TXX-4219, Responds to NRC Re Alleged Improper Const Practices Involving Main Condensers.Qa Program Not Invoked Because Main Condenser Not safety-related,but Activities Monitored Closely.Leakage Testing & Detection Discussed

Responds to NRC Re Alleged Improper Const Practices Involving Main Condensers.Qa Program Not Invoked Because Main Condenser Not safety-related,but Activities Monitored Closely.Leakage Testing & Detection Discussed

ML20094E125
Person / Time
Site:	Comanche Peak
Issue date:	07/09/1984
From:	Clements B TEXAS UTILITIES ELECTRIC CO. (TU ELECTRIC)
To:	Bangart R NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
Shared Package
ML19276C058	List: ML20094C332 ML20094D562 TXX-4219, Responds to NRC Re Alleged Improper Const Practices Involving Main Condensers.Qa Program Not Invoked Because Main Condenser Not safety-related,but Activities Monitored Closely.Leakage Testing & Detection Discussed
References
TXX-4219, NUDOCS 8408090105
Download: ML20094E125 (2)

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Log No. TXI-4219 File No. 10110 TEXAS UTILITIES GENERATING COMPANY

.e SKYWAY tower. 400 NORTM OLIVE STREET, L.B. e t. DALLAS, TEXAS 75301 N'

July 9, 1984 s

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Mrs R. L. Bangart, Director-y ~ jRegion IV. Comanche 1 Peak Task Force f

- JucleartRegulatory Commission

&. w Region-IV yw-611'Ryan Plaza Drive, ' Suite '1000

-Arlington, TX 76011

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-:Subjecti : Construction.of CPSES Condensers Dockets:

50-445 & 50-446

Dear _Mr.fEangart:

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This' refers to your' letter of June 19,.1984, concerning alleged improper

. construction. practices involving the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station main 7

. condensers.

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s The-main, condensers and. circulating water system are.not required to shut down the

reactor and, as'such, are not safety-related. This equipment is not listed in (Appendix 17A of-thelFSAR (list'of Quality Assurance items). Therefore, a 10CFR50 Q Appendix B-Quality Assurance Program was not invoked during construction activi-nties.; ' However, in accordance with the.same sound engineering and constiruction practices followed' by. TUGCo during. other. generating constructions activities, TUCCo engineering personnel, TUGCo10perations maintenance personnel, velding engineering sLpersonnel_and vendor; personnel monitored the a.:tivities involved in the construc-

- 1 tion of the condensers;~e.g., velding engineering monitored the field velding on athe condenser: shells;'TUGCo Operations maintenance monitored the connection of the

? condensers to the-low pressure section of the turbine; TUGCo engineering and

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j perations' maintenance monitored the tube installation and tube rolling process; o

Sand ^the' vendor monitored all of the erection activities.

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The' condenser design provides. for pressurization, with condensate, of the tube sheets:to preclude:any lake. water. leakage into the steam side fro: the waterbox saide.1 This' design was effected using the integral groove. The groove was machined y@

perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,of the tube hele in the tube sheet and at fthe' center oflthe thickness of.the tube sheet. The diameter of the groove was such

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fro: allow' for overlap between adjacent grooves, thus providing a flow path for the

- condensate..- During initial filling operations, leakage from the waterbox was -

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[ observed 'goingjinto the tube sheet pressurization annulus. The tubes were re-

' rolled and. leak tested. LNo leakage was observed going from the waterbox into the p

annulus Upon pressurization of the annulus with condensate, leakage rates of 0.5

al./hr. and 0.4 gal./hr. were observed going'from annulus to the steam side of con'densers A and B respectively..

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h The main condensers have been' tested in accordance with Acceptance Test 27-1, which 4

specified a. vacuum on'the steam side and lake water on the tube side. The con-

'densers passed this-Acceptance Test. Puring Hot Functional Testing of the steam g

supply,; operating conditions.In the condenser were achieved. During this time, E

tube sheet' pressurization'was in service. The steam side chemistry was monitored s

and no:evillence of leakage was noted.

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H" In order tu preclude unsatisfactory water chemistry on the secondary side of the steam. generator, two measures have been taken.

1) The tube sheet pressurization i

system, as described above, will preclude lake water from leaking into the steam side. of.the conden.ser by injecting condensate into the annulus around each tube in j

both tube: sheets.

Since the condensate in the annulus area is at a higher pressure d !C hati V

t the i~alie water, any leak will be from the tube sheet pressurization system to l

t he' lake s'ide. '2)

A condensate polishing system is employed to provide a con-I t

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-tinuous-contaminant removal process, thus maintaining satisfactory stea= generator ccecondary side water chemistry. The polishing system treats 100% of the condensate and'is~ located between the-condensate pump and the feedwater pump on the downstream aide'of the condenser.

There is a condenser sampling system which al. lows early n

' detection of clake water in. the condensate side of the condenser. Additionally, the I

condensate system has salinity and conductivity cells to detect leakage into the

condensate system. Alat.ns from these detectors warn the operators of any leakage.

.We appreciate your bringing this matter to our attention.

Yours truly, c.

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LBRC;ah lcc:

Messrs.

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Ippolito

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Youngblood

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