Systems Exam 2 - RCS: Reactor Coolant System Flashcards

(74 cards)

1
Q

RCP Start Permissive

A

→ ≥600# Lift Oil pressure (Blue Light)
→Oil Lift Pump running to start RCP (Oil Lift pump manually S/D > 1 minute after RCP starts)

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2
Q

What is the purpose of “Hot Loop/Cold Loop” control switch on RCP Breaker?

A

The “Hot Loop/Cold Loop” control switch used when starting RCPs
→”Cold Loop” position enables the “Locked Rotor” and “Failure to Accelerate” trips.
→”Hot Loop” blocks those trips to prevent a single point trip during normal plant operation in the event of a failed fuse

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3
Q

RCP Trip Criteria (per ABN-101)

A

Seal Water Radial Bearing Temp ≥ 225°F
Motor Bearing Temp ≥ 195°F
Seal Water IN Temp ≥ 235°F
Motor Stator Winding Temp ≥ 300°F
→Loss of CCW Flow to Motor (Trip RCP w/in 1 minute)
→Loss of Seal Injection AND Thermal Barrier cooling
→Shaft vibration at 15 mils and increasing at > 1 mil/hr OR 20 mils
→Frame vibration at 3 mils and increasing at > 0.2 mils/hr OR 5 mils

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4
Q

PRT Level band, pressure band, temp, rupture disc pressure?

A

→Filled 64-88% with reactor makeup water
→1-7 psig nitrogen atmosphere
→maintained <113°F

→Discharge into the PRT is through a sparger pipe beneath the water level
→Provided w/ 2 rupture discs @ 91 psid
→Normally cooled via RCDT HX

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5
Q

Design temp of RCS

A

650°F, except for the PZR and its surge line, which is 680°F

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6
Q

An RCP trip will also cause the associated SG to…

A

shrink and steam flow to drop off due to no heat transfer.

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7
Q

Which RCP provides the best spray flow characteristics?

A

4 RCP. It is desirable to ensure it is kept available.

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8
Q

What cools the RCPs?

A

→RCPs are cooled by CCW
→the motor portion and thermal barrier portions have separate return lines and a common supply line

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9
Q

For the #1 seal, what is the temperature limitation?

A

Seal injection temperature should be kept less than 130°F to the #1 seal.

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10
Q

How much seal leakoff flows up vs down the RCP shaft?

A

→ ~3 gpm flows UP the shaft, lubricating the radial bearing and leaking through the No. 1 seal
→ ~5 gpm flows DOWN the shaft, through the thermal barrier heat exchanger, and into the RCS

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11
Q

Core Bypass Flow values

A

→ ~94% of the reactor coolant flow is available for heat removal; ~6% bypasses the core

The other 6%:
→2% - Control rod & instrument thimble bypass flow travels through the control rod guide and instrument thimble tubes of the fuel assemblies
→2% - Baffle cooling flow is the water that enters the baffle and former plate region just above the lower core plate and travels upward, removing heat, and exits the baffle and former plater region just below the upper core plate
→1% - Nozzle bypass flow travels directly from the inlet nozzles to the outlet nozzles.
→0.5% - Baffle wall bypass flow passes between the inside of the baffle wall and the fuel assemblies.
→0.5% - Head cooling bypass flow passes through holes drilled in the upper support structure flange & core barrel flange.

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12
Q

Normal RCS Parameters:

A

→Volume: Unit 1 - 95,000 gal, Unit 2 - 91,000 gal
→Flow Rate: Unit 1 - 403,700, Unit 2 - 408,000 gpm
→Pressure 2235 psig
→T-hot 618°F (620°F)
→T-cold 560°F (559°F)
→T-avg 557-585.4 (589.2)
→PZR Level 25%-60%

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13
Q

Requirements to open #1 seal bypass valve

A

The No. 1 seal bypass valve should not be opened unless either the pump bearing temperature approaches 225°F or the No. 1 seal water inlet temperature approaches 235°F. These are also RCP trips.

The No. 1 seal bypass valve (u8142) should then be opened only if all of the following conditions are met:
→RCS pressure is between 100 psig and 1000 psig.
→No. 1 seal leakoff valve is opened.
→No. 1 seal leakoff flowrate is less than 1 gpm.
→Seal injection water flowrate to each RCP is at least 8 gpm.

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14
Q

Pressurizer PORVs N2 Accumulators rating

A

→2 PORVs controlled by PZR Pressure Control System
→210,000 lbm/hr each
→use N2 for motive force
→supplied w/ N2 accumulators to allow associated valve to be stroked 100 times in 10 min

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15
Q

Mode 4 and 5 RCP start limitations

A

An RCP shall not be started in Mode 4 or 5 with any RCS cold leg temperature ≤350°F unless the secondary water temperature of each steam generator is <50°F above each of the RCS cold leg temperatures. (TS 3.4.6 and 3.4.7)

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16
Q

RCP Motor Start Limitations

A

Per SOP-108:
1. Two successive starts are permitted, provided the motor is allowed to coast to a stop between starts (5 minutes).
2. A third start may be made when the winding and the core have cooled by running a period of 20 minutes, or by standing idle for a period of 45 minutes.
3.Only one RCP is to be started at any one time

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17
Q

RCP Start Motor Oil Lift Interlock

A

There is a permissive interlock in the RCP motor start circuit that does not allow the RCP to be started until:
→oil lift pressure has reached 600 psig (Blue Light)
→oil pump running; admin time of 2 minutes running prior to start.

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18
Q

Are there any auto starts for the Oil Lift Pumps?

A

→there are no auto start features for oil lift pumps
→if the RCP trips or is stopped, the thrust bearing will maintain its oil wedge on coast down

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19
Q

PZR Safeties:
→lift setpoint
→rated flow
→design function

A

→3 Safeties, 420,000 lbm/hr each
→lift setpoint 2460 psig with a 3% accumulation
→Designed for the maximum surge rate resulting from a complete loss of steam flow to the main turbine without a Rx Trip, auto rod control, steam dumps, PORVs or operator action
→Temp indication provided downstream of PORVs (common for both) and downstream of each safety, alarms provided at 160°F.
→Position indication uses magnetic reed switches to indicate either fully open or fully closed.

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20
Q

RCP Trip Criteria (ABN-101) for seals

A

→#1 Seal Leakoff problems (see chart)
→Total #1 Seal Flow = #1 Seal Leakoff Flow + #2 Seal Leakoff Flow
→Exceeding Limits on the chart below requires:
→reactor trip
→stopping affected RCP
→closing the seal leakoff valve 3-5 mins after pump trip

Note: #2 Seal Leakoff Flow is assumed to be 1 gpm as long as “ANY SEAL 2 LEAKOFF FLO HI”, u-ALB-5A, window 3.2 is DARK.

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21
Q

Tech Spec 3.4.2 Minimum Loop Temp for Criticality

A

TS 3.4.2 Minimum loop temp for criticality is ≥ 551°F, or be in MODE 2 with k-eff < 1.0 within 30 min

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22
Q

What are some indications that natural circulation is occurring?

A
  1. RCS sub cooling - GREATER THAN 25°F (55°F FOR ADVERSE CONTAINMENT).
  2. SG pressures - STABLE OR DECREASING.
  3. RCS hot leg temperatures - STABLE OR DECREASING.
  4. Core exit TCs - STABLE OR DECREASING.
  5. RCS cold leg temperatures - AT SATURATION TEMPERATURE FOR SG PRESSURE.
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23
Q

Define reflux boiling

A

Reflux boiling is characterized by boiling core water and condensing steam in the SG with flow back through the Hot Legs.

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24
Q

PRT Rupture Disc

A

The PRT is protected against a discharge exceeding the design value of 100 psig by:
→two rupture discs, set at 91 psid
→if containment press is 10 psig, then ruptures at 101 psig inside the PRT

→up until 91 psid, a stuck open PORV will drop RCS pressure at a decreasing rate; then, pressure drop rate will suddenly increase as the rupture disc fails

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25
What actions should be taken if PRT temperature is quickly rising?
In the case of PRT temperature getting too high, use the RCDT to recirculate the contents and transfer heat to CCW via the RCDT heat exchanger
26
Where do the PZR Spray Lines tap off from?
→two PZR spray valves modulate to control spray flow →u-PCV-0455B provides spray flow from cold leg of loop 1 →u-PCV-0455C provides spray flow from cold leg of loop 4 →air-operated ball valves, fail closed on loss of air or power
27
What does PZR Manual Bypass flow allow?
→ ~1 gpm of continuous spray flow →prevents thermal shock to the spray nozzle →keeps chemistry & boron concentration at equilibrium with the RCS
28
The Subcooled Margin Monitor (SMM) compares...
...wide range RCS pressure indication with the highest CET temperature and RCS hot and cold leg temperatures.
29
PZR Heaters Group A&B number of heating elements & capacity
→21 heater elements each →heat capacity of 485KW. (Can be operated at the RSP, TS 3.4.9 requires 2 heater groups >150 KW capacity each)
30
What are the secondary functions of the RCS?
→remove heat generated in the fuel due to fission product decay following a plant shutdown →act as a carrier for soluble neutron poison (boron) →act as second barrier against fission product release to the environment →improve neutron economy by acting as a reflector →increase probability of fission by moderating the neutron energy level to that of a thermal state
31
If DC Control Power to an RCP is lost...
→RCP will remain running →RCP can't be tripped electronically →RCP can only be tripped manually
32
At what temperature/flow do the RCP Thermal Barrier return lines isolate?
→Thermal Barrier return lines isolate on: →high temperature 182.5°F on each pump (IRC) and uHV-4709 (ORC) →high flow 64 gpm on uHV-4696 (IRC). (The arrangement on the flow diagram is "TFT") (TFT = temperature, flow, temperature)
33
Pressurizer PORV basic facts
→two 3" power operated relief valves (PORVs) →u-PCV-0455A and u-PCV-0456 →relieve steam from top of PZR at setpoint of 2335 psig →each PORV has a 210,000 lbm/hr relief capacity →pneumatic actuators powered by compressed nitrogen →discharge to common line routed to PRT →designed to minimize challenges to PZR safety valves and are used for LTOP
34
What are the automatic trips for the PZR control and backup heater supply breakers?
→SI →low PZR level (17%) →bus undervoltage
35
Pressurizer Pressure Control Basics (Be familiar.)
36
What provides RCS Level Indication?
→two identical probe assemblies that detect the presence of liquid or vapor at eight discrete elevations above the core plate →thermocouples detect presence of a void in the upper vessel head
37
Charging Flow - Letdown Flow - Total Seal Leakoff Flow = ?
0 gpm can be used to determine quantity of RCS leaks as well as charging, letdown, or seal leakoff if given the other values. Total Seal Leakoff might also be called seal return. Could be given per pump or the total of the four pumps together.
38
Three RCS Loop Flowmeters on each intermediate leg →How many low pressure transmitters are there per leg? →How many high pressure transmitters per leg? →What happens if a low pressure transmitter fails? →What happens if a high pressure transmitter fails?
→3 →1 →one channel fails →all three channels fail
39
Tech Spec 3.4.1 RCS Pressure, Temperature, and Flow Departure from Nucleate Boiling (DNB) Limits
→One or more RCS DNB parameters not within limits: restore RCS DNB parameters to within limits within 2 hrs →Measured RCS flow not within limits: maintain thermal power less than 85% RTP immediately
40
Tech Spec 3.4.3 RCS Pressure and Temperature Limits
RCS pressure, RCS temperature, and RCS heatup and cooldown rates shall be maintained within the limits specified in the PTLR (at all times) Requirements not met in Modes 1-4 →restore parameters to within limits within 30 minutes AND →determine RCS is acceptable for continued operation within 72 hrs Requirements not met NOT in Modes 1-4 →initiate action to restore parameters to within limits immediately AND →determine RCS is acceptable for continued operation prior to entering Mode 4
41
What are the Tech Specs for RCS Loop Operability in different Modes?
42
Tech Spec 3.4.9 Pressurizer Operability
The pressurizer shall be OPERABLE (MODES 1-3) with: →Pressurizer water level ≤92%; and →two groups of pressurizer heaters OPERABLE with the capacity of each group ≥150kW
43
Tech Spec 3.4.10 Pressurizer Safety Valves Operability
Three pressurizer safety valves shall be OPERABLE with lift settings ≥2410 psig and ≤2485 psig (±1%) (Modes 1-3 and Mode 4 with all RCS cold leg temps > 320° F) If one PZR safety is inoperable, restore valve to operable within 15 minutes.
44
Tech Spec 3.4.11 PORV Operability
Since PORVs are not assumed safety function, plant operation can be continued with PORVs isolated by their block valves if they are capable of being manually operated from the Control Board H/S
45
Tech Spec 3.4.13 RCS Operational Leakage
RCS operational leakage shall be limited to: →no pressure boundary leakage →1 gpm unidentified →10 gpm identified (within makeup) →150 gpd primary to secondary through any 1 SG
46
Tech Spec 3.4.14 RCS Pressure Isolation Valve (PIV) Leakage
Leakage from each RCS PIV shall be within limit NOTE: leakage must be verified within 24 hours following check valve actuation due to flow through the valve (SR 3.4.14.1)
47
Tech Spec 3.4.15 RCS Leakage Detection Instrumentation
The following RCS leakage detection instrumentation shall be OPERABLE (Modes 1-4): →one containment sump level and flow monitoring system →one containment atmosphere particulate radioactivity monitor →one containment air cooler condensate flow rate monitor or one containment atmosphere radioactivity monitor (gaseous) If all required monitors inoperable, enter LCO 3.0.3 immediately.
48
Tech Spec 3.4.16 RCS Specific Activity
The limits on specific activity of the RCS ensures that the resulting 2-hour doses at the site boundary will not exceed a small fraction of the federal limits following a SGTR coincident with a loss of offsite power. RCS DOSE EQUIVALENT I-131 and DOSE EQUIVALENT XE-133 specific activity shall be within limits (Modes 1-4) →Dose Equivalent I-131 spec is ≤ 0.45 μCi/g →If I-131 > 60 μCi/g, be in MODE 3 in 6 hours →Dose Equivalent Xe-133 spec is ≤ 500 μCi/g
49
When are the RCS loops considered NOT filled?
RCS loops are considered NOT filled when: →Unit 1: RCS level ≤872'10" (≈35% cold calibrated PZR level) →Unit 2: RCS level ≤866'3" (≈17% cold cal PZR level) OR →prior to performance of RCS vacuum fill operations following operation below 35% (17% U2) cold cal PZR level NOTE: The SGs shall not be considered as reliable heat sink during natural circ c/d when RCS is depressurized below 100psig
50
What is the RCS pressure safety limit?
2735 psig
51
When do the PZR safeties lift?
2460 psig
52
When does the reactor trip on PZR high pressure (or RCS overpressure)?
2385 psig (2/4 channels)
53
When do the PORVs open? When do they close?
open: 2335 psig close: 2315 Note: setpoint for PORV 455A is based on controller output (top channel), so there could be some variation in what the actual pressure is when it begins to open. PORV 456 has a hard setpoint (bottom channel). It will open at 2335 psig.
54
When does PZR spray start to open? When is PZR spray full open?
starts: 2260 psig full open: 2310 psig (spray driven by top channel)
55
When are PZR control/variable/proportional heaters on at minimum current? When are PZR control/variable/proportional heaters at maximum current?
min: 2250 psig max: 2220 psig
56
What is normal operating RCS pressure?
2235 psig
57
When do PZR backup heaters turn on? When do PZR backup heaters turn off?
on: 2210 psig off: 2218 psig
58
At what pressure are PORVs blocked?
2185 psig →channel 457 feeds PCV-455A →channel 458 feeds PCV-456
59
When does P-11 happen?
1960 psig →PZR SI block permissive →2/3 channels →channels 455, 456, 457
60
When does the reactor trip on PZR low pressure?
1880 psig (2/4 channels)
61
When does SI actuate on PZR low pressure?
1820 psig (2/4 channels)
62
Which channel is PZR spray driven by?
the top channel
63
Why do the RCPs have flywheels?
→keeps rotating after loss of power →helps establish natural circ →pawls stop reverse flow in stopped pumps
64
What does CCW cool in the RCPs?
→motor air cooler →bearing lube oil reservoir coolers →thermal barrier HX →limits heat from RCS to pump bearing and shaft
65
RCP Shutdown Seals
→between seals 1 and 2 →passive, thermally actuated seal ring →limits leakoff to <1 gpm following loss of all seal cooling →actuates when seal leakoff temp is 260°-320° F
66
Normal RCS Parameters: RCS Volume
Unit 1: 95,000 gal Unit 2: 91,000 gal
67
Normal RCS Parameters: RCS Flowrate
Unit 1: 403,700 gpm Unit 2: 408,000 gpm
68
Normal RCS Parameters: RCS Pressure
2235 psig
69
Normal RCS Parameters: T-hot
Unit 1: 618 Unit 2: 620
70
Normal RCS Parameters: T-cold
Unit 1: 560 Unit 2: 559
71
Normal RCS Parameters: T-avg
Unit 1: 557-585.4 Unit 2: 557-589.2
72
Normal RCS Parameters: PZR Level
25% - 60%
73
Is the High PZR Pressure (High RCS Pressure) Rx Trip always available? What about the Low PZR Pressure Rx Trip?
High Pressure: yes, always available Low Pressure: only above P-7 (above10% power)
74
What are the must-know RCS connections?
→Letdown - Loop 3 Intermediate Leg →Excess Letdown - Loop 1 Intermediate Leg →PZR Spray - Loops 1 & 4 Cold Legs →PZR Surge Line - Loop 4 Hot Leg →Charging - Loops 1 & 4 Cold Legs →RHR - All 4 Cold Legs, Loops 2 & 3 Hot Legs →SI - All 4 Cold Legs, All 4 Hot Legs →CCP High Head Injection - All 4 Cold Legs