ML17249A369

Application to Amend License DPR-18,changing Tech Specs Re Mixed Oxide Fuel Assemblies in Fuel to Be Loaded for Cycle 10

ML17249A369
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	12/14/1979
From:	WHITE L D ROCHESTER GAS & ELECTRIC CORP.
To:
Shared Package
ML17249A368	List: ML17249A367 ML17249A369 ML17249A370 ML17249A372 ML17249A373 ML17249A374
References
NUDOCS 7912280206
Download: ML17249A369 (34)

Text

UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICANUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONIntheMatterofRochesterGasandElectricCorporation(R.E.GinnaNuclearPowerPlant,UnitNo.1))))DocketNo.50-244))APPLICATIONFORAMENDMENTTOOPERATINGLICENSEPursuanttoSection50.90oftheregulationsoftheU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission(the"Commission"),RochesterGasandElectricCorporation("RG&E"),holderofProvisionalOperatingLicenseNo.DPR-18,herebyrequeststhattheTechnicalSpecifica-tionssetforthinAppendixAtothatlicensebeamended.ThisrequestforachangeinTechnicalSpecificationsissubmittedasaresultofanalysisperformedindesigningGinnafuelcycle10.ThenewfuelbeingloadedinCycle10includesfourmixedoxidefuelassemblies.TheproposedtechnicalspecificationchangeissetforthinAttachmentAtothisApplication.AsafetyevaluationissetforthinAttachmentB.Thisevaluationalsodemonstratesthat)theproposedchangedoesnotinvolveasignificantchangeinthetypesorasignificantincreaseintheamountsofeffluentsoranychangeintheauthorizedpowerlevelofthefacility.Justificationforclassificationoftheamendmentpursuantto10C.F.R.Section170.22isincludedasAttachmentC.AcheckfortheappropriatefeeaccompaniesthisApplication.-AttachmentDpresentstheResearch,Demonstration,andDevelopmentAspectsofProposedUseofMixedOxideFuelAssemblies.

(1'l VWHEREFORE,ApplicantrespectfullyregueststhatAppendixAtoProvisionalOperatingLicenseNo.DPR-18beamendedintheformattachedheretoasAttachmentA.RochesterGasandElectricCorporationByL.D.White,Jr.UicePresident,ElectricandSteamProductionSubscribedandsworntobeforemeonthisISAdayofDecember1979.GARYL'pREISSNOTARYPUBLIC,StateofN.Y.MontoeCo.MyCommissionExpiresMereh30,epg/.

IP NOTETO:hiI:eCollins8DonLan!am,DSB,016)FROH:

SUBJECT:

RcbaDiaas,l.icenseFee!'anaaerien+Branch,AD!'ROCESSINGLETTERS'.IT!'H,CKSPECEIVEDDIRECLYBYTILELICENSEFEE!!,"NAGEI'aENTBPriNCHPleaseprocesstheenclnsedletterundertheapplicabledocketandgivethefolio'.zingdistributionundercodeBOOB:OriginalofltrtoRgulatoryDocketFileActionCyionic~ckto'.(.0.hiller,LFtlB(L-233)3cystoappli-ableBranchofDORorDPI<'1toLABOR1toPDRIamretainingthecheckandthefolio.zinginformationisforyourrecords.CheckNo.:Amount:Date:Ltr.Date:Applicant:DocketNo:SPlant:Thanks!RebaH.DiggsLicenseFeet!aementBranchOfficeofAdministration (IJ AttachmentAReplacepage5.3-1withtheenclosedreplacement.page.i~QIVrqI C'I0 ReactorDesinFeaturesReactorCorea.Thereactorcorecontainsapproximately48metrictons'furaniumintheformofslightlyenricheduraniumdioxidepellets.Thepelletsare'encap-sulatedinZircaloy4tubingtoformfuelrods.Thereactorcoreismadeupof121fuelassemblies.Eachfuelassemblycontains179fuelrods.b.Theaverageenrichmentoftheinitialcoreisanominal2.90weightpercentofU-235.Threefuelenrichmentsare,usedintheinitialcore.Thehighestenrichmentisanominal3.48weight,percentofU-235.c.Reloadfuelshallbesimilarindesigntotheinitialcore.Theenrichmentofreloadfuelwillbenomorethan3.5weightpercent,ofU-235oritsequivalentintermsofreactivity.d.Burnablepoisonrodsareincorporatedintheinitialcore.Thereare528poisonrodsintheformof8and12-rodclusters,whicharelocatedinvacantrodclustercontrolguidetubes.Theburnablepoisone.rodsconsistofboratedpyrexglasscladwithstain-lesssteel.Thereare29full-lengthRCCassembliesand4partial-lengthRCCassembliesinthereactorcore.Thefull-5.3-1PROPOSED (iI0 AttachmentB!TheR.E.GinnaNuclearPlantwillberefueledinMarch1980.Thereloadwillconsistof36freshfuelassemblies,32ofwhichwillbesuppliedbyExxonNuclearCorporationand4ofwhichwillbesuppliedbyWestinghouseElectricCorporation.Thebalanceofthecoreload,85previouslyexposedassemblies,iscomprisedof13Region9assembliesfabricatedbyWestinghouseand72assembliesfabricatedbyExxon.The32freshExxonassemblieshaveanenrichmentof3.45w/owhilethe4freshWestinghouseassembliesaremixedoxideassembliesdesignedtobeequivalenttoa3.10w/ouraniumoxideassembly.tThefuelrodandfuelassemblydesignsoftheExxonassembliesareidenticaltopreviousreloads,includingtheCycle8reloadwhichwasreviewedandapprovedbytheNRCinlicenseamendment19,datedMay1,1978.ThefuelrodandfuelassemblydesignoftheWestinghousemixedoxidefuelassembliesisdescribedintheenclosedreport,"FuelandLOCAEvaluationofR.E.GinnaMixedOxideFuelAssemblies".Asdescribedinthatreport,theassemblymechanicaldesignisidenticaltotheWestinghouseassembliespreviouslyemployed,includingRegion9fuel.Thus,compatibilitybetweentheseWestinghouseassembliesandtheExxonfuelisassuredandhasbeenapprovedbytheNRCinamendment19.ThecoreloadingpatternandanalysishasbeenperformedbyExxon.ThenucleardesignandanassessmentoftheplanttransientstanalysesaredescribedintheenclosedExxonreport,"R.E.GinnaNuclearPlantCycle10SafetyAnalysisReportwithMixedOxideAssemblies."

{'II TheExxonreportdemonstratesthatalltransientsareboundedbythepreviousreferenceanalysis.,Thereferenceanalysis,"PlantTransientAnalysisfortheR.E.GinnaUnitNo.1NuclearPowerPlant"XN-NF-77-40,Rev.1,datedJuly3,1979isenclosedforNRCinformation.~Revision1incorporatedachangeintheCycle9boronworthanddemonstratedthat,previouslyapprovedmarginswerenotdecreased.Thecoreanalysishasbeen.performedwiththemixedoxidecompositionwhichexistsat,thetimeofplantstartup.Ithasbeenrecognizedandcarefullyconsideredthatthecompositionofthematerialchangesfromthetimeofinitialreprocessingtotimeofuse,includingthedecayofPutoAm.Itisof241241interesttocomparethePuloadingatthebeginningofCycle10withthePucurrentlyinthereactor..Thefourmixedoxidefuel,assemblieshaveapproximately47.2kgofPu.At.theendofCycle9,thetotalPuinventoryinthereactorwillbeapproximately285kg.AtthebeginningofCycle10,thePuinventoryofthe117uraniumassembliesinthereactorwillbeapproximately170kg.Thus,itcanbeseenthatthestandard"alluraniumcore"hasasignificantquantityofPuandthattheadditionofthefourmixedoxideassembliesattributesabout29%ofthetotalPuloadingatthebeginningofCycle10.Hence,itisthefactthatthePuisfabricatedintofourdiscreteassembliesratherthanthetotalguantitywhichisofsignificance.ThereportpreparedbyExxonaddressesalltransientswhichtmaybelimitingexcepttheevaluationofthelossofcoolantaccident(LOCA).TheLOCAevaluationhasbeenperformedby l'I tWestinghouseandispresentedintheWestinghousereport,"FuelandLOCAEvaluationofR.E.GinnaMixedOxideFuelAssemblies".Bycomparison,itisconcluded.thattheresultsforthemixedoxidefuelassembl3:hswillbeboundedbyresultspreviouslyIobtainedforWestinghouseuraniumassemblies.Whenitisnotedthat,themixedoxidefuelassemblieswillbelocatedonthecoreperipheryfortheirfirst,fuelcycleandwilloperateatanassemblypowerwhich'isbelowcore'veragepowerandsubstantiallybelowlicensedrelativepower,itbecomesapparentthatsignificantmargintothelimitsof10CFR50.46isbeingaffordedfortheseassemblies.UponreceiptatGinnaStationthemixedoxidefuelassembliestwillbeunloadedfromtheshippingcontainers,inspectedforshippingdamageandinsertedintostoragelocationsinthespent,fuelpoolpendingloadingintothecore.Ananalysishas,there-fore,beenperformedtoassurethat,thespentfuelpoolevaluationpreviouslyperformedremainsvalid.Theonlydifferencefromthepreviousanalysis,whichwassubmittedonJanuary30,1976withNRCapprovalissuedwithlicenseamendmentlldatedNovember15,1976istheneutronicsevaluation.Therefore,theattachedreport,preparedbyPickard,LoweandGarrick,Inc.(PLG)andentitled"AddendumtoCriticalityAnalysesfortheGinnaNuclearPlantFuelStorageRackstoAddresstheStorageofMixedOxideFuelAssemblies"isprovided.Theanalysis,whichhasbeenperformedwiththesamemodelsandassumptionsastheinitialanalysis,whichwasalsoperformedbyPLG,demonstratesthatthetresultsformixedoxidefuelassembliesareboundedbythepre-viouslyapprovedresultsforuraniumassemblies.Theresultant l

tmultiplicationfactor,includingadditionaluncertaintieswhichhavebeenappliedduetothemixedoxidefuel,isbelowtheplantTechnicalSpecificationlimitof0.90andwellbelow0.95.Theeffectoftheinsertionoffourmixedoxidefuelassembliesonthepreviously.performedenvironmentalimpactassessmentshasbeenreviewed.Thisreviewhasincludedoccupationalexposure,offsiteimpactasaresultofnormaloperation,andoffsiteimpactasaresultofpostulatedaccidents.ThereisaslightincreaseintheoccupationalexposureasaresultofthefuelreceiptinspectionwhichisperformedatGinna.ThefourfuelassemblieshavebeenestimatedbyWestinghousetohaveacontactdoserateofapproximately100mr/hr.Inspectionstypicallytinvolvetwopeopleand30minutesperassembly.Inaddition,handlingwillrequireanaverageof2peoplefor1hourperassembly.Thus,onearrivesatatotaloccupationalexposureof1.2person-remassumingcontact.Inasmuchasallexposurewillnotbecontactexposure,theactualoccupationalexposureisexpectedtobebelowthe1.2person-rem.Thismaybecomparedwith551personremperyearaverageactuallyexperiencedatGinnabetween1970and1978andanaverageof371person-remperyearfor1977and1978.Oncethemixedoxidefuelisinthespentfuelpool,theincrementalexposureisinsignificantduetothesubstantialshieldingprovidedbythewaterinthepool.Thus,theimpactonoccupationalexposuresissmall.Theenclosedreportentitled,"RadiologicalImpactofMixedtOxideFuelAssemblies",addresseseffluentsfromnormaloperationandfrompostulatedaccidents.Itisdemonstratedthatoperationwithfourmixedoxidefuelassemblieshasonlyasmalleffecton 1

~~plantreleasesandthatallTechnicalSpecificationandregulatorylimitscontinuetobemet.AsdescribedintheWestinghousereport,thefuelintheformofrodsisin'storageat.Westinghousefacilities.TherodswillbeloadedintotheassemblyskeletonsatExxonNuclearfacilitiesusingWestinghousefabricatedskeletonsandemployingWestinghouseacceptancecriteriaforallfuelassemblymanufacturingparameters.ExxonisperformingthistaskbecauseofthephysicalincapabilityoftheWestinghousefacilitytoliftthecompletedfuelassemblyuprightforqualitycontrolandassurancechecks.AllshippinguntilthefuelassembliesarriveatGinnaistheresponsibilityofothersandRochesterGasandElectricisnotseekinganyapprovalsforthisaspectoftheprogram.Finalshippingfollowingfuelexposureisnotexpectedforseveralyearsfollowingfinaldischarge,orat,leastuntilthemidtolate1980s,duetotheuncertaintysurroundingthataspectofthefuelcycle.Shippingwillbeaccomplishedinaccordancewiththethenapplicableregulations.thistime.NoapprovalsarebeingrequestedatTheevaluationsdescribedaboveandintheenclosureshaveaddressedallaspectsofthedemonstrationprogramtoloadfourmixedoxidefuelassembliesintothereactorbeginningwithCycle10operation.Theevaluationsincludedfuelroddesign,fuelassemblydesign,coredesign,planttransientsevaluation,LOCA,fuelassemblystorage,transportation,andenvironmentalimpact.Theconclusionisthattheinsertionoffourmixedoxidefueltassemblies,whileservingasademonstrationprogramtoreduce f1I0 etheuncertaintiessurroundingtheuseofmixedoxidefuelinIgeneralandintheGinnareactorinparticular,hasaverysmalleffectonoverallplantperformanceand-impacts.Ithasbeendemonstratedthat.theinsertionoffourmixedoxidefuelassembliesdoesnotadverselyaffectpublichealthandsafety.

Ill AttachmentCTheproposedamendmentisdeemedtobewithinClassIVof10CFRgl70.22sinceit.involvesasinglecomplexissue:theacceptabilityoftheuseofmixedoxidefuelassembliesintheGinnareactor.ThisclassificationisinaccordwiththeCom-mission'spracticeofclassifyingreloadapplicationsinClassIV.Anenvironmentalappraisalhasbeenpreparedwhichdemonstratesthattheproposedactionwillnothaveasignificant,environmentalimpact.TheproposedamendmentwillnotrequiredACRSrevieworpreparationofanenvironmentalimpactstatement.Accordingly,acheckforthefeeof912,300isenclosed.0 Ilt'I AttachmentDRESEARCH,DEMONSTRATIONANDDEVELOPMENTASPECTSOFPROPOSEDUSEOFMIXEDOXIDEFUELASSEMBLIES~kdTheproposedinsertionoffourmixedoxidefuelassembliesintotheGinnareactoristheculminationofaResearch,Demonstra-tion,andDevelopment("RDD")programthatwasactivelyinitiatedoversixyearsago.RG&EacquiredthematerialaspartofanequivalentmaterialsoptionunderitsreprocessingagreementwithNuclearFuelServices,Inc.("NFS").Underthis-option,RG6EcouldrequireNFStoprovideuraniumandplutoniumofequivalentvaluetothatcontainedinspentfuelifNFScouldnot.reprocessspentfuelfromGinnaontheschedulerequested.Followingship-mentoftheinitialcoreofspent,fuel(121assemblies)fromGinnainearly1973,RG&Ereceiveduraniumandsufficientplutoniumforthefabricationoffourmixedoxidefuelassemblies.TheplutoniumwasdeliveredtoWestinghouseinthesummerof1973,andfuelrodsforfourassemblieswerefabricatedbyWestinghousein1974andplacedinstorage.Inearly1974,RG&Einitiatedaprogramtoinsertfourmixedoxidefuelassembliesintothecoreduringthe1975refuelingoutage.Aspartoftheprogram,Westinghousepreparedanevalua-tionofthetotalcapabilityoftheGinnareactortoutilizetmixedoxidefuel.Thestudyprovidedabandofrecyclecapabilitythatwasdependentoncoremanagementandcycleburnup.

lI.I Inlate1974,-alleffortsdirectedtowardusingmixedoxidefuelina1975reloadweredeferredduetotheperceivedneedtoconcentrateonotherlicensingeffortstheninprogress.Adecisionwasmadetodesignanadditionalfourfuelassemblies,withthegoalofinsertingeightassembliesintheGinnareactorat,the1976refuelingoutage.Thematerialrequiredfortheadditionalassemblieswastohavebeenimported.TheinformalreactionoftheNRCStafftoourproposedprogramofeightmixedoxidefuelassemblieswasnegative.Inaddition,therewasasubstantialpossibilityofoppositiontothe,plantoimporttheadditionalmaterialthroughNewYorkCity.Asaresult,thedecisionwasmadetocanceltheproposedimportandfurthertopostponethemixedoxideRDDproject.InJune1979,RG&EwasinformedthatWestinghousewasgoingtocloseitsstoragefacilityandthat.thestoragecontractwouldnot,berenewed.ThisnotificationledRGGEtoreevaluateitspriordeferralofthemixedoxideRDDprogramandtoconclude-thattheprogramshouldbereactivated.GinnaRDDProramDescritionTogoforwardwithitsmixedoxideRDDprogram,RGSEisrequestingNRCconcurrenceforreceiptandtemporarystorageoffourmixedoxidefuelassemblies,followedbyinsertionofthoseassembliesintotheGinnareactorcoreandirradiationforatleastthreecyclesofnormalreactoroperation.tThefollowingRDDwillbeperformedduringoperationwiththefourmixedoxidefuelassemblies:

I1cI 1.Verificationofcurrentneutronicmethodologyappliedtomixedoxideassembliesthroughcomparisonsofmeasuredandpredictedassemblypowers(radialandaxial).Thisisaseveretestinthatthecalculateddiffusionlengthsinmixedoxideassembliesaresignificantlylessthanthoseofall-uraniumassemblies.2.Verificationofcurrentcapabilitiestocalculateincoredetectorresponsesinmixedoxideassembliesrelativetoall-uraniumassemblies.3..Throughthecomparisonofmeasuredandpredictedmixedoxideassemblypowers,adegreeofconfidencecanbeobtainedrelativetothecapabilitytopredictmixedoxideassemblyreactivityandmigrationareaasafunctionofburnup.4.Infuturecycles,themixedoxideassembliescouldbeplacedinroddedlocationstoallowcomparisonsofcalculatedandmeasuredcontrolrodworthsformixedoxideassemblies.5.Duringeachrefuelingoutage,andfollowingdischarge,avisualexaminationofthefourmixedoxidefuelassemblieswillbeperformedtodetermineifthereareanydifferencesinthoseassemblies,asopposedtotheall-uraniumassemblies.Duringthefirstburnupcycle,thefourmixedoxidefuelassemblieswillbeplacedinlowpowerlocationsontheperipheryofthecore.Inlightofitems1through4,thelocationshavebeenspecificallyselectedsothattwoofthefourassemblieswillbetraversedbytheincoremovabledetectorsystem.ThiswillenableRG&Etorecordandcarefullyassesstheactualpowertdistributionforthosetwoassembliesonaregularbasis.Analysis 0

eofthemeasurementssorecordedwillbeperformedbybothRGSEandExxon.ForExxon,thiswillresultinvalidationofexistingPWRdesigncodesbycomparisonwithactualoperatingdata.Theothertwomixedoxidefuelassemblieswillbemonitoredbyincorethermocouples.Thethermocoupleswillbe,locatedat.thefuelassemblytopnozzle,whichistheexitforthewaterflowpath,andmaybeusedtoprovideadditionaldataconcerninxngtheperformanceofthemixedoxidefuelassemblies.Nospecificpost-irradiationRDDprogramisbeingproposedat,thistime.However,RG6Eispreparedtocooperateinthedevelopmentofaprogramforpost-irradiationexaminationbyoneormoreGovernmententitiesorNationallaboratories.AdvantaesofGinnaRDDProramTheproposedRDDprogramtobecarriedoutinconjunctionwiththeirradiationformixedoxidefuelassembliesatGinnaisexpectedtoproduceasubstantialadvanceinstate-of-the-artknowledgeconcerningtheperformanceofmixedoxidefuelincommercialnuclearreactors.TheresearchconductedattheSouthernCaliforniaEdisonCo.reactorSanOnofreUnitNo.1hasbeentheonlypriorresearchconcerningtheuseofmixedoxidefuelinaU.S.Westinghousecommercialreactor.There,fourassemblieswithunprepressurizedzircaloy-cladfuelrodswereirradiatedfortwofuelcycles.Theuseofmixedoxidefuelrodswasterminatedprematurelybecauseofconcernthattheremightbeexcessivefueldensificationintheunprepressurizedfuelrods.Inaddition,althoughthemixedoxidefuelirradiatedat.SanOnofrewaszircaloyclad,thebalanceofthecorehadstainlesssteelclad.

c'I AtGinna,allthefuelinthecorewillbezircaloyclad.ITheuseofzircaloycladresultsinadifferentenergyspectrumthanthatforstainlesssteelclad.DatareportedatGinnawill,therefore,bemoreiepresentativeofwhatcanbeexpectedfromtheuseofmixedoxidefuelinthemajorityofPWRs.Inaddition,themixedoxidefuelhereinvolvedhasbeenpressurizedandfabricatedwithprocessesdevelopedandapprovedfollowingtheidentificationoffueldensificationwhereastheSanOnofrefuelwasfabricatedpriortothattime.Thisagainwillproducedatamorerepresentativeofcurrentreactoroperations.Finally,themixedoxidefuelassembliesat.Ginnawillbeirradiatedforatleastthreefuelcycles.Dependingontheirradiationhistoryoftahefuelforthethreecycles,oneormoreoftheassembliesmaybeusedforafourthfuelcycle,therebyprovidingadditionaldata.Forallofthesereasons,theRDDprogramatGinnawill,provideinformationthatisnot,currentlyavailableandwilladvancethestateoftheart,withrespect,tofutureuseofmixedoxidefuelassemblies.

s1