ML20247H999
| ML20247H999 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png |
| Issue date: | 05/24/1989 |
| From: | Fairtile M Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Capstick R VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER CORP. |
| References | |
| TAC-68216, NUDOCS 8906010007 | |
| Download: ML20247H999 (5) | |
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'IDocketNo'50-271 Y
'Mr.2 R; 'W. Capstick -
Licensing Engineer Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power-Corporation-580 Main Street
.Bolton, Massachusetts 01740-1398
Dear Mr. Capstick:
SUBJE*T: SECOND REQUEST'FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - FROSSTEY-2 FUEL-PERFORMANCE CODE (TAC.N0.68216)
By letter dated May 2,1989 we sent you a request for additional information regarding yourfuse of the FROSSTEY. Computer Code for LOCA analysis.
Enclosed-is a revision to the'May 2, 1989 questions. Note that questions 5 and.6 are new concerns. We request _ that you provide a response to the enclosed request within 45; days of receipt of this letter.
'The reporting and/or record _ keeping; requirements contained in this letter affectifewer than ten respondents; therefore, OMB clearance is not required.
under P.L.96-511.
Sincerely, OriginalSignedpy; Morton B. Fairtile, Project Manager-Project Directorate I-3 Division of Reactor' Projects lI/II
Enclosure:
As stated.
cc'w/ enclosure:
See next page DISTRIBUTION:
ochettF11e, NRC& Local PDRs, MRushbrook, SVarga, BBoger,
,MFairtile,BGrmes,EJordan,ACRS(10),RWessman,JWiggins,Rgn.I
[VT. YANK.2ND'RAITAC68216]
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.Mr. R. W. Capstick Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.
cc:
Mr. J. Gary Weigand W. P. Murphy, Vice President President & Chief Executive Officer and Manager of Operations
. Vermont Yankee Nuclear. Power Corp.
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.
R.D. 5, Box 169 R.D. 5. Box-169 Ferry Road Ferry Road Brattleboro,. Vermont 05301 Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 Mr. John DeVincentis, Vice President Mr. George Sterzinger, Commissioner Yankee Atomic Electric Company Vermont Department of Public Service 580 Main Street 120 State Street, 3rd Floor Bolton, Massachusetts- 01740-1398 Montpelier, Vermont 05602 New England Coalition on Nuclear Public Service Board Pollution-State of Vermont Hill and Dale Farm 120 State Street R.D. 2, Box 223 Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Putney, Vermont 05346 Vermont Public Interest Research Group, Inc.
G. Dean Weyman 43 State Street Chairman,-Board of Selectman Montpelier, Vermont 05602 Post Office Box 116 Vernon, Vermont 05354 William Russell, Regional Administrator Raymond N. McCandless Region I Office Vermont Division of Occupational U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Radiological Health 475 Allendale Road Administration Building King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406 Montpelier, Vermont.05602 Mr. R. W. Capstick Honorable John J. Easton Vermont Yankee Nuclear Attorney General Power Corporation State of Vermont
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580 Main St.
109 State Street Bolton, Massachusetts 01740-1398 Montpelier, Vermont 05602 R. K. Gad III Ropec & Gray Conner & Wetterkhn, P.C.
225 Franklin W reet Suite 1050 Boston, Massachusetts 02110 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
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Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station Corporation cc:
Diane ~ Curran, Esq.
Resident Inspector
.Harmon, Curran & Tousley U.S. Nuclear Pegulatory Commission 2001 S Street, W.W., Suite 430 P.O. Box 176 Washington, D.C.
20009 Vernon, Vermont 05354 i
David J. Mullett,-Esq.
John Traficonte, Esq.
Specia1' Assistant Attorney General ~
Chief Safety Unit Vermont Depart. of Public Service Office of the Attorney General 120 State Street One Ashburton Place, 19th Floor Montpelier, VT 05602 Boston, MA 02108 Jay Gutierrez Geoffrey M. Huntington, Esquire Regional Counsel Office of the Attorney General USNRC, Region I Environmental Protection Bureau 475 Allendale Road State House Annex King of Prussia, PA 19406 25 Capitol Street Concord, NH 03301-6397 G. Dana Bisbee, Esq.
Charles Bechhoefer, Esq.
Office of the Attorney General Administrative Judge Environmental Protection Bureau Atomic Safety and Licensing Board State House Annex U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comission 25 Capitol Street Washington, DC 20555 Concord, NH 03301-6397 Dr. James H. Carpenter Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Boar <
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Washincton, DC 20555 Mr. Gustave A. Linenberger, Jr.
Adjudicatory File (2)
Administrative Judge Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel Docket U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Comnission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wa:hington, DC 20555 Washington, D.C. 20555 l
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l OUESTIONS FOR VERMONT YANKEE LOCA ANALYSIS METHOD:
FROSSTEY FUEL PERFORMANCE CODE (FROSSTEY2) 1.
a) Please provide examples of FROSSTEY2 licensing calculations for LOCA initialization, end-of-life rod pressures, fuel-to-cladding gap conductance, fuel centerline melt, and cladding strain. Along with the examples, please include sufficient input and output information to allow independent audit calculations with an NRC audit code. For example, the LOCA output should include predicted centerline and volume average temperatures of the peak node, cladding oxide thickness and rod average fission gas release versus rod average burnup; and the internal rod pressure calculation should include predicted centerline temperatures of peak node, cladding oxide thickness, rod average fission gas release, and internal rod pressures versus rod average burnup.
b) From part a, please identify which input values are best estimate and which are conservative. A discussion should also be provided along with each licensing calculation example describing how the input and code application methodology provide assurances that each of these analyses are conservative and bounding for a particular core reload. Please quantify these conservatism where it is possible to do so. c) Will the code be applied to both BWR and PWR applications? d) Also, will the code be applied to burnable poison rods? If so, please provide and justify material properties, e.g., UO2-Gd 0, used for these 23 applications.
2.
What impact does the combined decrease in fuel-thernal conductivity and increase in fuel relocation changes in FROSSTEY2 have on volume average temperature, and therefore the LOCA analysis? If there is a decrease in calculated volume average temperature for LOCA (and thus lower peak cladding temperatures for LOCA) then supporting data for these model changes need to be presented and the uncertainties in the data accounted for in the licensing analyses. Therefore, the impact of the model changes on licensing analyses needs to be addressed and, where appropriate, uncertainties accounted for to assure that these licensing analyses are conservative and bounding.
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3.
P, lease. provide the relationship used to correct the as-measured thermocouple' data for decalibration. Also provide the FROSSTEY2 predicted temperature histories for the IFA-432 and -513 rods.
4.
a) Examination of the FROSSTEY2 predictions of fission gas release data in Figures B.5 and B.9 indicates that the code underpredicts fission gas release for cases where measured fission gas release exceeds approximately 12%. This'underprediction is most noticeable on the transient (power ramped) fission gas release data where 27 of 29 data points are underpredicted.
In addition, the steady-state fission gas release data from pressurized rods is also underpredicted. This nonconservatism on fissio.n gas release can affect rod pressures, gap conductances, and fuel temperatures when a fuel rod has a release value greater than 12%.
Please discuss how this lack of conservatism will be addressed in the application of FROSSTEY2 licensing analyses in order to assure that these analyses are conservative and bounding. b) There are other experimental rods with measured release values in the EPRI data base, such as the KWU/CE rods from the High Burnup Effects Program. Why weren't these rods used for FROSSTEY2 verification? c) Also, provide the measured release values for the fission gas release data in Table B.6.
5.
The creep model in the original FROSSTEY code was the BUCKLE model.
Pacific Northwest Laboratory's experience with this creep model has been that it overpredicts cladding creepdown for commercial LWR fuel rods.
Have the FROSSTEY2 cladding creep predictions been compared to measured cladding creepdown data from commercial LWR rods similar to those to which the code will be applied? If the code does overpredict cladding creepdown, what is the impact on each of the licensing applications?
6.
How does the licensee plan to maintain their technical expertise in the use of this code and the licensing applications?
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