ML20138B316

Application for Amends to Licenses DPR-29 & DPR-30, Requesting That NRC Grant Exigent Amend to TS 2.1.B & 6.9.A.6.b to Support Plant Cycle 15 Operation Scheduled to Begin 970519

ML20138B316
Person / Time
Site:	Quad Cities
Issue date:	04/21/1997
From:	Kraft E COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
Shared Package
ML20138B321	List: ML20138B316 ML20138B323
References
ESK-97-089, ESK-97-89, NUDOCS 9704290121
Download: ML20138B316 (4)

Text

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( ummonw calth 1;dison Company Quad Cities (irnuating St.uion 22710 2OOth Asenne North Cordou. II. 612 a 2-9NO id .m.n22 u ESK-97-089 April 21,1997 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Attention: Document Control Desk

Subject:

Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Units 1 and 2 Exigent Application for Amendment Request to Facility Operating Licenses Pursuant To 10CFR50.91(a)(6),

DPR-29 and DPR-30, Technical Specification Changes for Revised Minimum Critical Power Ratio Safety Limit for Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15, ,

Docket Nos. 50-254 and 50-265 l l

References:

1) "ANFB Critical Power Correlation Uncertainty For Limited Data l

Sets", ANF-1125(P), Supplement 1, Appendix D, Siemens Power l Corporation - Nuclear Division, Submitted April 18,1997.

2) Siemens Power Corporation letter," Interim Use ofIncreased ANFB Additive Constant Uncertainty", HDC:97:033, H.D. Curet to Document Control Desk, April 18,1997.

3) Comed letter," Comed Response to NRC StafrRequest for Additional Information (RAI) Regarding the Application of Siemens Power Corporation ANFB Critical Power Correlation to Coresident l General Electric Fuel for LaSalle Unit 2 Cycle 8 and Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15, NRC Docket No.'s 50-373/374 and 50-254/265", J.B.

Hosmer to U.S. NRC, July 2,1996, transmitting the topical report, )

Application of the ANFB Critical Power Correlation to Coresident i GE Fuelfor Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15, EMF-96-05 l(P), Siemens Power Corporation - Nuclear Division, May 1996, and related i information.

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Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.91(a)(6), Comed proposes to amend Appendix A, Technical 1 Specifications, of Facility Operating Licenses DPR-29 and DPR-30 to a) reflect a change to the Quad Cities Unit 2 Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Limit and b) add the Siemens Power Corporation (SPC) methodology for application of the ANFB Critical Power Correlation to coresident GE Fuel for Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 to the methodologies in Section 6.9.A.6.b. Comed requests that the Nuclear Regulatory

\g Commission (NRC) grant an exigent amendment to Technical Specification 2.1.B and 6.9. A.6.b. This amendment is needed to support Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 operation, i which is currently scheduled to begin May 19,1997.

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l U.S. NRC l . ESK-97-089 2 April 21,1997 l l

Itemm_ Change to Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safetv Limit and MCPR SLafety Limit Bases l

l Based on NRC staffinput during a recent inspection at SPC, SPC has determined that the need exists to increase the size of the data base used to calculate the additive constants fcr SPC's ATRIUM-9B 9x9 fuel design with an internal water channel. SPC has increased the number of data points used to calculate the additive constant uncertainty for the ATRIUM-9B design by including additional data sets which have full length rods,9x9 design, and inner water channels. Statistical analyses were used to determine a new ATRIUM-9B additive constant uncertainty from this expanded data set.

SPC conservatively applied a factor of two to the increase in the additive constant uncertainty for the ATRIUM-9B design and used the result to calculate a new MCPR Safety I.imit of 1.10 for Quad Cities ! J t 2. This approach to calculating the additive constant uncertainty (doubling the int.. se)is a conservatism that the plant will operate with until the NRC approval of Reference 1. This interim approach was discussed in an April 3,1997 meeting between Comed, Siemens Power Corporation, and NRC Staff.

Siemens also summarized the interim approach in Reference 2. The new MCPR Safety Limit is larger than the MCPR Safety Limit currently in Quad Cities Technical Specifications,1.07. Therefore, this submittal proposes to increase the MCPR Safety Limit in the Technical Specifications for Quad Cities Unit 2. The MCPR Safety Limit for Quad Cities Unit 1, which is calculated based on General Electric methods, will remain 1.07. l The plant will operate with this conservatively calculated MCPR Safety Limit until the NRC approval of Reference 1. After NRC approval of Reference 1, Comed intends to submit a Technical Specification change to lower the MCPR Safety Limit to a value supported by the new NRC approved additive constant uncenainty (based on the increase data base size) and add the Reference I topical to Section 6 of the Technical i

Specifications.

Item b: Addition of Siemens Power Cornoration's (SPC) methodology for Application of the ANFB Critical Power Correlation to Coresident GE Fuel for Ouad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 to Section 6.9. A.6.b This submittal also proposes to include Siemens Power Corporation's (SPC) methodology for application of the ANFB Critical Power Correlation to coresident GE Fuel for Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 (Reference 3) in Section 6.9.A.6.b of the Technical Specifications. The topical report and the Comed transmittalletter describe the method

for calculating the additive constant and the associated uncertainty for application of the l ANFB critical power correlation to GE9 and GE10 fuel. Reference 3 is currently being reviewed by the NRC StafTand is expected to be approved by the NRC prior to Quad

! Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 core load, which is currently scheduled for April 29,1997.

This exigent amendment is needed to suppon Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 operation with Siemens fuel and the ANFB Critical Power Correlation methodology. Approval of

U.S. NRC ESK-97-089 3 April 21,1997 l the proposed amendment on an exigent basis is warranted due to the short time frame between when SPC determined the need for a larger data base for calculating the additive constant uncertainty (March 20,1997) and when Quad Cities Unit 2 Cycle 15 is scheduled to startup (May 19, 1997). This short time frame, combined with the time i necessary to develop this request, will not allow for the normal 30 day period for public comment. This condition was unavoidable and not created by the failure to make a i timely application for a Technical Specification amendment. Without approval of this exigent amendment, Quad Cities Unit 2 will not be able to resume power operation.

The following outlines Comed's proposed exigent amendment request.

1) Attachment A provides a description and evaluation of the proposed changes to Facility Operating Licenses DPR-29 and DPR-30.

2) Attachment B includes a summary of the proposed changes, and the marked up pages of the Technical Specifications.

3) Attachment C describes Comed's evaluation performed in accordance with 10CFR50.92(c), confirming that no significant hazard consideration is involved.

4) Attachment D provides the Environmental Assessment Applicability Review.

This request for an exigent amendment has been reviewed and approved by Comed On-l Site and Off-Site Review in accordance with Comed procedures.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements contained above are tme and correct. In some respect these statements are not based on my personal knowledge, but obtained information furnished by other Commonwealth Edison employees, contractor employees, and consultants. Such information has been reviewed in accordance with company practice, and I believe it to be reliable.

Comed is notifying the State ofIllinois of this application for amendment by transmitting a copy of this letter and its attachments to the designated state official.

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l U.S. NRC ESK-97-089 4 April 21,1997 If you have any questions concerning this letter, please contact Charles Peterson,

! Regulatory Affairs Manager, at (309) 654-2241, extension 3609.

Respectfully, E. S. Kraft, Site Vice President Quad Cities Station Subscribed and Sworn to before me on this 7.7 day of

" OFFICIAL SEAL" Apx/L 1997- IJl#AN E mpuhee,sesesofanois wcesiummenaBen tinwaoco at 2 i rlr i hp krrttu Notary Public Attachments: A. Description and Evaluation of the Proposed Changes B. Summary of Proposed Changes, including Marked-up Technical Specification Pages C. Evaluation of Significant Hazards Considerations D. Environmental Assessment Applicability Review cc: A. B. Beach, Regional Administrator, Region Ill R. M. Pulsifer, Project Manager, NRR C. G. Miller, Senior Resident Inspector, Quad Cities W. D. Leech, Mid American Energy Company D. C. Tubbs, MidAmerican Energy Company F. A. Spangenberg, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Dresden P. L. Piet, Nuclear Licensing INPO Records Center Oflice of Nuclear Facility Safety, IDNS DCD License (both electronic and hard copies) 1