ML20031F833
| ML20031F833 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Wolf Creek  |
| Issue date: | 10/14/1981 |
| From: | Koester G KANSAS GAS & ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8110200465 | |
| Download: ML20031F833 (7) | |
Text
.
m KANSAS GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY Yt4; f.LE CT RC COMr'ANv GLENN L st O E S T E R w w. s pn, s,oa %,.. sun s a n October 14, 1981
['g.1 Tl,j Mr. Ilarold R.
Denton, Director o
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation j
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(,
,f/
(\\
OCT
/ / pJ 'r; Washington, D.C.
20555 t.
7 u,,,,, j o /gg7
-2 KMLNRC 81-121 v
,,[.,',,,,
Re:
Docket No. S'IU 50-482 4
Ref:
Letter dated 9/11/81 from BJYoungblood, NRC to GLKoester, KG&E s
Subj : Meteorology j
Dear fir. Denton:
The referenced letter requested additional information in the area of meteorology. Transmitted herewith is the response to question 451.llWC.
This response sill be formally incorporated into the Wolf Creek Generating Station, Unit No. 1, Final Safety Analysis Report in Revision 5.
This information is hereby incorporated into the Wolf Creek Generating Station, Unit No. 1, Operating License Application.
Very truly yours,
'jg() f,GS GLK:gm cc:
Dr. Gordon Edison (2)
Mr. Thomas Vandel Division of Project Management Resident NRC Inspector Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation box 311 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Burlington, KS 66839 Washington, D.C.
20555 g\\
B110200465 811014 PDR ADOCK 05000 A
201 N. Market - Wictuta. Kansas - Mail Address: PO. Box 208 I Wictata. Kansas 67201 - Telephone: Area Code (316) 261-645:
b i
1 OATil OF AFFIRMATION l
i STATL: OF KANSAS
)
l
) SS:
COUNs*Y OF. SEDGWICK ).
i I, Glenn L. Koester, of lawful ago, being duly sworn upon oath, do depose, state and affirm that I am Vice President - Nuclear of Kansas Gas and Electric Company, Wichita, Kansas, that I have signed the foregoing letter of transmittal, know the contents thereof, and that all statements contained
}~
therein are true.
KANSAS GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY s
i ATTEST:-
/
By_ __
sfpf
/
Glenn L. Koestef' i
Vice President - Nuclear W.S. Wal'ter, Secre tary 4
1 4
W I
't j
STATE OF KANSAS
)
) SS:
COUNTY OF SEDGWICK )
l' BE IT REMEMBERED that on this 14th day of October. 1981
, before
. me, Evelyn L. Fry, a Motary, personally' appeared Glenn'L. Koester, Vice President - Nuclear of Kansas Gas and Electric Company, Wichita, Kansas, I
who is personally known to me and who executed the foregoing instrument, and he duly acknowledged the execution of the same for and on behalf of and as the set and deed of said corporation.
"'IN WITNESS Wi!EREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed.my seal the -
3 k.. a" t
. 9,; pfe and year above written.
...d, 7,
/
goTARP.
..e 4 14
/.
A UC
.I E e yn L. Ny,~ Notary 7
r7 f r h..,My.'. '
t Commission expires on August 15,'1985.
.r.
~,e v.m
+4
,-..r, y
, +,,,,
SNUPPS-WC Q451.11WC Review of the hour-by-hour meteorological data provided on magnetic tape in responses to. question 451.01WC indicates a number of conce ns.
- First, the tape has been mislabeled so that the intervals for measurement of vertical temperature gradient
.are incorrectly identified.
- Second, a sizable fraction of the recorded temperature gradient measurements exceed the auto-convective lapse rate.
Third, occasionally the temperature differ-6 ence measured between the 10m and 60m levels is considerably different than that measured between
'the 10m and 85m levels.
For example, on Julian day 160 1979, the temperature difference between the 10m and 60m levels indicated a moderately un-stable (Pasquill type "B")
condition while a
slightly stable (Pasquill type "E")
condition was indicated by the temperature difference between the 10m and 85m 1cvels.
Finally, 45% of moderate-ly stable (Pasquill type "F") and 30% of extremely stable (Pasquill type "G")
conditions occur with wind speeds greater than 3m/sec.
Similarly, 60%
of extremely unstable (Pasquill type "A")
condi-tions occur with wind speeds greater than 3m/sec.
Occurrences of extremely
- unstable, moderately-
- stable, and extremely stable conditions usually predominate during low wind speeds (i.e.,
less than 1.5m/sec).
a)
Provide a
new magnetic tape of corrected hour-by-hour meteorological data for the 3 year period of record in the format requested in question 451.01WC.
All invalid data (see b and c below) should be properly identified.
b)
Provide a description of the quality control checks used to identify invalid hourly data.
Discuss the validity of occurrences of tem-perature gradients exceeding the auto-convec-tive lapse rates and the occurrences of con-siderably different stability conditions indicated by temperature gradients measured between the 10m and 60m levels and those mea-sured between the 10m and 85m levels.
c)
Discuss the validity of the relatively large number occurrences of extremely
- unstable, moderately
- stable, and extremely unstable conditions with wind speeds greater than 3m/sec.
R451.11WC a)
Dames & Moore will provide a new magnetic tape as soon as a thorough review of the FSAR 3-year data base is completed.
The data tape will contain hour-by-hour meteorological data Rev. 6 451-25 10/81
SNUPPS-WC R451.11WC a)
Continued for the 3-year period of record, in the for-mat requested in Question 451.01WC.
b)
Procedures implemented to determine the re-pru..antativeness of onsite meteorological data are described in Section 2.3.3.7.1 and 2.3.3.7.2 of the FSAR for the Phase I and Phase II monitoring programs, respectively.
The following information clarifies and ex-pands that presented in the FSAR.
A Dames & Moore certified program was and is still used to facilitate evaluation of onsite data representativeness.
The program, whose capabilities have increased since its origi-
- nation, flags inconsistencies in the hourly values of all meteorological parameters mea-sured at the site.
The meteorologist initi-ally responsible. for reviewing the data determines limiting values that are program inputs for each parameter.
Hourly values outside these limits are program outputs, which are subsequently rechecked for repre-sentativeness by the meteorologist in the analog data base.
Additional onsite records are rechecked as deemed necessary.
Final visual inspections of the digital and analog data bases are performed by at least two meteorologists.
A sizeable fraction of the auto-convective lapse rates found in the three annual cycles of onsite data occurred during the period March 5, 1979 through March 13, 1979.
During this period, the 10-meter sensor used in delta temperature measurement did not expe-rience adequate aspiration.
As a result, nonrepresentative extremely unstable delta temperature data were recorded, particularly during daylight hours.
A total of 121 hourly average values of both 10-60 meter and 10-85 meter delta temperature data are now con-sidered unrepresentative and have been deleted from the data base.
The remaining, infrequent auto-convective lapse rates in the data base occurred during the months of June through October during the midday hours of 1000 to 1500 hours0.0174 days <br />0.417 hours <br />0.00248 weeks <br />5.7075e-4 months <br />.
These sporadic values occurred primarily in the 10-60 meter delta temperature data set and did not greatly exceed the 10-60 meter auto-Rev. 6 451-26 10/81
~.
~
SMUPPS-WC l-R451.11WC b)
(Continued) convective lapse rate of -1.7'C.
The largest negative delta temperature was
-1.94*C and occurred in 1974.
The majority of the ex-coedances were 'ess than
-1.8'C.
These data are considered valid.
Different stability conditions between the 10-60 meter level and those measured between tne 10-85 meter level have been rechecked for validity.
The previously mentioned pro-gram was used to fle occurrences where sta-bility conditions simultaneous 1v measured for these two intervals varied by two or more stability classes.
These occurrences have been reexamined.
The example mentioned u.
Question 451.11WC regarding Julian day 160, 1979 was carefully examined.
At 0200 hour0.00231 days <br />0.0556 hours <br />3.306878e-4 weeks <br />7.61e-5 months <br /> on this particular
- day, the delta temperature was moderately unstable at 10-60 meters and slightly stable at 10-85 meters.
Upon examination of the processed hourly data and associated analog strip chart, it ia' discovered that the sub-sequent hours of u300 to 1300 hours0.015 days <br />0.361 hours <br />0.00215 weeks <br />4.9465e-4 months <br /> were in-validated due to an onsite equipm_at problem.
During the period of March through September
- 1979, moisture seepage into the aspirator cables connected to the 10-meter junction box caused abnormal delta temperature values to be recorded during periods of precipitation events.
On September 26, 1979, new cables were installed and the problem was rectified.
During initial data review in 1979, this data problem was identified and hours 0300 through 1300 of delta temperature data were invali-dated.
At that time, the hour in question was inadvertently not invalidated.
This hour has now been invalidated.
Based on the reexamination of concurrently measured 10-60 meter and 10-85 meter delta temperature data, the occurrence of stability, measurements differing more than two stabil-ity classes is usually associated with un-stable 10-60 meter delta temperature measure-ments.
Differences in stability classes determined from delta temperature measure-ments made between 10-60 mete rs and 10-85 meters can, in part, be attributed to the fact that the numerical range of stability Rev. 6 451-27 10/81
SNUPPS-WC e
R451.11WC b)
(Continued) classes B and C for both measurement inter-vals are narrow and less than the +0.15'C/50 meter delta temperature measurement accuracy.
It should also be noted that both sets of representative delta temperature data predom-inatly exhibit the same tendencies in sta-bility change over time.
For example, as measurements for the 10-60 meter interval be-come increasingly unstable or stable, so do corresponding measurements fo r the 10-85 meter interval.
- However, when changes in stability are expressed in terms'of classes, rather than numerical
- averages, similar trends evident in the hourly averaged data sets are obscured.
c)
Me;eorological conditions of stability..,
F, o
G occurring with 10-meter wind speeds aLove 3 meters per second (m/sec) were re-evaluated for representativeness and found to be correct.
Representative Class A values occurred during daylight hours and were asso-ciated with wind speeds generally ranging from calm 'to 10m/sec, with a
few cases ranging from 10 to 16m/sec.
Classes F and G usually occurred during early morning hours and were associated with wind speeds less than 4 m/sec.
The simultaneous occurrence of the above sta-bility/ wind speed combinations is considered representative of onsite meteorological con-ditions.
The meteorological tower is located on a flat, lightly vegetated plateau.
Sur-rounding terrain is generally flat to gently
- rolling, as shown in FSAR Figures 2.1-6, 2.3-21, and 2.3-22.
Thus, terrain features should not contribut e greatly to mechanical turbulence and, therefore, increased vertical mixing of air in the vicinity o' the meteoro-logical tower.
There are also no structures or clusters of trees in the immediate vicin-ity of the tower that could greatly disrupt air flow past the tower and cause increased vertical mixing.
The above factors permit heating and cooling-of the lower atmosphere in regions surrounding the medeorological tower to proceed with 1 sos influence of mech-anical turbulence than would be expected in regions having more complex terrain features.
- Thus, extremes of measured instability and Rev. 6 451-28 10/81 m
Y.
SNUPPS-WC R451.11WC c)
(Continued) stability may more often be associated with higher wind speeds at this meteorological monitoring station.
Rev. 6 451-29 10/81
.