ML20062H145

Application for Amends to Licenses NPF-37,NPF-66,NPF-72 & NPF-77,changing TS to Allow Use of PHOENIX-P & Anc Computer Codes for Development of Core Operating Limits Rept,Per Topical Rept NFSR-0081

ML20062H145
Person / Time
Site:	Byron, Braidwood
Issue date:	11/28/1990
From:	Schuster T COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
To:	Murley T NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML20062H148	List: ML20062H145 ML20062H150
References
NUDOCS 9012040121
Download: ML20062H145 (4)

Text

p o

3

,a

/

\\ CImm:nwealth Edistn o

i f 1400 Opus Place Downers Grova, Illinois 60515 November 28, 1990 Dr. Thomas E. Hurley-Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Attn:

Document Control Desk

Subject:

Byron Station Units 1 and 2 Braidwood Station Units 1 and 2 Application for Amendment to facility Operating Licenses NPF-37/66 & NPF-72/77 MC Docket Nos. 50-454/455 and 456/457_

Reference:

a) July 13, 1990 letter from J.A. Silady to T.E. Murley Submitting " Commonwealth Edison Company Topical Report on Benchmark of PHR Nuclear Design Methods Using the PHOENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes",

CECO _ Report NFSR-0081 b) October 23, 1990 letter from T.K. Schuster to.T.E. Murley providing the revised Topical

?

Report (NFSR-0081) review schedule and request for completion of NRC review by. January 15, 1991

Dear Dr. Murley:

Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.90 Commonwealth Edison Company (CECO) propose to j

amend Appendix A, Technical Specifications of Facility Operating Licenses l

'NPF-37/66 and NPF-72/77 for Byron and Braidwood Stations respectively.

The I

j proposed amendment consists of three changes to Section 6, Administrative sControls.

The first change deletes all reference to interim minimum shift l'

manning requirements. which are no longer required.

The second change involves a title change.

The Assistant Vice President Quality Programs and Assessment title-has oeen changed to General Manager Quality-Programs and Assessment.

.The final-proposed change updates the analytical methodologies referenced in

.Section 6.9.1.9, which are used to determine the core operating limits for a-reload cycle.- Three of four of the referenced Topical Reports have been previously reviewed and approved by the NRC.

The fourth,' CECO. Topical Report NFSR-0081, was submitted in July of 1990.by the letter of Reference (a).

The subsequent letter of Reference (b) provided a revised schedule to the NRC Staff requesting approval of the Topical Report by January 15, 1991 and this

. proposed amendment by March 15, 1991.

This will= allow Commonwealth Edison use of the PHOENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes for development of the Core Operating Limits Report for the Braidwood Unit 1 Cycle 3 Reload core.

s/

m%mug P

3

Dr. Thomas E. Murley 2

November 28, 1990 The description and bases of the proposed changes are contained in Attachment A.

The revised Technical Specification pages are contained in Attachment B.

The proposed changes have beea *eviewed and approved by both on-site and off-site review committees in ac;ord ice with Commonwealth Edison procedures and Technical Specifications. Cunmor..vealth Edison has reviewed this proposed amendment in accordance with 10 CfR SJ.92 (c) and has determined that no significant hazards consideration exists.

This evaluation is documented in Attachment C.

An applicability review of the need for an Environmental Assessment has been performed and is included in Attachment D.

Commonwealth Edison is notifying the State of Illinois of our application for this amendment by transmitting a copy of this letter and its attachments to the designated State Official.

Please direct any questions you may have concerning this matter to this office.

Respectfully, (sv.df bY 6

1 T.K. Schuster Nuclear Licensing Administrator Attachments:

A) Description and Bases of the Proposed Changes B) Proposed Technical Specification Changes C) Evaluation of Significant Hazards Consideration D) Environmental Assessment Statement Applicability Review cc: Resident Inspector-Byron Resident Inspector-Braldwood T. Shia-NRR R. Pulsifer-NRR A. Bert Davis-RIII Office of Nuclear Facility-Ivi!S

/scl:lD635:2

AIIACHMENI A DESC RIEI l 0fLAND_ BAS E S_0LIH EJ_R0EOS ED._CMNG E S D.ESCR!fl10N This amendment request addresses several administrative changes affecting Section 6 of the Technical Specifications.

The first change eliminates a reference in Byron /Braidwood Table 6.2-1 to Table 6.2-la, " Minimum Shift Crew Composition" for a single licensed unit, which was deleted from the Byron Technical Specifications with the issuance of Facility Operating License No. 66 for Byron Unit 2.

Table 6.2-la, still present in the Braidwood Technical Specifications, is being deleted entirely.

In addition, reference to Table 6.2-la has been deleted from Braidwood Index Page XX.

The second change involves a title change.

The Assistant Vice President Quality Programs and Assessment title has been changed to the General Manager Quality Programs and Assessment.

The scope and responsibilities of the position remain unaffected.

The final change being proposed updates the references identified as the analytical methods employed to establish core operating limits.

The first three documents used have been previously reviewed and approved by the NRC in Topical Reports:

1.

HCAP 9272-P-A, " Westinghouse Reload Safety Evaluations Methodology" dated July 1985.

This document describes the systematic evaluation process which is utilizied to determine whether reload calculated parameters are bounded by previously approved safety analysis / assumptions and whether design bases are met for any parameters not bounded by previous assumptions.

The original topical (March 1978) was reissued in 1985 with the NRC Safety Evaluation Report (SER) included.

2.

HCAP 8385, " Power Distribution Control and Load Following Procedures" dated September 1974.-

This document describes the Constant Axial Offset Control (CAOC) method for reactor control and the analytical techniques which are applied to assure that the potential initial conditions and

~

results of affected accidents are acceptable.

The associated SER was issued January 31, 1978.

3.

NFSR-0016, " Benchmark of PHR Nuclear Design Methods" dated July 1983.

This document describes the benchmark results which demonstrated the acceptability of CECO's PHR nuclear design methods as well as the justification for CECO applying Westinghouse's uncertaintles in its design process.

The associated SER was issued December 2, 1983.

The fourth methodology topical report. NFSR-0081,." Benchmark of PHR Nuclear Design Methods using the PH0ENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes" dated July 1990,

'has been submitted for NRC review and approval of CECO application of these codes.

This approval has'been requested by January 15, 1991 and is a necessary prerequisite for approval of this amendment.

These changes affect pages XX (Draidwood only), 6-5, 6-Sa (Braldwood only),

6-7, 6-8, 6-9, 6-13, 6-14, and 6-21.

Marked copies of these pages in Attachment B Indicate the requested revisions.

/scl:ID635:3

ATTACHHEMI A (contingidl BASES _OF THE PROP _0SEDlHMGIS The proposed changes are administrative in nature and do not alter or affect the safety function of any component or system as described in the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report. Additionally, they do not change the manner in which installed equipment is operated, nor do they add any new or different f

equipment to plant operations.

The first proposed change differs slightly in detail for the Byron and Braidwood Technical Specifications, but does result in an identical wording for the remaining Minimum Shift Crew Composition Table 6.2-1.

The deletion of unit Table 6.2-la, applicable to a single licensed unit, from the Braidwood Technical Specifications and all reference to it from both station's Tables 6.2-1 is appropriate and i;ceptable since both units at both stations are now licensed.

The remaining Table 6.2-1 assures minimum shift manning requirements are specified for both units.

Therefore, Table 6.2-la is no longer applicable nor required.

The second proposed change is a title change from Assistant Vice President Quality Programs and Assessment to General Manager Quality Programs and Assessment.

The change is a change in title only and the scope and responsibility of the position remain unchanged.

Therefore there is no change in the off-site corporate support to Byron and Braidwood stations as a result of.this change.

The final. proposed change updates the analytical methodologies referenced in Section 6.9.1.9, which are used to determine the core operating limits for a reload cycle.

Three of four of the referenced topical reports have been previously reviewed and approved by the NRC.

The fourth report NFSR-0081,

" CECO Topical Report on Benchmark of PHR Huclear Design Methods using the PH0ENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes", documents CECO's capability to use the PHOENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes for neutronics analyses of PHR reload designs.

The methodologies of the PH0ENIX-P and ANC Computer Codes have already been reviewed and approved by the NRC as Westinghouse Topical Report HCAP-11596-P-A, " Qualification of'the PH0ENIX-P/ANC Nuclear Design System for PHR Cores" dated June 1988.

Therefore, the actual method of establishing the Core Operating Limits is unchanged by this proposed amendment. Only the user.

CECO vs Westinghouse, has changed. Upon review and approval of NFSR-0081 by the NRC staff and 1 suance of a Safety Evaluation Report, this change will only be administrative in nature.

NRC approval of NFSR-0081 is a prerequisite to issuance of this amendment.

Since the proposed changes are administrative in-nature and do not involve changes to plant equipment or actual minimum shift manning, the previous e

safety analyses and assumptions in the UFSAR remain bounding.

/sc1:ID635:4 r

- - _ _. _