NUREG-0212, Safety Evaluation Supporting Amend 99 to License DPR-20
| ML20211J940 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 11/05/1986 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20211J938 | List: |
| References | |
| RTR-NUREG-0212, RTR-NUREG-212 NUDOCS 8611110413 | |
| Download: ML20211J940 (3) | |
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UNITED STATES
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g, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
'5 ij WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION PELATED TO AMENDMENT NO. 99 TO PROVISIONAL OPERATING LICENSE NO. DPR-20 CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT i
DOCKET NO. 50-255
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated August 20, 1979, and modified in agreement with the licensee, Consumers Power Com Specifications (TS)pany (the licensee) proposed changes to the Technical of Facility. Operating License No. DPR-20 for the Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant. The TS changes update the Surveillance Requirements of Table 4.2.2,." Minimum Frequency for Equipment Tests" to those recommended for Westinghouse Electric Hydrogen Recombiners in NUREG-0212, Revision-2, " Combustion Engineering Standard Technical Specification".
Changes include revision of the recombiner unit functional test to insure operability, elimination of a redundant verification of the electrical lineup and revision of.the required value of the heater element insulation resistance test from 1,000 ohms to 10,000 ohms.
It is also noted that the surveillance periodicity of item 11.b was changed by Amendment 81 from every 18 months to every refueling cycle. This change was submitted subsequent to the presently considered change and is considered applicable.
2.0 EVALUATION Item 11.a of Table 4.2.2 currently requires the hydrogen recombiner units to reach 700*F within 90 minutes as a test of unit operability. This requ' in itself, however, fails in determining the operability of the units. As the licensee experienced first hand, the surveillance requirements could be satisfied with one power phase shorted to neutral. All three phases are required in order for the unit to produce enough heat to reach the hydrogen recombination range and be considered operational. Therefore, upon reaching 700*F by increasing the recombiner to maximum power setting for a short length of time and verifying that full power is achieved, all electrical phases are demonstrated operational, and the operability of the recombiner units is verified.
If a single phase is non-operating, maximum power will be reduced by one-third. This change reflects vendor (Westinghouse) recomrada-
-tions for verification of hydrogen recombiner operability, and is consistent with the staff. approved guidance provided in CE Standard Technical Specifi-cations. Therefore, the staff finds this change acceptable.
8611110413 861105 PDR ADOCK 05000255 P
y The second change involves deletion of Item 11.b.1, Table 4.2.2.
This surveillance requirement provides for the verification of bus alignment necessary to receive power from separate diesel generators. Since bus alignment is a function'of plant design and breaker selection, and is already verified in the electrical distribution requirements of Technical Specification j
3.7, the staff finds the deletion of this redundant requirement acceptable.
In the August 20, 1979 submittal, the licensee proposed to change' Item 11.b.3 of Table 4.2.2 to limit examination of the recombiners to an external visual examination of the enclosures. The licensee, in response to NRC staff's concerns, has declined to pursue this request. Therefore, Item 11.b.3 of Table 4.2.2 remains unchanged and reflects the staff approved surveillance requirement provided in the CE Standard Technical Specifications.
The third change involves deletion'of Item 11.b.4 of Table 4.2.2.
The specification concerns the output of the heating units. Since guidance is-provided in Item 11.a concerning heater outputs, and this guidance is-considered sufficient as a sign of operability, the staff finds the deletion of this item acceptable.
In the August 20, 1979 submittal the licensee requested a modification to Item 11.b.5 of Table 4.2.2 that proposed to eliminate the resistance to ground test following the heatup test and the requirement that it be greater than or equal to 1000 ohms. Subsequently, the licensee, in response to NRC staff's concerns, declined to pursue this request and agreed that the value of 1000 ohms was too low to meet the intent of the specification, i.e. good insulation to ground. To meet this intent, the required value of the re-sistance to ground for any heater element is increased to greater than or equal to 10,000 ohms. The increased value of 10,000 ohms is indicative of a superior insulator and is consistent with the staff approved guidance provided in the CE Standard Technical Specifications. Therefore, the staff finds this change acceptable.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
This amendment involves a change in the installation or use of a facility l
component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 or in a surveillance requirement. The staff has determined that the amendment l
involves-no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released offsite, and that there is no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation t
exposure. The Commission has previously issued a proposed finding that this amendment involves no significant hazards consideration and there has been no-public comment on such finding. Accordingly, this amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9).
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or I
environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of this amendment.
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4.0 CONCLUSION
Wehaveconcluded,basedontheconsiderationsdiscussedabove,that(1)there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by operation in the proposed manner, and (2) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commission's regulations, and the issuance of the amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public.
Date:
November 5, 1986 Principal Contributors:
C. A. VanDenburgh R. M. Perfetti l
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