ML25092A248
| ML25092A248 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Salem  |
| Issue date: | 04/03/2025 |
| From: | Shawn Williams Plant Licensing Branch 1 |
| To: | Mcfeaters C Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Williams, S | |
| References | |
| EPID L-2025-LRO-0006 | |
| Download: ML25092A248 (4) | |
Text
April 3, 2025 Charles V. McFeaters President and Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC - N09 P.O. Box 236 Hancocks Bridge, NJ 08038
SUBJECT:
SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT NO. 1-REVIEW OF THE SPRING 2024 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION REPORT (EPID L-2025-LRO-0006)
Dear Charles McFeaters:
By letter dated May 6, 2024, PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) submitted information summarizing the results of the fall 2023 steam generator tube inspections that were performed during refueling outage 29 at Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has completed its review of the report and concludes that the licensee provided the information required by their technical specifications and that no additional follow-up is required at this time. The NRC staffs review is enclosed.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-415-1009 or via email at Shawn.Williams@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Shawn Williams, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch II-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-272
Enclosure:
Review of Steam Generator Tube Inspection Report cc: Listserv
Enclosure SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNIT 1 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION STAFF REVIEW OF THE FALL 2023 STEAM GENERATOR TUBE INSPECTION REPORT DOCKET NO. 50-272 By letter dated May 6, 2024 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML24128A048), PSEG Nuclear LLC (the licensee) submitted information summarizing the results of the fall 2023 steam generator tube inspections performed during refueling outage (RFO) 29 at Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1 (Salem).
Salem has four Westinghouse Model F steam generators (SGs), each of which contains 5,626 U-bend thermally treated Alloy 600 tubes. Each tube has a nominal outside diameter of 0.688 inches and a nominal wall thickness of 0.040 inches. During SG fabrication, the tubes were hydraulically expanded at both ends over the full depth of the tubesheet. The U-bends in rows 1 through 10 were stress relieved after bending. Seven stainless steel tube support plates (TSPs) with broached quatrefoil holes support the vertical section of the tubes. A stainless-steel flow distribution baffle (FDB) located between the tubesheet and the first broached support plate provides top-of-tubesheet sludge pile control. Three V-shaped chrome-plated Alloy 600 anti-vibration bars (AVBs) support the U-bend section of the tubes. The SGs were placed into service in 1998, and at the time of RFO 29 had operated for approximately 22.6 Effective Full Power Years.
The licensee provided the scope, extent, methods, and results of the SG tube inspections in the letter referenced above. In addition, the licensee described corrective actions (e.g., tube plugging), if any were taken in response to the inspection findings.
After reviewing the information provided, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff noted the following:
All in-service steam generator tubes, except rows 1 and 2, were inspected full length with a combination array probe and bobbin probe (array/bobbin probe). Salem has an H*
licensee amendment such that the tube portion below 15.21 inches from the top of the tubesheet is excluded from inspection. For rows 1 and 2, the straight sections of the tubing were inspected with the array/bobbin probe, while the U-bends (07H to 07C) were inspected with a +PointTM Probe.
Tube wear from structures was detected at AVBs, TSPs, and at the FDB. There was a total of 1,616 AVB wear indications, 21 TSP wear indications, 9 FDB wear indications, and one tube had wear from a foreign object. The maximum wear depths at the AVBs, TSPs, and FDB were 39, 18, and 10 percent through-wall (TW), respectively. The maximum tube wear depth due to a foreign object was 12 percent TW. All degradation was well within the condition monitoring limits. A total of four tubes were plugged; three tubes due to AVB wear and one tube due to the foreign object wear.
Many primary moisture separator subcomponents have indications of erosion. Erosion of primary moisture separators was previously noted by the staff in the RFO 22 steam generator inspection review summary (ML14174B284). The licensee made 24 localized repairs during RFO 29 and stated that these repairs will provide for at least four cycles of continued operation.
Based on a review of the information provided, the NRC staff concludes that the licensee provided the information required by their technical specifications. In addition, the NRC staff concludes that there are no technical issues that warrant follow-up action currently, since the inspections appear to be consistent with the objective of detecting potential tube degradation and the inspection results appear to be consistent with industry operating experience at similarly designed and operated units.
Principal Contributor: Andrew Johnson, NRR DATE: April 3, 2025
ML25092A248 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NRR/DORL/LPL1/LA NRR/DNRL/NCSG/BC NAME SWilliams KEntz SBloom DATE 4/2/2025 4/3/2025 4/2/2025 OFFICE NRR/DORL/LPL1/BC NRR/DORL/LPL2-1/PM NAME HGonzález SWilliams DATE 4/3/2025 4/3/2025