ML20002C968
| ML20002C968 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Big Rock Point File:Consumers Energy icon.png |
| Issue date: | 01/22/1969 |
| From: | Walke G CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.) |
| To: | Morris P, Skovholt D US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101150494 | |
| Download: ML20002C968 (12) | |
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Dr. P. A. Morris, Director Re: Docket 50-155 Division of Reactor Licensing DPR-6 ZEK United States Atomic Energy Commission Washington, DC 20545
Dear Dr. Morris:
Attention:
Mr. D. J. Skovholt Trau nitted herewith are three (3) executed and thirty-seven (37) conformed copies of a request for a change to the Technical Speci-fications of License DPR-6, Docket No 50-155, issued to Consumers Power Company en May 1, 1964, for the Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant.
The proposed change (No 16) will enable Consumers Power Company to insert into the reactor at Big Rock Point a fuel design, designated Reload "E-G," which incorporates gadolinium oxide burnable poison in four fuel rods in each bundle to provide reactivity control supplemental to the reactor's control rods. This modification of the Reload "E" design will permit the attainment of longer intervals between refueling and higher fuel burnups, within the liratations of the Big Rock Point Plant control rod system.
The attached discussion of the Request for Change to the Tech-nical Specifications of License DPR-6 is divided into two parts. Exhibit I contains a general discussion of the proposed change, its effect on the hazards considerations and conclusions. Exhibit II contains the details of the Eadolinia loading which, for the reasons stated below, the General Electric Company wishes to keep confidential.
In Exhibit I,Section II, of the Request for Change to the Technical Specifications No 16, it is stated that gadolinium oxide burn-able poison is carried in four fuel rods to provide supplemental reac-tivity control. The details regarding the loading of the gadolinia in this fuel are considered to be confidential proprietary info-mation of General Electric Company. This information was generated by General Electric at its expense, is of substantial competitive value to General i
Electric so long as kept from publication, and involves an invention or inventions believed patentable and on which one or more patent applica-tions will be filed. Publication of this information would destroy the i
competitive value of the information and destroy foreign patent rights on the invention. Accordingly, it is hereby requested that the USAEC with-hold Exhibit II from public disclosure in accordance with 10 CFR 2 790 (b).
Dr. P. A. Morris 2
January 22, 1969 It is believed that withholding the attached Exhibit II from public inspection is.not contrary to the public interest. The provi-sions of 10 CFR 2 790 (b) state that the withholding of information
' from public inspection does not " affect the right of persons properly and directly concerned to. inspect the document." Thus, Section 2 790 (b).
by its terms, recognizes a. distinction between the right of the public at large and that part of the public which is " properly and directly con-cerned." In view of the fact that Section 2 790 (b) fully protects the interest of persons properly and directly concerned, it is submitted that the public interest test established by the third sentence of Section 2 790 (b) can relate only to the interest of members of the general public who have not made a showing and they are properly and directly concerned. We believe that the interests of the general public are fully protected since Exhibit I of the request, which will become part of the public record, includes sufficient information to enable any person to determine-whether he falls within the category of " persons properly and directly. concerned."
- It is our intent to insert Reload "E-G" fuel into the Big Rock Point reactor during our next refueling outage which is currently sched-uled for April 1969 We would, therefore, be most appreciative of an expehtious handling of this Request for a Technical Specification Change so that we might receive approval before April 1, 1969 Very truly yours, e
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9 CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY Docket No 50-155 Request for Change to the Technical Specifications License No DPR-6 For the reasons hereinafter set forth, it is requested that the Technical Specifications of License DPR-6 issued to Consumers Power Company on May 1, 1964, for the Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant be changed as follows:
I.
Section 5 A.
In Section 515, change "(c)" to read as follows:
(c) Fuel Bundles J
"The general dimensions and configuration of the seven types of fuel bundles shall be shown in Figures 5 2, 5 3, 5 4, 5 5, 5 6, 5 7, and 8.1 of these specifications.
Principal design features shall be essentially as follows:"
B.
In Section 5 1 5, replace Figure 5 7 with the attached revised Figure 5 7
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C.
In Section 5 1 5, replace the present table of fuel bundle parameters with the attached revised table.
D.
In Section 5 2.1 (b), in column titled " Reload 'E' Fuel," change to " Reload 'E' and 'E-G' Fuel. "
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FUEL BUNDLES Research and Development Original Reload Reload Reload Centerwelt Centemelt Ginir.1 (A)
BGC E
E-C "D" Fuel Intermediate Advanced Geometry, Fuel Rod Array 12 x 12 11 x 11 9x9 9x9 11 x 11 8x8 7x7
. Rod Pitch, Inches 0.533 0.577 0.707 0.707 0.580 0.807 0.921
' Stand:rd Fuel Rods Per Bundle 132 109 74 70 109 36 29 iSpecial Fuel Rods Per Bundle 123 122 73 115 12 28" 20"
'Spicsrs Per Bundle 3
5 3
3 7
5 5
Fuel Rod Cladding
'Matsrict 304SS Zr-2 Zr-2 Zr-2 304SS, Zr-2 Zr-2 Zr-2 Inconel 600 and/or Incoloy 800 Stand:rd Rod Tube Wall, In.
0.019 0.034 0.040 0.040 0.010 to 0.030 0.035 0.040 Inclusive Special Rod Tube Wall, In.
0.031 0.031 0.040 0.040 0.010 to 0.030 0.035 0.040 Inclusive Fual Rods Standard Rod Diameter, In.
0.388 0.449 0.5625 0.5625 0.425 0.570 0.700 Specic! Rod Diameter, In.
0.350 0.344 0.5625 0.5625 0.320 0.570 0.700 UO2 Stccked Density, Percent 94 + 1 94 + 1 Pellet 90-95 Pellet 94 Pellet 6 90-95, Inclusive 94 Pellet 94 Pellet Theorstical 85 Powdered 85 Powder 85 Powder Activa Fuel Length, Inches Standrrd Rod 70 70 69.75 70 68 to 70, Inclusive 66-67.3 65-66.3 Spzcini Rod 59 (Corner) 64.6 Central 64.9 Central Fill Gas llelium IIelium llelium llelium llelium llelium llelium 1 Four Special Fuel Rods at Bundle Corners Are Segmented.
Rilecd B C.E and E-G Fuel Bundles May Contain (in the corner regions of the bundle) Four Zr-2 Tubes llaving Encapsulated Cobalt Targets
.2 Saelsd Within.
'3 Raloid E and E-G Fuel Bundles llave A Special Central Fuel Rod to Which the Bundle Spacers are Fixed. In addition, two of the interior bundis fuel rods are removable.
" Sp2 ciel Rods llave Depleted Uranium.
5 In Addition to Special Rods for Reload E Reload E-G Ilas Four Gadolinia Containing Rods.
6 with 3% Dishing on Selected Rods.
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EXHIBIT I II.
Discussion - Reload "E-G" Fuel A.
Fuel Description The Reload "E-G" fuel is ecsentially identical physically to the Reload "E" fuel. The only differences being, an increase in the en-richment to enable the fuel to achieve approximately 20,000 Mwd /T com-pared to approximately 15,000 Mwd /T for the "E" reload; and the addition of. gadolinium oxide burnable poison to four fuel rods to provide the required supplemental reactivity control.
This modification to the Reload "E" fuel has not increased the hazards associated with this plant and, in fact, it has increased cargin-to-core-damage conditions through reduction in control blade strength, reduction in core excess reactivity and comparable void coefficients.
Over 200 General Electric designed and manufactured assemblies L
containing gadolinia are in operation in the Dresden I Nuclear Power Station.
In addition, two assemblies containing gadolinia have been irradiated in the Big Rock Point reactor. The perfomance of thece assemblies, both mechanically and nuclearly, has been no expceted and has provided confimation of design bar-3 d gadclinia-containing fuel.
B.
Fuel Themal Data
'All fuel pellets are standard :ensity, s95f, with selected rods containing 3% dishes; therefore, the standard th m i conductivity data are used for all fuel rods:
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93 w/cm KdT
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J 0 C For the small concentrations of gadolinia involved, UO2 properties are applied in the thermal and mechanical design of the gadolinia-containing rods. The gadolinia rods operate at specific powers less than 80% of the hottest rod in a bundle.
C.
Fuel Physics Data The prin'cipal nuclear characteristics of Reload "E-G" fuel have been calculated and are compared to Reload "E" fuel on Table 3 The reac-tivity values for the "E-G" fuel at all conditions are lower than for "E"
fuel, resulting-in ample core shutdown margin. The temperature coefficient of-the "E-G" fuel is less positive than for the "E" fuel. The control rod strength with "E-G" fuel is reduced from the "E" fuel. The core vill be i
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most reactive at the start of the cycle when there is calculated to be ample shutdown margin. The gadolinia initially controls 9% k. of a bundle.
A reference core ccntaining 20 "E-G" fuel bundles has been analyzed.
Approximately 3% akeff core is initially controlled by the gadolinia.
The gadolinia is dealgned to burn to near zero neutron absorption prior to the end of the first operating cycle that the fuel is in the reactor.
- Calculations show a slight decrease in core reactivity through the de-pletion of the gadolinia and a normal decrease thereafter. At no time does the core reactivity increase during burnup of the gadolinia.
D.
Thermal-Hydraulic Data The thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the Reload "E-G" fuel are essentially identical to the Reload "E" fuel. The only differences are slightly lower (a few percent) total peaking factors.
Because of the difficulty of predicting core configurations in the,resenc-of the R&D fuel in Big Rock Point, specific core analyses
- ed during the refueling outages, after fuel inspection nr.
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-up.
These analyses assure that ul' beecse limits n w et
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. i core configuration.
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- nel, ti conclusions may be drawn:
- i. The mechanical design of the "E-G" fuel is essentially iden-tical to the "E" fuel which is a well proven concept and has proven very satisfactory based on experience with the "E" fuel to date in the Big Rock Point reactor.
2.
The thermal-hydraulic performance of the "E-G" fuel will be essentially identical to that of the "E" fuel. The local and axial power distribution will be abcat the same or slightly lower peaking for the "E-G" fuel. Thermal-hydraulic calculations show that there is ample critical heat flux margin throughout a representative cycle (refer to the Reload "E" submittal).
3 At the progsed license limit of a maximum fuel rod heat flux of 500,000 Btu /hr-ft (at 122% overpower), no fuel melting is ex-pected. This is the sarue maximum heat flux as for the "E" fuel.
4.
The "E-G" fuel design contributes to greater margin-to-core-damage conditions through reduction in control blade strength, reduction in core excess reactivity and comparable void coefficients.
5 The consequences of a loss-of-coolant accident or a rod drop accident are no more severe with "E-G" fuel than with "E" fuel.
Sal. performance of "E" reload fuel was demonstrated in the "E" license submittal.
i 3
Based upon the above considerations, we have concluded that the use of Reload "E-G" fuel in the Big Rock Point reactor does not present a significant change in the hazards considerations described or implicit in the Final Hazards Summary ReIort.
CONSUMERS POWER COMPAhT A
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EXHTBIT I - TABLE 1 REIDAD "E-G" FUEL DATA Fuel Rods Cobalt Rods Fuel Pellet Diameter 0.471 Rod Pitch, Inches 0 707 0 707 Cladding Thickness, Inches 0.040 0.040 Clad Outside Diameter, Inches 0 5625 0 5625 Active Fuel Length, Inches 70.0; Central Re ;, 6h 9 Fuel Material UO 2
Fuel Density, % of Theoretical 05 Cla:iding Material Zr-2 Zr-2 Number of Roda per Band 1.
77 h
Enrichment (See Figure 5.6)
Low
- 2 5%
Middle - 3 4%
High
- 4 5%
Fill Gas Helium Fuel Bundle Fuel Rod Array 9x9 Weight UO2 per Bundle, Pounds 346 Moderator-to-Fuel Volume Ratio 2 39 Number of Spacers 3
EXHIBIT I - TABLE 2 THERMAL PERF0FFANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF RELOAD "E-G" FUEL Fuel Pellet Diameter, 7nches O.471 Cladding Thickness, Inches 0.040 Cladding Outside Diameter, Inches 0 5625 Incipient Melting Temperature of UO, F 5080 2
Fuel Density, % Theoretical 95 Fuel Center Line Temperature at 500,000 Btu /Hr-Ft, F 5040 2
Fuci Center Line Temperature at 410,000 Btu /Hr-Ft, oF h250 HeatFluxforIncipientMelting, Btu /Hr-Ft
>500,000 Area Fraction Molten at Peak Heat Flux 0
I wi EXHIBIT I - TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF PRINCIPAL CALCULATED NUCLEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF "E-G"LFUEL WITH COEALT AND GADOLINIA "E-G" "E"
Reactivity (k )
680 F 1.208 1.268 5720 F, O Voids 1.203 1.280 572 F, 25% Voids 1.183 1.262 0
Temperature Coefficient Akefr/k pp per F st 770 F e
Start of Cycle
+.27 x 10-N
+.38 x 10 k Void Coefficient Ak/k per Unit Void Within Channel Cold (680 F)
.08
.07 0
Hot (572 F)
.12
.11 Doppler Coefficient Akerg/k ep per F e
Fuel Temp Moderator 680 F 680 F, O Voids
- 1.3 x 10-5
- 1.3 x 10-5 1323 F 572 F, O Voids
- 1.0 x 10-E
- 1.0 x 10-0 1323 F 572 F, 25% Voids
- 1.2 x 10-5
- 1.2 x 10-5 0
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RfCViii'90R CaANGE To THE TECE 8FECS IaSo Copias to:
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