ML20199F101
| ML20199F101 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/27/1997 |
| From: | Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Mcalees D SIEMENS POWER CORP. (FORMERLY SIEMENS NUCLEAR POWER |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20199F104 | List: |
| References | |
| REF-QA-99900081 99900081-97-01, 99900081-97-1, EA-97-495, NUDOCS 9711240112 | |
| Download: ML20199F101 (4) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. asseHe01 i
%*****j' October 27, 1997 EA 97-495 Mr. David O. McAlces Senior Vice President and General Manager Siemens Power Corporation - Nuclear Division
- 415108th Avenue, NE P.O. Box 90777 Bellevue, WA 98009-0777
SUBJECT:
DEMAND FOR INFORMATION AND NOTICE OF NONCONFORMANCE (INSPECTION REPORT 99900081/97-01)
Dear Mr. McAlces:
On May 13,1997, the 6taff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissica (NRC) completed an insnection of activities conducted by the Siemens Power Corporation - Nuclear Division (SPC), at the company's fscilities in Richland, Washington. This letter transmits the report of that inspection, along with the resulting Notice of Nonconformance.
During the inspection, the NRC team identified several safety significant issues. Foremost cmong these issues wss SPC's failure to verify the adequacy of the ANFB critical power correlation and the adequacy of its application to the ATRIUM"-10 fuel assemblics designed for the Pennsylvanis Power and Light Corapany, Susquehanna Unit 2 Cycle 9 reload, the first relonJ u.:ing the ATRIUM"-10 fuel design for an NRC licensee.
On the basis of the inspection team's findings regarding SPC's failure to verify the adequacy of the ANFB critical power correlation and the adequacy of its application to the ATRIUM"-
10 fuel design, the inspection team chose to evaluate the adequacy of the ANFB correlation to the ATRIUM" 0 fuel design. The team found that SPC failed to develop an adequate number of test points, and fallet to test an adequate range of conditions to justify the t.acertainty values for the " additive constants" used in determining the SLMCP" for the ATRIUM"-9 fuel design.
The NRC and its beensees must have confidence in the adequacy of new fuel designs because of the need for their compliance with NRC-approved generic design and performance criteria, llowever, tLe inspection teata found SPC's last two evolutionary BWR fuel designs (specifically, the ATRIUM *-9 and -10 fuel designs SPC marketed to U.S. nuclear plants)
- unacceptable with regard to tha. adequacy of the ANFB critical power correlation and the adequacy of its application to these fuel designs.
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1 The NRC tearr also identified nonconfc nances and unresolved items concerning verification arsd validation (V&V) of SPC's analyris codes, and with regard to SPC's reflood heat g) 9711240112 971027 1 ll I!Illlik!!!I IllnRC Tid CB" r e
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D.G. McAlees transfer model. Because of the generic nature of these Sndings and their potential impact on liccasces, the NRC staff will review SPC's actions as they re, ate to the requirements of Title
- 10. Pan 21, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Tart 21). In addition, as you are aware, an investigation into related issues by the NRC Office of Investigations is ongoing.
The enclosed Notice of Nonconfctmance (NON) discusses several of the identified concerns.
You are requested to respond to th: nonconformances, in accordance with the insauctions provided in the NON.
These findings, in addition to the other findings discussed in the enclosed repon, have significantly eroded the NRC's confidence in SPC's engineering capabilities, as well as the NRC's ability to rely en SPC to comply with applicable generic fuel design criteria in approved topical repons without NRC review ano to identify and clearly communicate issues that should receive NRC review (e.g., revisions to NRC approved LOCA evaluation models). Funher, because of the inadequacy of SPC's technical work with regard to (1) use of the ANFD correlation to ATRIUM *-9 and ATRIUM" 10 fuel, and (2) the PWR reflood heat transfer model, the NRC found it necessary to take regulatory action against several licensees, including imposition of safety limit penalties or restrictions on several BWRs, and imposition of an interim reflood heat transfer correlation method that necessitated licensee reanalysis of limiting design basis accidents and, in some cases, reduction in peaking factors to meet regulatory acceptance criteria for ECCS performance.
Therefore, funher infumation is needed to determine whether the NkC should have confidence in SPC's engineering capabilities and whether SPC will, in the future, conduct its activities in accordance with the NRC's requirements. Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 161c,1610,182 and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the NRC's regulations in 10 CFR 2.204 and 10 CFR Part 21, SPC is required to submit to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, within 30 days of the date of this demand for information, in writing and under oath or affirmation: (1) an explanation why the NRC can have confidence that SPC will comply with NRC-approved generic design criteria without prior NRC review and that SPC will identify and clearly communicate issues that should receive NRC attention, particularly as related to revisions to NRC-approved LOCA evaluation models and new fuel designs; (2) a demonstration that SPC accident analysis codes are verified, validated and documented in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, Section II, and 10 CFR Pan 50. Appendix B; (3) assurance taat new or revised analytical models will have adequate and appropriate quality assured databases to support their use in SPC's analysis codes; and (4) SPC's corrective actions as appropriate to remediate the issues discussed in the inspection report. Copies of your submittal should also be sent to the Assistant General Counsel for llearing and Enforcement and to the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, at the same address.
D.G. McAloes -
Your response, to the extent possible, should not include any personal privacy, proprietary, j
- or safeguards information so that it can be placed in the PDR without redaction. If personal i
I privacy or proprietary infonnation is mary to provide an acceptable response, then I
please provide a bracketed copy of your response that identifies the information that should be protected and a redacted copy of your response that deletes such information. If you request withholding of such material, you must specifically identify the portions of your l
f response that you seek to have withheld and provide in detall the basis for your claim of withholding (e.g., explain why the disclosure of information will cteste an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or provide the information required by 10 CFR 2.790(b) w support a request for withholding confidential commercial or financial information). If safeguards information is necessary to provide an acceptable response, please provide the -
level of protection described in 10 CFR 73.21.
Your response to this letter and its enclosure is not subject to the clearsace procedures of the Office of Managemcnt and Budget, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Public Law No. 96 511.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790(a), a copy of this letter and its enclosures will be placed in the NRC's Public Document Room, where they will be rade available to the public, unless you notify this office by telephone within 10 days of the date of this letter and submit a i
written application to withhold the information contained therein. Such application must be consistent with the requirements of 10 CFR 2.790(b)(1).
Should you have any questions concerning this inspection, w: will be pleased to discuss them with you. Thank you for your cooperation during this process.
. Sincerely, A
f Samuel J.pilins, iNor p
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No.: 99900081 Enclesures:-
- 1. Notice of Nonconformance
- 2. Inspection Report 99900081/97-01 cc w/enclo: See Next Page
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Mr Chris M. Powers Director Quality l
Siemens Power Corporation - Nuclear Division I
P.O. Box 130 Richland, WA 99352-0130 i
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