ML20009F169
| ML20009F169 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Westinghouse |
| Issue date: | 07/02/1981 |
| From: | Nardi A WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIV OF CBS CORP. |
| To: | Page R NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| 19347, LA-81-139, NUDOCS 8107300022 | |
| Download: ML20009F169 (10) | |
Text
'70-ll5j LA-81-139 g
Westinghouse Water Reactor 808 355
" " 2. C M /C.
Electric Corpors!!on Divisions
""#"* N July 2,1981
(,j U.S. fluclear Regulatory Commission Office of fluclear Material Safety & Safeguards Division of Fuel Cycle & Material Safety x
(v; Washington, D.C. 20555 Attention: Mr. R. G. Page, Chief Uranium Fuel Licensing Branch
Subject:
Retransmittal of Application for Amendment to License Stim-1107,_ Docket 70-1151(Revision 12]
Gentlemen:
The Westinghouse Electric Corporation hereby retransmits an appiication for an
(~ ',
amendment to License fio. Stim-1107 for our Columbia, S.C. plant. The purpose of Cl this applic; tion is to revise the description of the use of Borosilicate -
glass rascnig rings as a secondary method for nuclear criticality control.
This submittal supersedes our prior application dated June 10,1981 (Letter fio. LA-81-ll4) in it's entirety and therefore the June 10, 1981 application should be discarded.
The check in the amount of $1,400.00 which was trans-mitted with the prior application in payment of the fee requirement should be utilized for this application.
If you have any questicas regarding this matter, please write ine at the above address or telephone me at (412) 373-4652.
rm co r-co Q,I T'
O O,\\
4 00cKETto
[]
Q USNRC DyY
/Pf7 ar G #
,-11 2
JUL 131981>
~
D #
A.
. flardi, Manager
~.
7 q.
O 3
99 flES License Administrati um Ech
j v'-
4' occxtictrer AJfi/sgr c"
N Enclosures o
I k )< J 3
c -.
8107300022 810702 0
Y' PDR ADOCK 07001151 C
SNM-1107 REVISION RECORD O
4 j
Revision Date of Pages l
f No.
Revision Revised Revision Reason 6/24/80 102g Reprint Section 1.9.1.10 entitled l
" Solution Storage" previously printed nn l
page 102.
l 11 6/24/80 15a Add the types of waste treatment conducted at the Columbi.a Plant.
l 1
7/2/81 60, 60a, Describe use and testing of "aschig rings.
i 60b, 60c, Provide test results on analg.is of raschig 61 rings.
i 12 7/2/81 1 01 Revise solution conditions. (Pen & Ink changesi 12 7/2/31 220 Specify minimum operating conditions for f
use of raschig rings.
l i
f
- O
~
1 f
4 i
I j
7 O
l i
- O i
i O
i t
f
' Docket 70-1151 Dater 8/24/74 Revision No.12 Date: ' 7/2/81
.DIR* 9 i
u --
SNM-1107 (h
~
Page 10 intentionally left blank.
' O i
i 5
i b
i l
(O
\\
l 0
Deskot 70-1151 Dafw 8/28/74 Revision No.12 Dofe:
7/2/81 Pooe 10
SNM-1107 1.8.1.2 (Continued) minimum of one foot edge-to-edge separation with no interaction considerations.
Dry 00 in closed containers -- Calculations for UF 3
6 reported in K-1663 indicate that Ka, forU(5.0)F with an 6
235 H/
U 3 10 is less than 1.0.
Based on the nuclear similarity of oxygen and fluorine, and on the shape of the curve in Figure 3 of K-1663, this value is considered to apply to oxides of uranium enriched <4.15 w/o in the isotope 235U, provided that H/U $ 0.5 and the moderator is uniformly distributed in the fissile material.
Therefore such subcrits require no interaction considerations.
However, individual containers must be closed or sealed and must meet one of the subcrit maximum permissible values established in subparagragh 1.8.1.1.
An array must' provide a minimum of one foot edge-to-edge spacing between subcrits.
These requirements assure nuclear criticality safety if a subcrit or the array were to be accidentally moderated." The same requirements apply to the oxides of uranium enriched between 4.U w/o and 5 w/o in 235 the isotooa U, except that the H/U ratio is limited to
< 0.3.
1.3.1.3 Nuclear Poisons Borosilicate glass Raschig rings, when used as the primary control for nuclear criticality safety, are used only in accordance with Regulatory Guide 3.1 "Use of Borosilicate -
Glass Raschig Rings as a Neutron Absorber in Solutions of Fissile E terial." Raschig rings may also be used as a secondary control to provide additional nuclear criticality safety assurance in vessels of Docket 70-1151 Dafer 8/28/74 Revision No.12 Date:
7/2/81 Pone 60
SNM-1107 t
1.8.1.3 (Continued) uncontrolled geometry where normally uranium concentrations are maintained less than the maximum 235 permissible solution concentrations (5.0 g U/11ter for aqueous solutions) as the primary nuclear criticality safety control.
Typical of such uses would be the addition of Raschig rings into'the process quarantine tanks, which are sampled ~ prior to release to the Waste Treatment Facility, and effluent scrubber system reservoirs.
The solutions ussd in these tanks have a pil<11.0 and a fluoride c6ncentration of approximately 4% as NH F.
Ten 4
years of operating experience at the Columbia plant has shown that corrosion of the rings is negligible as shown by the data given in table 1.8.1.1.
4 O
- O O
i
' Docket 70-1151 Dafer 8/28/74 Revision No.12 Date: 7/2/81 h 60a
SNM-1107 1.8.1.3 (continu:d)
- The following tests are performed annually to determine the various parameters V
of the Raschig Rings.
Test results are reported to the Radir ion Protection l
l Component for review and evaluation:
Settling The levels of rings in the tanks are determined by visual and physical measurements in accordance with written procedure.
Rings are added when the required cumulative addition 'will become equal to 10% of the origina!
g loading.
Since 1971, ~ settling of the rings has been negligible.
Physical Properties The volume occupied by the rings is determined by calculating the arith-metic difference between the actual tank volume and the liquid capacity of the tank with the rings.
The glass content volume of the tanks is approximately 39%.
' Boron Content
~
Boron content is determined in accordance with Appendix A of ANSI /ANS-8.5-1979.
Rings have been sampled and analyzed since 1971, with no significant boron leaching' detected. The. average boron content of the rings is approximately 12.5 weight percent B 0
- 23 A publication by N. Ketzlach entitled " Proposed Excension of Raschig Ring Standard to Low Enriched Uranium Fuels," concludes that a 24 volume % borosilicate glass Raschig Ring poisoned mixture ( <5% U-235 enriched) cannot be made critical independent of uranium concentration when B 0 in the glass is 12.8%.
Reducing 23 the B 0 content in the glass to 11.8% with 5.4g U/ml in the matrix solution 23 resulted in an increase of - 3.3% in the calculated Km compared to the Km for 12.8 B 0.
The average B 0 content of rings in the tanks is approximately 12.5%.
23 23 Consequently, the mixture is safe (K m< 0.8).
Actually, the margin of safety is b
much greater since the concentration of 5.4 g U/ml
- Docket 70-1151 Dafer 8/28/74 Revision No.12 Defe: 7/2/81 Pose 60b
m. _ _..
O D
Ie L
ab M
l
.a TABLE 1.8.1.1 CD RASCHIG RING ANALYSIS FOR QUARANTINE TANKS s
Q Weight Percent B 023 5
Avg.
3/1/71 i
3/1/71 2/15/72 11/15/72 1/23/75 7/1/75 12/29/75 7/15/76 1/5/77 Ff21/77.3/3/78 6/5/78 11/1/78 11/13/79 5/20/83 5/20/80 g
Y-Il6A 12.9 11.45 12.34 12.27 12.80 12.67 13.00 13.02 12.66 12.0 12.5 12.0 12.7 12.5 I
V-Il68 11.3 12.04 12.37 12.79 Id.93 13.17 13.06 13.21 12.3 12.3 12.2 12.8 12.5 V-116C 10.2 12.90 12.90 12.22 12.62 12.76 12.67 12.11 12.94 12.1 12.1 11.9 12.7 12.3 f
V-216A 12.4 12.5 12.49 12.99 12.37 12.62 12.44 12.80 12.73 13.22 12.1 12.6 12.1 12.6 12.6 N
V-2168 13.2 12.7 12.80 12.22 12.80 12.72 12.79 12.59 12.88 12.1 12.0 11.9 12.7 12.6 O
V-215C 11.4 12.6 11.53 12.52 12.46 13.34 12.46 12.77 13.26 U.96 12.1 12.6 12.2 12.5 12.5 Unused Ring 10.8 13.4 12.99 12.4 12.0 Unused Ring 10.6 iD 4
l3 1
i t
n i
SNM-1107 1.8.1.3 (Continued) is greater than the solubility limit for uranium in solutions.
In addition, the average volume occupied by the rings in the existing tanks is approximately 39 volume %.
o.
The use of any other rsclear poisons or any use of poisons for primary criticality control requires a specific license amendment.
O
~
1.8.1.4 Nuclear Interaction Evaluations J
All subcrits must meet the MPV's and must have a separation of at least one foot edge-to-edge between any two'subcrits.
Interaction between subcrits which are not isolated (1 2.1.1) is evaluated using the surface density method.
This method requires that each subcrit be limited to the nuclear equivalent of a sphere having < 0.4 times the volume of an unreflected critical sphere of the same material
( _< 0.4 " fraction critical").
Values are established for each control using equal buckling conversions as foll vs:.
(
)2" (T+ hat) + (L+2At) + (W+2At) f r a slab x
with finite dimensions, or O
O O
Docket 70-1151 Doper 8/28/74 Revision No.12-Date: 7/2/81 Pone 61
i.
f.
8 e
l:
l O I
i slO i
i i,
i-Pen and, Ink Changes h
5th line from bottom of page: change "9-10" to "normally <11".
l
,.3rd line from bottom of page:
change "1400 ppm" to "4 percent".
3 i
l@
~
l i
i i
i j
t i
i i
t a
1 i
i O
i O
f i
J O
r i
Docket 70,1151 Daser'8/24/74 Revision No. '12 Dete: ' 7/2/81
% 1 01
. ~.
i SNM-1107 2.3.2.2
'(continu:d) e.
Subcrits which are safe by concentration control and which
.)
are part of a continuous processing line will be filled l
with a glass volume fraction of at least 30% Borosilicate glass Raschig Rings.
The Raschig Rings shall be purchased in accordance with the specifications listed in ANSI /ANS-8.5-1979.
During operation the glass Raschig Rings will be exposed to a basic solution '(NH 0H) which will have a
~
4 pH'less than 11.0, temperature of 60 C or less, and a fluoride concentration of # 4%. The Raschig Rings shall be acid washed on a routine basis with a weak acid solu-tion containing#15 - 30% nitric acid. The Raschig Rings shall be inspected at least once per year for (1) settling, (2) physical properties and (3) boron content in accordance with ANSI /ANS-8.5-1979, "Use of Borosilicate-Glass Raschig
~ ings as A Neutron Absorber in Solutions of Fissile R
Material."
f.
Subcrits composed of f.uel assemblies will be limited by reactivity.
The computed keff, including allowancer.for computational error, will not excer.d 0.95.
These compu-tations will be performed by the NFD, Nuclear Design Department using procedures such as MUFT, SOF0 CAT, LEOPARD,.and/or PDQ-03. The results of these computations will be independently reviewed within the department and i
approved by the department manager before.being transmitted to the NFD Manufacturing Department.
g.
Maximum permissible values for subcrits containing plutenium will be those established in Figure 2.3.2.5.
Subcrits containing plutonium will be restricted to encapsulated cem90nents containing pug 2 mixed with natural or depleted U0 Docket 70-1151 Dafer8/24/N Revision No.12 Defe: 7/2/81 Page 220
_,