ML20085F947

From kanterella
Revision as of 21:04, 16 April 2020 by StriderTol (talk | contribs) (StriderTol Bot insert)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Outlines Experimental Program Planned for Facility & States Joint Licensee & Westinghouse Position on Continued Operation
ML20085F947
Person / Time
Site: Saxton File:GPU Nuclear icon.png
Issue date: 08/07/1968
From: Neidig R
SAXTON NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTAL CORP.
To: Morris P
US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML20083L048 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-91-17 NUDOCS 9110240061
Download: ML20085F947 (3)
v • d • e


Text

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _

i i '* t*? ,

  1. N nt -

'; [ m SAXT6N NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTAL CU POliATIOW th GENERAL P U D L. l C UTILITICS SYSTEM

/, M-

. , .smc s,.... c.%,... ..... . v. ,co...

6,t* ,,tagg* is, 4,6 a L-ea, J?<w a%e y y/gMg%

J P t s. ae t e s . . sea (6 t c.a C Cou.a %v  !

ff JC o,,..w,,,so,,,,c,.... gy, n W s' > s f225' P. O. Bom 542, Reading. Po. 19603 Telephone: Area 215 929 3601 P. O. Bon 99, Santon, Pa. 16678 Ateo Old . 63$ 2737

/sucust 7 1968 l!V .h Docket !!o. 50-lL6 Licence Ilo. DTR h t v: . 1 Mr. Peter A. Morris, Director Division of Reactcr Licencing United 2tates Atomic Energ;' C;: mission Wachincton, D. C. 2WS O

Dec.r Mr, Marric:

During the next few months the Eaxton Iluclear Experitea Al

  • Corporation (E!EC) will apply for an atenument to the Technical Epecifications to operate a Core III in the Saxton Henctor, and for an extension of its operat ng license (DTR L) which expires in December 1968. The purpose of this letter is to outline briefly the experimental programs planned, and to state the joint E!EC-Weetinghouse position on the continued operation of Saxton. We believe that these programs are cignificant not only to ElEC and Westinghouce, but also to the entire nuclear industry and the AEC, in the field of WR and water reactor technology generally.

The Core III progra.m is sumarized below and in subcequent paragraphs, those items of particular public interest will be discucced more fully. With the exception of Iter B-3 these programs are funded by Westinghouse and GPU.

A. Training of reactor operators and supervisory personnel.

B. Development and proof testing of fuel a::semblies for NR reactors, ac follows:

1. The' irradiation of the plutonium enriched UO,.3 Zircalcy clad rods from Core II to a combination of linear power density and depletion which will certify the power-bornup capability of oxide fuel elements being used for WR's and which will demonstrate power-burnup design limits for  ;

this type of fuel element.

i e 2. The irradiation of reference WR fuel elements under .

loading cycling conditions simulating those expected in IVR's operating as load follow planta on utility power cystems.

l ALC- + 3 The continued exposnre of the pu02 -UO2 fuel from Core II under the AEC-Euratom program. ff o w;g % m n we DEMok91-37 PDR

\

y=>t a

. f.

Mr. I'.arris Auguct 7, 1968

1. . 'Ihe ccnluct of taxiliary testc to identify fatigue lititc, and in-pile creep behavior of Z'ircaloy cladding and the effects of fuel ten:perature cycling on ficcion gaa releare.

Referrin.7 to item A, Zaxtra hac played a cignificant role in the pact by providinr training and power reactor oper1 ting experience for reactor operatort and cupervicory perconnel. Thic role, of a traininc facility for utility 1 rcer.nel who will be engaged in the cperation of IWR's v3.ll be exranied in the future. Both CI;EC and Westinghouse have a heavy cched.11c of training comitttente extending into 1972. There comittments include training for other than Westinghouac euctoterc; i.e., Du.ke Power Company, Onin Inblic lower Dictrict and Baltimore Gac and Electric Ccapany. Irecen; planc are to train about 100 cupervicory personnel per year.

O The objective of Item b-1 in a dernonstration of fuel performnce j in responce ta questionc which have been raicel by the Commiscion's Advisory Cer:.ittee on heactor Cafeguard: (ACRJ), and which are generally applicable to IWR' c being decigned and built toAay; 1.e. , the following "astericked" quectiont):

1. (Docket I;o. 50-275 - Diablo Canyon PcAR, 3rd Eupplement, Quention V. B. I.) (Docket No. 50-295 - Zion PSAR, Vol. 3, Queation V. B. I.)

" Provide a detail '. O ccucsion of the experimental programs which are in progress or will be accomplished prior to operation to demonstrate the proposed core can be safely operated at a linear power generation rate of 18 9 kw/ft and withstand levels of 213 kw/ft without fuel failure during operating tranciente at the nnxirnum expected fuel exposure."

2. (ACR2 letter dated March 14, 1967 - Report on Browns Ferry Duclear lower Station)

"A linear heat generation rate of 28 kW/ft is used by the applicant as a fuel element dtunage limit. Experimental verification of this criterion is incomplete, and the applicant plans to conduct additional tests. The committee recomende that cuch tects include heat generation rates in excess of those calculated for the worst anticipated transient and fuel burnups comparable to the naximum expected in the reactor."

To provide further information on these questions, the le:.d rods in Caxton CoreIII will operate-at an expected peak linear power density of 21.2 kw/ft and to 45,000 !GD/MTi> which is expected to provide a satisfactory response to the' ACE 5 cugge E ons. Purther, the operating conditions of thece rode vill with high probability exceed the desi 1 peak linear power density of the Diablo Canyon and Zion plants of 18 9 hw ft.

t

___ _ w . % _. . . . __ _ _ _ . . . . . .. . 6M

& 96s. % ? e. Cr.t T13

\g *, f 94

, g -

, m 2. M i< lad Fdbm ,

t' Mr. terric 7 e6kah d N.-W auct y c7,kJ h 0 4 ' Gq{

1968 kd 2 i T.TU

,  ; ore III will be cetposed of 21 acccmblies. The 12 peripheral ascemblies will be UO2 etainlecc steel clad accemblier frorn Core I and Core II.

The nine center a.;semblies will concict of two new assemblics for the load fnllow erperiment and seven assatblies consisting of new cheletons loaded cith Zr clal luo2-UO2 rodc frem Core II. ,

These are referred to as the Loose-Lattice Accemblies and consist of fuel rolc and water fille 1 tubec placed in alternate positions in the lattice.

The a1 vantage of the Looce-Lattice configuration is that it permits a large number of rode in the core to run at hi;,n linear power dencity without exceeding overall limitations in thermal output from the core.

I Inc de.:ign of Core III is now comp 3ete and arrangement: have beer.

made for the reconstruction of the Looce-Lattice Assemblies at the .s'estinghouce j Toct-Irradiation heility at Waltz Mill during the second half of 1963. The '

two load follow accemblier will be built concurrently.

In parallel with this, action is being taken in the following areac

1. An application is being prepared to permit operation of the reactor with Core III. This will be cubmitted by August 31, 1963, and we will need approval by December 31,1%B.
2. Action is being taken to extend the ENEC corporate charter for a period of five yearc; i.e. , to May 197h, and to extend the EHEC agreemente with Westinghouse and the GPU operating subsidiariec for the financial support of Saxton's operations. An application for an extencion of the Saxton operating license (DPR 4) will be cubmitted when these steps have been completed.

3 The plant modificatient and inspection program as described in the document entitled "Saxton Loss-of-Coolant Accident Prevention \

and Protection" will be completed before the startup of Core III ccheduled for February 1969 The schedule we have set for these tasks reflects our concern to accceplich the programs and obtain cignificant recults as quickly as possible.

We are cure that ,vou will chare this concern, and we will cooperate with the staf f at every ctage of the regulatory processes. Please let us know if there are any specific areas in which we can assist these procccces.

Very truly yours,

/l]

R. E. Neidig 2.,c <t President CC: Pr. G. F. Trowbridge

- . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ -

Retrieved from "https://kanterella.com/w/index.php?title=ML20085F947&oldid=2739599"