ML20039D420
| ML20039D420 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 12/28/1981 |
| From: | Carey J DUQUESNE LIGHT CO. |
| To: | Varga S Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| TAC-8595, NUDOCS 8201040074 | |
| Download: ML20039D420 (6) | |
Text
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
sn %*
a 9
k gy- (B g
w eun M
s u useecoo e s;.m w~
p gye^
December 28, 1981 Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn:
Mr. Steven A. Varga, Chief Operating Reactors Branch No. 1 Division of Licensing Washington, DC 20555
Reference:
Eeaver Valley Power Station, Unit No. 1 Docket No. 50-334, License No. DPR-66 Nuclear Fuel Assembly Surveillance Program Gentlemen:
In our letter dated April 11, 1977, we had committed to an examination of all peripheral fuel rods in the initial core fuel assemblies during the first three refuelir g outages. We had made this commitment believing that Beaver Valley Unit No. I would be the first 17 x 17 Westinghouse to complete three cycles of operation.
Since that time, however, significant experience has been gained at other facilities and has established the overall integrity of the 17 x 17 design.
The Westinghouse 17 x 17 experience as summarized in the attachment is comparable to or even larger than the entire data base of other fuel vendors in terms of rods in service, reload regions, and FNe generated.
In terms of heat rates, rod power, and other performance parameters, the 17 x 17 design is well bounded by the performance of past 15 x 15 and 14 x 14 designs.
For these reasons, Duquesne Light and Westinghouse believe there is no need to continue the supplemental fuel surveillance activities at Beaver Valley as addressed in our previous letter. We will continue fuel inspections being I
performed to address the concerns of I. E. Circular 80-17 related to baffle j e t t ing.
If you have any questions in this regard, please contact my office.
Very truly yours, J. J. Carey Vice President, Nuclear cc:
Mr. D. A. Beckman, Resident Inspector U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Beaver Valley Power Station Shippingport, PA 15077 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Ogl c/o Document Management Branch Washington, DC 20555 SI \\
8203g4903
TABLE 1 WESTINGHOUSE 17 x 17 PERFORMANCE MILESTONES 700,.000 Westinghouse 17 x'17 rods in Service 17 Westinghouse relozd regions in service 16 Westinghouse corcs in operation Over 30 : ores in opehation including Licenses 2 Regions completed 3 cycles of operation 3 Regions operating in the 3rd cycle.
t 8
~.
7 Four demonstration assemblies of the 17 x 17 design were placed in Surry Units 1 and 2, two assemblies in each unit.
Assembly and fuel rod visual examinations were performed for all the assemblies after one and two cycles of operation. The two assemblies in Unit 1 were discharged in October 1976 after two cycles of irradiation, as planned.
The two assemblies in Surry Unit 2 completed th'eir third cycle of irradiation, and one of these assemblies is to be included for a fourth cycle of irradiation.
Results of all examinations to date verify that the 17 x 17 design is performing well; the assemblies were in excellent condition and no anomalies were observed.
The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant was the first plant to achieve three cycles of operation with Westinghouse standard 17 x 17, eight-grid fuel assemblies.
Reactor coolant activities were normal ( except for Baffle jetting) and are indicative of overall fuel integrity.
After each cycle of operation, onsite TV visual fuel examinations and channel spacing measurements were performed.
The Trojan data were generally consistent with data obtained at-Surry on the 17 x 17 demonstration assemblies.
Fourteen plants of the 17 x 17 design are now in commercial operation in the United States.
Eighteen additional foreign plants of the 17 x 17 design built by Westinghouse and Westinghouse licensees are in operation in France and Japan.
The coolant activities in these plants fall within the range of activities found in all 14 x 14 and 15 x 15 plants.
The domestic plants and plants in Japan which contain Westinghouse built cores are included in Table 1.
Trojan, Fessenheim and Indian Point 3 completed their third cycle of operation early,in 1981.
Several other 17 x 17 reactors should be in their third cycles at some time in 1981.
Two demonstration 17 x 17 Optimized Fuel Assemblies (OFA) were placed into the Farley Unit 1, Cycle 2 core and two into the Salem Unit 1, Cycle 2 core.
The 17 x 17 OFA employs a slightly reduced fuel rod diameter compared to the standard 17 x 17 fuel rod while retaining the same fuel rod pitch.
Also, for the middle six grids, the OFAs use the Zircaloy grid design compared to the Inconel used for standard 17 x 17 fuel.
These design changes result in a significant improvement in fuel efficiency by improving
1, neutron moderation and reducing parasitic capture.
Post irradiation exams after the first cycle of operation at both Farley and Salem and showed the assemblies to be in excellent condition and performing to expectations.
This experience base is complimented by licensee experience. Almost all Framatome experience illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is derived from 17 x 17 fuel.
The combination with the Westinghouse data base clearly overshadows the experience base the competitors thus illustrating the status of the design.
9 l
I i
l I
I i-l
.t.
4 s
l
. x 2_.....
THOUSAf{DS OF RODS IN SERVICE n
- v. _u u._+
=-.
yc 1_
r...
g
/.
W 17 x 17 Rods in Service Comparison mm (T::,.
- .~. k c.....
,..*.-- ~;
.. _ car g:,
'4-wg3
.=.-
pv-J
- 0. C <
> w r%,,,..
% i g. -.e..
w'=ne ~ n l'.D i
- .a ve~
f
=
6,e.c ~
fM%.
I L %W&
W*"~,".Q
--~PL
-4
=.-
p-
..: s......
,1a3' w. ',
e
.....g%,sc,m..i..'.-.u.,;. ;. >.-
-.3
.e
.k ;ee
.-..au.
s
..a
...t, e.,.v.,.a~.... v 4a
- n..,v.-. v s.... :.
.s..
e
=... r.
..: +;.
~,.c..,..,
... -..,:....d.. ! m. T '.
-: g,i..,,
x.
.p
.,..=..o.r.,:.t.'m._,.,....#-.
2
. i:
-5*-*-c.e.*-R ri sy e-d, f.v,..= l ph. p! J Q-y 5.,. ;. -<.,.
C.,.j ;-=C,
c
.o..
A.
9 Af3:M s M-sp. +u
.* s.%.
,-7.*. ". e *.: t; &c...
~: -r.,y, 7. :
t
< -4 sa-4 4 -
nac=- 3 :s a 2 c.;.
<-.-.6....
7.qn.~ N.Q.Ag.%.,.$.. 9.,..w-A p
,w,..t
- r...e.s. :.3..f....
c..n.....%.~.,.a.,~...,
.... - (.w.-
e:*
p-g:*:c===,>.
.u.
c ',. :* -.
- t.v.
. ~. n..~- :
s.
~..
-w
.u,.w-v,: -,...
-~.
. - r..-
- 2,*. N,..
- hm~s8v
- ~'--W. -
s..
-..m
..o
~
c
~.c
,, p'*Y3'WR,.g#O,..,$.~.2.c.s.
$y* &.m A.t *i.I.,.N. ". -.
R. M.n?+%a.&.
- - W
. =
- Un
.a.
~ --?
. :,: 4c.. * %e
.g 3 r.
- no.*g gwa.s.~c~.%-;, d,%
- . =
- g *...
s., ;....
.u a
-y.%.. %&.
1 =.%.s.v.. m A
Y n
=..
m
- $5.W%m "~ie:%.~.wf:8'E*N'.",' i. %,*i.=~
C 1*CG
W W^.
'*. G..,.'Q:. -
,,y.~,...~-A.a,.-
.o
.spg.~.....,..-
w wy...e, s*w..,~.q.,. g ~. 3 z.,,,,
e
- a, s.,
.,,s ;..f;.%..s et
,.3._.
s.
a.
7 p.... -,a.
em._
s.
3p;..=..-
.. =..... -; e',5.. %, $.t,3.,,:
.... s,;
- g
.s. esah*r s
sw ~ ~ - =.p e.
..=,a-
-- a
..m..
a-4
.m.r
.n iF=.
.p-.ev. t -
a.1 ;g,e..
,as
-. -. e-J-.b.
5
- s a t i q.
. u*
e.- : w --tm.t"-
.. * ' j.Q."J'% i.,. 4.,.
. -t -%
... f.~.lf,,... c j/*~j',l";" 1.~.' *egy.**M.*t '.'. f.,.r M*',5c,~~.
g
. - r '.1..
s. :
e.
,.=.
--T.. v
=
,,
- gg,
- .. % -, gI f w.f.....
- m
-*.*s*-
- ".~
' *5 L'....s,.">~..':.
e s;.
y*-.-.
- V. N.e".V.-
-r*r*,= +a..f -S' m**=g>ae4 Q.,i s.t.....rd.,,.
Pe
- s- ? ?....,
- ,
..ss-, sc4..;..s y.s. -
a. r * *=='- * :
- d.
%... W" e r
e W-O*
gc.-
y-
- .,.,;.y ? s..
y--
sw
.;;s -
- f. ;.,, c. ~..:.,:.. -
~- s..e.a..,..,.;.,.,;..s.._.. -
~.
- e e. u.- ;. i *.,... g
. ~.%..:e
.y
..- --- c. %,. -.-
w..
.,.. r
.u,.
w g._cA %s r.cf...
..y...-
w g -
?..
f.,,
L.
t n9,.+--
. y n. -. =..,'.~:..-,;-... :
e - v-
- m
'.y.--" yr w-m
.~..*.v.,..n..--.!
.-.m
.2.
..w
-., f ;. 4w.
,,..,cg..e-c- " n.;py,r.::.
v g
- m. :.. ---
. g.:.,:.
r.
, ~
.%~
3.
w p1, 2.p. *T., ~ ~ V..
~~3-
< cr s.v...:-.. *.
- i -
-.,.4.
' " D,# 'c.i ** ;
e...-.: f. s -
.c n
. L.Y t -'.f.i- :".4. -- ~-%;.: :. sc>* r- ~.-
AW..
f *wi -t-0,"*;s ~* '-o '*$. 0 :
e
'f ',' M*.
r s
.- ~. 4~ ' ** 9
'.2 W
..c, Y
K V*
. s." '. tv an.
wM.:T
.e,.~.~-a e
..x
. *.p..m..:
,.e+
.+ +- a
- _-* " m.~ :.tT., -
- s..q.e, -c.
- r.. r. # e... ;..
.^y.* -*..-
- k..~...
y....c.
- r t-
... +
.-. r...
J a..n,;.<* -. c.
.., :.:.s. 5.-
..f.a
.g
=.a n,
-~*~ -....
-. ~- u..a,...,.~~..,..
w.~.
,m a.
r
., -..... ~..
,.:.s.. ~z. ~.
< w
-1.*
- ..s.
.m ev 6
,p.
, -.,.. :,w-y
..e...%
...,.n m.
p.,.
i
.... $ 1..~S ** $...h.,'"*.
~
,.v
.av.
. d-h. ? *- k h.b.,b.*
3.,
g T = s v, $".h. N$ ~. h
'N
- D.9
- M M '.
"..*.. j, -.,-. ' - :.. $.c. > 4.:% -.- -fa
.-.4 Ile r
pr* -.
g.
. :. - n.-
r.
- 4..t..--
tw s -,y, 4 :...r.
s -..ve:
-...~.
w,......f.:.,*s'.=..-
-< r
=-
e
}
.,......C
,r t
l
.e
,. _.. ;m; n.. w.,..... *..';;- *- ; **. ' ~ < - * -
4
- .-~
.a s.Jt-J
' as y -m
.-.w e.
.s;--.) &. ~.,.'.R*: -a C.?
L a L...-n....
... '* f: ':,~,. - ~-~., ;, 4 -r
-r
.oe m' n,.e -.,
7
. ~
52-
.?
t- : r y. ",.....~.........i....
u.us.s. 3. g.
- 4..,.,
-.....-w
.;.. c..
I
.. e,,.....
..s.,.,...... m.3 m
. w.y.
.....w.-
myg
~
t-m =T 4 m.;..r q..
- m..;
-a J
A,
.N...., ;m v. ='..
j g-D.A M
- ..........................I* 'L. _~
-.-.I.
.a. - - -
' ' ~
n,'
r-c
=..ml 1
.====
-.~.-
1
- Wres, 8
v.-. m....n.
L%
. -3. -
e.e.
a
> w.=..
u I
s.a n%.--- a --
l. a.r. -
. _.c -
1 t
e l
1 r..,,1 l
- ""M P=al..
w.
u._..-.. -
.m,1. _w.
,--s
. - +u m.,..s --.:s,==,. 2.._-
c..-
r-
- u. _,s.s..;.- i g. - -,1 p s c,..,
wa
-;-1-"
w,.wg..n,.
,,, y.-v
..o
. s. u..
.s.,.... w-9-- m.s,...n...::.~.r%r.n. -m:-~ %.., C.
~m, s;.T, s.
=.
2,r,-w,. a.,.
m _v _.=. ~._. _... c,
m u,
.=.., a.
. -. - - ~ _,.
r, - w...-
n
.n,%
.. m m.t, w..w.
s. =t;;j-m:
--c -~
w.
h'.g.m,,,.,,. ry~~k.-4.C
.. a,mes;.
c
- L' h *
.~-~r..;...;--4 o,., n. 7, a ;n,m..v,.e..y r T.... _. :._.. ;,n y - c rg.%
. twn. ? :
ma p
- ,.- w w.. =
~. -... _ w~ ?,
y > 3 -. --
....m_, --. :.
Westinghouse CE KWU B&W
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Exxo n Frcacic le
i
~
(COMPARED T0'OTHER PWR FUEL VENDORS)
JUNE 30,1981 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 l1 il4 l4 iil4 iiI i i ii 1 4
l4 iil1
- l. 4 iiil i
ie i
., I......- f i;.%. :
gg.
_52%W..__ m L?%WL.?-W&Wii4. W~+:=tc':43Ed
, AjM;
_...._m.-
m -.
4'WM w
s e u.
. p-Rel~oa@$$5E
-. gM., a-~,
-N.i$N$25 w5 g~mQa hiRigro~iis4 MY7N Ef$$L%O3rME433 igits$ =C-QiE5; Rea=d%g' eta
$i1*w=3kN R e:ii s t M l W P M E @ D i S m..
- m..., <.. <.>,, <a. _
r. _ s_w.
u-g._,x.-
E 17 x 17 Only
- ggggf@" ^,WeM!MMef!MMch4R-4M3r=3rE#Ws=--M yg*g 9gy-; ~%g V
e9103S#
R.. w'; % Ae Faciie15 fili v tihGn6%J MTtiiBIiiilG N 4
~~ h k Wm3W9WA h%
%as.4;m% G e..c.1,,re l
-s E 17 x 17
$1.
wr:eest.
p-se.zreEp~.q. ]
e - - - m
- w -1 w
..,.m-
- mm.w arirsiw:ci %..-.y. %_ y R:_. #: q~ s5-nR3 l
Regions..
Mg In Third.
l I
operating ; jy,5.:p;g py-cycle -
- --m h~
^5 2 u.=. _.. Y N$_.
~.v. 1;;
.if.i W ::
m., m}{_-,_ -_ -c,
t E 17 x 17 ES 1
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 l
I l
I l
I l
I l
I l
8 l
8 l
I l
8 l
g,.., m.v-&x:M. -- ;ca~m, -- m. e ms.ww=,~g w.sc-#+.4.,:ww--em:y.d' w-x,-x - n
-s = mm
.u
_n-iO 5,
- &sg?2 k. [=L'* C M. 6 %_ d l
= _.... - -,
N; w g v.;
p O. ? 2 N e'4 '
S $;;
105 MWHe
- .,,r e.w Gene'rcted ggig igg
.a...
l t 5 5 i } =.% *J.~. :.j/. -==u -]
~ 2 --.~:
-..-2.T~~-
. --~--d:-
(*It
. 9.% F.3.. - 2
._ l'.
- 2__'_
r NOTE BWR and Cruciforin control rod design not included _ _ _ _ _