ML20202G759

Application for Amend to License NPF-39,revising TS Section 2.1, Safety Limits, to Revise Minimum Critical Power Ratio Safety Limit.Proprietary Supporting Info Withheld (Ref 10CFR2.790)

ML20202G759
Person / Time
Site:	Limerick
Issue date:	02/09/1998
From:	Cotton J PECO ENERGY CO., (FORMERLY PHILADELPHIA ELECTRIC
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
Shared Package
ML19317C910	List: ML20202G759 ML20202G787
References
NUDOCS 9802200215
Download: ML20202G759 (6)

Text

. _ _

Station Support Department

., N-- 10CFR50.90

.V ,

,PECO NUCLEAR neo % c-,

9ns ctnietwook Bouieved A Unit of PEC0 Energy Wayne, PA IWW91 February 9,1998 Docket No. 50452 License No. NPF 39 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk WasLington, DC 20555

Subject:

Limerick Generating Station, Unit 1 Technical Specifications Change Request No. 97-03-1

Dear NRC Officials:

PECO Energy Company is submitting Technical Specifications (TS) Change Request No.07-031, in accordance with 10CFR50.90, requesting an amendment to the TS (Appendix A) of Operating License No. NPF 39 for Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1. This proposed change will revise TS Section 2.1, " Safety Limits," to revise the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Limit. Information supporting this TS Change Request is contalned in Attachment 1 to this letter, and the marked up pages showing the proposed changes to the LGS Unit 1 TS are contained in Attachment 2. This information is being submitted under affirmation, and the required affidavit is enclosed.

Attachment 3, letter from R. M. Butrovich (GE) to K. W. Hunt (PECO), " Limerick Unit 1 Cycle 8 Safety Umit MCPR Revision," dated s'anuary 20,1998 specifies the new MCPR Safety Limits for LGS Unit 1. Cycle 8. Attachment 3 contains information proprietary to GE. GE requests that the document be withheld from public disclosure in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790(a)(4). An affidavit supporting this request in accordance with 10 CFR 2.790(b)(1) is provided with Attachment 3. Attachment 4 contalr's the non-proprietary version of Attachment 3.

We request that, if approved, the TS change proposed herein be issued by April 3,1998, and become effective within 30 days of issuance.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Very truly yours,

• h' 4 ,

Director - Licensing i Enclosure, Attachments , b 'v "

cc: H. J. Miller, Administrator, Region I, USNRC (w/ Enclosure, Attachments)

A. L Burritt, USNRC Senior Resident Inspector, LGS " "

R. R. Janati, PA Bureau of Radiological Protection 9802200215 990209 PDR P

ADOCK 05000352 PDR Ado Me 3-3_Sg . ll llIlll llll{ll

~

COMMONWEkLTH OF PENNSYLVANIA  :

SS, COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA  :

J. B. Cotton, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:

'That he is Vice President of PECO Energy Company, the Applicant herein; that he has read the foregoing Apr'ication for Amendment of Facility Operating Ucense Number NFF 39 (Technical Specifications Change Request No. 97 03-1), to change the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Umits at Limerick Generating Station, Unit 1, and knows the contents thereof; and that the statements and matters set forth therein are true and correct to the best of his knowledge, information and belief.

Vice President Subscribed and sworn to before me this k day of 1998.

/ Notp Public NOTAFuAL SEAL CAROL A. WALTON, Notary Pubte City of Philadelphia. Phila. County My Commission Empires May 28,2001

ATTACHMENT 1 LIMERICK GENERATING STATION UNIT 1 DOCKET NO. 50-352 LICENSE NO. NPF-39 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CHANGE REQUEST NO. 97-03-1 i

Supporting information for Change - 3 Pages l- " MINIMUM CRITICAL POWER RATIO (MCPR)

SAFETY LIMIT REVISION" i

o

- - - . .- . - _ ~ . _ - - - . - _

Docket No. 50-352

, License No. NPF-39 PECO Energy Company, under Facility Operating License No. NPF-39 for Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1, requests that the-Technical Specifications (TS) contained in Appendix A to the Operating License be amended as proposed herein, to revise TS Section 2.1 and its associated TS Basis to reflect the change in the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Limit due to the plant specific evaluation performed by General Electric Co. (GE) for LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8. The proposed change to the LGS Unit 1 TS is indicated by markups on TS page 2-1 and TS Bases page B 2-1. The TS page and TS Bases page showing the proposed change are contained in Attachment 2.

Attachment 3, Letter from R. M. Butrovich (GE) to K. W. Hunt (PECO Energy),

" Limerick Unit 1 Cycle 8 Safety Limit MCPR," dated January 20, 1998 specifies the new MCPR Safety Limits for LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8.

i We request that, if approved, the TS change proposed herein be issued by April 3, 1998 and become effective within 30 days of issuance.

This TS Change Request provides a discussion and description of the proposed TS change, a safety assessment of the proposed TS change, information

supporting a finding of No Significant Hazards Consideration, and information

supporting an Environmental Assessment.

Discussion and Description of the Proposed Chanae The proposed Technical Specifications (TS) Change Request involves the change of Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1, TS Section 2.1 and its associated TS Basis to revise the Minimum Critical Power Ration (MCPR) Safety Limits.

Attachment 3, Letter R. M. Butrovich (GE) to K. W. Hunt (PECO Energy),

" Limerick Ls % 1 Cycle 8 Safety Limit MCPR," dated January 20, 1998_ specifies the new MCPti Safety Limits for LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8.- The new MCPR Safety Limits are calculated using NRC-approved methods (i.e., GESTAR-II, Rev. 13).

The calculation inputs include the following cycle-specific parameters: the.

actual core loading; conservative variations of projected control blade

patterns; the actual bundle parameters (e.g., local peaking); the full cycle l exposure range. The MCPR Safety Limit is set high enough to ensure that greater sn 99.9% of all fuel rods in the core are expected to avoid l- transit, a boiling if the limit is not violated. The results of the GE

analysis 'ar LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8 show a MCPR Safety Limit of 1.12 for two loop operation, and 1.14 for single loop operation, i

l Therefore, we propose that LGS Unit 1, TS Section 2.1 and TS Bases 2.1 be revised to reflect the change in the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR)

Safety Limits for LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8.

I l

4 -

Docket No. 50-352

, License Nc. NPF-39 4

Safety Assessment The proposed TS change will revise TS Section 2.1 and its associated TS B. sis to reflect the change in the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Limits, due to the plant specific evaluation performed by Genera'. Electric Co.

(GE) for LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8.

The new MCPR Safety Limits are calculated using NRC-approved methods (i.e.,

GESTAR-II, Rev. 13). The calculation inputs include the following cycle-specific parameters: the actual core loading; conservative variations of projected control blade patterns; the actual bundle parameters (e.g., local-peaking); the full cycle exposure range. The MCPR Safety Limit is set high enough to ensure that greater than 99.9% of .all fuel rods in the core avoid transition boiling if the limit is not violated. The new MCPR Safety Limit at LGS Unit 1 is.l.12 for operation with two recirculation loops .nd 1.14 for single loop operation.

Information Supportina a Findina of No Sianificant Hazards Consideration We have concluded that the proposed change to the Limerick Generating Station (LGS) Unit 1 Technical Specifications (TS), which will revise TS Section 2.1,

" Safety Limits," and its associated TS Basis to change the Minimum Critical Power Ratio (MCPR) Safety Limits, does not involve a Significant Hazards Consideration. In support of this determination, an evaluation-of aach of-the three (3) standards set forth in 10 CFR 50.92 is provided below.

1. The orooosed TS chanae does not involve a sianificant increase in the probability or consecuences of an accident oreviously evaluated.

The revised MCPR Safety Limits for LGS Unit 1 Technical Specifications, j and their use to determine cycle-specific thermal limits, have been calculated using NRC-approved methods (i.e., GESTAR-II, Rev. 13) and are based on LGS Unit'l Cycle 8 specific inputs. The use of these methods assures that the SLMCPR value is within the existing design and licensing basis, and cannot increase the probability or severity of an accident.

The basis of the MCPR Safety Limit calculation is to ensure that greater than 99.9% of all fuel rods in the core avoid transition boiling if the limit is not violated. The MCPR Safety limit preserves the existing margin to transition boiling and fuel damage in the event of a postulated accident. The probability of fuel damage is not increased.

Therefore, the proposed TS change does not involve an increase in the probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated.

l l -

.i

e Docket No. 50-352

, License No. NPF-39

2. The orooosed TS chance does not create the oossibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident oreviously evaluated.

The MCPR Safety Limit is a Technical Specification numerical value designed to ensure that fuel damage from transition boiling doas not occur as a result of the limiting postulated accident. The MCPR Safety Limit is not an accident initiator; therefore, it cannot create the possibility of any new type of accident. The new MCPR Safety Limits are calculated using NRC-approved methods (i.e., GESTAR-II, Rev.13) and are based on LGS Unit 1, Cycle 8 specific inputs.

Therefore, the proposed TS change does not create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated.

3. The orocosed TS chanae does not involve a sianificant reduction in the marain of safety.

The margin of safety as defined in the TS Bases will remain the same.

The new MCPR Safety Limits are calculated using NRC-approved methods (i.e, GESTAR-II, Rev. 13), which are in accordance with the current fuel design and licensing criteria, and are based on LGS Unit 1 Cycle 8 specific inn'!ts. The MCPR Safety Limit remains high enough to ensure that great: than 99.9% of all fuel rods in the core will avoid transition boiling if the limit is not violated, thereby preserving the fuel cladding integrity.

Therefore, the proposed TS change does not involve a reduction in the margin of safety.

-Information Subsortina an Environmental Assessment An environmental assessment is not required for the change proposed by this TS Change Request because the requested change to the Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1 TS conforms to the criteria for " actions eligible for categorical exclusion" as specified in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). The requested changs will have no impact on the environment. The proposed change does not involve a signifi nt hazards consideration as discussed in the preceding section. The proposed change does not involve a significant change in the types, or a significant increase in the amounts, of any effluents that may be released offsite. In addition, the proposed change does not involve a significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.

Conclusion The Plant Operations Review Committee and the Nuclear Review Board have

, reviewed this proposed change to the Limerick Generating Station (LGS), Unit 1 TS and have concluded that it does not involve an unreviewed safety question, and will not endanger the health and safety of the public.

_3_

,