ML20058H949
| ML20058H949 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Quad Cities  |
| Issue date: | 11/14/1990 |
| From: | Stols R COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. |
| To: | Murley T NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9011260193 | |
| Download: ML20058H949 (2) | |
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Commonwealth Edison e
_ ' 1400 Opus Place Downers Grove, Illinois 60513 November 14, 1990 Dr. Thomas E. Hurley, Director U.S. Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
20555 ATIN:
Document Control Desk
Subject:
Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 High Burnup l.ead fuel Rods 1(RC_DodtL#cu_52-2fi5' 4 $ll Dr. Hurley:
Commonwealth Edison's Quad Cities Station participated in General Electric's barrier fuel demonstration program by irradiating four (4) lead test assemblies in Unit I from Cycle 5 through Cycle 9.
To obtain data at higher burnups, six (6) low oxygen sponge zirconium liner barrier fuel rods i
from one of the barrier lead test assemblies were placed into a bundle wtth lower burnup rods for three (3) additional cycles of operation in the Quad Cities Unit I core beginning with Cycle 11.
The purpose of this letter is to document that this extended burnup lead test assembly will again be placed into Quad Cities Unit I core during the upcoming core reload for Cycle 12 operation.
The two highest burnup rods of the six (6) lead test assembly rods in this bundle are currently projected to achieve an end-of-cycle rod average exposure of 58.8 GHD/HT; however, variations in cycle operation or cycle length may result in rod average exposures for these rods of up to 62 GHD/HT.
t General Electric's approved Topical Report NEDE-22148-P-A, " Extended Burnup Evaluation Methodology", dated November 1985 states that the General Electric methods are valid for rod average exposures of "at least 60 GHD/HT".
The information which supports these methods contains some data, such as for General Electric's fission gas release modeling, as high as 100 GHD/HT peak pellet exposure.
General. Electric has indicated that this data demonstrates that there is no change in the trends at extended burnups.
These six rods have been (and will be) extensively examined at tne end of each cycle.
To date, the rods have been found to be in excellent ccndition.
The methods, therefore, continue to accurately predict the burnup effects rods, including residence time effects.
The assembly will be loaded in a non-limiting, non-control cell location for Cycle 12 with a projected average radial peaking factor of 0.87 based on a rod pattern step through of the cycle.
After a review of licensing documents, Commonwealth Edison and General Electric have concluded tnat no other burnup limics exist for these high burnup lead fuel rods and tlat operation to the planned (58.8 GHD/HT) or maximum likely (62 GHD/HT) value; for rod average exposure does not represent an unreviewed safety question.
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Dr.'T.E. Hurley 2-November 14, 1090 Although General Electric has previously discussed thl', topic with the Reactor Systems Branch of NRR and received positive feedbatt, it was suggested that Commonwealth Edison document these plans.
The current schedule for the start of fuel reload is the week of December 16, 1990. CECO would therefore need to know by early December if your staff has any questions or conctrns on the above information.
Please contact this office should further information be required.
Very truly yours, Rita Stols Nuclear Licensing Administrator JS/RS/imw ZNLD605/8 cc: A.B. Davis, Regional Administrator, RIII L.N. Olshan, Project Manager, NRR T. Taylor, Sr. Resident Inspector Quad Cities R.C. Jones, Reactor Systems Branch Chief, NRR L.E. Phillips, Reactor Systems Branch
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