ML20006A893

Responds to NRC Bulletin 89-003 Re Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations. Analysis Performed for Purpose of Developing Guidelines to Assure Subcriticality Maintained During Refueling

ML20006A893
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	01/23/1990
From:	Hairston W GEORGIA POWER CO.
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
ELV-01238, ELV-1238, IEB-89-003, IEB-89-3, NUDOCS 9001300453
Download: ML20006A893 (3)

Text

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Georg a Power Company 6- # 333 Piedmory Annue Atlanto, Georgia 30308 T

, elephone 404 526 3195

, s Maang Address

• 40 inverness center Pa4way Post Offce Dox 1295 04mengham, Alat;ama 35201 Telephone POS 868 5501

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$r00r vNNent ELV-01238 nacioar operaton$ January 23, 1990 0202 ]

Docket Nos. 50-424 50-425 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk .!

Washington, D.C. 20555 Gentlemen:

V0GTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT POTENTIAL LOSS OF REQUIRED SHUTDOWN MARGIN DURING REFUELING OPERATIONS NRC BULLETIN 89-03 On November 21, 1989, the NRC issued Bulletin 89-03, " Potential Loss of Required Shutdown Margin During Refueling Operations. The Bulletin noted that-although analyses are performed for PWR's to confirm that 'the refueling boron concentration is sufficient to maintain the required shutdown margin for the final core configuration, these analyses may not be sufficient to assure that l the shutdown margin will be maintained for all intermediate fuel assembly .

positions. The Bulletin requested that Georgia Power Company (GPC) respond by q providing assurance that adequate shutdown margin will be maintained during all refueling operations.

Westinghouse has performed an analysis for the purpose of developing guidelines  ;

to assure that subcriticality is maintained during refueling following a full  ;

core off-load which is the refueling method used at Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP). This analysis is applicable to fuel assemblies with enrichments i up to 5.0 weight percent U-235. The guidelines account for the placement of l

fuel assemblies when temporarily stored along the baffle or when used to construct temporary " boxes which may be required to load a difficult assembly. ,

l GPC uses procedural requirements to control the location and movement of all  !

fuel assemblies during refueling for VEGP. The VEGP refueling procedure has l been revised in order to be consistent with the Westinghouse core loading  !

guidelines. Adherence to these guidelines will assure that any intermediate .l core configuration will be less reactive than the final core configuration which. '

is analyzed in the safety calculations. Therefore, the required minimum boron concentration of the VEGP Technical Specifications will be sufficient to i maintain subcriticality for the final and any intermediate core configuration.  !

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Plant personnel responsible for refueling operations will be trained in the above procedure, using required reading with the understanding of the potential consequences of violating these requirements. The fundamental aspects of j criticality control with higher enriched fuel assemblies will be included, as i appropriate, in this training. This training will be completed prior to fuel movement for the next refueling outage.  ;

The above actions will assure that adequate shutdown margin is maintained during all refueling operations. This completes Georgia Power Company's response to Bulletin 89-03 for VEGP.  ;

Mr. W. G. Hairston, III states that he is a Senior Vice President of Georgia  :

Power Company and is authorized to execute this oath on behalf of Georgia Power l Company and that, to the best of his knowledge and belief, the facts set forth  ;

in this letter and enclosures are true. '

GEORGIA POWER COMPANY  !

By: (d.I./Mk W. G. Hairston, III Sworn to and subscribed before me this J3 d ay d of Os u mm , 1990. I r / 6 YtuAa Notary &Public hwW&$

,a cm/2:0N EXPGES DEC.15.1992 WGH,III/HWM/gm j Enclosures  !

xc (see next page) -j u

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--, ~ Ge gia Power 1 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission '

u ELV-01238 l Pace Three xc: Georaia Power Comoany  ;

Mr. C. K. McCoy ,

i Mr. G. Bockhold, Jr.

Mr. P. D. Rushton Mr. R. M. Odom- <

NORMS j U.S; Nuclear Reaulatory Commission Mr. S. D. Ebneter, Regional Administrator-Mr. D. B. Matthews, Director Project Directorate 11-3 '

Mr. R. F. Aiello, Senior Resident Inspector, Vogtle

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