ML20137U098

Requests Addl Info Re Upgrade of Power Range Neutron Monitors for Plant,Units 1,2 & 3

ML20137U098
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	04/15/1997
From:	Williams J NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Kingsley O TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
References
TAC-M92503, TAC-M92504, TAC-M92505, NUDOCS 9704160297
Download: ML20137U098 (4)

Text

Mr. Oliver D. Kingsley, Jr.

President, TVA Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer April 15,1997 '

. Tennessee Valley Authority 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING UPGRADE OF POWER RANGE NEUTRON MONITORS (TAC NOS. M92503, M92504, AND M92505) (TS 353)

Dear Mr. Kingsley:

By letter dated March 6,1997, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted a revision of its June 2,1995 request to amend the operating licenses for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) Units 1, 2, and 3. The proposed amend;aents consist of technical specification changes to support upgrade of the BFN power range neutron monitoring system. The NRC staff has reviewed your letters, and has determined additional information will be required to complete its review.

A description of the information requested is provided in the enclosure. Your prompt response will assist us in completing the review in a timely fashion to avoid any impact on the upcoming BFN Unit 2 refueling outage.

Please contact me at (301)415-1470 if you have any questions on this topic.

Sincerely, Original signed by Joseph F. Williams, Project Manager l Project Directorate II-3  !

Division of Reactor Projects - I/II Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos. 50-259, 50-260, and 50-296

Enclosure:

Request for Additional Information cc w/ enclosure: See next page Distribution Docket-File PUBLIC BFN Rdg. Reading SVarga hnson, RII g g khh gg DOCUMENT NAME: G:\BFN\M92503.RAI Ta ,eceive a copy of tNo document, ins'icate in the box: "C* = Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" = Copy wRh attachment / enclosure "N" = No copy 0FFICE PDII-3/PM /d j lL PD!l-3/LA lF PDil-3/D ,l lF l NAME JWilliams /F /. ,BClmyton ff/> FHebdon M DATE 04/ e f/97/ ' /' 04/ /f/97 04/ N /97 0FFICIAL REC 0kD COPY 9704160297 970415 '

PDR ADOCK 05000259 P PDR ,

l

Mr. Oliver D. Kingsley, Jr. BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Tennessee Valley Authority 1 l

l CC*

Mr. O. J. Zeringue, Sr. Vice President Regional Administrator Nuclear Operations U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Tennessee Valley Authority Region II 6A Lookout Place 101 Marietta Street, NW., Suite 2900 1101 Market Street Atlanta, GA 30323 Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Leonard D. Wert l Mr. Jack A. Bailey, Vice President Senior Resident Inspector I Engineering & Technical Services Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 1 Tennessee Valley Authority U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission l 6A Lookout Place 10833 Shaw Road i 1101 Market Street Athens, AL 35611 '

Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Chairman Mr. C. M. Crane, Site Vice President Limestone County Commission j Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant 310 West Washington Street  !

Tennessee Valley Authority Athens, AL 35611 l P.O. Box 2000 1 Decatur, AL 35609 State Health Officer l Alabama Department of Public Health General Counsel 434 Monroe Street Tennessee Valley Authority Montgomery, AL 36130-1701 ET 10H 400 West Summit Hill Drive Knoxville, TN 37902 Mr. Raul R. Baron, General Manager Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 4J Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Masoud Bajestani, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority i P.O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Mr. Pedro Salas, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority 4J Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority ,

P.O. Box 2000 l Decatur, AL 35609

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e i.

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION j

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 I The following questions address'the power range neutron monitoring system

, upgrades for Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3. l l l

References:

I

1. " Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN) - Units 1, 2, and 3 - Technical l Specifications (TS) Change 353R1 - Power Range Neutron Monitor (PRNM)

! Upgrade with Implementation of Average Power Range Monitor (APRM) and Rod Block Monitor (RBM) TS (ARTS) Improvement s and Maximum Extended Load

.i Line 1.imit (MELLL) Analyses - Revision 1," Tennessee Valley Authority,

March 6, 1997.

i 2. " Nuclear Measurement Analysis and Control Power Range Neutron Monitor (NUMAC-PRNM) ketrofit Plus Option III Stability Trip Function,"

NEDC-32410P-A, October 1995.

3 Question 1 4

See Reference 1, pages El-5 and El-6 of Enclosure 1: -

! In the BFN submittal (Reference 1), Page 3.1/4.1-3/3/2 and Page 3.1/4.1-6/6/5,  !

the proposed change adds Note 21 to the IRM High Flux trip function for the l Refuel mode, and revises Note 21 in the Notes for Table 3.1. A. The current' BFN Note 21 states, i (21) Only required with any control rod withdrawn from a core cell -

containing one or more fuel assemblies. The APRM High Flux and i

Inoperative Trips do not have to be OPERABLE in the REFUEL mode if the Source Range monitors are connected to give a noncoincidence, 5

j High Flux scram at 5 X 10 cps. The SRMs shall be OPERABLE per 4 Specification 3.10.B.1. The removal of eight (8) shorting links i is required to provide noncoincidence high flux scram protection j from the Source Range Monitors.

i The proposed change revises Note 21 to be a direct requirement for shorting link removal. The' revised Note 21 states:

~

(21) In the REFUEL Mode, unless adequate shutilown margin has been demonstrated per Specification 4.3.A.1 and the one-rod-out control rod block is OPERABLE per Specification 3.10.A.1, whenever any control rod is withdrawn from a core cell containing one or more fuel assemblies either (a) shorting links shall be removed from the RPS circuitry to enable the Source Range Monitor (SRM) noncoincidence high-flux scram ENCLOSURE

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b 2 I function or (b) the indicated APRM trip functions shall be OPERABLE per the requirements applicable in the STARTUP/ HOT STANDBY Mode. If the SRM noncoincidence high flux scram function is enabled, the SRMs shall be OPERABLE per Specification 3.10.B.1. The removal of eight links is required to provide noncoincidence high-flux scram (8) shorting protection i froin the SRMs.

Neither of these Note 21 versions address a requirement for IRM High Flux trip function operability in the Refuel mode. Consequently, this note should be amended to include the IRM High Flux trip function in Table 3.1.A, or the reference to Note 21 for the IRM High Flux trip function should be removed.

Question 2 See Reference 1, pages 2-3 and 2-4 of Enclosure 1, Attachment 2.

As stated in the staff's safety evaluation of NEDC-32410P (Reference 2), to receive NRC approval of a NUMAC-PRNMS installation, the licensee must satisfy six conditions. The fourth condition requires the licensee to confirm that the plant-specific environmental conditions are enveloped by the NUMAC-PRNM equipment environmental qualification values. In response to this condition, the licensee described specific plant environmental conditions for  ;

temperature, humidity, pressure, radiation, seismic acceleration, and '

electromagnetic interference. These conditions could not be verified in the j BFN FSAR, TS, or TS Bases. Provide a referen:e that defines these values.

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