ML17264A857

Submits Relief Request Re Class 1 ASME Section Xi Category B-J to Address Cast Stainless Base Metal Ultrasonic Weld Exams

ML17264A857
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	04/09/1997
From:	MECREDY R C ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.
To:	VISSING G NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned), NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9704160269
Download: ML17264A857 (9)

Text

CATEGORYREGULAZINFORMATIONDZSTRZBUTZOYSTEM(RIDE)

SUBJECT:

Submitsreliefrequestreclass1ASMESectionXICategoryB-Jtoaddresscaststainlessbasemetalultrasonicweldexams.DISTRIBUTIONCODE:A047DCOPIESRECEIVED:LTR1ENCLiSIZE:TITLE:ORSubmittal:Inservice/Testing/RelieffromASMECode-GL-8-04T05000244ENOTES:LicenseExpdateinaccordancewith10CFR2,2.109(9/19/72).ACCFSSIONNBR:9704160269DOC.DATE:97/04/09NOTARIZED:NODOCKETFATTI'5~-244RobertEmmetGinnaNuclearPlant,Unit1,RochesterG05000244AU~TH'<NAMEAUTHORAFFILIATIONMECREDY,R.C.RochesterGas6ElectricCorp.RECIP.NAMERECIPIENTAFFILIATIONVISSING,G.RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPDl-1LAVISSING,G.INTERNAL:AEOD/SPD/RABNRR/DE/EMEBOGC/HDS3RES/DET/EMMEBEXTERNAL:LITCOANDERSONNRCPDRCOPlESLTTRENCL1111111110111111RECIPIENTIDCODE/NAMEPD1-1PDFILECENTERINUDOCS-A'BBTRACTRES/DET/EIBNOACCOPIESLTTRENCL1111111111DOiUENOTETOALL"RIDS"RECIPIENTS:PLEASEHELPUSTOREDUCEWASTE.TOHAVEYOURNAMEORORGANIZATIONREMOVEDFROMDISTRIBUTIONLISTSORREDUCETHENUMBEROFCOPIESRECEIVEDBY.,YOUORYOURORGANIZATION,CONTACTTHEDOCUMENTCONTROLDESK(DCD)ONEXTENSION415-2083TOTALNUMBEROFCOPIESREQUIRED:LTTR13ENCL12 C

ANDROCHESTERGASANDELECTRICCORPORATION~89FASTAVENLIE,ROCHESTER,N.YId&9-0001IARFACODE716Sf6-2700ROBERTC.MECREDYVicePresidentNudearOperationsApril9,1997U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionDocumentControlDeskAttn:GuyVissingProjectDirectorateI-1Washington,D.C.20555

Subject:

ReliefRequestNo.17GinnaNuclearPowerPlantInserviceInspectionASMESectionXIRequiredExaminationsR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlantDocketNo.50-244

DearMr.Vissing:

ThepurposeofthisletteristoseekapprovalofareliefrequestconcerningClass1,ASMESectionXICategoryB-J,toaddressCastStainlessBaseMetalUltrasonicWeldExaminations.Justificationandproposedalternativesareincludedintheattachmentstothisletter.ItisrequestedthatthisreliefrequestbeapprovedbyJune16,1997inordertobeutilizedfortheupcoming1997OutageatR.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlant.Thisreliefrequestdealswiththeemploymentofbesteffortultrasonicexaminationtechniquesonweldsassociatedwithcaststainlesscomponents.Duetothenatureofcaststainlessandassociatedwelds,attenuationvariablesadverselyimpacttheperformanceofultrasonicexaminations.Theperformanceofothervolumetrictechniques,suchasradiography,onassociatedcastcomponentswillprovidelittleincreasedquantitativebenefitduetothehighlevelsofbackgroundradiationthatexistfortheitemsaddressed.NotethatthisreliefrequestusesthesamerationaleaswasusedtoconformwithCodeCaseN-481aspartofthecurrentISIintervalprogram.ThatcodecasewasappliedtoRCPbowlsmadeofcaststainlesssteelandwasgrantedbasedontheinabilityofUTmeasurestobeeffective.RochesterGasandElectricwillcontinuetoevaluatenewemerginginspectiontechnologyastheybecomeavailableforthisindustryproblemofperformingultrasonicexaminationsoncaststainlesscomponents.Verytrulyyours,j9704i6026'7,970409PDRADOCK,050002448s.-PDRRobertC.Mec-edy'IIIIIII']glllllllllilllilllllll'Illillllllll@galI I~Pi~'V)II

>AttachmentREJE448xc:Mr.GuyVissing(MailStop14B2)ProjectDirectorateI-1Washington,D.C.20555U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionRegionI475AllendaleRoadKingofPrussia,PA19406GinnaSeniorResidentInspector l

ReliefRequestNo.17CategoryB-J,CastStainlessBaseMetalUltrasonicExaminationI.ComponentsforWhichReliefisRequested:1.Class1,CategoryB-J,ReactorCoolantCastPumpTerminalEndtoCastElbowCircumferentialWeldsandAssociatedLongitudinalSeamWelds.WeldID~TePL-FW-XIIIPL-FW-XII-LR(XIII)PL-FW-XVPL-FW-XI-LR(XV)Elbow-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: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-

~.'51GrCF8M)andcontainlongitudinalseamwelds.TheReactorCoolantInlet/OutletWroughtSafeEnd/Pipeto"Elbowcircumferentialweldsconsistsoffittings(elbows)thatarecaststainless(ASTMA-351GrCF8M).Whenemployingoptimizedultrasonictechniquesonthesecast/wroughtwelds,thetechniquesmaydetectlargeflaws(254orgreaterthroughwall)'utarerelativelyineffectiveindetectingsmallerflaws.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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