ML20141E001

Forwards RAI Re Licensee 961211 Request for Amends to Licenses DPR-33,DPR-52 & DPR-68.Request Proposed Changing TS for as-found Setpoint Tolerance for Main Steam Safety/Relief Valves

ML20141E001
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	06/26/1997
From:	Williams J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Kingsley O TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
References
TAC-M97412, TAC-M97413, TAC-M97414, NUDOCS 9706300186
Download: ML20141E001 (4)

Text

l June 26,1997 1 Mr. Oliver D. Kingsley, Jr. l President, TVA Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street I Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (TAC NOS. M97412, M97413, AND M97414) l (TS 386) l

Dear Mr. Kingsley:

1 On December 11, 1996, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) requested amendments to the operating licenses for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN)

Units 1, 2, and 3. This request proposed changing technical'. specifications (TS) for the as-found setpoint tolerance for the main steam safety / relief valves from fl% to i3%. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff )

has determined that additional information will be requiredito complete its l review of TVA's request. The additional information requested is described in l the enclosure.- ,

The NRC staff understands that TVA has not established a schedule for BFN Unit I restart. TVA stated that analyses required for the increased setpoint tolerance will be performed prior to BFN Unit I restart. TVA also noted that the increased setpoint tolerance had been incorporated into the proposed BFN improved technical specification (ITS) conversion submitted on September 6, 1996. Since the BFN Unit 1 proposed ITS include the. change in tolerance, there is no need to track this change for the current BFN Unit 1 TS.

Therefore, the staff intends to deny the amendment requested on December 11, 1996 for BFN Unit 1. This denial will be documented in separate correspondence.

Please contact me at (301)415-1470 if you have any questions on this topic.

Sincerely, 30 W. CEMER CM WRlMfiffah.eroJectMana9er Project Directorate 11-3 9706300186 970626 Division of Reactor Projects - I/II PDR P

ADOCK 05000259 PDR Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 9(b \

Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296

Enclosure:

Request For Additional Ei_stribution \

Information Docket File GHammer PUBLIC GGolub l cc w/

Enclosure:

See next page BFN Rdg. BMozafari SVarga JJohnson, RII DOCUMENT NAME: G:\BFN\M97412.RAI OGC ACRS To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" - Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" - Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy 0FFICE PDII-3/PM /,1 lf PDII-3/LA _4/ lC PDII-3/D f4 / pox l1 l NAME JWilliams /hS/ BClayton A9~' FHebdon/f' Ay1/

DATE 06/fp /97 F 06/-) te/97 06/ A /97 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY

- - _ - - - - - c 2 02 Tl

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l Mr. Ol'iver D. Kingsley, Jr. BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority l

! l cc l Mr. O. J. Zeringue, Sr. Vice President Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Nuclear Operations Licensing and Industry Affairs

Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

! 6A Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street P.O. Box 2000 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Decatur, AL 35609 l ,

1 Mr. Jack A. Bailey, Vice President Regional Administrator {

Engineering & Technical Services U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission  !

Tennessee Valley Authority Region II 6A Lookout Place 61 Forsyth Street, SW., Suite 23T85 1101 Market Street Atlanta, GA 30303-3415 )

Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Leonard D. Wert Mr. C. M. Crane, Site Vice President Senior Resident Inspector Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority '

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 2000 10833 Shaw Road Decatur, AL 35609 Athens, AL 35611 i

General Counsel Chairman Tennessee Valley Authority Limestone County Commission ET 10H 310 West Washington Street 400 West Summit Hill Drive Athens, AL 35611 Knoxville, TN 37902 State Health Officer Mr. Raul R. Baron, General Manager Alabama Department of Public Health Nuclear Assurance and Licensing 434 Monroe Street Tennessee Valley Authority Montgomery, AL 36130-1701 4J Blue Ridge 8 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Pedro Salas, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs ,

Tennessee Valley Authority i 4J Blue Ridge j l 1101 Market Street  !

l Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

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l REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION l T -

l BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 2 AND 3 l ,

INCREASED MAIN STEAM SAFETY / RELIEF VALVE SETPOINT TOLERANCE l l

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1. Enclosure 5, page 13 of the December 11, 1996 submittal states that the hydrodynamic main steam safety / relief valves (S/RVs) loads resulting from the 3% setpoint tolerance are less than 1% higher than the " loads l used in design." However, it is the NRC staff's experience via review l of other analyses, such as those supporting power uprate at several ,

t boiling water reactors that the loads vary almost linearly with respect I to opening pressure of the S/RVs. Therefore, it is expected that an '

increase in the S/RV setpoints to 3% would result in a 3% increase in  !

the S/RV hydrodynamic loads. I

a. What S/RV setpoints and setpoint tolerances were assumed for developing the above " loads used in design"?

b. Describe the methodology for determining the S/RV hydrodynamic loads and the analysis results which indicate only a 1% load increase for the 3% setpoint tolerance. l l .

It is also stated that the resulting 1% increase in the loads is negligible when combined with other combined loads; therefore, the effect of the load increases on the plant structures were not evaluated.

What is the available structural margin such that these load c.

increases are negligible?

2. Enclosure 5, page 13 of the December 11, 1996 submittal states that the maximum differential pressure due to the increased S/RV setpoint 4 tolerance was evaluated for valves in the Generic Letter 89-10 program.

Please verify that the calculations which demonstrate the capability of '

these valves to function adequately have been revised for these i differential pressures.  ;

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3. What is the basis for the high-pressure coolant injection (HPCI) and I reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) design requirement to provide design flow to the reactor vessel at pressures up to 1120 psig? In other words, how was the 1120 psig value originally determined?

4. The engineering analysis describes the calculations performed to determine the required additional flow, power, and rpm needed for HPCI and RCIC.

a. Do the HPCI and RCIC turbines have a maximum allowable pressure?

, b. If so, what is the value and is the value exceeded due to l , increased S/RV tolerance?

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Enclosure l

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. 5. TVA's submittal includes plant-specific analyses supporting the increase S/RV setpoint tolerance for Unit 2. The cover letter states that analyses supporting the increased S/RV setpoint tolerance is being )

performed for the next Unit 3 reload cycle.

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! a. Verify that the necessary plant-specific analyses have been completed for the current Unit 3 operating cycle. l I

b. Confirm that any differences between Units 2 and 3 that exist in i approved alternative operating modes (e.g., increased core flow, extended load line limit, or final feedwater temperature reduction) have been addressed for Unit 3.

c. Describe how TVA will ensure that the increased setpoint tolerance will be reflected in future operating cycles for each unit.

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