ML20205Q175
| ML20205Q175 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | General Atomics |
| Issue date: | 05/20/1986 |
| From: | Asmussen K GENERAL ATOMICS (FORMERLY GA TECHNOLOGIES, INC./GENER |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION (ADM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20205Q179 | List: |
| References | |
| 67-9000, NUDOCS 8605280200 | |
| Download: ML20205Q175 (3) | |
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GATechnologie1 In Reply Refer to: 67/9000 G A Technologies Inc.
Po BOX 85608 SAN DIEGo. CALIFORNIA 92138 20 MaY 1986 1619) 455-3000 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 ATTN: Document Control Desk.
Subject:
Docket No. 50-163: License No. R-67; Proposed Technical Specifi-cations Change.
(3 copies)
References:
(a)
" Current Status of Uranium Zirconium-Hydride Low Enrichment Uranium Fuel Design and Development,"
R. H. Chesworth September 1982.
(b) "The U-ZrH Alloy: Its Properties and Use in TRIGA Fuel," M. Y. Simnad, February 1980.
(c)
" Final Results of Qualification Testin6 of TRIGA Fuel in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor Including Post-Irradiation Examination," R. H. Chesworth and G. B.
West, October 1985.
(d)
" Post Irradiation Examination and Evaluation of TRIGA LEU Fuel Irradiated in the Oak Ridge Research Reactor,"
M. T. Simnad and G. West, May 1986.
Dear Sir:
This is an application for a license amendment for GA Technologies Inc.'s (GA) Mark F TRIGA reactor R-67 that will: (1) define certain TRIGA LEU fuels as standard fuel so they can be added to the list of standard, well proven, fuels for the Mark F reactor, and (2) permit continued tests under the "special" fuel provisions for LEU fuel with uranium loadings in the range from >30 wt-5 to 45 wt-%.
Two standard LEU fuel types are pro-posed, namely, fuel containing 20 wt-% uranium of 20% enrichment (i.e.
20-20 LEU fuel) and fuel containing 30 wt-% uranium of 20% enrichment (i.e. 30-20 LEU fuel). As standard fuels, these LEU fuels would then no longer need to be treated as "special" fuel under the R-67 license Tech-nical Specifications.
The following sections of the R-67 Technical Specifications involve pro-posed changes: 5.2.3 (new); 5.3.2 (revised); 5.5.1 (revised); and 9.2.2 (revised).
In 1978 the Commission issued Amendment 29 to Facility Operating License No. R-67.
This amendment included changes that elevated FLIP fuel to the status of standard fuel and provided for an envelope of tests for LEU fuel with uranium loadings up to 45 wt-5 with 20% enrichment in U-235 8605280200 860520 PDR ADOCK 05000163
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PDR HN JAY HOPKINS DR. SAN DIEGo. CAUFoRNIA 92121
NRR 67/9000 (i.e., 45-20 LEU fuel). The present application requests permission to elevate certain proven LEU fuels to the status of standard TRIGA fuel alongside the already standard TRIGA FLIP fuel. These LEU fuels are the 20-20 and 30-20 fuel. The remaining LEU fuels having uranium loadings more than 30 wt-5 are to remain as spr.cial fuel. The envelope for per-missible tests remains as previously set forth in Amendment 29.
In addi-tion, the provision will remain to provide special surveillance for oper-ations with standard FLIP or star.dard LEU fuels that lie outside a well defined boundary for routine operation.
We call attention to the fact that this application for a license amend-ment relating to LEU fuel is submitted as part of the Commission's over-all program for conversion of domestically licensed Research and Test Re-actors from HEU to LEU fuels.
As such, we request a waiver of applicable fees as set forth in the Federal Register, Vol. 51, No. 37, February 25, 1986. Further, in addition to providing that material needed to support the present application for a specific Technical Specification change, we shall endeavor to provide sufficient additional material to support the position that LEU fuel for TRIGA reactors is fully qualified and, as such, can be installed as desired in other licensed reactors within the United States. To this end, we have concentrated attention herein on the 20-20 and 30-20 LEU alloys and presented justification for considering them as direct replacement for the FLIP fuel in existing licensed facil-ities.
It may be additionally noted that it is not our intent to install a per-manent LEU core in our Mark F reactor at this time because of the lack of DOE funding (again as set forth in the referenced Federal Register). How-ever, early in 1987, a program at GA will involve: (1) installation of a full core of LEU (20-20 or 30-20) fuel, (2) operation of this LEU core for steady state tests for a few weeks, and (3) shipment of the fuel for use in a reactor outside the United States. To accommodate this, we plan to unload the present core and store the highly self protecting FLIP fuel in an approved, underwater, locked, and safeguarded storage vault during these short term tests on the LEU core.
After the tests, we plan to re-install the present core that consists mainly of FLIP fuel and continue operation until DOE shall provide funds for the conversion from HEU to LEU TRIGA fuel. At such a time, we presume that the license amendment issued in response to the present application will still be in effect and that the government supported installation of the LEU core could be ef-fected without additional documentation or justification.
Attached to this letter and a part thereof is material in support of this application. Attachment 1 provides new wording (marked in the margins) for the Technical Specifications, which upon implementation would:
(1) extend the definition of Standard fuel to include the TRIGA LEU fuel (20-20 and 30-20), and (2) permit the continued testing of a special core containing up to a full loading of special fuel elements with uranium loadings more than 30 wt-5 and up to 45 wt-5. provides the safety analysis in support of TRIGA LEU (20-20 and 30-20) fuel as stand-ard fuel.
.e NRR 67/9000 Please note that References (a), (b),- (c) and (d) are referred to by At-tachment 2.
References (a), (b) and (c) are enclosed.
Reference (d) is presently being revised prior to final typing and will be forwarded to your office in support of this application as soon as it is available.
We trust that sufficient material has been presented to support our appli-cation and that a license amendment can be issued to permit the requested operations.
If you should have any questions about the above, please contact me or Dr. William Whittemore at (619) 455-2823 or (619) 455-3277, respectively.
Very truly yours, Keith E. Asmussen Manager, Licensing &
Nuclear Compliance KEA:WLW:he Attachments:
- 1. Suggested Word Changes for R-67 Technical Specifications.
Enclosures:
- 1. Peterence (a).
- 2. Reference (b).
- 3. Reference (c).
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
) ss COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO )
After being duly sworn, the peson known to me to be Keith E. Asmussen, Manager, Licensing and Nuclear Compliance, GA Technologies Inc., San Diego, California, signed the above document this g day of May 1986.
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