ML20148K103

Summary of ACRS 581015 Meeting 10 Re Amends 7 & 8 to OL Application.Acrs Concurs W/Util Proposal to Determine Temp Coefficients in Reactor.Safety Evaluation Encl

ML20148K103
Person / Time
Site:	Yankee Rowe
Issue date:	10/21/1958
From:	Mccullough C Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
To:	Mccone J US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML20148K099	List: ML20148K094 ML20148K103 ML20148K109 ML20148K115
References
NUDOCS 8012020626
Download: ML20148K103 (2)

Text

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, AD7ISORY COMMIITEE ON REACTOR SMMUARDS

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UNITED STATES ATOMIC EYEMY COMMISSION - 3

. -' WASHIIOTON 25, D. C. 3 t'

4 Cetober 21, 1958 Es 74 l

Honorabla John A. McCone Chairmen, U. : S. Atomic Energy Commission "

Washington 25, D. C. 2.....

Subject:

YANKEE ATOMIC EIdCTRIC COMPAFY '

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Dear ~Mr. McCone:

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[ At'its tenth meeting on October 15, 1958,'the, Advisory Committee on. '

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. Reactor Safeguards reviewed Amendments No. 7 and No. 8 to t're appli- 7 cation' of the Yankee Atcaic , Electric Compsay for a license to operate .,,)

[ the nuclear power plant the cargpany is constructing at Rowe, Massachusetts.

The Committee had available' to it the material referenced on the last page.

.L Amendment ' No. : 7 proposed an alterna.tive to the measure's recommended by

the Committee in its letter of September 16, 1957, for determining the effects of plutonium buildup on the nucleer characteristics and stability I of this reactor. Amendment No. 8 described the warte disposal facilities ~

jj planned for the Bowe Plant.

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[ Amendment No. 7 '

[ In Amendment No. 7, Yarkee stater that detemitstion of the effect of 3

plutonium buildup by measurements on synthetic fuel elements made up of

uranium and plutonium in a part-core critical facility, as suggested in F '

{ the Com=1ttee's eerlier letter, would be difficult to interpret because

1. j of the impossibility of duplics. ting the te=peratures sr.d neutron spectrum of the actual Yemkee reactor in this facility. As an siternative and i

more dependable procedure for determinig the effect of plutonium, Yankee proposes an experimental program to measure teapcrature coefficients, 4

prompt and overall, in the actual power reactor at startup, after 2000 j hours of operation, and at intervals while plutonium is growing into the '

,cere.

To establish that the reactor can be operated safely while plutonium is 1

.i building up in the core during the interval betweta experimental measure-j ments,: Yankee described calculat.ior.s made by Westinghcuse and by Nuclear Development Corporation of Americe. which shew that the buildup of

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.y plutonium durizza aven the entire exticipated fuel lifetime of 1C ,000 i

hours will have only a minor effect t.n the overall tcqperature coefricient "

of reactivity.

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s The Comittee concurs with Yankee's proposal to determine these temperature coefficients in the actual reactor rather than'in the part-core critical ,

facility and agrees with Yankee's judgment that the effect of plute-ium.a ~

buildup on these coefficients will be snM enough to permit these measure-ments to be made with safety in the actual reactor. In this, the Come.ittee concurs with the determinstion of the Hazaris Evaluation Branch.

The Committee recommends that Yankee be asked to provide a description of the specific experiments which will be :uuie to detemine the effects of -

plutonium buildup on prompt and overall tesperature coefficients. It suggests that controlled transient experint:sts, with known'sinusoidal or step changes in reactivity, may be a convenient means of measuring these coefficiente.  :

Amendment No. 8 The Co-4ttee heard a detailed description of the facilities planned by.

Yankee for disposal of gaseous, liquid and ccubustible solid wastes. It 9;g .

believes that the design of these facilitier is conservative and concurs E-with the conclusion of the Eazards Enluaticrr. Branch that the proposed facilities will pemit the disposal of wastes without undue hazard to on-site or off-site personnel.

Sincerely y:crs, hl C. .Egers R:Culiccch

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