ML20141M080

Forwards CE NPSD-692-P, Cracked CEA Failure Analysis & Evaluation of Highly Irradiated CEA Matls Final Rept for Info,Per .Rept Withheld (Ref 10CFR2.790)

ML20141M080
Person / Time
Site:	Maine Yankee
Issue date:	03/23/1992
From:	Nichols S Maine Yankee
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
Shared Package
ML19354F192	List: ML20141M080
References
MN-92-26, SEN-92-81, NUDOCS 9203310306
Download: ML20141M080 (9)

Text

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MaineYankee

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March 23, 1992 MN-92-26 SEH-92-81 UNITED STA1CS NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION '

Attention: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 .

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References:

(a) License No. OPR-36 (Docket No. 50-309)  ;

i. (b) letter, MYAPCo to USNRC, MM-M-122, daten December 12, 1990 (c) Letters, MYAPCo to USNRC, MN-91-122 and Mh-Ce 182, dated August 23, 1991, and December 31, 1991 I

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Subject:

Submittal of CE-NPSD-692-P: " Cracked CEA Failure Analysis and Evaluation of Highly irradiated CEA-Haterials"

. Gentlemen:- ,

As per heference (b), Maine Yankee is tereby submitting, for your information, the finav report evaluatirg the hot cell examinations of the failed CEAs identified -

during the Cycle 11/12 refueling autage. This report is provideo as Attachment B.

The failure analysis, as described in Reference Ib), indicates that the cause i- of the CEA cracking is an intergranular irradiation-assisted stress corrosion L mechanisni. In this type of phenomena, imparity atoms segregate to the grain L baundaries under neutron irradiation and are believed tc ' contribute to intergranular- '

cracking upon reaching a critical concentration. The driving force for the crack initiation and propagation is postulated to bc either the stress associated with the swelling of the boren carbide pellet against the inside of the cladding- at the l trradiated zone during power operation:; or the stress resulting from a differential l:

shrinkage rate of the CEA cladding and boron carbice pellet during cooldowns. In L either case, a brittle fracture of the CEA cladding was not observed.

The work resulting-in the preparation of, this report and the report -itself are L proprietary te Combustion Engineering, Inc. Accordingly, Combustion Engineering and t l Maine Yankee both request.that the staff treat the enclosed report as proprietary.

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! 9203310306 92032a '

PDR. ADOCK 05000309 ,

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[NilillONtil!WO UN11LO STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION MN-92-26 Attention: Document Control Desk Page Two Attachment A contains an af fidavit pursuant to the provisioas of 10 CFR 2.790 in conformance with the identification of proprictary information. Please note that a non-proprietary version of the above subject report ,c-NPSD-692-P does not exist.

If there are any questions or comments concerning this report, please cont act me.

Very truly yours.

[

S. E. Nichols, Manager Licensing & Engineering Support Department j

RPJ/ jag Attachments r

c: Mr. Thomas T. Mr$rtin (w/o Attachment B)

Mr. Charles S. Marschall (w/o Attachn.ent B)

'Mr. E. H. Trottier (w/o Attachmant b)

Mr. Patrick J. Dostie (w/o Attachment B)

Mr. Phillip W. Richardson, Jr. (CEOG) (w/o Attachment B) ,

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1 ATTACHMENT A b

Affidavit Pursuant to 10 CFR 23Q

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t AFFIDAVIT PURSUANT l

TO 10 Qf u l2A

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Combustion Engineering, Inc. )

Stato of Conr.octicut ) ,

County ot' Ilartford ) SS.: Wjndsor  !

I, S. A. Toollo, depose and say that I am the Hunagor, Nuclear  !

Licensing, of Combustion Engincoring, Inc., duly authorized to mako l

thin- af fidavit, and have reviewed or caused to havo reviewed the

~information which is-identified as proprietary and referenced in the l paragraph imrod! ately below. I am subinitting this affidavit in  :

conformance with.the provisions of 10 CFR 2.790 of the Commisolon's regulations for, withholding this information.

l The inf ormation for which proprietary treatmenc is sought is ,

contained in tM following document:

CE NPSD-692-P, " Cracked CEA Fal).ure ,Tnalysis and Evaluation of liighly -

Irradiated CEA Materials," December 1991.

Thia document has been oppropriately designated as proprietary.

L I have personal knowledge of tho criteria an.d proceduroc utilized by Combustion Eligir.eering in deJignating information as a trade-secrot, privileged or as confidential commercial or financial' information.

Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b) (4) of Section 2.790

-of the Commissionds regulations, tho following ir f'arnished for consideration -by the Commistlon in determining whether the

[ inforlaation sought to be withhold from public disclosuro, included in

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the above referenced document, should be withhold.

1. The information sought to bo-withhold from public disclosure, l i- -which is oknad and han been hold in confidence by Combustion I Engincuring, concerns the irradiated proporties of control rod materials.

2. The information consists of tout data or other similar data [

.concerning a process, nothod or component, the application of which resulte in aubstantial competitivo advantage to combustion Enrjincoring.

'3. Tno information.'is of a type cuntomarily hold in confidence by.

Combustion Engineering and not customarily disclosed to the publ c. Combustion Enginacring han a rational basis for determining the types of information customarily hold in confidence by it and,-in that connection, utilizes a syntcm to

-dotormine when and whether to hold certain types of inforcation . ,

in confidence. The.dotails of the aforementioned systen woro j providod to the Nuclear Regulatory Commisslou'via letter DP-537 -

from F. M. Stern to Frank Schroeder da ted December 2, 1974.

This system was appl'.ed in determining tnat the subject document i

!L herein is proprietary.

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4. The information is being transailtted to the Commissici in

confidenco under the provisions of 10 CFR 2.790 with the L

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understanding that it is to be roccived in confidence by the Commission.

5. :The informat. ton, to the best of my knowledge and belief, is not availablo in public sources, and any disclosure to third parties has been mado pursuant to regulatori provisions or proprietary ,

agreements which provih for maintenance of the ir. formation in t confidence.

6. Public disclosure of the information is likely to cause '

4 substantial harm to the competitive position of Corubustion Engineering because  !

a. A sin 11ar product is manufactured and sold by najor pressurized water reactor compatitort: of Combustion ,

Engineering, b._ Development of this information by C E required thousands t

of manhours and hundreds of' thousands of dollars. To the besc of my knowledge and belief, a c,ampecit or would have t.o j undergo similar expense in generating equivalent anformation,

c. In order to acquire such information, a competitor would also require c,onsiderable timo and inconvenience performing -

a failure analynis of cracked CEA cladding.

d. The information requjred significant ef fort and expense to

( obtain the licensing approvals necessary for application of  ;

l the information. Avoidance of this expense would decrease 1 =

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a computitor'n cont in appl */ing the informatien ann marketing the product to which the information 10 applicable.

c. The information consinto of analyses of the irradiated propertion of control rod mater'.Ca, the application of which providra a. competitive economic advantage. The availability of such information to conpetitorc wculd p

enable them to modify their product to botter compoto with Combuntion F.ngineering, take marketing or other act lons to improve their product's position or irapair the positior, of (

Combuntion Engineering's product, and avoid developing

similar data and analyseu in support of their processen, niothoda or apparatus.

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f. In pricing Combuction Engineering's products rnd servicco, significant rencarch, development, engineering, analytical, manuf acturing, ' ice %1ng, quality assuranco and other costs and expenceu mue.t bn included. "he ability of Combuntion Engineering's competit. irs to utilizo such information without nimilar expenditure of resourcea may enable them to call at prices reilocting clr;nificantly lower costs,

g. Une of the information by competitors in the international e

marketplace woulci increase their ability to market nuclear Ltear supply syctoma by reducing the costo associatmt with y their technology devolepment. In addition, disclosure 3 ~

would have an adverse economic impact on Combustion Engirecring's potential for obtaining or maintaining 4

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. ~S-foreign licenseco. ,

Furthor.the deponent sayoth not.

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S. A. Toollo Manager Nuclear Licensing Sworn to before no

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this 6dh.._ day of C'MMMf 44 , 1992 6

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- Sotary-Putide t My commission expiraat N IIw 1 a

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AfiACitMElli a Report .LL-tif1E6R-L1;32py n9.251

" Cracked CEA failure Analysis and Evaluation of liig51y li radiated CEA Materials" If

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