ML063450407

Request for Relief Use of Later Edition and Addenda of ASME Code for Examination of Cast Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping

ML063450407
Person / Time
Site:	Fort Calhoun
Issue date:	01/05/2007
From:	Terao D NRC/NRR/ADRO/DORL/LPLIV
To:	Ridenoure R Omaha Public Power District
Wang A, NRR/DORL/LPL4, 301-415-1445
References
TAC MD3052
Download: ML063450407 (6)

Text

January 5, 2007 Mr. R. T. Ridenoure Vice President - Chief Nuclear Officer Omaha Public Power District Fort Calhoun Station FC-2-4 Adm.

Post Office Box 550 Fort Calhoun, NE 68023-0550

SUBJECT:

FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT NO. 1 - REQUEST FOR RELIEF RE: USE OF LATER EDITION AND ADDENDA OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL CODE FOR EXAMINATION OF CAST AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL PIPING (TAC NO. MD3052)

Dear Mr. Ridenoure:

By letter dated September 22, 2006, Omaha Public Power District submitted a request to use certain paragraphs and related portions of the 2001 Edition with the 2002 and 2003 Addenda of Section XI of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) at the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff concludes that the licensees request to use Appendix III of the later edition and addenda of ASME Code,Section XI, addresses all related requirements and associated modifications and limitations in paragraph 50.55a(b) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)(iv),

the NRC staff approves the use of Appendix III of the 2001 Edition through the 2003 Addenda for ultrasonic testing examination of cast austenitic stainless steel piping at the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1, for the remainder of the fourth 10-year inservice inspection interval. The NRC staffs safety evaluation is enclosed.

If you have any questions regarding the safety evaluation, please contact Alan B. Wang at (301) 415-1445.

Sincerely,

/RA/

David Terao, Chief Plant Licensing Branch IV Division of Operating Reactor Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-285

Enclosure:

Safety Evaluation cc w/encl: See next page

ML063450407 NRR-028 OFFICE NRR/LPL4/PM NRR/LPL4/LA DCI/CNPB/BC OGC LPL4/BC NAME AWang LFeizollahi TChan FYC DTerao DATE 12/21/06 12/21/06 12/5/06 1/3/07 1/5/07

Ft. Calhoun Station, Unit 1 cc:

Winston & Strawn Mr. David J. Bannister, Manager ATTN: James R. Curtiss, Esq. Fort Calhoun Station 1700 K Street, N.W. Omaha Public Power District Washington, DC 20006-3817 Fort Calhoun Station FC-1-1 Plant P.O. Box 550 Chairman Fort Calhoun, NE 68023-0550 Washington County Board of Supervisors P.O. Box 466 Mr. Joe L. McManis Blair, NE 68008 Manager - Nuclear Licensing Omaha Public Power District Mr. John Hanna, Resident Inspector Fort Calhoun Station FC-2-4 Adm.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission P.O. Box 550 P.O. Box 310 Fort Calhoun, NE 68023-0550 Fort Calhoun, NE 68023 Mr. Daniel K. McGhee Regional Administrator, Region IV Bureau of Radiological Health U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Iowa Department of Public Health 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400 Lucas State Office Building, 5th Floor Arlington, TX 76011-4005 321 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 Ms. Julia Schmitt, Manager Radiation Control Program Nebraska Health & Human Services R & L Public Health Assurance 301 Centennial Mall, South P.O. Box 95007 Lincoln, NE 68509-5007 April 2006

SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR RELIEF TO USE LATER EDITION AND ADDENDA OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL CODE FOR EXAMINATION OF CAST AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL PIPING OMAHA PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT FORT CALHOUN STATION, UNIT NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 50-285

1.0 INTRODUCTION

By letter dated September 22, 2006 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML062680167), Omaha Public Power District (the licensee) submitted a request to use certain paragraphs and related portions of the 2001 Edition with the 2002 and the 2003 Addenda of Section XI of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) at Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1 (FCS).

2.0 REGULATORY EVALUATION

The regulations in paragraph 50.55a(g)(4) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) establish the effective ASME Code edition and addenda to be used by licensees for performing inservice inspections (ISI) of components and supports. The regulations require that inservice examination of components and system pressure tests conducted during the first 10-year interval and subsequent intervals comply with the requirements in the latest edition and addenda of Section XI of the ASME Code incorporated by reference in 10 CFR 50.55a(b) 12 months prior to the start of the 120-month interval, subject to the limitations and modifications listed therein. The ISI code of record at Fort Calhoun for the fourth 10-year ISI interval which began on November 3, 2003, is the 1998 Edition through the 2000 Addenda. As allowed by the Code, the licensee extended the third interval to coincide with a refueling outage, thus the fourth interval will end on September 26, 2013.

Paragraph 50.55a(g)(4)(iv) of 10 CFR states that the inservice examination of components and system pressure tests may meet the requirements set forth in subsequent editions and addenda that are incorporated by reference in paragraph 50.55a(b), subject to the limitations and modifications listed therein and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval.

Portions of the editions or addenda may be used provided that all related requirements of the

respective editions and addenda are met, subject to any modifications and limitations, and NRC approval. The NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2004-16, Use of Later Editions and Addenda to ASME [Operation and Maintenance] Code Section XI for Repair/Replacement Activities, provides additional guidance on the use of later additions and addenda of Section XI of the ASME Code.

3.0 TECHNICAL EVALUATION

3.1. System/Component(s) for which Relief is Requested Cast Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping - The hot and cold-leg piping connecting the reactor coolant system to the two steam generators is cast stainless steel. The welds to be examined are the hot and cold-leg tie-in welds of the two replacement steam generators. Each replacement steam generator has one hot-leg and two cold-leg welds. The nominal wall thickness of the hot leg is approximately 3.5 inches and the cold leg is approximately 2.5 inches.

3.2 Applicable Code Requirements The ASME Code of record for the fourth 10-year ISI interval is the 1998 Edition through the 2000 Addenda.

3.3 Licensees Request Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)(iv), the licensee requests approval to use selected portions of the ASME Code,Section XI, 2001 Edition through the 2003 Addenda, for ultrasonic testing (UT) of cast austenitic stainless steel (CASS) piping.

3.4 Proposed Subsequent Portions of the ASME Code and Related Requirements The licensee requests approval to use the ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix III, of the 2001 Edition through the 2003 Addenda for examination of cast stainless steel piping at FCS.

The licensee states that there are no related requirements.

4.0 EVALUATION The licensee proposed to use portions of a subsequent edition and addenda to the ASME Code,Section XI, that has been incorporated by reference in 10 CFR 50.55a(b)(2). The NRC staffs review focused on whether the related requirements of the respective code and addenda are being met, and any modifications and limitations that may apply. The licensee proposes to use the ASME Code,Section XI, Appendix III, of the 2001 Edition through the 2003 Addenda in its entirety for the cast stainless steel piping at FCS for the fourth 10-year ISI interval. The licensee identified that there are no related requirements.

UT inspections of piping requires the use of Appendix VIII for the performance demonstration of ultrasonic examination systems. The requirements for CASS piping are in the course of preparation. Appendix VIII states that for piping welds whose requirements are in the course of preparation, the requirements of Appendix III, as supplemented by Table I-2000-1, shall be met.

The scope of Appendix III of the ASME Code, 1998 Edition through the 2000 Addenda (the Code of record for FCS) is limited to vessels having nominal wall thickness of 0.2 inches to 2.0 inches, and does not address requirements for the subject piping welds. Appendix III of this later edition and addenda provides requirements for UT examination of vessel and piping welds and is not limited to less than 2.0 inches.

The NRC staff finds the use of Appendix III of ASME Code,Section XI, of the later edition and addenda acceptable because this version of Appendix III contains the inspection requirements for the subject welds.

5.0 CONCLUSION

The NRC staff concludes that the licensees request to use Appendix III of the later edition and addenda of ASME Code,Section XI, addresses all related requirements, associated modifications, and limitations in 10 CFR 50.55a(b). Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.55a(g)(4)(iv), the NRC staff approves the use of Appendix III of the 2001 Edition through the 2003 Addenda for UT examination of CASS piping at FCS for the remainder of the fourth 10-year ISI interval.

Principal Contributor: A. Keim Date: January 5, 2007