ML20057F823
| ML20057F823 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley |
| Issue date: | 10/14/1993 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20057F820 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9310190198 | |
| Download: ML20057F823 (3) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION RELATED TO AMENDMENT NO.177 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. DFR-66 AMENDMENT N0. 58 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. NPF-73 DUQUESNE LIGHT COMPANY OHIO EDIS0N COMPANY PENNSYLVANIA POWER COMPANY THE CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING COMPANY THE TOLEDO EDIS0N COMPANY BEAVER VALLEY POWER STATION. UNIT NOS. 1 AND 2 DOCKET NOS. 50-334 AND 50-412
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated June 11, 1993, as supplemented October 8, 1993, Duquesne Light Company (DLC), the licensee, requested changes to the Beaver Valley Power Station, Unit Nos. I and 2 Technical Specifications (TS) to allow fuel assembly reconstitution with zirconium alloy or stainless steel filler rods, in accordance with NRC-approved methodologies.
In a telephone conversation with the licensee on September 28, 1993, the licensee clarified its intent to use zircaloy as fuel cladding, and zirconium alloys such as 71*caloy or ZIRLO, or stainless steel as filler rods for fuel rods. The supplement dated October 8,1993, clarified the licensee's intent with regard to fuel cladding but did not make a substantive change or affect the initial determination and renoticing was not required. Supplement 1 of Generic Letter (GL) 90-02,
" Alternative Requirements for Fuel Assemblies in the Design Features Section of Technical Specifications," dated July 31, 1992, defines the acceptability of the use of reconstituted fuel assemblies including inert filler rods. GL 90-02 provides model TS wording for use in license amendments.
The reconstitution may be performed under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59 provided that the required safety analyses are performed with NRC staff-approved methodologies, which are applied to assembly configurations that lie within the scope of the reviewed fuel lattice configurations.
e The proposed revision also allows the use of a limited number of Iced test assemblies (LTAs) without requiring a specific TS change, if these LTAs are placed in non-limiting core regions.
2.0 EVALUATION The proposed amendment would modify TS Section 5 - Desian Features, 5.3 i
Reactor Core, 5.3.1, " Fuel Assemblies," to allow '11mited substitutions of zirconium alloy or stainless steel filler rods for fuel rods, in accordance with approved applications of fuel rod configurations.'
The licensee-states 9310190198 931014 PDR ADOCK 05000334 I
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i that cycle specific reload safety evaluation analyses will be performed in accordance with the topical report WCAP-13060-P-A, " Westinghouse Fuel Assembly Reconstitution Evaluation Methodology," dated July 1993, and other applicable approved Westinghouse methodologies. This approved topical report describes the methodology for using inert filler rods to replace failed or damaged fuel rods during reconstitution of fuel assemblies for core reloads. This methodology is applicable for Westinghouse reconstituted assemblies that incorporate solid replacement rods of stainless steel, Zircaloy-4, or ZIRLO "
and that use mixing vane grid designs. The NRC staff reviewed the fuel assembly reconstitution evaluation methodology described in WCAP-13060-P in accordance with Section 4 of the Standard Review Plan. As noted by letter of l
March 30, 1993, (A. C. Thadani (NRC) to S. R. Tritsh (Westinghouse),
" Acceptance for Referencing of Topical Report WCAP-13060-P, ' Westinghouse Fuel l
Assembly Reconstitution Evaluation Methodology'," March 30,1993) the NRC staff found the reconstitution methodology to be acceptable for use in licensing applications involving core reload analyses for Westinghouse fuel assembly designs that incorporate solid replacement rods of stainless steel, Zircaloy-4, or ZIRLO
- and that use mixing vane grids. The approval is contingent upon analytical confirmation that the exact configuration and associated core power distribution of proposed reconstituted assemblies does not introduce a change in radial gradients in the flow and enthalpy distribution that could invalidate the applicability of the critical heat flux correlation used for departure from nucleate boiling predictions. These I
limitations are consistent with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.36, which requires TS to include design features such as materials of construction which, if altered or modified, would have a significant effect on safety, and l
also with the guidance from Supplement 1 of GL 90-02 and ensure compliance i
with the General Design Criteria 10 and is acceptable. The specific TS 5.3.1 wording approved in this license amendment is consistent with the model TS f rom the GL and requires the use of NRC approved methodologies, therefore, the proposed change is acceptable.
3.0 STATE CONSULTATION
In accordance with the Commission's regulations, the Pennsylvania State official was notified of the proposed issuance of the amendments. The State official had no comments.
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
.._. amendments change a requirement with respect to installation or use of a fac ity component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20. The NRC staff has determined that the amendments involve no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significsnt increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation d
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i exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that the amendments involve no significant hazards consideration, and there has been no public comment on such finding (58 FR 36434). Accordingly, the amendments I
meet the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9).
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b) no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of the amendments.
5.0 f0NCLUSION The Commission has concluded, based on the considerations discussed above, that:
(1) there is reasonable assurance that the-health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, i
and (3) the issuance of the amendments will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor:
E. Kendrick i
Date: October 14, 1993 i
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