ML20154L920

SER Accepting Rev to Reactor Vessel Surveillance Capsule Withdrawal Schedule for James a Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant

ML20154L920
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	07/10/1998
From:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:
Shared Package
ML20154L914	List: ML20154L912 ML20154L920
References
NUDOCS 9810200115
Download: ML20154L920 (4)

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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION l

REVISION TO THE REACTOR VESSEL SURVEILLANCE CAPSULE WITHDRAWAL SCHEDULE JAMES A. FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT THE POWER AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK DOCKET NO. 50 333

1.0 INTRODUCTION

in a letter dated March 9,1998, (the licensee also known as the Power,'uthority of the State of New York) submitted, for NRC approval, their revised reactor vessel survCllance capsule withdrawal schedule for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. NRC regulations, given in 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H Section Ill.B.3, require licensees to obtain NRC approval before implementation of changes to reactor vessel surveillance capsule withdrawal schedules. The proposed withdrawal schedule was based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E 185-70 and E 185-82 recommendations, and reflected updated fluence information from the surveillance capsules removed in 1996 from FitzPatrick. The licensee's letter also included the report GE-NE-B1100732-01, " Plant FitzPatrick RPV Surveillance Materials Testing and Analysis of 120' Capsule at 13.4 EFPY." This report provided the test results of the second surveillance specimen capsule that was removed from the FitzPatrick reactor vessel in ,

November 1996.

The reactor vessel surveillance program for FitzPatrick was implemented to monitor the 4 radiation-induced changes in the mechanical and impact properties of the pressure vessel l

materials. This survelilance program was established in accnrdance with 10 CFR Part 50, '

Appendix H, and ASTM E 185-70.

j 2.0 EVALUATION Appendix H to 10 CFR Part 50, " Reactor Vessel Material Surveillance Program Requirements,"

requires licensees to monitor changes in the fracture toughness properties of ferritic materials in the reactor vessel beltline region of light water nuclear power reactors. Appendix H states that

" the design of the surveillance program and the withdrawal schedule must meet the requirements of the edition of ASTM E 185 that is current on the issue date of the ASME Code to which the reactor vessel was purchased. Later editions of ASTM E 185 may be used, but including only those editions through 1982.*

As indicated in the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report, the FitzPatrick reactor vessel was fabricated in accordance with the 1965 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) and the Winter 1966 Addenda. The Safety Evaluation for FitzPatrick's license, dated November 20,1972, indicates that the FitzPatrick surveillance program complies with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H, and ASTM E 185 70. Since the ASTM E 185-70 edition of the standard is a Enclosure 9810200115 990710 PDR A00CK 05000333 P PDR

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e la'sr edition of the ASME Code to which the FitzPatnck reactor vessel was purchased, the FitzPatrick surveillance capsule withdrawal schedule satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix H. In addition, the licensee has implemented the ASTM E 185-82 Standard, for the third capsula's withdrawal schedule. The location and target neutron fluence values for the FitzPatrick surveillance capsules is summarized in the attached table. A description of how the withdrawal schedule for FitzPatrick meets the recommendations of the ASTM E 185-70 1 Standard and the ASTM E 18542 Standard is provided below.

ASTM E 185-70 recommends that s'ets of specimens be withdrawn at three or more separate times. One set of specimens is to be withdrawn at the neutron exposure of the reactor vessel at no greater than 30 percent of its design life. Another set of specimens is to be withdrawn at the neutron exposure of the reactor vessel near the end of its design life. ASTM E 185 70 does not  ;

specify when the third set of specimens should be withdrawn. ASTM E 185-82 indicates that the i last capsule is to be withdrawn and tested at the end-of-life neutron fluence.

Currently, the licensee has tested 2 capsules for FitzPatrick. The first capsule, which was located at the 30' azimuthat location, was tested in accordance with the schedule of ASTM E 185-70, at a fluence of 2.6E17 n/cm 2, which corresponded to the neutron exposure no greater than 30 percent of its design life. The second capsule, which was located at the.120' 2

l azimuthal location, was tested at 5.0E17 n/cm . And the third capsule, which is locateo at the l 300' azimuthal location is scheduled to be tested at 1.8E18 n/cm , which will correspond to the l neutron exposure of the reactor vessel near the end of its design life, which is also in accordance l l to the schedule of ASTM E 185-70. The staff independently verified that the proposed )

withdrawal schedule for FitzPatrick is in accordance with ASTM E 185 70. The staff also verified l that the proposed withdrawal schedule for FitzPatrick's third capsule is also in accordance with ASTM E 185-82. )

3.0 CONCLUSION

l Based on the staff's review of the licensee submittal, the FitzPatrick surveillance capsule l withdrawal schedule satisfies the requirements of ASTM E 185-70 and 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix  !

H. Therefore, the staff approves the revised withdrawal schedule for FitzPatrick.

Principal Contributor- M. Khanna Date: July 10.1998 I

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REFERENCES:

1. Letter from Mr. J. Knubel (PASNY) to NRC Document Control Desk, dated March 9,1998, i

" Revised Reactor Pressure Vessel Material Surveillance Program Summary Report and implementation for FitzPatrick."

( 2. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50, Appendix H, " Reactor Vessel Material l

Surveillance Program Requirements," January 1998.

3. American Society for Testing and Matenals, " Standard Recommended Practice for l Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Reactor Vessels," ASTM E 185 70.

l 4. American Society forTesting and Materials, " Standard Recommended Practice for l Surveillance Tests for Nuclear Reactor Vessels," ASTM E 185-82.

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5. NUREG-1511. " Reactor Pressure Vessel Status Report," December 1994.

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STATUS OF FITZPATRICK SURVElLLANCE CAPSULES i

i l l CAPSULE LOCATION TARGET FLUENCE STATUS i

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30' 2.6E17 TESTED j 120' 5.0E17 TESTED 300' -

TO BE TESTED e

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