ML091880183

Request for Additional Information (RAI) Regarding Relief Request 08-ON-002 Concerning Limited Weld Examination Coverage

ML091880183
Person / Time
Site:	Oconee
Issue date:	07/15/2009
From:	Stang J Plant Licensing Branch II
To:	Baxter D Duke Energy Carolinas
Stang J, NRR/DORL, 415-1345
References
TAC ME0752, TAC ME0753
Download: ML091880183 (2)

Text

UNITED NUCLEAR REGULATORY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 July 15, 2009 Mr. Dave Baxter Vice President, Oconee Site Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 SUB..OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 3 -REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (RAJ) REGARDING RELIEF REQUEST 08-0N-002 CONCERNING LIMITED WELD EXAMINATION COVERAGE (TAC NOS. ME0752 AND ME0753)

Dear Mr. Baxter:

By letter dated December 29,2008, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (the licensee), requested relief from the volumetric coverage requirement for weld examinations specified in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code),Section XI, as modified by ASME Code Case N-460. The relief is requested for Oconee Nuclear Station, Unit 3 for the remainder of the fourth 10-year inservice inspection interval.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed and evaluated the information provided by the licensee and has determined that additional information is required to complete its review. In a phone conversation with members of your staff on July 6,2009, to provide clarification of the requested information, your staff committed to provide the requested information 30 days from the date of this letter. If you have any questions, please call me at 301-415-1345.

Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 11-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-287

Enclosure:

RAI cc w/encl: Distribution via Listserv REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL RELIEF REQUEST 08-0N-002 LIMITED WELD EXAMINATION DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT DOCKET NO. By letter dated December 29, 2008 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML090050027), Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (the licensee), submitted Relief Request 08-0N-002 for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff's review and approval.

Pursuant to paragraph 50.55a(g)(5)(iii) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the licensee requested relief from the vOlumetric coverage requirement for weld examinations specified in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code),Section XI, as modified by ASME Code Case N-460. The relief is requested for Oconee Nuclear Station, Unit 3 for the remainder of the fourth 1 O-year inservice inspection interval scheduled to end on December 16,2014. The request pertains to volumetric examination of the reducer-to-valve 3LP-18 weld in the low pressure injection system and the tee-to-pipe weld in the high pressure injection system. The request contains the results of the ultrasonic testing performed during the 2006 outage on the subject welds where 100-percent coverage of the required examination volume could not be achieved because of interferences from existing piping and valve geometry.

The NRC staff has determined that the following information is needed in order to complete its review of the relief request. For weld 3HP-365-9C: Explain the angles used for shear wave examination.

In particular, address the use of a 38-degree shear wave as shown on page 5 of Attachment A of the relief request. Clarify the discrepancies in regard to the shear wave examination between the text in paragraph IV on page 5, the contents of the table on page 5 of Attachment A, and the contents of the table on page 11 of Attachment A. Enclosure July 15, 2009 Mr. Dave Baxter Vice President, Oconee Site Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672 OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 3 -REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (RAI) REGARDING RELIEF REQUEST 08-0N-002 CONCERNING LIMITED WELD EXAMINATION COVERAGE (TAC NOS. ME0752 AND ME0753)

Dear Mr. Baxter:

By letter dated December 29,2008, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (the licensee), requested relief from the volumetric coverage requirement for weld examinations specified in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Code),Section XI, as modified by ASME Code Case N-460. The relief is requested for Oconee Nuclear Station, Unit 3 for the remainder of the fourth 10-year inservice inspection interval.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has reviewed and evaluated the information provided by the licensee and has determined that additional information is required to complete its review. In a phone conversation with members of your staff on July 6, 2009, to provide clarification of the requested information, your staff committed to provide the requested information 30 days from the date of this letter. If you have any questions, please call me at 301-415-1345.

Sincerely, IRA! John Stang, Senior Project Manager Plant Licensing Branch 11-1 Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-287

Enclosure:

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