ML20141L970
| ML20141L970 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05200003 |
| Issue date: | 10/03/1996 |
| From: | Ader C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH (RES) |
| To: | Berlinger C NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20141L887 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-97-129 NUDOCS 9706030270 | |
| Download: ML20141L970 (4) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES g
g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o
'f WASHINGTON, D.C. 2055M001
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i October 3, 1996 4
MEMORANDUM T0:
Carl H. Berlinger, Chief Containment Systems'and Severe Accident Branch Division of Systems Safety and Analysis j
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
/
4 FROM:
Charles E. Ader, Chief M[ 'ido /bb C d i
Accident Evaluation Branch Division of Systems Technology j
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
SUBJECT:
RESPONSE TO USER NEEDS FOR PASSIVE AUT0 CATALYTIC RECOMBINER 3
3 TESTING AND ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE NECESSARY FOR AP600 j
CERTIFICATION l
This memorandum is in response to your memorandum dated September 17, 1996, l-requesting technical assistance on passive autocatalytic recombiner (PAR) i performance testing and additional assistance for AP600 certification.
1 In response to this request, the Accident Evaluation Branch, has initiated an extension of the existing PAR 9rogram at Sandia sational Laboratories (SNL) to i
perform tests needed to addre ; the three areas identified in your letter.
)
The tests will be performed at the SURTSEY facility at SNL. A total of i
fourteen tests have already been conducted, and preliminary tests results were i
presented to members of your staff on August 6 and 7, 1996, at SNL.
These i
tests were conducted to address NRR's user need for technical assistance to verify performance data for Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners (PARS) in i
f support of the design certification of the AP600 (user need memorandum dated i
j August 11, 1995, from W.T. Russell to D.L. Morrison).
SNL expects to complete the draft report on these tests by mid-November 1996. A copy of the draft 1
j report will be sent to you as soon as it becomes available.
SNL will not start the additional PAR '.asting until the end of November 1996.
SNL is in the process of identifying instrumentation and equipment that needs i
recalibration, repair, or replacement prior to restarting these tests. SNL already has ordered eleven new PAR cartridges to replace ones used in the previous tests.
Specific test conditions for the areas identified in your i
letter will be coordinated with the Containment Systems and Severe Accidents Branch. We will continue to keep the NRR staff informed on the progress of this program.
I With regard to your need for RES assistance in the review of the DOE /ID-10541 report entitled, " Lower Head Integrity Under In-Vessel Steam Explosion Loads,"
in discussions with your staff it was agreed that we would support a meeting with Westinghouse at the end of October 1996. We think it would be appropriate to have a meeting among ourselves prior to the Westinghouse meeting to discuss the review status and comments.
I Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
A
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9706030270 970529 PDR FOIA WILLIAM 9,7-129 PDR
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I FUTURE PAR TESTING NEEDS The purpose of the second series of PAR performance testing which was not completed at SNL was to perform experiments to:
Evaluate the characteristics 'of the PAR's ignition of hydrogen l
mixtures Define the lowest oxygen concentration that the PAR starts recombining oxygen with hydrogen Define the PAR performance in well mixed environment Define the flow through the PAR (Based on discussions with NRR, this item was added to the list after the issuance of the NRR user i
need letter on second series of PAR testing)
Three experiments were performed up to this point within the scope of the second series of tests.
]
Two tests were performed to define the PAR performance in well mixed environment at very low hydrogen concentrations i
One test was performed to define the lowest oxygen concentration that the PAR starts recombining oxygen with hydrogen The following are experiments within the scope of the second series of tests which were not performed due to budget limitations.
These are experiments to:
Evaluate the characteristic of the PAR's ignition of hydrogen mixtures in air, steam environment.
(Two tests should be performed, one with new catalyst and one with damaged catalyst.)
Define PAR performance and flow through the PAR in an air / steam environment at well mixed conditions.
This will include three tests total. One test with new ~ catalyst at low hydrogen concentration.
The remaining two tests will use damaged catalyst and will be performed at two different high hydrogen concentrations.
Based on the results of the second series of tests at SNL the existence of hydrophobic coating provides an unexplained behavior in the performance of PAR. An experiment needs to be performed to:
Define the PAR performance in well mixed environment at very low hydrogen concentration with new hydrophobic coating.
This is a repeat test and is necessary because tests (PAR 7 and PAR 14) already performed under these condition provided an unexpected and unexplained behavior.
Budget should allow for one additional test for unexpected and unexplained test behavior or for instrumentation and equipment problems.
'n The total estimated cost for the above tests including documentation is estimated to be $220K.
1 l
l k
s Test Matrix to Evaluate the Performance of PARS Test Facility:
Sartsey at SNL Test #
Purpose PAR Scale Atmosobere 1
Scale & performance at 1/8 1 bar air, 1 bar steam, continuous well mixed conditions injection of H and 0 until PAR 1
to determine H depletion reaches steady, state at 1.0%H 2
2 rates nere accurately than Continuousoperationoffansf.or well q
previous tests mixed conditions.
(See Notes 1 and 2) l 2
0, startup 1/8 1 bar N, I bar steam,1%H, 0.0%0 -
2 2
Initiate injection of 0. 2 Slowly increase 2
0 concentration until PAR starts 2recombining. Continuous operation of fans for well mixed conditions.
(See Notes 1 and 2) l 3
PAR ignites the mixture 1/8 1 bar air, I bar steam, continuous (This test will destroy injection of H concentrak.
Slowly and 0 2
the hydrophobic coating) increase H ion until PAR 2
ignites the mixture. Continuous operation of fans for well mixed conditions.
4 Initial conditions for this and the following tests will be decided after some key results from the tests described above become available.
NOTES:
(1)
These tests are performed with new cartridges. The first two tests will be performed at low hydrogen concentrations to keep the PAR at low temperatures to avoid burning of the hydrophobic coating.
(2)
The 1.0%H concentration is a preliminary estimate of the highest H concentration 2
2 that will not burn the hydrophobic coating.
SNL to provide final estimate.
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