ML042290367
| ML042290367 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Issue date: | 09/07/2004 |
| From: | Hughes D NRC/NRR/DRIP/RNRP |
| To: | Winters G Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Hughes D, NRR/DRIP/RNRP, 301-415-1631 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML042290405 | List: |
| References | |
| TAC MC3976 | |
| Download: ML042290367 (9) | |
Text
September 7, 2004 Mr. Glenn Winters Director Critical Facility Department of Nuclear Engineering and Science Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 12181
SUBJECT:
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CRITICAL FACILITY -
AMENDMENT NO. 11 TO LICENSE NO. CX-22 (TAC NO. MC3976)
Dear Mr. Winters:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 11 to Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Facility. The amendment consists of changes to the Facility Operating License in response to your application of July 14, 2004.
The amendment removes the interlock associated with the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply that is required for operation of the existing Rod Position System. The interlock ensured that the control rod position indication was available to the operator during reactor operation. You are replacing the components of the existing rod position system with a rotary encoder to detect rod motion and a digital counter to display position. The new Rod Position System will be powered through the reactor console power keylock switch when it is in the ON position. This ensures that control rod indication is available prior to reactor operation. If the keylock switch is placed in the OFF position the control rod position indication will be deenergized, however the reactor will have scrammed at the same time, obviating the need for the control rod position indication.
A copy of the safety evaluation supporting Amendment No. 11 is also enclosed.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Daniel E. Hughes, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Section New, Research and Test Reactors Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-225
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 11
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/enclosures: Please see next page
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Docket No. 50-225 cc:
Mayor of the City of Schenectady Schenectady, NY 12305 Barbara Youngberg Chief, Radiation Section NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233-7255 Mr. Thomas McGiff, RSO 126 Humphreys Service Building Ithaca, NY 14853 Director Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection New York State Department of Health Room 530 547 River Street Troy, NY 12180-2216 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611
September 7, 2004 Mr. Glenn Winters Director Critical Facility Department of Nuclear Engineering and Science Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 12181
SUBJECT:
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CRITICAL FACILITY -
AMENDMENT NO. 11 TO LICENSE NO. CX-22 (TAC NO. MC3976)
Dear Mr. Winters:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission) has issued the enclosed Amendment No. 11 to Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Facility. The amendment consists of changes to the Facility Operating License in response to your application of July 14, 2004.
The amendment removes the interlock associated with the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply that is required for operation of the existing Rod Position System. The interlock ensured that the control rod position indication was available to the operator during reactor operation. You are replacing the components of the existing rod position system with a rotary encoder to detect rod motion and a digital counter to display position. The new Rod Position System will be powered through the reactor console power keylock switch when it is in the ON position. This ensures that control rod indication is available prior to reactor operation. If the keylock switch is placed in the OFF position the control rod position indication will be deenergized, however the reactor will have scrammed at the same time, obviating the need for the control rod position indication.
A copy of the safety evaluation supporting Amendment No. 11 is also enclosed.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Daniel E. Hughes, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Section New, Research and Test Reactors Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-225
Enclosures:
- 1. Amendment No. 11
- 2. Safety Evaluation cc w/enclosures: Please see next page DISTRIBUTION:
PUBLIC RNRP\\R&TR r/f AAdams PMadden EHylton SHolmes CBassett TDragoun WEresian PIsaac PDoyle DHughes MMendonca KWitt PYoung RidsNrrDrip GHill (2)
ADAMS PACKAGE ACCESSION NO.: ML042290405 ADAMS INCOMING ACCESSION NO.: ML042110013 ADAMS RESPONSE ACCESSION NO.: ML042290367 TEMPLATE #: NRR-106 OFFICE RNRP:LA RNRP:PM OGC RNRP:SC NAME EHylton:vxj DHughes CMarco PMadden DATE 08 / 17 /2004 08 / 24 /2004 08 / 31/2004 09 / 3 /2004 C = COVER E = COVER & ENCLOSURE N = NO COPY OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE DOCKET NO. 50-225 AMENDMENT TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE Amendment No. 11 License No. CX-22 1.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has found that A.
The application for an amendment to Facility Operating License No. CX-22 filed by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (the licensee) on July 14, 2004, conforms to the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the regulations of the Commission as stated in Chapter I of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR);
B.
The facility will operate in conformity with the application, the provisions of the Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission; C.
There is reasonable assurance that (i) the activities authorized by this amendment can be conducted without endangering the health and safety of the public and (ii) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the regulations of the Commission; D.
The issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or to the health and safety of the public; E.
This amendment is issued in accordance with the regulations of the Commission as stated in 10 CFR Part 51, and all applicable requirements have been satisfied; and F.
Prior notice of this amendment was not required by 10 CFR 2.105 and publication of a notice for this amendment is not required by 10 CFR 2.106.
2.
Accordingly, the license is amended by changes to the Technical Specifications as indicated in the enclosure to this amendment, and paragraph 2.C.2 of Facility Operating License No. CX-22 is hereby amended to read as follows:
Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications contained in Appendix A, dated November 1983, as revised through Amendment No. 11, are hereby incorporated in the license. The licensee shall operate the reactor in accordance with these Technical Specifications.
3.
This license amendment is effective as of the date of its issuance.
FOR THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
/RA/
Patrick M. Madden, Section Chief Research and Test Reactors Section New, Research and Test Reactors Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
Appendix A Technical Specifications Changes Date of Issuance: September 7, 2004
ENCLOSURE TO LICENSE AMENDMENT NO. 11 FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. CX-22 DOCKET NO. 50-225 Replace the following page of the Appendix A Technical Specifications with the enclosed page.
The revised page is identified by amendment number and contains a vertical line indicating the area of change.
Remove Insert 3-3 3-3
3-3 Table 2 Interlocks Interlocks Reactor Console Keys (2) "On" Reactor Period 15 sec(a)
Neutron Flux 2 cps Failure of Line Voltage to Recorders Moderator-Reflector Water Fill On Water Level in Reactor Tank 10 + 1" Above Core Top Grid Action if Interlock Not Satisfied Reactor Scram Prevents Control Rod Withdrawal Prevents Control Rod Withdrawal
Prevents Control Rod Withdrawal Stops Water Fill Prevents Control Rod Withdrawal (a)These interlocks are available on only 1 of the 2 Log-N period Amplifiers and, therefore, may be bypassed with the permission of the Operations Supervisor if that one amplifier is out of service.
AMENDMENT NO. 11
SAFETY EVALUATION BY THE OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION SUPPORTING AMENDMENT NO. 11 TO FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. CX-22 RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE DOCKET NO. 50-225
1.0 INTRODUCTION
By letter dated July 14, 2004, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI or licensee) submitted a request for amendment to Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the RPI Critical Facility. The amendment removes the interlock associated with the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply that is required for operation of the existing Rod Position System. The components of the existing rod position system are being replaced with a rotary encoder to detect rod motion and a digital counter to display position rendering the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply redundant.
2.0 EVALUATION RPI has requested a change to the Technical Specifications (TS), Appendix A, of Facility Operating License No. CX-22 for the RPI Critical Facility. The requested change removes the interlock specification (TS, Table 2) associated with the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply that is required for operation of the existing Rod Position System. The components of the existing rod position system are being replaced with a rotary encoder to detect rod motion and a digital counter to display position rendering the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply redundant. The interlock with respect to control rod position indication, is required to be included in TS in accordance with 10 CFR 36(c)(2)(ii)(C).
The licensee states that they are replacing the components of the existing Rod Position System and the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply is no longer need to ensure that control rod position indication is available during reactor operation. The amendment removes the interlock associated with the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply. The interlock was required to ensure that the control rod position indication was available to the operator during reactor operation by preventing control rod motion if the 400 cycle Sychro Power Supply was not operating.
The new Rod Position System will be energized through the reactor console power keylock switch when it is in the ON position. This ensures that control rod indication is available whenever the keylock switch is placed in the ON position prior to reactor operation. If the keylock switch is placed in the OFF position the control rod position indication will be deenergized, however the reactor will have scrammed at the same time, obviating the need for the position indication. The keylock switch is already listed as an interlock in Table 2 of the TSs and thus, the TSs will continue to have included the interlock with respect to control rod position indication. Therefore 10 CFR 36(c)(2)(ii)(C) will continue to be met.
The staff has determined that the licensee has properly reviewed the change and has tested the new system in parallel with the existing system to ensure that it was operating as designed and is functionally equivalent. The staff finds the requested change in the Rod Position System and the proposed change to the TSs to be acceptable.
3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
This amendment involves changes in the installation or use of a facility component located within the restricted area as defined in 10 CFR Part 20 or changes in inspection and surveillance requirements. The staff has determined that this amendment involves no significant increase in the amounts, and no significant change in the types, of any effluents that may be released off site, and no significant increase in individual or cumulative occupational radiation exposure.
Accordingly, this amendment meets the eligibility criteria for categorical exclusion set forth in 10 CFR 51.22(c)(9). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.22(b), no environmental impact statement or environmental assessment need be prepared in connection with the issuance of this amendment.
4.0 CONCLUSION
The staff has concluded, on the basis of the considerations discussed above, that (1) because the amendment does not involve a significant increase in the probability or consequences of accidents previously evaluated, or create the possibility of a new or different kind of accident from any accident previously evaluated, and does not involve a significant reduction in a margin of safety, the amendment does not involve a significant hazards consideration; (2) there is reasonable assurance that the health and safety of the public will not be endangered by the proposed activities; and (3) such activities will be conducted in compliance with the Commissions regulations and the issuance of this amendment will not be inimical to the common defense and security or the health and safety of the public.
Principal Contributor: Daniel Hughes Date: September 7, 2004