ML20206D507
| ML20206D507 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Millstone  |
| Issue date: | 11/14/1988 |
| From: | Jaffe D Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Mroczka E NORTHEAST NUCLEAR ENERGY CO. |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8811170113 | |
| Download: ML20206D507 (3) | |
Text
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i November 14, 1988 Cocket Nos. 50-245, 50-336,
- DISTRLBUTION and 50-423
'opee w L m e N NRC & Local.PORs Edordan ACRS(10)
L BCrimes DJaffe Mr. Edward J. Mroczka SVarga Senior Vice President BBoger OGC(info.only)
Nuclear Engineering and Operations
.MBoyle Northeast Nuclear Energy Company SNorris P. O. Box 270 Gray File Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270
Dear Mr. Mroczka:
SUBJECT:
MILLSTONE NUCLEAR POWER STATION, UNITS 1, 2 and 3 The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a survey the NRC is conducting of advanced instrumentation and central systems in nuclear power plants and to invite Northeast Nuclear Energy Company's Millstone Nuclear Power station to participate in the survey.
NRC has asked Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to survey a sample of the nuclear power industry, utilities and vendors to detennine the current uses of and future applications of advanced (digital) instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants. A three-person ORNL team lead by Dr. Rnbert E. Uhrig, retired Vice President of Florida Power & Light Ccepany, will visit a select group of vendors and utilities to assess the technologies being developed, the potential regulatory issues that may arise if advanced (digital) systems are installed in operating nuclear power plants, and the interest in the human factors aspects of these systems (e.g., man-machine interface and verification and validation (V&V) required to assure proper opera tion).
Systems in the survey include, but are not limited to, direct digital control systems, operator aides (diagnostic systems, decision aides, etc.), and any system that utilizes artificial intelligence and/or expert systems.
Direct replacement of obsolete instrumentation and control conponents and systems in nuclear pcwer plants is increasingly difficult because duplicate units often are no longer available. However, advances in digital electronics and associated technologies offer o)portunity for upgrading and increased perfonnance. Recent experience witi digital control of feedwater systems shows a significant reduction in the number of trips. Other developments by EPRI, vendors and utilities indicate that advanced instronentation and control systems can enhance plant perforriance and may increase the margin of safety.
NRC has observed many of these developments and concurs that, with proper implenentation, such systems can provide many of the anticipated benefits.
The NRC's primary concern is the proper installation and use of such systems.
NRC's current guidelines and regulations deal almost exclusively with analog systems. The refinement of these regulations in evaluating digital systems requires kriowledge of the intended uses, the type of digital technology, and anticipated software engineering practices in the nuclear industry.
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8811170113 881114 DR ADOCK 0500 j5
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" Mr. E. J. Mroczka We believe that there are several reasons why utilities would find participa-tion in this survey beneficial. These include:
)
1.
The financial and operational benefits made possible by the use of modern digital control and instrurrentation in other fields (e.g., in petroleum refining plants, aircraft, weapon systems, etc.) have been quite significant, and there is good reason to believe that the benefits to 1
l nuclear power plants can be equally attractive.
2.
itany power plant control rooms are undergoing a transformation from 4
analog to digital systems because nany analog conponents and systems are no longer available.
If the digital systems merely emulate the analog functions, nuch of the potential berefit of modern digital control and q
instrun.entation systems will be lost.
Furthermore, there is reason to d
believe that digital systems will be emphasized in plant life extension program.
I 3.
Participation represents an opportunity for utilities and vendors to provide useful information on anticipated safety issues to the NRC for i
the forculation of a technical basis for regulations and guidance.
l Participation in this survey is voluntary.
It is not a review of any program or facilities; rather it is an information gathering effort which will be used j
to help the NRC determine whether to devote the necessary resources to prepare i
guidelines and regulations on the use of advanced (digital) technologies in nuclear instrunentation and control systems. We, therefore, solicit your assistance in this survey.
The survey will involve the team meeting with appropriate utility personnel 4
who engineer and/or supervise the installation of such systems in the plants.
In situations where such systems are in use, the team would like to meet with operating personnel to determine the human-factors aspects which arose. The total time involved should not exceed one day.
In this regard, the NPC has already made contacts with menbers of your staff to discuss participation in this survey. The result of these conversatfors was a tentative approval of the survey team visiting your headquarters in i
Berlin, CT. and/or visiting the plant site on Cecember 13, 1988.
If this arrangerrent is acceptable, please contact Dr. Uhrig at Oak Ridge National j
t.aboratory,(615)574-564? regarding arrangments for the visit.
Sincerely, ori*.inni signed by Michael noyle l
David H. Jaffe, Project Manager Project Directorate I-4 l
Division of Reactor Projects I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation i
cc: Mr. P. Blanch i
Northeast Utilities i
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ll//i/E8 1/th/88 11/g/88 11/f/88 t
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.g Mr. E. J. Mroczka Millstone Nuclear Power Station Northeast Nuclear Energy Corpany Units Nos. 1, 2 & 3 cc:
Gerald Garfield, Esquire R. M. Kacich, Manager Day, Berry and Howard Generation Facilities Licensing Counselors at Law Northeast Utilities Service Company City Place Post Office Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06103-3499 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 W. D. Romberg, Vice President D. O. Nordquist Nuclear Operations Manager of Quality Assurance Northeast Utilities Service Company Northeast Nuclear Energy Company Post Office Box 270 Post Office Box 270 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 Hartford, Connecticut 06141-0270 Kevin McCarthy, Director Regional Administrator Pediation Control Unit Region I tepartrient of Environnental Protection U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission State Office Building 475 Allendale Road Hartford, Connecticut 06106 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 194C6 Bradford S. Chase, Under Secretary First Selectmen Energy Divisien Town of Waterford Office cf Policy and Managerent Hall of Records 80 Washington Street 200 Boston Post Road Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Waterford, Connecticut 06380 S. E. Scace, Station Superintendent W. J. Rayond, Resident Inspector Millstone Nuclear Power Staticn Millstere Nuclear Pcwer Station Ncrtheast Nuclear Energy Company c/o U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission Post Office Box 128 Post Office Box 811 Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Niantic, Connecticut 06357 C. H. Clement, Unit Superintendent M. R. Scully, Executive Director M111stene Unit No. 3 Connecticut Funicipal Electric Northeast Nuclear Energy Corpany Energy Cooperative Post Office Eox 128 268 Thornas Road Waterford, Connecticut C6385 Groton, Connecticut 06340 Ms. Jane Spector Michael L. Jones Manager Federal Energy Fegulatory Comission Project Management Department i
825 N. Capitol Street, N.E.
Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Room 8600C Electric Ccapany Washington, D.C.
704?6 Post Office Box 426 Ludlow, Massachusetts 01056 Eurlingten Eltctric Department c/o Robert E. Fletcher, Esq.
J. S. Keenan Unit Superintendent 271 South Union Street Millstone Unit No. 2 Burlington, Vennent 05402 Northeast Nuclear Energy Corpany Post Office Box 128 J. P. Stetz, Unit Superintendent Waterford, Connecticut 06385 Millstore Unit No. 1 Northeast Nuclear Energy Cetpany Charles Brinkaan Manager Post Office Box 128 Washington Nuclear Operations Waterford, Connecticut C6385 C-E Power Systems Ccebustion Engineering, Inc.
$'Ny 20814 e
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