[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63203-63204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31085]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-302]
Florida Power Corporation; Crystal River Nuclear Generating Plant
Unit 3; Exemption
I
Florida Power Corporation (the licensee) is the holder of Facility
Operating License No. DPR-72, which authorizes operation of the Crystal
River Nuclear Generating Plant Unit 3 (CR3). The license provides,
among other things, that the licensee is subject to all rules,
regulations, and orders of the Commission now or hereafter in effect.
The facility is of a pressurized water reactor type and is located
in Citrus County, Florida.
II
In its letter dated September 5, 1997, the licensee requested an
exemption from the Commission's regulations.
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 50, Appendix A,
``General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants,'' Criterion 3,
``Fire Protection,'' specifies that ``Structures, systems, and
components important to safety shall be designed and located to
minimize, consistent with other safety requirements, the probability
and effect of fires and explosions.'' 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R sets
forth the fire protection features required to satisfy certain
provisions of General Design Criterion 3 of the Commission's
regulations. Pursuant to 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III,
Paragraph O, ``Oil Collection System for Reactor Coolant Pump,''
reactor coolant pumps (RCPs) shall be equipped with an oil collection
system which ``* * * shall be capable of collecting lube oil from all
potential pressurized and unpressurized leakage sites in the reactor
coolant pump lube oil systems.''
In 1985, CR3 added remote oil addition lines (ROALs) to the
original RCP oil fill lines to eliminate the need to shut down the
reactor, and to reduce personnel radiation and heat stress exposure
during periodic RCP oil additions. At that time, the licensee did not
consider the ROALs to be a part of the RCP lube oil systems and as a
result, did not provide a lube oil collection system to collect
potential leakages. As part of its current Appendix R design review
project, the licensee has now determined the ROALs to be a part of the
RCP lube oil systems and therefore, would require a lube oil collection
system.
The licensee states that the ROALs are of a rugged leak tight
design. They are used only periodically using controlled plant
procedures. In a hypothetical worst case spill, with ignition assumed,
use of the ROALs does not impact post fire safe shutdown capability. As
a result, the licensee believes that a lube oil collection system for
the ROALs is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the
rule. Exemption from Appendix R, Paragraph O, requirements is required
for the ROALs to have no lube oil collection system for collecting oil
from potential leak sites.
III
Discussion
The licensee requests an exemption from the technical requirements
relating to an oil collection system for the ROALs associated with the
RCPs.
CR3 design includes four RCP motors which are located inside the D-
Ring area. This area is separated from other fire areas by concrete
barriers forming primary containment. Each group of two RCPs is
separated from the other group by the reactor vessel and its concrete
compartment. The walls of the reactor compartment are four feet thick
concrete.
The RCP Motors have an upper oil reservoir for the thrust bearing
containing 175 gallons of oil, and a lower bearing oil reservoir
containing 15 gallons of oil. Both reservoirs are vented to the
containment atmosphere to ensure that they would not be overpressurized
during oil addition operations. The upper and lower oil reservoirs have
oil fill lines at the motors which are contained by the RCP motor lube
oil collection system. In 1985, ROALs were added to the original RCP
oil fill lines to eliminate the need to shut down the reactor, and to
reduce personnel radiation and heat stress exposure during periodic RCP
oil additions. The RCP lube oil collection system provides collection
coverage for the original oil fill lines and the ROAL connection at the
RCP motor. High and low oil level control room annunciators, and
digital local level indications are provided for both upper and lower
lube oil reservoirs.
The ROALs are constructed of \1/2\'' stainless steel tubing with
3000 psi pressure-rated swagelok unions. The ROALs transition to \1/
2\'' stainless steel flexible metal hose (3000 psi rating) with
compression type fittings at the D-Ring penetrations and attachment to
each RCP motor reservoir. Connections to the original RCP lube oil fill
line are above the maximum oil level of the upper and lower reservoirs.
The operating pressure of the ROALs is 30 psig or less.
Inside the RCP D-Ring, the ROALs travel over or along a main steam
line, steam generator insulation, and RCP casing before attaching to
the original oil fill lines. The main steam line and the steam
generator are insulated with stainless steel encapsulated mineral wool.
The RCP casing insulation is a non-absorbing mirror-type insulation.
Outside the secondary shield wall, the ROALs do not travel over any hot
main pipes or steam lines.
A portable oil metering pump skid, two portable tanks, and
associated high pressure flexible hoses transport oil to containment
during oil transfer operations. Connection of the pump discharges to
the permanently mounted ROALs is via high pressure flexible hose with
quick disconnect fittings. Each metering pump is provided with a relief
valve located adjacent to the pump discharge and arranged to ensure
that any oil discharge from the relief valve is captured and contained
in a portable tank (suction supply). The oil supply tanks for each of
the oil metering pumps meet the requirements of CR3's Administrative
Instructions for the use of flammable or combustible liquids inside
plant areas.
To minimize the potential for an oil fire due to a leak from the
ROALs, the licensee proposes to implement several precautionary
procedural actions during and following oil additions. They include
requirements for monitoring oil transfers, communications between the
control room and local operations personnel, walkdown and inspection of
the ROALs and the areas around the oil pumping manifolds, and
containment closeout inspection following refueling outages to assure
the integrity of the ROALs.
IV
Evaluation
The Commission has completed its evaluation of the licensee's
application.
The reactor lube oil collection system is required to prevent a
major fire from occurring inside the reactor
[[Page 63204]]
containment as a result of a lube oil leak from the RCPs. The ROALs are
a low pressure system. The 3000 psi minimum design pressure of the
ROALs is significantly higher than the 30 psig line operating
pressures. All piping components associated with the suction and
discharge of the portable oil transfer pump skid are appropriately
rated for the service conditions. The hose connections are flexible
hoses, and therefore, are not subjected to mechanical vibration and
thermal stresses.
Oil leakage from the ROALs is not expected to occur during oil
transfer operations. The ROALs are used only periodically and operated
using controlled procedures and processes. The controlled oil addition
process includes determining the amount of oil to be added, performing
a walk down before oil addition to check for leakage, and local and
control room monitoring of the oil addition process. Following the
addition of the proper amount of oil, the ROAL is drained either by
gravity or by reversing the pump suction and discharge connections and
pumping down the line. The upper and lower reservoirs contain only
limited quantities of oil, 175 and 10 gallons, respectively. Based on
the maximum oil addition allowed by procedures, the maximum potential
oil spill will be only 12 gallons.
During power operation, damage to the ROALs would not occur because
the reactor building access and work activities are limited during this
time. Further, following refueling outages, containment close-out
procedures require visual inspections to assure the integrity of the
ROALs.
Inside the D-ring, the ROALs travel over or along hot components
that are insulated with a non-absorbing material or encased mineral
wool. The surface temperatures of the insulation are below the ignition
temperature of the oil, such that the insulation would not be a
potential ignition source. The construction of this insulation makes it
less likely for potential leaking oil to soak the encased mineral wool.
Any potential oil leak in this area would be reasonably expected to
travel down the insulation to the floor. Further, there are spot-type
heat detectors located in this general area which can provide early
warning to the control room in the event of a fire.
Outside the secondary shield wall, the ROALs do not travel over any
hot main coolant pipes or steam lines and any potential leak in this
area would pool on the floor and have no opportunity for ignition.
The ROALs are routed through two fire areas in the reactor building
(RB), elevations 95 and 119 feet, designated as RB-95-300 and RB-119-
302. The licensee has administrative controls that are designed to
control the type, amount, use and location of combustibles. Proper
control of combustibles minimizes the possibility of starting,
spreading, or contributing to a fire. The probability for a fire hazard
in this area is minimal because of separation of redundant components,
the surrounding concrete structure, minimal or no intervening
combustibles in the area, high ROAL design pressure and low operating
pressure, and the short duration and infrequency of oil addition
operations. However, the licensee has evaluated a worst case lube oil
fire for these fire areas that contain ROALs and concluded that it is
bounded by the CR3's existing Fire Hazards Analysis and Appendix R fire
study.
In 1985, when the ROALs were originally installed, they were
functionally leak tested with no visible leakage detected. During the
last 12 years of performance there has been no indication of any
leakage from the ROALs.
Fire detection and manual fire suppression equipment is available
in the vicinity of the lube oil fill lines. In the event of a fire, it
is expected that a detector will alarm while the fire is in its
incipient stages. Operators would then take appropriate action to
mitigate the consequences of the fire. This provides further assurance
that a worst-case postulated fire would not damage safe shutdown
equipment.
Based on the design features of the ROALs and associated lube oil
collection systems, and the licensee's proposed compensatory actions,
there is reasonable assurance that the RCP lube oil system will not
lead to a major fire hazard. In addition, based on the present level of
fire protection provided for the RCPs, if a fire were to occur in the
area, there is reasonable assurance that the fire will be detected and
mitigated. Therefore, the staff finds the ROALs without an oil
collection system acceptable.
The underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section
III.O, is to ensure that lube oil from all potential pressurized and
unpressurized leakage sites in the reactor coolant pump lube oil
systems would be collected and not become a fire hazard such that ``the
capability to achieve and maintain safe shutdown conditions during and
after any postulated fire in the plant'' will be ensured. On the basis
of its review and evaluation of the licensee's exemption request, the
staff concludes that the addition of an oil collection system for the
ROALs is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.
Therefore, an exemption from the requirement for providing a lube oil
collection system for the RCP Motor ROALs is acceptable.
V
For the foregoing reasons, the NRC staff has concluded that
pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a) an exemption permitting the licensee's
proposed use of ROALs without an oil collection system is authorized by
law, will not present an undue risk to public health and safety and is
consistent with the common defense and security. The NRC staff has
determined that there are special circumstances present, as specified
in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), in that application of 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix R, Section III.O, is not necessary in order to achieve the
underlying purpose of this regulation.
Accordingly, the Commission hereby grants an exemption from the
technical requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Section III.O to
the extent that the ROALs need not be provided with an oil collection
system.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will not have a significant effect on the
quality of the human environment (62 FR 59752).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 19th day of November 1997.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samuel J. Collins,
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 97-31085 Filed 11-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P