ML20236Y055
| ML20236Y055 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/03/1987 |
| From: | Alexion T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Fouchard J NRC OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS (GPA) |
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-CR-3950 NUDOCS 8712110064 | |
| Download: ML20236Y055 (3) | |
Text
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Decenber 3, 1987 HEMORANDUM FOR:
Joseph J. Fouchard, Director Public Affairs Office of Governmental and Public Affairs THRU:
Kenneth E. Perkins, Director Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, Y and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Thomas W. Alexion, Project Manager Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, V and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
CONVERSATION WITH SUSAN HEGGER OF ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH On Monday, November 16, 1987, members of the Reactors Systems Branch (Tim Collins, Shih-Liang Wu) and I had a conversation with Susan Hegger of the St. Louis Post Dispatch regarding ultrasonic testing (UT) of fuel rods and other general refueling questions. The NRC staff explained that the ultrasonic testing technique has been available since about 1981, and that the purpose is to identify leaking fuel rods during refueling outages to reduce the specific activity in the reactor coolant system (RCS) during cycle operation. We also referenced NUREG/CR-3950, Fuel Performance Annual Report for 1984 That document shows that most PWRs have a technical speci-fication specific activity limit in the RCS of 1 microcurie per gram and that most plants were well below that limit in 1984. We also explained that most plants would probably desire to remove leaking fuel rods long before they reach the limit to keep the RCS as clean as possible and thereby avoid other problems as well.
We told Susan that the procedure for UT involves placing a device of two metal probes around the fuel rod to be tested near the bottom of the fuel rod.
If the fuel rod is leaking, water will get inside the rod and collect at the bottom where there is supposed to be only gas.
If water is present, the receiver probe will not receive a signal or pulse from the transmitter probe, thus indicating a leaking fuel rod.
Susan asked if the testing procedure was dangerous to the people doing the test. We explained that the testing is done remotely with the operators standing around the spent fuel pool while they direct the device (at the bottom of the spent fuel pool) with the use of other attachments, and that the radiation levels at the top of the spent fuel pool are not dangerous.
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' Susan asked about the cost of the testing and who does the testing. We told her we were not familiar with the costs, but did provide her with 3
the names of three companies that offer the testing service. Susan also mentioned that it secms to be a lot of trouble to do this testing when f
only a small percentage of fuel rods are suspected (she indicated 100
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defective fuel rods out of 51,000, for example).
In response, ve again i
discussed the technical specification limits on specific activity in the l
PCS and the desire to keep the RCS clean.
Finally, Susan asked why nuclear power plants are changing refueling
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strategies from replacing about one-third of the core every 12 months to replacing about one-half of the core every 18 months. We replied that to the best of our knowledge these changes are driven by economic considerations.
Oricinal si"n-i nm Thomas W. Alexion, Project Manager Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, V and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Distribution:
Docket File NRC'& Local PDRs PDlII-3 r/f KEPerkins GHolahen PKreutzer TAlexion OGC-Bethesda Edordan JPartlow ACRS (10)
Grey File SWu TCollins
- See previous concurrence Office:
LA/PDIII-3 PM/PDIII-3 PD/PDIll-3 Surname: PKreutzer*
TAlexion/r1*
KEPerkins Date:
12/01/87 12/01/87 12/J/87 Office:
NRR/SRXB NRR/SRXB Surname: SWu*
TCollins*
Date:
12/02/87 12/02/87
1 e e' Susan asked about the cost of the testing and who does the testing. We told her we were.not familiar with the costs, but did provide her with 1
the names of three companies that offer the testing service. Susan also mentioned that it seems to be a lot of trouble to do this testing when only a small percentage of fuel rods are suspected (she was told a possible 100 defective fuel rods out of 51,000, for example).
In response, we again discussed the technical specification limits on specific activity in the RCS and the desire to keep the RCS clean.
Finally, Susan asked why nuclear power plants are changing refueling.
strategies from replacing about one-third of the core every 12 months to replacing about one-half of the core every.18 months. We replied that to the best of our knowledge these changes are driven by economic considerations.
Thomas W. Alexion, Project Manager.
Project Directorate III-3 Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, V.and Special Projects Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Distribution:
Docket File NRC & Local PDRs PDIII-3 r/f KEPerkins GHolahan PKreutzer TAlexion 0GC-Bethesda EJordan JParticw ACRS (10)
Grey File SWu TCollins d
Office:
LA/PDIII-3 PM/
PD P 3
Pr stzer Tale 1
KEPerkins Surname:
e Date:
12f l /87 12/l/87 12/3 /87 NRR/SRXhC NRR/SRXB gucur Office:
N k
d,)hA Surname: SWu TCollins v,t Date:
12/A/87 12/oL/ 7 ip c-1