ML20154A963
| ML20154A963 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Waterford  |
| Issue date: | 05/05/1988 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154A958 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8805160278 | |
| Download: ML20154A963 (2) | |
Text
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3 UNITED STATES 8'
'g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION w ash WGTON, D. C. 20666 I
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l SAFETY EVALUATION BY_ THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR PEGULATION, PROCEDURE FOR CONTINUATION OF CONTAINFENT INTEGRATED LEAXAGE RATE TEST WITH EXCESSIVE LEAXAGE WATERFORD GENERATING STATION, UNIT 3 DOCKET NO 50 382
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated Parch 3, 1988. Louisiana Power and Light (LP&L) requested a partial exemption from Aprendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, "Primary Reactor Centaiorert Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors". The exenption requests waiver of the Appendix J III.A.1(a) requirement to stop the Type A test (Contain-rent Integrated Leakage Pate Test or CILRT) if excessive leakage is determined
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and instead to allow adjustrents in the Type A leakage rate considering the "as found" and "as left" conditions.
2.0 EVALUATION Appendix J. Section !!!.A.1.(a), in part requires that if during a Type A test, potentially excestive leakage paths are identified which will interfere with satisfactory completion of the test, the Type A test shall be terminated and 4
local leakage testing perforced on the paths of concern. Repairs and/or adjust-I j
ments shall be made to affected equipment and a Type A test perforned. The staff has in the past, concluded that acceptable means exist for satisfactory i
completion cf Type A tests when excessive leakage is discovered without termina-
[
ting the Type A test.
The objective of Appendix J Type A testing is to deterrine both the "as found" k
i centainrent leakage condition and also the final ("as left") condition, if repairs are nade.
First, a satisfactory completion of a Type A test is essential to ensure that actual leakage rates ("as left") do not exceed those rates assumed i
by accident analyses. Second, the "as found" condition of the contairc4tt rust be recsured te obtain an indication of the ability of the certairment to rerain leaktight throughout the period between tests and for purpose of detennining sub-sequent testing frequency.
The licensee's proposal describes the approach it intends to follev to ensure the technical adeqccey of Type A testing.
Specifically, when excessive leakage i
is experienced during a Type A test, significant leaks will be identified and j
isolated frem the test. Penetrations so isolated will be capable of local leak-age rate testing. Once these leaks have been isolated, the Type A test will be continued. Following the Type A test, local leakage rates will be r,easured 4
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.. before and after repairs to each isolated leakage path. The results of the Type A test will then be back-corrected using the "minimum pathway" leakage rate for each penetration. The local leakage measurements before the repair are added to the Type A results to detemine the "as found" condition and possible "as found" Type A test failure, which could increase future Type A test frequency as required by Section III.A.6 of Appendix J.
The after-repair measurements (the Type A test reasurement plus the "as left" local leakage rates) detemine the final accept-ability of the test. For a satisfactory Type A test, the corrected Type A results -
(the sum of the appropriate local leakages and the Type A test results) must be less than 75% of the maximum allowable leakage rate, la or Lt as appropriatc.
An approach of this type is described in the recently proposed Appendix J revisions
[51FR39538, October 29,1986]. This approach provides the information needed concerning the pre-and post-repair ("as found" and "as left") untainment condi-tion. At the same time, it will tend to minimize occupational radiation exposure as well as the length of time for which the containment is pressurized. There-fore, it satisfies the intent and objective of Appendix J Type A testing.
3.0 CONCLUSION
Eased on reviev of the licensee's request, the staff concludes that the licensee's approacn for continuing Type A contair. rent leakege testing when excessive leakage is identified satisfies the intent of the regulation and is therefore, technically acceptable.
Principal Centributor:
J. Pulsipher Dated:
May 5, 1988 r%
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