ML20140D868
ML20140D868 | |
Person / Time | |
---|---|
Issue date: | 06/03/1997 |
From: | Holahan G NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
To: | Modeen D NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE (FORMERLY NUCLEAR MGMT & |
References | |
NUDOCS 9706110110 | |
Download: ML20140D868 (5) | |
Text
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- e" $4 UNITED STATES g ,g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o 's WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 4 001 June 3, 1997 Mr. David J. Modeen Director. Engineering Nuclear Generation Division Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street. NW.. Suite 400 Washington. D.C. 20006-3708 l
SUBJECT:
INDUSTRY VIEWS ON NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH PROPOSED INTERIM CRITERIA FOR REACTIVITY INITIATED ACCIDENTS i
Dear Mr. Modeen:
1 Your letter of May 7. 1997. provided the industry's views on the
. March 3,1997. Research Information Letter (RIL) No.174, " Interim Assessment
, of Criteria for Analyzing Reactivity Accidents at High Burnup." The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) letter primarily adJ. esses the proposed interim criterion of a 100 cal /g Jeak fuel enthalpy increase to replace existing i
- regulatory criteria for t1e threshold for initiation of fuel cladding damage during design-basis reactivity event analyses. The industry evaluation and
, position on the reactivity insertion accidents (RIAs), provided in the NEI letter of Se]tember 20. 1996, transmitting the Electric Power Research Institute (E3RI) Report TR-106387 " Evaluation of Irrad'ated Fuel During RIA
, Simulation Tests." and in the NEI letter of April 8.1096, have been
- considered in this response.
l You expressed concern that currently licensed and future interim reload core
- designs will unduly require the development and use of formally approved
, three-dimensional (3-D) neutronic kinetics calculational models and methodologies. As you state, both industry and NRC-sponsored neutronics 4
calculations have been performed which have shown that fuel enthalpy during RIAs for contemporary core designs will be lower than 100 cal /g. You state
. that these calculations have been performed using computer codes and methodologies which have not been reviewed and approved by the NRC.
! We thank you for your comments and will consider them in conjunction with the RIL No. 174 recommendations while developing a' regulatory position. If the NRC ultimately decides to place new requirements for RIAs on licensees, any costs, such as additional 3-D analyses, will be addressed as part of the backfit decision. However for your information, a number of 3-D transient codes are available and several have been accepted, with restrictions on allowable feedback mechanisms (e.g. . no void feedback without experimental justification), for licensia applications. Also, we are currently reviewing a state of the art 3D-kinetics code (NEMO-K). Some of these codes have been benchmarked against standard reference solutions. such as the NEACRP 3-D LWR Transient Benchmark-(PANDA). A summary list of codes which have been or are ,
under review for referencing by the NRC is provided in the enclosure.
As you know, we are working on a more complete response to earlier submittals \ ,
by NEI and the industry and expect to provide a further response soon that Q~ b 9706110110 970603 ,
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Mr. David J. Modeen l 1
address those aspects of your May 7. 1997, letter that we believe are controversial. We agree that the industry and the NRC should continue to interact on this generic issue, and we welcome your comments. As you suggest, we are willing to meet with you and your task force. Please contact Laurence Phillips at (301) 415-3232 if you have any questions about this response.
Sincerely,
/ original signed by/
. Gary M. Holahan, Director !
Division of Systems Safety and Analysis '
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation ,
Enclosure:
As stated l
l l
DISTRIBUTION:
SRXB R/F File Center PDR EKendrick SWu LPhillips '
JLyons GHolahan ACThadani EKendrick R/F DOCUMENT NAME: G:\RIL_&NEI.LTR
- See previous concurrences OFFICE: SRXB:DSSA SRXB:DSSA SRXB:DSSA SRXB:DSSA D:D NAME: EKendrick* SWu* LPhillips* JLyons* Gli ha DATE: 5/27/97 5/27/97 5/27/97 5/28/97 E/z /97 bi OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
Mr. David J. Modeen \
address those aspects of your May 7.1997 letter that we believe are controvernal. We agree that the industry and the NRC should continue to l interact on'this generic issue, and we welcome your comments. As you suggest.
l we are willirig to meet with you and your task force. Please contact Laurence Phillips at (301.) 415-3232 if you have any questions about this response.
\
s Sincerely, s
Gary M. Holahan. Director Division of Systems Safety and Analysis Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated -
DISTRIBUTION: \
SRXB R/F \
File Center \
PDR EKendrick SWu LPhillips JLyons GHolahan ACThadarii EKendrick R/F DOCUMENT NAME: G:RIL_&NEI.LTR
- See previous concurrences ,
~
OFFICE: SRXB:DSSA SRXB:DSSA SRXB:DSSA 3 :DSSA D:DSSA l NAME: EKendrick* SWu* LPhillips*- 'yons GHolahan DATE: 5/27/97 5/27/97 5/27/97 5/12/97 5/ /97 1 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY l .
I l
l l*.~
Mr. David J. Modeen ,2-
! interact o this generic issue. and we welcome your comments. As you suggest.
we are will~ g to meet with you and your task force. Please contact Laurence Phillips at '01) 415-3232 if you have any questions about this response.
Sincerely.
Gary M. Holahan. Director l Division of Systems Safety and Analysis '
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
Enclosure:
As stated I
l l
l DISTRIBUTION-SRXB R/F !
File Center PDR EKendrick SWu LPhillips JLyons GHolahan ACThadani EKendrick R/F l DOCUMENT NAME: G:Rll &NEI.LTR 0FFICE: SRXB:DSSA D:DSSA NAME: SRXB:DS eke.nd ' @ATLPhiTlips SWu )LW SRXB:DSSA JLyons M SSA GHolahan DATE: 5~/T1/97 5/g]/97 5/1[/97 5/ /97 5/ /97
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OFFICIAL RECORD COPY s
,f ENCLOSURE Partial List of Vendor / Licensee / Industry 3D Transient Codes Vendor / licensee /Industrv Group Code Name Status Comments
PWR HERMITE Reviewed CENPD-188 Framatome (B&W) NEMO-K Submitted BAW 10221P. Under 7
review
- GE TRAC-G In review Audited for stability
- Westinghouse TWINKL
- EPRI ARROTTA Reviewed Accepted for Rod Eject evaluation at McGuire/ Catawba National Labs e BNL RAMONA-4B confirmatory
- MEKIN confi rmatory
- International e Paul Scherr Institute ARROTTA non-U.S.
- 3 e NEA PANDA non-U.S. Benchmark reference ;
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