ML20059K315

Discusses GE Relief from NRC Metrication Policy for Both ABWR & Sbwr Designs

ML20059K315
Person / Time
Site:	05200001, 05200004
Issue date:	11/09/1993
From:	Borchardt R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Marriott P GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.
Shared Package
ML20059K318	List: ML20059K315 ML20059K320
References
NUDOCS 9311150329
Download: ML20059K315 (3)

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[# ne UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION f g ,

g <g WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 November 9, 1993

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Docket Hos.52-001 '

and 52-004 I

Mr. Patrick W. Harriott,-Project Manager Licensing & Consulting Services .

GE Nuclear Energy 175 Curtner Avenue 4 San Jose, California 95125

SUBJECT:

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) METRICATION POLICY The staff sent a letter to GE Nuclear Energy (GE) dated July 7,1993, asking if GE would like to be relieved from the NRC metrication policy for both the '

advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) and simplified boiling water reactor (SBWR) designs. GE sent a letter to the NRC dated August 27, 1993, ,

an exemption from compliance with the requirements of the NRC metricationrequesting policy for the ABWR design certification.

In that letter, GE specifically .i requested of Units an exemption from performing conversions to the International System i design cer(SI) or providing dual units in any documents tification rule. GE also asked that it be relieved which are part of the of responsibil- -

ity for verifying the accuracy of any conversions done by the NRC staff in the-final safety evaluation report (FSER).

The staff reviewed GE's request for an exemption and noted that the ABWR standard safaty analysis report (SSAR) had SI, English, and Japanese metric units.

The staff found that the Japanese metric system can be confusing

-because the same unit (kg) is used for both mass and force. The staff believes GE's use of mixed units would be confusing for future users of the ABWR design control document (DCD). Subsequently, the staff forwarded a  :'

recommendation along with GE's request for exemption letter to the Commission -

on September 20, 1993, which is enclosed. On October 26,:1993, the Commission '

approved the staff's recommendations in COMSECY-93-051, " Metrication Policy:

Exemption Request," which is also enclosed. The Commission requested the staff to provide direction to GE on the implementation of the Commission's guidance.  !

The sion staff will prepare the ABWR FSER in dual units in accordance with Commis-guidance.

GE is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of any  !

conversions done by the staff in the FSER.

However, GE is required to prepare .

the DCD in SI units (English) units in the DCD.and provide a conversion table from SI to. inch-pound SSAR should also be in SI units.Since the DCD is extracted from the SSAR, the

• Therefore, GE is directed to prepare the DCD and revise the SSAR and Certified Design Material (CDM) for the ABWR design in 1 accordance with the NRC metrication policy. GE may provide a conversion table  ;

from SI to English units in lieu of providing dual units. The entire revised 9311150329 931109 PDR 120005 ADOCKOS2Og1 ggg g g y(0jPa, y

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Mr. Patrick W. Marriott November 9, 1993 SSAR and CDM should be submitted to the NRC prior to March 4, 1994. The DCD should be . submitted to the NRC prior the April 4,1994, in order to support the NRC schedule for the ABWR design.

The staff has not received a formal response from GE on the SBWR design.

However, the staff has reviewed the facsimile from Mr. Foreman, dated Novem-ber 5, 1993. The facsimile indicated that the SBWR application will be in SI units and referenced ASTM E380, " Standard Practice for Use of the Interna-tional System of Units," for use'of the SI system. Please be aware that Federal Standard 376B, " Preferred Metric Units for General Use by the Federal Government," dated January 27, 1993, endorses ANSI /IEEE'268-1992, "American National Standard for Metric Practice." Therefore, the staff recommends that GE's use of the SI system conforms with the Federal Standard.

Sincerely, OnghM%@c R. W. Borchardt, Director Standardization Project Directorate Associate Directorate for Advanced Reactors ,

and License Renewal Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Enclosure:

As stated DISTRIBUTION:

Docket. Files PDST R/F DCrutchfield WTravers TKenyon PDR RBorchardt JNWilson SNinh TWambach -

CPoslusny MMalloy DTang ACRS (11) (w/o encl)

PShea JMoore, 15B18 TGody, Jr., EDO peo37j fy, RArchitzel -

0FC LA:PDST PM:PDST .PM:PDST [SCdDbT D:PDSE NAME PShea R c3 Sf[inf:tz NNy JNWNson RBo[c~hardt i DATE 11/N93 11[/93 11/6/93 11/6/93 1 11/ 9 /93 '

0FFICIAL RECORD COPY: G LTR.SQN 1

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@ , Mr. Patrick W. Marriott - Docket Nos. 52-001-

. General Electric' Company

and 52-004 I 'cc:. Mr.~ Joseph Quirk'- Mr. Raymond Ng GE Nuclear. Energy 1776 Eye Street,cN.W.-

General Electric Company - Suite-300-175 Curtner Avenue, Mail Code 782 Washington, D.C. 20086 San Jose, California 95125 Mr. Victor G. Snell, Director.

Mr. L. Gifford, Program Manager Safety and Licensing Regulatory Programs. AECL Technologies GE Nuclear Energy 9210 Corporate Boulevard 12300 Twinbrook Parkway- . Suite 410 Suite 315 Rockville, Maryland 20850 Rockville, Maryland 20852 .g Director, Criteria & Standards Division Mr. John E. Leatherman i

0ffice of Radiation Programs SBWR Licensing Manager.  !

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency GE Nuclear Energy '

401 M Street, S.W. 175 Curtner Avenue,'M/C 781. i Washington, D.C. 20460 San Jose, California 95125 "

Mr. Sterling Franks U.S. Department of Energy-NE-42  :

Washington, D.C. 20585' .;

Marcus A. Rowden, Esq. j Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson >

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. l Suite 800  ?

Washington, D.C. 20004 -l Jay M. Gutierrez, Esq.  !

Newman & Holtzinger . P.C. '

1615 L Street, N.W.  ?!

Suite 1000 I Washington, D.C. 20036 ,

r.r.' Steve Goldberg Budget Examiner  :

725 17th Street, N.W.  !

Room 8002  :

Washington, D.C. 20503 l Mr. Frank A. Ross i U.S. Department of Energy, NE-42 i Office' of' LWR Safety and Technology- l 19901 Germantown Road.  ;

Germantown, Maryland 20874  :!

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.. . UNITED STATES 18- NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

%: h WASmeeGT0fd, D. c. 20006

. 'k ..... ' September 30.-1993 MEMORANDUM TO: The Chairman

-Comissioner Rogers Comissioner Remick Comissioner de Planque

• FROM: James M. Taylor  ;

m Executive Director for Operations  ;

SUBJECT:

METRICATION POLICY EXEMPTION REQUEST The Comission directed the staff in COMFR-93-003 that Asea Brown Boveri-~

Combustion Engineering's (ABB-CE) System 80+ design certification is exempted .;

from the NRC's policy on metrication. The Comission also requested the staff  :

to identify other vendors that may wish to be granted similar exemptions. In s response to the Comission's request,-the staff sent a: letter to GE Nuclear Energy (GE) dated July 7 1993,' asking if GE would like to be relieved of the responsibility for performing unit conversions or for providing dual. units'in any documents that are part of the design certification rule.- ..

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-In response to the staff's letter on metrication policy, GE 'sent a letter to the NRC dated August 27, 1993, which is enclosed. In this letter, GE requested that NRC exempt the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) design l certification application from compliance with the requirements of the NRC's _ j metrication policy. GE specifica11'; requested an exemption ~ from performing '

conversions to the International System of Units (SI) or providing dual. units  :

in any documents that are part of the design certification rule. GE also:

asked .that it be relieved of responsibility for verifying the accuracy of.any conversions done by the NRC staff ~ in the final safety evaluation report (FSER). '

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The ABWR standard safety analysis report (SSAR) currently has;SI units 'in Chapter 19, English units in Appendix 9A, and Japanese metric units in'the

.. remainder of the SSAR. GE provided a conversion of English units to Japanese metric units:in Section 1.7 of the SSAR. "

The difference between SI and Japanese metric are in the units for pressure, '

force, and torque. For example, Japanese metric expresses pressure, force,  !

and torque in terms of Kg/cm squared, Kg, Kg-m units, res I uses-Pascal (Pa), Newton (N) and N-m units, respectively.pectively,.while SI

'The Japanese metric.  ;

system can be confusing because the same unit (Kg) is used for both mass and .i force. The staff believes GE's'use of mixed units would be confusing for ,

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CONTACT.

S. Ninh, NRR .

504-3125 Enclosure i

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. - The Commissioners -

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i future users of the ABWR design control document (DCD). Therefore, the staff  ;

recommends that GE be required to prepare the ABWR DCD in SI units. Only three units will need to be changed (pressure, force, and torque), and it will

• result in a more useable document. The staff also recommends that GE provide

- a conversion table from SI to English units in the DCD in lieu of providing dual units. The staff will prepare the ABWR FSER in dual units in accordance 1

i with Commission guidance.  !

Origineisignedby

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SECY, Please Track.  ;

Hugh L. Thompson,Jr.

James M. Taylor Executive Director for Operations cc: SECY ,

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