ML17264A889

Requests Approval of Relief Request 17,rev 1 Re Class 1,ASME Section Xi Category B-J,to Address Cast Stainless Base Metal Ultrasonic Weld Exams

ML17264A889
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	05/09/1997
From:	MECREDY R C ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.
To:	NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned), NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9705150125
Download: ML17264A889 (7)

Text

iC>CATEGORY1REGULATOINFORMATIONDISTRIBUTIONTEM(R1DS)ACCE<SIQN"NBR:9705150125DOC.DATE:97/05/09NOTARIZED:NOFACIE:50'-244RobertEmmetGinnaNuclearPlant,Unit1,RochesterGAUTH.NAMEAUTHORAFFILIATIONMECREDY,R.C.RochesterGas6ElectricCorp."RECIP.NAMERECIPIENTAFFILIATIONVISSING,G.DocumentControlBranch(DocumentControlDesk)DOCKETN05000244

SUBJECT:

Requestsapprovalofreliefrequest17,rev1re,Class1,ASMESectionXICategoryB-J,toaddresscaststainlessbasemetalultrasonicweldexams.T05000244ENOTES:LicenseExpdateinaccordancewith10CFR2,2.109(9/19/72).DISTRIBUTIONCODE:A047DCOPIESRECEIVED:LTRENCLSIZE:TITLE:ORSubmittal:Inservice/Testing/RelieffromASMECode-GL-8-04RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPD1-1LAVISSING,G.INTERNAL:AEOD/SPD/RABNRR/DE/EMEBOGC/HDS3RES/DET/EMMEBEXTERNAL:LITCOANDERSONNRCPDRCOPIESLTTRENCL~1111111110111111RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPD1-1PDCENTER0CTRES/DET/EIBNOACCOPIESLTTRENCL1111111111DUENNOTETOALL"RIDS"RECIPIENTS:PLEASEHELPUSTOREDUCEWASTE.TOHAVEYOURNAMEORORGANIZATIONREMOVEDFROMDISTRIBUTIONLISTSORREDUCETHENUMBEROFCOP1ESRECEIVEDBYYOUORYOURORGANIZATION,CONTACTTHEDOCUMENTCONTROLDESK(DCD)ONEXTENSION415-2083TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:LTTR13ENCL12 4.I1 AND5ROCHESTERGASANDELECTRICCORPORATION~89FASTAYENUE,ROCHESTER,N.Y.Id6d9-D001AREACODE716546-2700ROBERTC.MECREDYVicePresidentNvdeorOperotionsMay9,1997U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionDocumentControlDeskAttn:GuyVissingProjectDirectorateI-1Washington,D.C.20555

Subject:

ReliefRequestNo.17,Rev.1GinnaNuclearPowerPlantInserviceInspectionASMESectionXIRequiredExaminationsR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlantDocketNo.50-244

DearMr.Vissing:

ThepurposeofthisletteristoseekapprovalofareliefrequestconcerningClass1,ASMESectionXICategoryB-J,toaddressCastStainlessBaseMetalUltrasonicWeldExaminations.Thislettersupersedes,initsentirety,ReliefRequestNo.17submittedApril9,1997.Thejustificationandproposedalternativesareincludedintheattachmentstothisletter.ItisrequestedthatthisreliefrequestbeapprovedbyJune16,1997inordertobeutilizedfortheupcoming1997OutageatR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlant.Therequestforreliefismadeinaccordancewiththeprovisionsof10CFR50.55a(a)(3)(ii),inthatcompliancewiththespecifiedrequirementwouldresultinanunusualdifficultywithoutacompensatingincreaseinthelevelofqualityandsafety.Thebasisofthisreliefdealswiththeemploymentofbesteffortultrasonicexaminationtechniquesonweldsassociatedwithcaststainlesscomponents.Duetothenatureofcaststainlesssteelandassociatedwelds,attenuationvariablesadverselyimpacttheperformanceofultrasonicexaminations.Theperformanceofothervolumetrictechniques,suchasradiography,onassociatedcastcomponentswillprovidelittleincreasedquantitativebenefitduetothehighlevelsofbackgroundradiationthatexistfortheitemsaddressed.NotethatthisreliefrequestusesthesamerationaleaswasusedtoconformwithCodeCaseN-481'spartofthecurrentISIintervalprogram.ThatcodecasewasappliedtoRCPbowlsmadeofcaststainlesssteelandwasgrantedbasedontheinabilityofUTmeasurestobeeffective.I(9705150125970509poR*oocxoeooooeePii"-."'-'"-PDRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,IIIIIIIIIIII RochesterGasandElectricwillcontinuetoevaluatenewemerginginspectiontechnologyastheybecomeavailableforthisindustryproblemofperformingultrasonicexaminationsoncaststainlesscomponents.Verytrulyyours,RobertC.MecredyAttachmentREZ5460xc:Mr.GuyVissing(MailStop14B2)ProjectDirectorateI-1Washington,D.C.20555U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionRegionI475AllendaleRoadKingofPrussia,PA19406GinnaSeniorResidentInspector ReliefRequestNo.17,Rev.1CategoryB-J,CastStainlessBaseMetalUltrasonicExaminationI.ComponentsforWhichReliefisRequested:1~Class1,CategoryB-J,ReactorCoolantCastPumpTerminalEndtoCastElbowCircumferentialWeldsandAssociatedLongitudinalSeamWelds.WeldIDPL-FW-XIIIPL-FW-XII-LR(XIII)PL-FW-XVPL-FW-XI-LR(XV)~TeElbow-to-PumpLongitudinalElbow-to-PumpLongitudinal2.Class1,CategoryB-J,ReactorCoolantInlet/OutletCastElbowtoNozzleSafeEnd/PipeCircumferentialWelds.WeldID~TePL-FW-I-ASWPL-FW-IX-ASWPL-FW-IIIPL-FW-XPL-FW-IXPL-FW-X-BSWElbow-to-SafeEndSafeEnd-to-ElbowElbow-to-SafeEndSafeEnd-to-ElbowElbow-to-PipeElbow-to-PipeII.ASMERequirementsforWhichReliefisRequested:1~CategoryB-JwithinTableIWB-2500-1,specifiesvolumetricexaminationrequirementsthataretobeperformedonTerminalEnds,Longitudinalwelds,aswellasotherweldsassociatedwithrequiredCircumferentialWelds.2.CodeCaseN-460specifiesthatareductioninexaminationcoverageonanyClass1orClass2weldmaybeacceptedprovidedthereductionincoverageforthatweldislessthan10%.III.Basis:Supplement4(b)(4)ofAppendixIIIidentifiesultrasonicscanningrequirementsonAusteniticandDissimilarMetalWelds.ThisparagraphfurtheridentifiesthatCastitemssuchasfittings,valvebodies,andpumpcasingsmayprecludemeaningfulexaminationsbecauseofgeometryandattenuationvariables.AtR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlant,theReactorCoolantPump,WestinghouseModel93,iscaststainless(A-351GrCF8M).Theassociatedfittings(elbows)arealsocaststainless(ASTMA-351GrCFSM)andcontainlongitudinalseamwelds.TheReactorCoolantInlet/OutletWroughtSafeEnd/PipetoElbowcircumferentialweldsconsistsoffittings(elbows)thatarecaststainless(ASTMA-351GrCFSM).Whenemployingoptimizedultrasonictechniquesonthesecast/wroughtwelds,thetechniquesmaydetectlargeflaws(254orgreaterthroughwall)butarerelativelyineffectiveindetectingsmallerflaws.Therefore,thesensitivityislessthanthatrequiredbythecode.CastStainlessbasemetalandassociatedweldscontainlargegrainstructures,attenuationvariablesimpactonperformanceofultrasonicexaminations.Experiencehasshownthatthesematerialsarenotalwaysamenabletoultrasonicexaminationanddoesnotproducereliableandmeaningfulresults.Currently,theindustrysPerformanceDemonstrationInitiative(PDI)isnotaddressingCastStainlessUltrasonicExaminations.Duetothehighlyattenuativecharacteristicsoftheausteniticgrainstructure,ultrasonicexaminationcoveragetotheextentthatisspecifiedwithinCodeCaseN-460maynotalwaysbeachievable.Radiographyisanimpracticaltechniquetouseand,ifapplied,thealternativevolumetricexaminationsarenotexpectedtoprovideanymeaningfulincreaseinbenefitbeyondthealternativepresentedduetothehighlevelsofbackgroundradiationemittingfromtheseareas.IV.ProposedAlternateMethod:None.Applicablecode-requiredvolumetricexaminationwillbecompletedtothemaximumextentpractical(abesteffortultrasonicexaminationofthecaststainlessweldsbasedonstate-of-the-arttechniquesandassociatedachievableexaminationcoverage).Ultrasonicexaminationsshallbeperformedfromthewroughtsideofapplicablecomponents.Wewillcontinuetoevaluatenewemerginginspectiontechnologyastheybecomeavailable.Thecoderequiredsurfaceexaminationsandsystemleakagetestswillbeperformed.

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