ML20006B052

Responds to NRC Bulletin 89-003, Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations. Refueling Procedure FP-203 Re Refueling & Defueling Operations Revised to Address Concerns in NRC Info Notice 89-051

ML20006B052
Person / Time
Site:	Crystal River
Issue date:	01/25/1990
From:	Beard P FLORIDA POWER CORP.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
3F0190-03, 3F190-3, IEB-89-003, IEB-89-3, IEIN-89-051, IEIN-89-51, NUDOCS 9001310314
Download: ML20006B052 (4)

Text

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s. e g g Power C O R P OR ATION l

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- January 25, 1990 3F0190-03 (

i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control' Desk -

Washington, D.C. 20555 *

Subject:

Crystal River Unit 3  !

Docket No. 50-302 ,

Operating License No. .DPR-72 ' '

Response to NRC Bulletin No.'89-03

Dear Sir:

l~ Florida Power Corporation- (FPC) hereby provides the attached I.

response to NRC Bulletin No. 03 "PotentialE Loss 1 of Required r Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations." FPC proposed actions contained herein., with the exception of future operator. training, will' be completed prior to the next Crystal River Unit.3 (CR-3) refueling, currently scheduled for March ~1990.

l Sincerely, t.

P.M. eard, Jr.

Senior Vice President Nuclear Operations  !

l l Attachment f

PMB:BPW

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xc: Regional Administrator,-Region II Senior Resident Inspector 9001310314 900125 9

{DR ADOCK 05000302 1 PDC I~E M GENERAL OFFICE: 3201 Thirty fourth Street Soutn

• P.O. Box 140e

• St. Petersburg, Florida 33733 * (813) 866 5151 J A Florida Progress Counnya

STATE OF FLORIDA COUNTY OF PINELLAS P. M. Beard, Jr. states that he is the Senior Vice President, Nuclear Operations for Ilorida Power Corporation; that he is authorized on the part of said company to sign and file with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission the information attached hereto; and that all such statements made and matters set forth therein are true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief.

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P. M. Beard, Jr.

Senior Vice Presiderst ,

Nuclear Operations Subscribed and sworn to before me, a Notary Public in and for the State and County above named, this 25th day of January, 1990.

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Notary Public Notary Public, State og g giga g .g g g -

My Commission Expirest TENrO$[IIs 6[ '

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ATTACEMENT To LETTER DATED JANUARY 25, 1990.

Recruestad Actionst l Action #1 Assure that any intermediate fuel assembly configuration (including control rods) intended to be used during refueling is identified and evaluated to maintain sufficient  !

refueling boron concentration to result in a minimum shutdown t margin of approximately 5%.

FPC Resoonset Refueling boron concentration is calculated for the final core configuration and ensures a minimum 5% shutdown margin. The calculated shutdown margin does not include credit for the control ,'

rods being fully inserted (worth approximately 5%) and also assumes a 1% allowance for uncertainties. This translates to an actual I

shutdown margin for the final core configuration of approximately 11%. By ensuring the shutdown margin for the final core configuration, at the beginning of the fuel cycle, is at least 5%

per the above assumptions and limiting deviations from approved move sheets to those noted in Action #2 below, intermediate fuel i loading steps leading to this final configuration are bounded. .

In addition to tne conservative calculation discussed above, the operations staff closely monitors reactor neutron flux during refueling. Technical Specification 3.9.2 requires two source range neutron monitors be operable during all core alterations with each monitor required to provide visual indication in the control room.

One monitor with audible indication in the control room is also required. Should count rate unexpectedly double during any single

• fueling or defueling step, all core alterations are suspended and an evaluation conducted as to the cause.

t Action #2 Assure that fuel loading procedures only allow those intermediate fuel assembly configurations that do not violate the

! allowable shutdown margin and that these procedures are strictly J adhered to.

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i. FPC ResDonset .

t Florida Power revised CR-3 refueling procedure FP-203 " Refueling '

and Defueling Operations "

to address the concerns in NRC Information Notice No. 89-51 " Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations" dated May 31, 1989. The procedure allows for certain deviations from the order of the Fuel / -

! Control Component Move Sheets. Several steps were added to the

, procedure to specify the required actions to be taken in the event I a deviation was necessary. The procedure has been revised to require verification that the fuel planned for that location in the 3

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final core configuration is of equal or greater reactivity than l that of the fuel assembly placed in the location in the interim. l Should it be necessary to place fuel in locations other than that  !

shown in the final core configuration and the fuel planned for  !

these locations is not of greater cc equal reactivity worth, further restrictions are applied. Adequate shutdown margin is

, maintained by meeting the following restrictions ,

l a) no more than two control rods shall be withdrawn from i that part of the core containing fuel,

b) new fuel assemblies shall not be placed directly adjacent '

to each other (side to side) unless this configuration is i reflected in the final core configuration. A new fuel assembly may be placed diagonally adjacent (corner to corner) '

j to as many as two other new fuel assemblies also not shown in the final core configuration, c) the " dummy" fuel assembly should be used instead of a new assembly on one face (side, not corner) of the location being blocked in, unless it results in significant fuel assembly hang-up problems.

Strict adherence to written policies and verbatim compliance with procedures concerned with the operation and support of CR-3 is

! required of all permanent and contract personnel.

Action #3 Assure that the staff responsible for refueling operations is trained in the procedures recommended in Item 2 above and understand the potential consequences of violating these procedures. This training should include the fundamental aspects of criticality control with higher enriched fuel assemblies.

FPC Resnonse 1

The concerns of NRC Bulletin No 89-03 and the changes to Refueling Procedures FP-203 Revision 24 " Refueling and Defueling Operations"

will be covered in CR-3 Operator Requalification Training prior to

• Refuel 7. An additional step will be added to FP-203 describing the concerns in NRC Bulletin 89-03. The Refueling Supervisor and Shift Supervisor for each operation shift are required to discuss the limits and precautions of this procedure - including the i concerns of Bulletin 89 with his shift during pre-shift briefings. This revision will also be completed prior to Refuel 7.

The concern of higher enriched fuel will be included in future licensed operator training.

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