, should any such unauthorized intrusions occur, a watchman or offsite response force will be dispatched.

In addition, procedures will be established as.part of a physical ' security plan for dealing with thefts or threats of theft of the special nuclear material. -If and when such events occur, both local law enforcement' agencies and the Nuclear

~

Regulatory Commission will be promptly notified.

-1.3 Physical Protection There will be no U-235 (contained in uranium enriched to 20%

or more in the U-235 isotope), U-233, or plutonidm at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station under this license.

Therefore, the requirements of Section 73.1(b) of 10 CFR 73 for strategic special nuclear material and special nuclear material of moderate strategic significance do not apply.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 73.67(f), a detailed physical security plan for special nuclear material of low strategic significance, applicable for the term of this Special Nuclear Material

- License, will be transmitted under a separate cover due to the proprietary information contained therein.

1.4 Transfer of Special Nuclear Material The fuel fabricator, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, will 4

be responsible' for shipping the special nuclear material as unirradiated fuel assemblies to the applicant.

4 TUGC0_ will not package unirradiated fuel assemblies for

. delivery to a carrier for transport, except in the event a damaged or ' unacceptable fuel assembly is to be returned to Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Packaging will be in accordance with the provisione of D0T regulations and 10 CFR Part 71.

I 1.5 '. Financial Protection and Indeimity h

~ The applicants will apply. for nuclear energy liability

insurance with the American Nuclear Insurers in the amount of nD

$1,000,000-to satisfy the financial protection' requirements of L10.CFR Part-140.13. The effective period of insurance Ecoverage:will be from the time new fuel is received at the

' Comanche Peak. Steam Electric Station until the first fuel assembly -is loaded into the reactor. Proof of such financial protection-will be furnished prior to issuance of a Special n

Nuclear Material License pursuant to this application.

i

~

1,

~

r aw

.+

& t

,w-

.-m.

g

. w-N en

-n

.e

o 2.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY' 2.1 Radiation Control 2.1.1 Training and Experience The training and experience of the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station Chemistry and Health Physics personnel is described in FSAR Section 13.1.3.2.

2.1.2 Procedures and Equipment New fuel will be checked for radioactive contamination by CPSES Chemistry and Health Physics personnel as part of the new fuel inspection procedure. Swipes or smears will be taken of the fuel in order to obtain a representative sample of the surface contamination of the entire assembly and will be counted for alpha and beta / gamma activity to determine the amount of contamination present.

All new fuel that has not been unloaded or unpacked will be handled as contaminated material with all appropriate radiological controls in effect until such contamination checks are performed.

If the amount of contamination is found to exceed allowable limits, the source of the contamination will be detennined and appropriate decontamination steps will be initiated as required.

The CPSES Health Physics Program is outlined in FSAR Section 12.5 and describes the procedures and equipment involved in radiological controls.

2.1.3 Detection Calibration and Testing Testing of the detectors used to measure radioactive contamination on new fuel assemblies will consist of daily checks as required on background radiation, detector efficiency, and the updating of. a daily trend plot of detector performance.' In addition, the instrumentation will be calibrated as a minimum on a quarterly basis using appropriate calibration sources.

2.2 Nuclear Criticality Safety

' After receiving the shipping containers at the plant site, only one metal shipping container with fuel assemblies will be opened at any one time. Each fuel assembly will be removed from its shipping container, inspected, and moved to the fuel

~ torage racks if no defects in the fuel assembly are found.

s The fuel storage racks in the new fuel storage area and spent n

3;

?-

fuel pool are designed for a nominal 21 inch and 16 inch, respectively',' center-to-center spacing between fuel a'ssenbly storage' cells. The design of the fuel storage rack assembly is such that.it is impossible to insert the new fuel assembliec in other than prescribed locations, thereby

~ ~

preventing any possibility of accidental criticality.

The racks.are desi5ned to withstand normal operating loads as well as Safe Shutdown Earthquake (SSE) and Operating Basis Earthquake (0BE) seismic loads meeting ANS Safety-Class 3 and-ASE B&PV Code,Section III, Appendix XVII requirements. The new fuel and-spent fuel storage racks are designed to meet the seismic Category I requirements of NRC Regulatory Guide 1.29, Revision 2, February 1976. The fuel storage racks can withstand the impact of a dropped fuel assembly from the maximum lift height of the fuel handling bridge crane without resulting in an unsafe geometric spacing of fuel assemblies.

Handling equipment capable of carrying loads heavier than a fuel assembly are prevented by interlocks or administrative controls,-or both, from traveling over the fuel storage areas.

All surfaces that come into contact with fuel ' assemblies are made.of austenitic stainless steel which is resistant to Corrosl'on.

New. fuel will be stored in racks in both the new fuel storage area and the spent fuel pool. The racks are. designed to prevent accidental criticality even if unborated water is present by maintaining an adequate center-to-center spacing between fuel assemblies. For the flooded condition assuming new fuel of the highest anticipated enrichment (3.5 w/o U-235) in either the new fuel storage racks or the spent fuel pool storage racks, the effective multiplication factor does not exceed 0.95.

Assuming the presence of.t hse pa-Je sources of moderation i

that.could arise during firt <f p?ing operations, the

~

effective multiplication factor does not exceed 0.98 with fuel of the highest anticipated enrichment in the new fuel storage racks. To ensure that the effective multiplication factor for dry storage of new fuel-assemblies in the spent fuel pool' racks remains less-than 0.98, the following administrative L

procedures will'be established:

L F

- 1.

Dry storage of new fuel assemblies lin the spent fuel pool racks'will be in a " checker-board" array so that

- an open storage cell exists on the four adjacent sides L

of each assembly. Therefore, no two assemblies will be closer than the 21 inch center-to-center spacing'of the new fuel storage racks.

2..

The plastic covering around each assembly will be

- opened 'at the bottom to allow water drainage should

" L

[

l.fo a

wLe.

v

--<~

t

_9_-

1

,2 flooding _and then draining of -the fuel storage area occur.

In thq criticality analysis of the storage facilities, the fuel assemblies are assumed to be in the most reactive

= condition with no control rods or removable neutron absorbers present. The assemblies will not be closer together than the

l design separation provided by.the storage racks. Detailed explanations of the criticality safety studies and their-j.

results 'are presented in FSAR Sections 9.1 and 4.3.2.6.

I New fuel elements will be removed from their usual storage locations from time to' time for such activities as fuel assembly relocation in storage and fuel ~ inspection. The manipulation of; the new fuel assemblies will-be performed by CPSES operations personnel trained in proper fuel handling

~

techniques and, in addition, will use fuel handling procedures which contain provisions to assure that fuel assemblies are

- handled correctly. Equipment and structures used for fuel t

handling activities are designed to provide for safe operation as described in FSAR Section 9.1.4.

I In order' to prevent accidental nuclear criticality, only one new fuel assembly will be allowed to be removed from an approved storage location at any one time. Further discussion 4

of the criticality of fuel assemblies is found in FSAR Section i-4.3.2.6.

Because of the fuel storage facilities design and administrative controls limiting the. maximum number of fuel

-assemblies allowed out of the storage locations, the possibility of accidental criticality during receipt, i:

inspection,' and other handling activities is eliminated.

Therefore, an exemption in whole from the requirements of 10 CFR 70.24 is requested as provided by 10 CFR 70.24(d).

2.3 Accident Analysis l

Interlocks or administrative controls, or both, prevent the Fuel Building handling equipment capable of carrying loads heavier than a fuel assembly from traveling over the, fuel storage area. The fuel storage racks are designed to maintain a safe-geometric' spacing of fuel' assemblies despite the impact of a fuel assembly dropped from the maximum lift height of the fuel handling bridge' crane.

- Since the license will involve only the handling and storage of unirradiated reactor fuel, there would be no significant safety-hazard as la result of a fuel handling accident due to the absence of any fission products in the fuel handling areas. Should a fuel handling accident result in the release of any. of the uranium contents of the new fuel, _ Chemistry and b

^,

~

.a

,a.a

-u.-

Health Physics personnel would be responsible for implementing

~ the appropriate radiological protection measures.

3.0 0THER MATERIALS REQUIRING NRC LICENSE e

There are no special nuclear materials other than that contained in-the fuel assemblies requiring an NRC license under this application.

.IN WITNESS WHERE0F, TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING COMPANY _has caused this application to be signed in its name by its duly authorized officer this so rw day of an ty

,1980.

u TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING COMPANY By:

k R. J/7 Gary 47 Executive Vice President and General Manager Y

= or~n<s

.Lw w.4