ML20203L174
| ML20203L174 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Braidwood  |
| Issue date: | 08/19/1986 |
| From: | Slember R WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIV OF CBS CORP. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20203L173 | List: |
| References | |
| OL, NUDOCS 8608250142 | |
| Download: ML20203L174 (6) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of:
)
)
~
COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY )
Docket Nos. 50-456
)
50-457 (Braidwood Station, Units
)
1 and 2)
)
AFFIDAVIT OF RICHARD J. SLEMBER I, Richard J. Slember, being duly sworn, depose and state:
1.
I am General Manager of the Nuclear Fuel Divi-sions Business Unit of Westinghouse.
I have been responsible for nuclear fuel and reactor safety and engineering activities for over thirty years.
I joined Westinghouse in 1955 at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory where I was responsible for designing reactor cores for the nuclear navy.
From 1963 to 1971, at United Nuclear Corporation, I managed the design of reload nuclear fuel for various nuclear systems, including those supplied by Westinghouse.
From 1971 to the present, I have managed a succession of technical activities for Westinghouse, encompassing nuclear fuel design, testing and fabrication; eactor safety analysis and testing; and plant systems engineering.
2.
I am a 1955 graduate of Cooper Union with a BME degree.
I later earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering-from the University of Pittsburgh.
I have taught 8608230142 E60820 PDR ADOCK 05000456 G
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's courses in the Bettis Laboratory Reactor Engineering School, and graduate programs at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.
3.
I am submitting this affidavit in support of Commonwealth Edison Company's Motion for Authorization of Fuel Loading and Precritical Testing. As explained in the affi-davits of Thomas J. Maiman and Kenneth D. Brienzo, Commonwealth Edison will operate Braidwood Unit i under the authority being requested in a manner such that the concentration of boron within the reactor vessel will be maintained at or above 2000 parts per million (ppm) throughout the fuel loading process and precritical testing sequence without relying on the proper functioning of any electrical systems or circuitry.
The purpose of my affidavit is to show that if this concentration of boron is maintained there will be no physical means of the reactor core becoming critical, and therefore no electrical systems or circuitry will be required under accident and transient conditions.
4.
The reactor core becomes critical when the number of neutrons generated in the core is in equilibrium with the number of neutrons absorbed or lost.
The reactor remains suberitical when more neutrons are absorbed or lost than generated.
Neutrons that are lost cannot thereafter affect criticality.
There are two forms of neutron absorbers--
control rods and dissolved boron in the reactor coolant.
The effect of the neutron absorbers is influenced by changes in the St 09L 6-860819
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reactor coolant system temperature. Standard design calcula-tions taking into account these temperature effects have demonstrated that with all control rods withdrawn from the core, the boron concentration would have to be reduced to less than 1200 ppm for the core to become critical over the range of reactor coolant system temperatures which will occur during the precritical testing sequence. These standard criticality calculations are part of the core design for Braidwood and were performed by nuclear core design engineers within my area of responsibility.
5.
For the core to become critical, the excess neutron absorbers would have to be removed.
This can only be done by withdrawing control rods and/or reducing the baron concentration. Given the Commonwealth Edison commitment to maintain the concentration of boron in the reactor coolant system at or above 2000 ppm, substantially above the 1200 ppm shown necessary by the Westinghouse calculations, the with-drawal of all of the control rods cannot cause the reactor to become critical. Only dilution of the boron concentration in the reactor coolant could cause the reactor to become critical.
Such dilution will be precluded by the measures discussed in the affidavit of Kenneth D. Brienzo.
6.
The generation of neutrons is dependent upon the presence of reactor coolant (water).
If reactor coolant is lost from the core, both the neutron generation capability of the fuel and the neutron absorption capability of the boron B169L 6-860819
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Y dissolved in the water will be reduced.
Evaluations performed by Westinghouse under my area of responsibility show that the effect on neutron generation dominates the effect on neutron absorption, making the core even more subcritical.
In addi-tion, a loss of heat removal capability from the core is unimportant under the limited operation contemplated by Commonwealth Edison because the reactor core will never become critical and is therefore not a heat source.
7.
In conclusion, under the conditions that Commonwealth Edison will maintain, Braidwood Unit 1 will remain in a suberitical state under accident and transient conditions without any reliance on electrical systems or circuitry.
Maintaining the boron concentration in the reactor coolant system at or above 2000 ppm alone will assure the suberitical state of the reactor.
It follows, of course, that because the reactor will never become critical during either the fuel Icading process or precritical testing, no fission product source term will be generated; and consequently, no question will arise as to the protection of the public health and safety.
Further affiant sayeth not.
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to befo,re; me this day of y d
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD In the Matter of:
)
COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY
)
)
Docket Nos. 50-456
)
50-457 (Braidwood Station,
)
Units 1 and 2)
)
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I,
Peter Thornton, one of the attorneys for Commonwealth Edison Company, certify that copies of the Affidavit Of Richard J.
Slember have been served in the above-captioned matter on all persons listed on the attached Service List by Federal Express overnight delivery this 20th day of August, 1986 except where service has been made as otherwise noted.
Peter Thornton ISHAM, LINCOLN & BEALE t-uite 5000 Tnree First National Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312)558-7500 Dated:
August 20, 1986 1
1 SERVICE LIST
\\
Herbert Grossman, Esq Mr. William L.
Clements Chairman Chief, Docketing and Services Administrative Law Judge United States Nuclear Regulatory Atomic Safety and Licensing Commission Board Office of the Secretary United States Nuclear Regulatory Washington, DC 20555 Commission Washington, DC 20555
- Ms. Bridget Little Rorem 117 North Linden Street Dr. Richard F.
Cole P.O.
Box 208 Administrative Law Judge Essex, IL 60935 Atomic Safety and Licensing Board United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- *Douglass W.
Cassel, Jr.
Washington, DC 20555 Timothy W. Wright III BPI Dr.
A. Dixon Callihan 109 North Dearborn Street Administrative Law Judge Suite 1300 1911 Parkview Street Chicago, IL 60602 Huntington, West Virginia 25701 Charles Jones, Director Stuart Treby, Esq.
Illinois Emergency Services Elaine I. Chan, Esq.
and Disaster Agency Office of the Executive Legal 110 East Adams Director Springfield, IL 62705 United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission William Little, Director Washington, DC 20555 Braidwood Project Region III Atomic Safety and Licensing United States Nuclear Regulatory Board Panel Commission United States Nuclear Regulatory 799 Roosevelt Road Commission Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 Washington, DC 20555 Ms. Janice A.
Stevens Atomic Safety and Licensing United States Nuclear Regulatory Appeal Board Panel Commission United States Nuclear Regulatory 7920 Norfolk Avenue Commission Phillips Building Washington, DC 20555 Bethesda, MD 20014 (For ADDRESSEE ONLY)
Robert Guild 314 Pall Mall Columbia, So. Carolina 29201 George L.
Edgar, Esq.
- Service by United States Thomas A.
Schmutz, Esq.
mail, postage prepaid.
Newman & Holtzinger, P.C.,
1615 "L"
- Street, N.W.
- Service by hand.
Suite 1000 Washington, DC 20036
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