CNL-15-263, Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, Fuel Assemblies (WBN-TS-15-03) - Supplemental Information Related to the Onsite Regulatory Audit at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, Fuel Assemblies (WBN-TS-15-03) - Supplemental Information Related to the Onsite Regulatory Audit at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

ML16004A161
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	12/29/2015
From:	James Shea Tennessee Valley Authority
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Shared Package
ML16004A160	List: CNL-15-263, Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, Fuel Assemblies (WBN-TS-15-03) - Supplemental Information Related to the Onsite Regulatory Audit at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
References
CNL-15-263, TAC MF6050 CAW-15-4347, CE-15-723-NP-Attachment, TTP-7-609, Rev. 0
Download: ML16004A161 (45)

Text

Proprietary Information Withhold Under 10 CFR 2.390(d)(1)

This letter is decontrolled when separated from Attachment 1 of Enclosure 2 1101 Market Street, Chattanooga , Tennessee 37402 CNL-15-263 December 29 , 2015 ATTN: Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington , D.C. 20555-0001 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant , Unit 1 Facility Operating License Nos. NFP-90 NRC Docket No. 50-390 10 CFR 50.90

Subject:

Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1, "Fuel Assemblies" (WBN-TS-15-03) (TAC No. MF6050) -Supplemental Information Related to the Onsite Regulatory Audit at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Reference:

1. Letter From TVA to NRC , CNL-15-001 , " Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1 , 'Fuel Assemblies

,' (WBN-TS-15-03)," dated March 31 , 2015(ML15098A446)

2. Letter from TVA to NRC , CNL-15-077 , "Correction to Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1 , 'Fuel Assemblies' (WBN-TS-15-03)," dated April 28 , 2015(ML15124A334)

3. Letter From NRC to TVA , "Watts Bar Nuclear Plant , Unit 1 -Supplemental Information Needed for Acceptance of Requested Licensing Action Regarding Application to Increase Tritium Producing Absorbing Rods (TAC NO. MF6050)," dated May 14 , 2015(ML15127A250)

4. Letter from TVA to NRC , CNL-15-092 , " Response to NRC Request to Supplement the Application to Rev i se Technical Specification 4.2.1 , 'Fuel Assemblies' (WBN-TS-15-03)," dated May 27 , 2015(ML15147A611)

5. Letter from TVA to NRC , CNL-15-093 , "Response to NRC Request to Supplement Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1 , 'Fuel Assemblies

' (WBN-TS-15-03)

-Radiological Protection and Radiological Consequences

," dated June 15 , 2015(ML15167A359)

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-15-263 Page 2 December 29 , 2015 6. Electronic Mail from Jeanne Dion (NRC) to Clinton Szabo (TVA), Gordon Arent (TVA), and Robert H. Bryan , Jr. (TVA), "Request for Additional Information Regarding Tritium production License Amendment (TAC No. MF6050)," dated August 14 , 2015(ML15226A466)

7. Letter from TVA to NRC , CNL-15-172 , "Application to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1 , "Fuel Assemblies" (WBN-TS-15-03) (TAC No. MF6050) -Response to NRC Request for Additional Information

-Reactor Systems Branch ," dated September 14 , 2015 (ML15258A204)

8. Letter from NRC to TVA , "Watts Bar Nuclear Plant , Unit 1 -Audit Report Related to License Amendment Request to Revise Technical Specification 4.2.1 , Fuel Assemblies (CAC No. MF6050)," dated December 23 , 2015 (ML15345A424)

By letter dated March 31 , 2015 (Reference 1), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a license amendment request (LAR) to revise Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (WBN), Unit 1 Technical Specification (TS) 4.2.1 , "Fuel Assemblies

," to increase the maximum number of Tritium Producing Burnable Absorber Rods (TPBARs) that can be irradiated per cycle from 704 to 1 , 792. The proposed change also revises TS 3.5.1 , "Accumulators

," Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.5.1.4 and TS 3.5.4 , "Refueling Water Storage Tank (RWST)," SR 3.5.4.3 to delete outdated information related to the Tritium Production Program. TVA provided a correction letter on April 28 , 2015 (Reference 2). By letter dated May 14 , 2015 (Reference 3), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requested that TVA provide additional information to supplement the LAR. TVA provided the requested supplemental information in TVA letters dated May 27 , 2015 , and June 15 , 2015 (References 4 and 5 , respectively). By electronic mail dated August 14 , 2015 (Reference 6), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requested that TVA provide additional information to support the NRC review of the LAR. TVA submitted the response to the requests for additional information (RAls) by letter dated September 14 , 2015 (Reference 7). In RAI item 2 , the staff requested more information regarding revised lithium leaching assumptions used in the post-Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) subcriticality assessment referenced in the March 31 , 2015 , LAR. TVA stated that the assumptions were based on a series of tests performed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). On November 3 and 4 , 2015 , NRC performed an onsite regulatory audit at the PNNL facilities to obtain and review information regarding how TVA resolved item 2 in the staff's RAI dated August 14 , 2015 , regarding the leach rate tests. During the audit exit meeting , the NRC i dentified two open items. Audit Open Item 1 -Certain sections of the TPBAR Burst test documentation , TTP-1-3010 , are needed to complete the safety review of the LAR. TVA should submit the following pages from TTP-1-3010 , Revision 0 , "Phase Four Full-Length Burst Testing ," on the docket:

• Statistical Reanalysis of Mark 9.2 and Mark 8.1 TPBAR Test Pellet Length Loss (page v)

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-15-263 Page 3 December 29 , 2015

• Pellet Length Effect on Mark 9.2 TPBAR Burst Testing (page vi)

• Section 3.0 Description of SMART Facility (pages 5-9)

• Section 4.0 Test Method (pages 10-11)

• Subsection 5.3 Mark 9.2 Test Article Burst Test Summaries (pages 19-32) Audit Open Item 2 -In the post-LOCA subcriticality analysis , one of the assumptions is that the TPBARs have a 12-inch gap in absorber material resulting from a postulated bursting of all TPBARs. This gap is located at the same axial elevation for all bearing fuel assemblies. Westinghouse provided information during the audit to justify the conservatism of this assumption based on the fact that the most reactive axial node for all fuel assemblies is located within the region where the 12-inch gap in TPBAR absorber material is modeled. This information should be submitted on the docket to support the staff's findings , as well as a discussion of how this assumption in the LOCA subcriticality analysis would be assessed if future TPBAR core designs do not demonstrate similar uniformity in the axial location of the most reactive node for all fuel assemblies. By letter dated December 23 , 2015 (Reference 8), the NRC requested that TVA provide docketed responses for the above audit open items. TVA agreed to provide the docketed responses by December 31 , 2015. Enclosure 1 provides the sections of TTP-1-3010 requested in Audit Open Item 1. Enclosure 2 provides the information provided by Westinghouse requested in Audit Open Item 2, as well as a discussion of how this assumption in the post-LOCA subcriticality analysis would be assessed if future TPBAR core designs do not demonstrate similar uniformity in the axial location of the most reactive node for all fue l assemblies. Attachment 1 of Enclosure 2 contains information that Westinghouse Electric Company (Westinghouse) considers to be proprietary in nature and subsequently , pursuant to 10 CFR 2.390 , "Public inspections , exemptions , requests for withholding

," paragraph (a)(4), it is respectfully requested that such information be withheld from public disclosure. Attachment 2 of the enclosure contains the non-proprietary version of the Attachment 1 information with the proprietary material removed , and is suitable for public disclosure. Attachment 3 of the enclosure provides the affidavit supporting this request. Consistent with the standards set forth in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR}, Part 50.92(c}, TVA has determined that the additional information , as provided in this letter , does not affect the no significant hazards consideration associated with the proposed application previously provided in Reference

1. Additionally , in accordance with 10 CFR 50.91(b)(1), TVA is sending a copy of this letter and the enclosures to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. There are no new regulatory commitments associated with th i s submittal.

Please address any questions regarding this request to Mr. Edward D. Schrull at (423) 751-3850.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission CNL-15-263 Page 4 December 29 , 2015 I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on this 29th day of December 2015. Resp e'1 ttully , c:

¥\_/' J. W. Shea Vice Rr esident , Nuclear Licensing Enclosure cc: See Page 4

Enclosure:

1 Excerpts from TTP-1-3010 , Revision 0 , " PHASE FOUR FULL-LENGTH BURST TESTING" 2. Supplemental Information for the Watts Bar , Unit 1 1 , 792 TPBAR License Amendment Request Enclosures cc (Enclosures)

NRC Regional Administrator

-Region II NRC Resident Inspector

-Watts Bar Nuclear Plant NRC Project Manager -Watts Bar Nuclear Plant D i rector , Division of Radiological Health -Tenness e e State Department of E nvironment and Conservation

CE-15-723-P-Attachment

CE-15-723-NP-Attachment