ML18065A423

Requests Approval of Change in Reactor Vessel Surveillance Coupon Removal Schedule

ML18065A423
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	01/10/1996
From:	Smedley R CONSUMERS ENERGY CO. (FORMERLY CONSUMERS POWER CO.)
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9601230239
Download: ML18065A423 (13)

Text

' .. consumers Power POW ERi Nii MICHlliAN"S PROliRESS Palisades Nuclear Plant: 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway, Covert, Ml 49043 January 10, 1996 U S Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 DOCKET 50-255 -LICENSE DPR-20 -PALISADES PLANT

• REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF CHANGE IN REACTOR VESSEL SURVEILLANCE COUPON REMOVAL SCHEDULE At a meeting on June 6, 1995, we discussed with the staff our plan to anneal the Palisades reactor vessel (RV) during the refueling outage currently scheduled for the middle of 1 998. In support of this effort, on October 12, 1995 we submitted Section 3 of the Preliminary Thermal Annealing Report, "Fracture Toughness Recovery and Reembrittlement Program" in which we identified our planned RV surveillance coupon schedule changes. The initial surveillance*

coupon withdrawals under the revised removal schedule will occur during the next refueling outage which is presently scheduled for November 1996. 1 OCFR50 Appendix H, paragraph 11.B.3. requires the removal schedule to be approved prior to implementation.

Attachment 1 contains our planned schedule changes and our technical justification for those changes. Your approval of the revised removal schedule is requested.

Attachment 2 contains the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), Chapter 4, Table 4-23 which is the currently approved RV surveillance coupon removal schedule.

The FSAR will be updated at the next routine update after NRC approval of the new removal schedule.

9601230239 960110 , .. PDR ADOCK 05000255 p 220C68 A CMS'ENf:RGYCOMPANY

\

I I c

• ... Attachments 3 and 4 are a table and a figure which were part of our October 12, 1 995 submittal and are included herein to facilitate staff review.

SUMMARY

OF COMMITMENTS This letter contains no new commitments and no revisions to existing commitments.

?:-=-s-s=<. Richard W Smedley Manager, Licensing CC Administrator, Region Ill, USNRC Project Manager, NRR, USNRC NRC Resident Inspector

-Palisades Attachments 2

1 ** **

• ATTACHMENT 1 CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT DOCKET 50-255 REACTOR VESSEL SURVEILLANCE COUPON REMOVAL SCHEDULE CHANGES AND TECHNICAL JUSTIFICATION 4 Pages

. Reasons "for the Chan!i'1

• At a meeting on June 6, 1995, we discussed with the staff our plan to anneal the Palisades reactor vessel (RV) during the refueling outage currently scheduled for the middle of 1 998. In support of this effort, on October 1 2, 1995 we submitted Section 3 of the Preliminary Thermal Annealing Report, "Fracture Toughness Recovery and Reembrittlement Program" in which we identified our planned RV surveillance coupon schedule changes. The new program requires some of the surveillance capsules to be removed early and adds new capsules to gather

• additional information concerning the effects of the RV anneal on the fracture toughness of the reactor vessel. The initial specimen removals under the revised schedule will occur during the next refueling outage ( 1 2) presently scheduled for November 1 996.

• 1 OCFR50 Appendix H, paragraph 11.B.3. requires.

the removal schedule to be approved prior to implementation.

The Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), Chapter 4, Table 4-23 (Attachment

2) contains the currently approved RV surveillance coupon removal schedule.

The FSAR will be updated at the next routine update after approval of the new removal schedule.

Summary of Changes A summary of the changes to the removal schedule is the following:

W-100 This capsule will be removed after cycle 1 2 versus cycle 16 to provide original transverse plate material for the irradiated, annealed and reembrittlement capsule SA-60-2. W-280 This capsule will be removed after cycle 17 versus cycle 19 to provide irradiated, annealed and reembrittlement data two cycles earlier. T-1 50 This thermal capsule will be removed after cycle 13 versus cycle 16 because annealing will render this capsule no longer representative.

W-80 This capsule will be reserved for future use versus removed after cycle 26. W-280 This capsule will be reserved for future use versus removed after cycle 29. SA-60-1 This capsule was installed at the beginning of cycle 12 and is to be removed after cycle 12. This capsule was added to supply additional surveillance material to support the annealing program. SA-240-1 This capsule was installed at the beginning of cycle 12 and is to be removed after cycle 13. This capsule was added to supply additional surveillance material to support the annealing program. SA-60-2 This capsule will be installed at the beginning of cycle 1 5 and is to be removed after cycle 15. This capsule was added to supply irradiated, annealed and reembrittlement samples for the annealing program. 1

. T eph/lic;il Justification .changes The Palisades fracture toughness recovery assurance program provided in Section 3 of the Preliminary Thermal Annealing Report will be based on a combination of testing of credible surveillance materials and use of generic computational methods. Results from the original surveillance materials will be used to verify the predictions from the generic equations outlined in NUREG CR-6327. The original Palisades surveillance program has been supplemented with additional material and the supplemental surveillance program will provide further confirmation of the adequacy of the computational model for predicting recovery of toughness properties.

• The vessel surveillance program method for determining the projected percentage recovery of both RT Nor and Charpy upper shelf energy (USE) will be used to validate the equations used in the computational model for annealing recovery.

Initially, broken specimens from the original Palisades surveillance program will be annealed and reconstituted.

The weld material included in the original Palisades surveillance program does not satisfy the definition of a credible surveillance

• material as outlined in 10 CFR 50. 61 since it was not fabricated from the same weld wire heat as any weld in the vessel. The plate material does match one of the vessel plate materials and is therefore a credible surveillance material.

The surveillance test plan includes reconstituted specimens from surveillance capsules A-240, W-110, W-290 and W-100. The first three capsules were tested as part of the original reactor vessel surveillance program. The annealing verification test program includes the irradiation of supplemental surveillance capsules, incorporating three surrogate welds that meet the requirements of credible surveillance material.

These supplemental capsules contain specimens suitable for annealing and reconstitution.

Measured annealing data on the original Palisades surveillance materials and these supplemental capsules will be used to verify the predictions of the generic model outlined in NU REG CR-6327. Two supplemental surveillance capsules have been installed in the Palisades reactor vessel. The first set of irradiated and annealed data on those specimens (corresponding to a fluence level of 0.85 x 10 19 n/cm 2 , E > 1 MeV) will be submitted in parallel with the Certification of Annealing Report. The material included in the annealing verification test program are shown in Table 3.1.3-1 (Attachment

3) of Section 3 of the Preliminary Thermal Annealing Report. One plate and four welds are included in this program. Material from the original surveillance program (Weld Heat No. 3277 and Plate D-3803-1) has been selected from the available capsules (one high fluence [accelerated]

capsule (A-240) and two low lead factor capsules (W-290 and W-110)). Supplemental surveillance material will be irradiated in two accelerated capsules.

The first supplemental capsule (SA-60-1) will be exposed for one fuel cycle and is expected to accumulate a nominal fluence of 0.85 x 10 19 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV). The second supplemental capsule (SA-240-1) will be exposed for two fuel cycles and is expected to accumulate a fluence of 1. 7 x 10 19 n/cm 2 (E > 1 MeV). The latter fluence level is higher than the estimated peak vessel fluence at the time of annealing for the axial welds (i.e., 1.45 x 10 19 n/cm 2) and slightly lower than the peak vessel fluence for the circumferential weld at the time of annealing (i.e., 1.93 x 10 19 n/cm 2). The irradiation level for the W-100 capsule is estimated to be 2.00 x 10 19 n/cm 2 , which is close to the vessel fluence for the plate material prior to annealing (i.e., 1.93 x 10 19 n/cm 2). The surveillance specimens from Capsules W-100 and SA-60-1 which will be tested prior to the vessel anneal and then will be annealed.

Specimens from capsule SA-240-1 will be tested following the vessel anneal. The 2

• . .; . test plan 'tor this program is outlined in Figure 3.1.1-1 . of the Preliminary Thermal Annealing Report. * (Attachment

4) of Section 3 The recovery of the Charpy 30-ft-lb transition temperature and Charpy upper shelf energy for the Palisades reactor vessel materials will be confirmed through the testing of irradiated and annealed surveillance specimens.

Test data on irradiated and annealed materials will be generated on four weldments and one plate material including materials with fluences that bound the peak vessel fluence at the time of the anneal. The goal of testing the annealed surveillance materials is to verify the NU REG CR-6327 model. The annealing recovery measurements on the surveillance materials will be compared to the values predicted by the NUREG CR-6327 model. 3

• Refueling Number Capsule Actual or Optional Capsule Location 1 Number Primary A-240 22 Outside Core Barrel W-290 53 Vessel Wall T-330 53 Above Core W-110 10 4 Vessel Wall W-100 12 17 Vessel Wall SA-60-1 12 13 Outside Core Barrel SA-240-1 13 . 12 Outside Core Barrel T-150 13 Above Core SA-60-2 15 16 Outside Core Barrel W-280 17 12 Vessel Wall W-80 Reserved Vessel Wall W-260 Reserved Vessel Wall Notes 1 Reference Palisades FSAR, Volume 2, Section 4.5.3, Figure 4-11 for illustration of capsule locations 2 Reference BCL 585-12 Report, dated March 13, 1979, submitted to the on July 2, 1979 3 Reference WCAP-10637, dated September 1984, submitted to the NRC on October 31, 1984 4 Reference WCAP-.14014, dated May 1994, submitted to the NRC on June 21, 1994 , TABLE 1 Reactor Vessel Surveillance Coupon Re.moval Schedule 4

... / ATTACHMENT 2

• CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT DOCKET 50-255 CURRENT APPROVED RV SURVEILLANCE COUPON SCHEDULE 1 Page

• I .,

• TABLE 4-23. Reactor Vessel Surveillance Coupon Removal Schedule Capsule Refueling Number Capsule Target Removal Time Number Primary-Optional Location EFPY @ Refuel No (b) A-240 2 -Outside Core Barrel 2.26 @ W-290 5 -10 Vessel Wall 5.21 @ T-330 5 -16 Apove Core 5.21 @ W-110 10 -5 Vessel Wall 9.95 -W-100 16 -19 Vessel Wall 16.5 @ T150 16 -5 Above Core 16.5 @ W-280 19 -16 Vessel Wall 20.6 @ W-260 26 :-29 Vessel Wall 28.7 @ W-80 29 -26 Vessel Wall 32.0 @ (a) Refer to Palisades FSAR, Volume 2, Section 4.5.3, Figure 4-11 for illustration of capsule locations. (b) EFPY based on 2530 MWt power rating. (c) 2.26 EFPY from BCL 585-12 Report, March 13, 1979. 2 (c) 5 (d) 5 (d) 10 (e) 16 16 19 26 29 (d) 5.21 EFPY from CPCo Engineering Analysis, EA-P-PTS-90-001, dated March 21, 1990. (e) 9.95 EFPY from WCAP-14014, May 1994.

• Revision of the removal schedule requires NRC approval prior to implementation per 1 OCFR50, Appendix H Rev 17

. \

• ATTACHMENT 3 CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT DOCKET 50-255 MATERIALS INCLUDED IN PALISADES ANNEALING VERIFICATION PROGRAM 1 Page

• . ' Material Fluence Cu Ni Test Program n/cm 2 wt% wt% (Capsule) (E>1MeV) Weld 3277 1.09 x 10 19 0.246 1.388 Original/Reconstitution (W-290) Weld 3277 1.78x10 19 0.246 1.388 Original/Reconstitution (W-110) Weld 3277 I 6.0 x 10 19# 0.246 1.388 Original/Reconstitution (A-240) Plate D-3803-1 1.09x10 19 0.232 0.510 Original/Reconstitution (TL) (W-290) Plate D-3803-1 2.00 x 10 19 0.232 0.510 Original/Reconstitution (TL) (W-100) Plate D-3803-1 ' 6.0 x 10 19# 0.232 0.510 Original/Reconstitution (TL) (A-240) Weld W5214* 0.85 x 10 19 0.307 1.045 Supplemental (SA-60-1)

Weld W5214* 1.7 x 10 19 0.307 1.045 Supplemental (SA-240-1)

Weld 348009* 0.85 x 10 19 0.185 1.121 Supplemental (SA-60-1)

Weld 348009* 1.7x10 19 0.185 1.121 Supplemental (SA-240-1)

Weld 27204 0.85 x 10 19 0.194 1.067 Supplemental (SA-60-1)

Weld 27204 1.7x10 19. 0.194 1.067 Supplemental (SA-240-1)

• Note that these welds were taken from the higher copper or higher nickel chemistry region of the steam generator welds and bound the best estimate for the RPV. # Fluence value presently being eval.uated.

TABLE 3.1.3-1 Materials Included in Palisades Annealing Verification Program

. ..

• ATTACHMENT 4 CONSUMERS POWER COMPANY PALISADES PLANT DOCKET 50-255 PALISADES RECOVERY AND REEMBRITTLEMENT PROGRAM SCHEDULE 1 Page Vessel Condition Vessel Peak Fluence -axial welds -circumferential welds and plates Material Available Original Surveillance -Welds 3277 -Plate (TL) -Plate (LT) Supplemental Program -Weld W5214 -Weld 340009 -Weld 27204 -HSST02 (LT) Today 1.38 1.84 1.45 1.93 IAR 1.52 2.02 IAR 1.59 2.10 IAR' CYCLE 1.66 2.19 IAR 1.73 2.28 IAR 1.80 2.36 FIGURE 3.1.1-1 Palisades Recovery and Reembrittlement Program IAR 1.87 2.45 2 07 IAR 1.94 2.54 ,*, IAR._ 2.01 2.63