ML20006D272
| ML20006D272 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 01/30/1990 |
| From: | Sieber J DUQUESNE LIGHT CO. |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| IEB-89-003, IEB-89-3, NUDOCS 9002120308 | |
| Download: ML20006D272 (5) | |
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JOHN D SIEBER -
(41h 393 6255 Vu Pedet Nxhar Group,
e January 30 -1990
' U.-S.-Nuclear. Regulatory Commission Attn:
Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555
Reference:
Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit No. l'and No. 2
/
BV-1 Docket No. 50-334, License No. DPR-66 BV-2 Docket No. 50-412, License No. NPF-73 NRC Bulletin 89-03
' Gentlemen:
r:
Attached is our response to NRC Bulletin 89-03 " Potential Loss of. Required ' Shutdown Margin During Refueling-operations."' The enclosure provides the status of actions taken at Deaver Valley Power Station Units
-1 and 2
to meet the requirements of the Bulletin.
If you have any questions concerning this response, please contact my office.
Very truly yours, J.
D. Sieber Vice President Nuclear Group cc:
Mr. J.
Beall, Sr. Resident Inspector Mr. W. T.
Russell. NRC Region I Administrator Mr. P. Tam, Sr.. Project Manager Mr. R. Saunders (VEPCO) n l=
9002120308 900130
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O COMMONWEALTH OF. PENNSYLVANIA)
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COUNTY OF BEAVER.
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.j On this day of
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a Notary Public i and for said Commonwealth and county, personally appeared J. D. Sieber, who being duly sworn, deposed, and said that (1) he is Vice President - Nuclear l
of Duquesne Light, (2) he is duly authorized to execute and file the j
foregoing submittal on behalf of said Company, and(3) the statements set forth in the Submittal are true and correct to the best of his
-knowledge, information.and belief.
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Unit Nos. 1 and 2 ATTACHMENT t
Resoonse to NRC Bulletin 89-03 Item 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 margin of approximately 5%.
Response
We are continuing to evaluate the information and determine what steps must be taken to comply with this requested action.
With present
- practice, only the final core configuration, not each intermediate configuration is analyzed in the safety calculations for reactor core reload.
By controlling the allowable intermediate configurations, it is possible to eliminate a more reactive core configuration than that analyzed in the safety calculation although specific reactivity analysis is not performed.
When NRC Information Notice No. 89-51, " Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations" was
- issued, Beaver Valley Unit 1
(DV-1) was preparing for its seventh refueling outage (7R).
-That refueling was a
full core off-load refueling.
The information notice was reviewed by Westinghouse Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division who was the contractor Duquesne Light Company (DLCo) employed to perform the refueling operations during 7R.
Westinghouse provided DLCo with revised " Core Loading Guidelines."
Those revised guidelines were applicable for full core off-load only.
The guidelines were incorporated into BV-1 Refueling Procedures and were in effect during 7R which was completed in December 1989.
The Westinghouse recommended Core Loading Guidelines help eliminate the possibility of achieving a core configuration which results in a violation of the refueling shutdown margin.
The guidelines are generic and when
- employed, restrict the nuclear coupling of fuel assemblies not in their final core loading location.
The guidelines address placement and movement of the source assemblies in the core to assure coupling to the source range detectors and specify the manner-that should be used to reconstruct the core.
The guidelines restrict temporary storage of fuel assemblies in baffle locations within the vessel and location of any fuel assembly in the core not in its final configuration location including temporary location of fuel assemblies in
" boxes" which may be required to load difficult fuel assemblies.
(
Atttchm:nt Response to NRC Bulletin 89-03
+
A Page 2 Resoonse 1 (Continued)
As previously
- stated, these guidelines are applicable for. full core off-load refuelings only.-
Both BV-1 and BV-2 have full core off-load type refuelings scheduled for their upcoming refueling outages, 8R and 2R, respectively.
These guidelines were incorporated into the BV-1 Refueling Procedures prior to 7R.
Westinghouse is continuing to evaluate the guidance given by the core loading guidelines.
We will~
incorporate the latest guidelines into the BV-1 and BV-2 Refueling Procedures prior to 8R and 2R, respectively.
Presently, Westinghouse is evaluating the' required actions in regards to fuel shuffle type refuelings.
Prior to the next refueling outage at each unit of Beaver Valley, the respective Refueling Procedures will be revised.
These revisions will either prohibit fuel shuffle type refuelings until guidelines are established or will incorporate necessary guidelines for fuel shuffles to assure the refueling shutdown margin is maintained in accordance with the Technical Specification requirements.
Item 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 adhered to.
Response
The administrative controls we established for making changes to Refueling Procedures at BV-1 and BV-2 ensure the changes are made, reviewed and approved by personnel having the required knowledge and-expertise to make the changes while maintaining appropriate safety.
The revised Core Loading Guidelines were incorporated into the BV-1 Refueling Procedures in a
manner that requires a review of, and adherence to, the guidelines when making changes in the temporary or permanent location of a
fuel assembly within the core.
Strict compliance with Refueling Procedures is a
requirement during the refueling evolution at BV-1 or BV-2.
Item 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 enrichment fuel assemblies.
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AttEchm:nt C
., Response to NRC Bulletin 69-03 Page 3 Resoonse-The staff responsible for refueling operations directly associated with the movement and location of fuel assemblies in the reactor vessel are trained in refueling procedures.
Currently Duquesne Light Company (DLC) utilizes the services of an outside contractor to perform the refueling operations of this
- nature, except for the required licensed Refueling SRO who is a DLC employee.
The contractor personnel involved in the movement and location of fuel assemblies in the reactor vessel are required to read -all of the appropriate BV-1 or BV-2 Refueling Procedures and verify by their signature that they have read and understood the procedure prior to i
participating in the associated activity covered by that procedure, i
In accordance with the contract between DLC and the Contractor, the contractor personnel have been suitably trained by the contractor company and are qualified to carry out the refueling activities.
j l
At all times during the movement of fuel in containment, a licensed SRO in containment has final responsibility for assuring the refueling activities are carried out in compliance with the applicable Unit Technical Specifications.
This individual has been trained in the aspects of reactivity control requirements during refueling and is knowledgeable of the potential consequences of failure to follow procedures.
When NRC Information Notice 88-21 was issued, it was included in a license retraining (LRT) Study Guide at the end of the 87/88 cycle of training.
When NRC Information Notice 89-51 was issued, it was included in the August 1989 Refueling SRO Study Guide along with the Beaver Valley Power Station (BV-1 and BV-2) Position regarding that information notice.
Thus, all the individuals currently licensed to act as the Refueling SRO for each unit, have been provided with the individual information notices that were combined and referenced in
(
To ensure the concerns of the bulletin become a permanent part of our training
- programs, the bulletin will be incorporated into the Training program lesson plans as follows:
License Retraining - 1/2 LP-LRT-VII-105 by 8/31/91 Refueling SRO Retraining - LR-RLRT-1X-2 by 8/1/90
+
Initial Refueling Training - LR-FHP-1 by 8/31/91
+
The above actions. will help ensure the current and future licensed Refueling SROs are trained regarding potential consequences of violating refueling procedures and fundamental aspects of criticality control with higher enriched fuel assemblies.
The time table for implementation is such
- that, by the time of the next scheduled l
refuelings at BV-1 and BV-2, 8R and 2R respectively, the appropriate training lesson plans will be revised and the responsible licensed Refueling SROs will be trained or retrained using the revised lesson l
plans.
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