ML20041D342
| ML20041D342 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Callaway  |
| Issue date: | 02/23/1982 |
| From: | Schnell D UNION ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-0830, RTR-NUREG-830 ULNRC-545, NUDOCS 8203050247 | |
| Download: ML20041D342 (4) | |
Text
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UNION ELECTRIC COMPANY 1901 GMATIOT STREET ST. Louis, Massount February 23, 1982
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DONALD F..CHN.LA.
P.O. BON 84.
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p \\D Mr. Harold R.
Denton A.\\
Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation C
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Washington, D.C.
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Dear Mr. Denton:
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Elat @ CULN, 245 Yh sU Docket Number 50-483 x( Q, _
Callaway Plant, Unit 1
/d 1 Surveillance of Hafnium Control Ro B Ref:
NUREG-0830, Callaway Safety Evaluation Report The referenced report states in Sections 1.9 and 4.2.3.l(10) that a license condition will be imposed on Callaway concerning a visual inspection of some control rods at certain refueling outages.
Union Electric does not consider that these additional inspections are necessary and requests that the NRC reconsider this intended requirement.
The hafnium rod cluster control assembly design is essentially the same as the Ag-In-Cd design except for the direct substitution of hafnium for Ag-In-Cd.
The external dimensions, stainless steel cladding, structural joints, and wear surfaces of the control rod are unchanged from the previous Ag-In-Cd design.
The proven features of the previous design that affect mechanical and hydraulic performance have been retained.
The new absorber material (hafnium) has been used successfully in commercial and-military reactors in a cruciform configuration and in test reactors in a cylindrical rod configuration.
In addition, another commercial plant (Comanche Peak, docket 50-445, 446) has control rods identical to the Callaway control rods.
Instead of the visual surveillance-suggested by the NRC Staff, Union Electric proposes the following to assure adequate mechanical and nuclear performance of the hafnium control rods:
1.
At the beginning of each cycle, selected control rod banks will have reactivity worth checks made by performing boron measurements during the refueling startup physics tests or other approved analytical techniques (i.e. rod swap).
The results of the
'3(>0 g control rod worth measurements will be'made available to the NRC as soon as feasible after i
completion of the tests for the first, third, fifth and ninth fuel cycles.
/ f-8203050247 820223 PDR ADOCK 05000483 A
ULNRC-Page 2 2.
Control rod cluster drop time verification tests will be performed to assure that limits, which will be documented in technical specifications, are met.
Advanced indications of anomolous or unacceptable mechanical or nuclear performance will be detected by the reactivity worth and drop time tests.
These tests will be performed at each fuel cycle.
Because (1) the NRC Staff has stated that " observable effects are not really expected" (SER page 4-14), (2) the objectives and benefits from a visual surveillance program are not clear, and (3) the discussion provided above, a surveillance program is not cost beneficial.
Therefore the NRC Staff is requested to reconsider the requirement.
If Union Electric can provide any additional information on this subject, please let us know.
Your attention to this matter is appreciated.
Very truly yours, o
A ed Donald F.
Schnell DS/RLS/ mag i
l L
STATE OF MISSOURI )
)
Donald F.
Schnell, of lawful age, being first duly sworn upon cath says that he is Vice President-Nuclear and an officer of Union Electric Company;.that he has read the foregoing document and knows the content thereof; that he has executed the same for and on behalf of said company with full power and authority to do so; and that the facts therein stated are true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information and belief.
By Afut
, m/
Donald F.
Schnell Vice President Nuclear l
SUBSCRIBED and sworn to before me this 23rd day of February, 1982 j
BARBARA bFFAFF M NOTARf PUBUC, STATE OF MISSOURI MY COMMISSION EXPIRES APRIL 22,1985 ST. LOUIS COUNTY i
l
O cc:
Glenn L.
Koester Vice President Operations Kansas Gas & Electric P.O.
Box 208 Wichita, Kansas 67201 John E. Arthur Chief Engineer Rochester Gas & Electric Company 89 East Avenue Rochester, New York 14649 A.
V.
Dienhart Vice President Plant Engineering and Construction Northern States Power 414 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 Donald T.
McPhee Vice President Kansas City Power and Light Company 1330 Baltimore Avenue Kansas City, Missouri 64141 Gerald Charnoff, Esq.
Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge 1800 M.
- Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20036 Nicholas A.
Petrick Executive Director SNUPPS 5 Choke Cherry Road Rockville, Maryland 20850 John H. Neisler
'Callaway Resident Office U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission RR#1 Steedman, Missouri 65077 I
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