ML18348A776

Proposed Change to Technical Specification to Generalize Tech Spec to Allow for Reactor Refueling Without Requiring Additional Tech Spec Changes

ML18348A776
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	01/30/1976
From:	Bixel D Consumers Power Co
To:	Purple R Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML18348A776 (5)

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Power company General Offices: 212 west Michigan Avenue, Jackson, Michigan 49201

• Area Code 517 788-0550 January 30, 1976

'Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Att: Mr Robert A. Purple, chief Operating Reactor Branch No 1 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 DOCKEI' 50-255, LICENSE DPR-~O PALISADES PLANT - PROPOSED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CHANGE - PALISADES CYCLE 2 RELOAD FUEL By letters dated December 15, 1975 and December 29, 1975, we transmitted copies of reports containing information on Palisades Batch D and E reload fuel, re-spectively.

• As discussed previously with members of your staff, additional information con~

cerning the Palisades reactor refueling would be transmitted. This information includes a proposed Technical Specifications change (attached) and art analysis entitled, "Palisades LOCA Analyses Using the ENC WREM-Base PWR ECCS Evaluation Model" (No XN-76-4 dated January 1976), which discusses the ECCS analysis as-sociated with six postulated pipe break accidents. This analysis is being pro-vided under separate cover.

Additional information on analysis associated with the Palisades Cycle 2 refuel-ing will be transmitted about February 10, 1976 (plant transients) and February 20, 1976 (additional ECCS analysis).

The changes proposed in this request are primarily designed to generalize the present Technical Specifications to allow for reactor refueling without requiring additional Technical Specifications changes.

In addition to the proposed Technical Specifications changes, it should be noted that the ECCS model being used for the analysis is different from that previously used, that fuel from a different manufacturer (Exxon Nuclear Corporation - ENC) is being analyzed for the reload core, and that ENC will. be conducting the analy-sis both for the fuel supplied by ENC and for that _ ...,._ r.~iously_by-o.theFs-.- --*----

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David A. Bixel 6

• Assistant Nuclear Licensing Administrator CC: JGKeppler, USNRC File

• CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY Docket 50-255 Request for Change to the Technical Specifications License DPR-20 For the reasons hereinafter set forth, it is requested that the Technical Speci-fications contained in Provisional Operating License DPR-20, Docket 50-255, issued to Consumers Power Company on October l6, 1972, be changed as described in Sec-tion I below.

I. Changes A. Change Section 5.3.2 (a) as follows:

"a. The reactor core shall approximate a right circular cylinder with an equivalent diameter of about 136 inches and an active height of about 132 inches."

B. Change Section 5.3.2 (b) as follows:

• "b. The reactor core shall consist of approximately 43,000 Zircaloy-4 clad fuel rods containing slightly enriched uranium in the form of sintered uo 2 pellets. The fuel rods shall be grouped into 204 assemblies.

A core plug or plugs may be used to replace one or more fuel assemblies subject to the analysis of the resulting power distribution."

C. Change Section 5.3.2 (c) as follows:

"c. The fully loaded core shall contain approximately 211,000 pounds uo 2 and approximately 56,000 pounds of Zircaloy-4. Poison may be placed in the fuel bundles for long-term reactivity control. "

D. Delete Item 1 of Appendix c. (Requirements deleted or incorporated in Appendix A. )

E. Change Section 3.1.1 (b) by adding the following at the end of the para-graph:

"Four primary coolant pumps shall be in operation whenever the reactor is operated continually above 5%, of rated power (exception to _!_1!_~-~--~P~~:i~-- _____ _

______ fication-i-s-permit-ted-as*-describe-d-in-Tao1ez:-3-~r;-rtem-iT.-11--

_F. Change Section 3.1.1 (c) to read as follows:

"c. The minimum flow for various power levels shall be as shown in Table 2.3.1. The measured "Four Primary Coolant Pumps Operating" reactor coolant vessel flow (as determined by reactor coolant pumps differential pressure and pump perfonnance curves) shall be 127 .8 lb/h or greater."

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• G. Change the basis to Section 3.1.l by adding the following paragraph:

"The thermal margin and ECCS anazysis conducted for the reactor core assume a vessel flow of 124 x 106 lb/h. The value is consistent with a measured fl.ow of 127.8 x 106 lb/hand an uncertainty of 3% (subtract from the measured flow) * "

H. Change Table 2.3.1, Item 1, for two and three primary coolant pumps op-erating as follows:

Three Primary Coolant Two Primary Coolant Pumps Operating Pumps Operating "25% of rated power ( 4 )" "5% of rated power ( 4 )"

(Continuous operation (Continuous operation not permitted. ) not permitted.)

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( )0peration with two or three pumps is permitted only to provide for an orderly shutdown (or start-up) and to provide for the conduct of reactor internals, noise monitoring test measurements (a maximum of 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> of operation each time this test is* conducted).

I. Delete Appendix B Items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. (These requirements are pro-posed to be incorporated elsewhere or are no longer applicable.)

J. Change proposed Section 3.18.1 (proposed in July 9, 1975 submittal) to read as follows :

I "3.18.1 The linear heat generation rate with appropriate consideration of normal flux peaking, measurement-calculational uncertainty, engineer-ing factor, increase in linear heat rate due to axial fuel densification, .

power measurement uncertainty, and flux peaking augmentation, shall not exceed that limit which causes calculated ECCS performance, as predicted by an evaluation model approved by the NRC as satisfying the requirements of 10 CFR 50, Appendix K, to exceed the "Acceptance Criteria for Emergency Core Cooling System for Light Water Cooled Nuclear Power Reactors" as given in 10 CFR 50.46(b).

"Unless otherwise justified, the measure;ment-calculational uncertainty shall be 10%, the engineering factor shall be 3%, the increase in linear heat rate due to axial densification shall be 1.75% (as applied to hot dimensions), the power measurement uncertainty shall be 2%, and the flux peaking augmentation factor shall be as given in Figure 3-6 for uncol-lapsed fuel and Figure 3-7 for collapsed fuel. Augmentation factors for pressurized densifi_~ation~r_esistant-ENC-fuel-and-pressurizm--:nign-d.ensity___ _

-cE-fuersnaIT1>eI~o."

• II. Discussion

• ~is Technical Specifications request assumes that the changes proposed on July 9, 1975 (re-evaluation of ECCS cooling performance) a~e accepted prior 2

• to or as a part of this proposed change.

item is given below.

A.

A discussion of the individual This proposed change generalizes the reactor core design with respect to equivalent diameter and heights. This change makes the Technical Speci-fications consistent with planned reload fuel design which may utilize slightly different fuel assembly design parameter (see Table 4.1 of our December 29, 1975 submittal, "Palisades Cycle 2 Reload Fuel Licensing Data Submittal").

B&C. This proposed change deletes specific core fuel loading requirements.

These.requirements are effectively controlled in Section 3 of the Tech-nical Specifications.

D. This change deletes the present temporary thermal power restriction and allows the plant to return to its rated power level of 2200 MWt. This power level is used in our ECCS evaluations submitted as part of the Palisades Cycle 2 Reload Fuel Licensing Data Submittal.

Other parts of this appendix (Appendix C) are incorporated into Appen-dix A. See items E, F, and G.

E&H. These changes delete the option of continuous operation with less than four primary coolant pumps in operation. Limited operation with two and three pumps is permitted to effect an orderly shutdown or start-up of the plant and to provide for "noise monitoring" to test for core internals vibration.

These added restrictions to the present Technical Specificatio~s are considered temporary and are expected to be removed following completion of an analysis justifying operation with less than four coolant pumps.

F&G. This change adds a minimum flow to the Appendix A Technical Specifications.

This flow is consistent with that used in the Core 2 ECCS and thermal margin analysis.

I. Many items in Appendix B are deleted. These items are no longer applicable or are incorporated elsewhere as follows:

1. Item 1 - Rated power is defined in Section 1.1.

2. Item 2 Steam generator leakage requirements are proposed in changes associated with our steam generator tube plugging criteria request.

3. Item 3 - This __Eiect_ion__ is_no_longer-appl-icab:le-since--core- ournup ex-------

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4. Item 5 - A thermal power limit for unpressurized fuel is being deter-mined as part of the analysis being conducted for the core reload *

• 5. Item 6 - Data logger operability is considered in the proposed Tech-nical Specifications of July 9, 1975.

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• J. This change modifies our proposed change of July 9, 1975 transmitted as part of the re-evaluation of ECCS cooling performance. The change in-corporates consideration of pressurized, densification resistant fuel and recognizes that certain calculational uncertainties may change due to different fuel manufacturing considerations, etc.

III. Conclusion This change has not been reviewed by our Palisades Plant Review Committee or the Safety and Audit Review Board. These reviews will be conducted as information becomes available and we will advise you should ariy of the proposed changes be deemed inappropriate.

CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY Sworn and sub-scribed to before me this 30th day of January 1976.

Jackson County, Michigan MY' commission expires May 18, 1976 *

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