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Activity Report

February 14 through February 27, 1998
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Washington
This report is available on the Internet at https://insp.pnnl.gov:2080

Russia

Training Technology Transferred to Beloyarsk. Training specialists from Balakovo nuclear power plant (NPP) and the United States are at Beloyarsk NPP, working with plant training and technical experts to finalize the Sodium Systems Maintenance course for Beloyarsk personnel. The course is scheduled for implementation during the week of March 2. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

Plans Move Forward for Kursk In-Depth Safety Assessment. Plans for the Kursk NPP in-depth safety assessment were discussed on February 9 and 10 in Kurchatov, Russia. U.S. coordination and technical assistance staff met with Kursk representatives and the plant's primary contractor, the Research and Development Institute for Power Engineering (RDIPE). Participants agreed on the plant's initial task associated with the project, compilation of an initial data source. U.S. team members then traveled to Moscow for project talks with RDIPE and Rosenergoatom representatives. Discussions covered RDIPE's proposed project plan and distribution of specific tasks to participants under that plan. (Tyrone Blackburn, PNNL, 509-372-4092)

Ukraine

Quality Assurance Project Group Holds Key Meeting. The Ukraine Quality Assurance Project Group met in Kyiv during the week of February 16. Participants included representatives from each reactor site in Ukraine, Energoatom, and several state regulatory authorities. U.S. team members from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, and Scientech also attended. The U.S. participants presented a workshop on assessment practices at commercial nuclear power plants and DOE sites. The material presented will provide the basis for developing pilot procedures for quality assurance assessments in Ukraine.

During the meeting, the draft Ukraine normative document for nuclear power plant quality assurance was finalized. The Ukraine Nuclear Regulatory Administration will issue this document following governmental approvals.

In conjunction with the workshop, meetings were held with Energoatom officials regarding contracts for Ukrainian support of the pilot procedure development efforts. Energoatom considers the activities of the Ukraine quality assurance project as part of a larger, five-year effort to upgrade and develop the management system and quality assurance program at Energoatom. (Lief Erickson, PNNL, 509-372-4097)

Analytical Simulator Declared Operational for Chornobyl Unit 3. In early February, U.S. technical specialists went to Slavutych to review the status of the analytical simulator being provided for Chornobyl Unit 3. The U.S. team declared the simulator operational and formally turned it over to the Chornobyl NPP training center. Chornobyl staff will complete the remaining work to obtain necessary approvals from Ukraine's Nuclear Regulatory Administration to use the simulator in actual training programs. Training for Chornobyl NPP staff is expected to begin after a set of simulator exercise guides is completed. GSE Systems, Inc., has the lead role in drafting those guides. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

Reviews Held for Simulator Projects in Ukraine. Projects aimed at providing full-scope simulators for Rivne Unit 3 and South Ukraine Units 1 and 3 were reviewed in Kyiv during the first week of February. Reviewers included representatives from Rivne and South Ukraine NPPs; GSE Systems, Inc.; Energoatom; the Engineering and Technical Center for the Training of Nuclear Industry Personnel; and U.S. team members from DOE, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Because the U.S. team had agreed to fund additional tasks for these projects, the involved parties needed to meet and agree on the scope of activities for each simulator. Amendments to the memorandum of understanding for each simulator project were signed. In addition, the technical specifications were finalized for additional tasks the U.S. team will fund for the Rivne and South Ukraine Unit 1 simulator projects. These documents will serve as a basis for the request for proposal that will be issued to GSE Systems, Inc., the simulator vendor. A statement of work for the additional tasks the United States will fund for the South Ukraine Unit 3 simulator project also was finalized. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

Essential Databases Completed for South Ukraine's Safety Assessments. Specialists from South Ukraine NPP and Ukrainian subcontractor Energorisk, Ltd., finished compilation of a system description database for the plant. The database documents the as-built configuration of South Ukraine Unit 1, the lead plant for in-depth safety assessments of VVER-1000/302 reactors in Ukraine. The system description database will provide the basis for both probabilistic risk and deterministic safety assessments of Unit 1. South Ukraine staff also completed assembling and documenting the nuclear steam supply system database for Unit 1. This database then was used to develop the preliminary thermal-hydraulic model (RELAP5/Mod 3.2) for the unit. Completion of both databases represents accomplishments essential to an internationally acceptable in-depth safety assessment of the plant. (Christian Kot, ANL, 630-252-6151)

New Managers at Khmelnytskyy Introduced to Plant Safety Assessment. In December 1997, new members were named to the Khmelnytskyy NPP management team. To acquaint them with the in-depth safety assessment planned for the plant, members of the U.S. team met with the plant's new managers on February 6 and 7. Members of the U.S. team and the new plant managers agreed upon the approach for establishing the Khmelnytskyy in-depth safety assessment. Plant management committed to name the Khmelnytskyy project manager and sign the protocol for the planning task by March 1. (Charles Dickerman, ANL, 630-252-4622)

Rivne Signs Key Task Orders. In early January, management of Rivne NPP signed two task orders critical to the plant's in-depth safety assessment. One task order covers the development of guidelines for the project. Those guidelines will become an important vehicle for transferring technology for the in-depth safety assessment. The second task order provides documentation and assessment of work previously completed by Rivne staff on a probabilistic risk assessment for the plant. The result of this second task will enable the plant to apply the previous work to the current in-depth safety assessment. (Charles Dickerman, ANL, 630-252-4622)

Steering Committee Reviews Safety Assessment Status at Ukraine Plants. Zaporizhzhya NPP hosted the semiannual meeting of the Ukraine In-Depth Safety Assessment Steering Committee on February 4. Committee members--one representative each from DOE, Energoatom, and Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, South Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhya NPPs--reviewed the status of all in-depth safety assessments under way at Ukraine's NPPs. Members also explored ways of expediting project schedules and discussed details of implementing the Ukrainian lead plant approach to document the in-depth safety assessments. Under the lead plant approach, each NPP would receive support to prepare full safety assessment documentation for one of each reactor type at the plant. The product would be either base-case documentation for one of the Ukrainian lead plants or "difference analysis" documentation for a non-lead plant. Two members of the U.S. team from Argonne National Laboratory also attended the steering committee meeting. (Charles Dickerman, ANL, 630-252-4622)

Chornobyl Shelter Project

Three Proposals Submitted for Shelter Project Management Unit. Three teams submitted proposals by February 17 to Chornobyl NPP as required, for the Shelter Project Management Unit consultant contract. The teams were led by Bechtel National, Trischler und Partner, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The technical proposals were opened in Slavutych on February 18. An award is anticipated by the middle of March. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

Armenia

Armenian Delegation Examines Plant Safety Aspects. The Chief Engineer and Deputy Chief Engineer for Safety Upgrades of Armenia NPP and the U.S. liaison from the Armenia Ministry of Energy were in the United States during the week of February 15. The group spent three days at the Burns & Roe offices in Oradell, New Jersey, discussing specifications and schedules for ongoing safety upgrade projects at the plant. The team then toured Indian Point 3 NPP, where they were shown the training center, full-scope simulator, main steam isolation valves, and fire safety equipment. For two days, the visitors met with representatives of DOE, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in Washington, D.C. After leaving the United States, the Armenian team flew to England to visit the factory of Hopkinson Ltd., where main steam isolation valves will be manufactured for Armenia NPP. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

Editor's Note

This is the last edition of the Activity Report to be issued biweekly. Beginning in March, the report will be compiled and issued once per month.

Planned Activities

March 1-4 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
Nondestructive Examination Initiative. A technical expert from the U.S. team will meet with officials of Energoatom and the National University of Ukraine. Discussions will cover the initial action plan for a project to establish a centralized certification and training program in nondestructive examination within Ukraine. (Greg Trosman, DOE, 301-903-3581)

March 2-5 -- Grenoble, France.
Simulators. The integration plan for the Trnava V-2 full-scope simulator projects will be finalized at CORYS' offices. Discussions are expected to cover options for integrating the U.S.-funded RELAP5 software and the European Commission-funded EVVEREST software. Also, the plan must deal with the new input/output system and existing panels. Representatives from the Trnava Training Center (VUJE), European Commission contractor CORYS, and the U.S. contractor Science Applications International Corporation will participate in reviewing and approving the plan. (Ken Erickson, PNNL, 509-372-4063)

March 8-14 -- Moscow, Russia.
Plant Safety Assessment. Technical experts from Brookhaven and Pacific Northwest national laboratories and Science Applications International Corporation will meet with a representative of the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE) regarding IBRAE's Development of Standard Probabilistic Risk Assessment Procedure Guides, Recommendation Report. This report was developed by IBRAE as the first deliverable of a set of procedure guides for probabilistic risk analysis. Discussions also will be held with staff of the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering (RDIPE) to review ongoing project planning and task order development for the in-depth safety assessment at Kursk NPP. (Ty Blackburn, PNNL, 509372-4092)

* March 9-13 -- Argonne, Illinois, USA.
Safety Analysis Code Validation. Russian experts--one each from the Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Center and the Kurchatov Institute--will discuss the second phase of the safety analysis code validation project with U.S. specialists from three DOE national laboratories. Draft plants to validate the RELAP5 code for VVER and RBMK applications will be finalized. (Jordi Roglans, ANL, 630-252-3283)

* March 16-20 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Simulators. A workshop to discuss the technical proposal requirements of the South Ukraine Unit 1 full-scope simulator will be held at the offices of GSE Systems, Inc. Staff from South Ukraine NPP, Energoatom, the Engineering and Technical Center for the Training of Nuclear Industry Personnel, and the U.S. team will attend. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

March 16-27 -- Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine.
Training. A U.S. training specialist and personnel from Khmelnytskyy NPP, the Engineering and Technical Center for the Training of Nuclear Industry Personnel, and Zaporizhzhya NPP will continue preparation of training materials for the Chemical Operator pilot training program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

* March 16-27 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
Training. Staff from General Physics Corporation will work with training center staff from Kozloduy NPP to finalize preparations for implementing a pilot training program for control room reactor operators. The training program will be presented the week of March 23. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

* March 16-27 -- San Diego, California, USA.
Plant Safety Assessment. Management and technical experts from Rivne, South Ukraine, and Zaporizhzhya NPPs will meet with U.S. counterparts to develop a common approach and reach agreement on details on three in-depth safety assessment tasks: limited Level 2 probabilistic risk assessment, design-basis-accident analysis, and analytical justification of emergency operating instructions. (Christian Kot, ANL, 630-252-6151; Charles Dickerman, ANL, 630-252-4622)

March 23-April 3 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Training. Staff from Sonalysts, Inc., will meet with training center staff from Bilibino and Balakovo NPPs. They will continue development of the pilot Shift Supervisor training program to be implemented at Bilibino NPP later this year. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

March 28-April 4 -- Moscow, Russia.
Simulators. Specialists from Gosatomnadzor, General Physics Corporation, and Brookhaven National Laboratory will present a training course on plant simulator verification and validation. Course participants will include staff from Kalinin, Kola, and Novovoronezh NPPs who will be be testing simulators at each of these plants. Representatives of VNIIAES and Rosenergoatom also will participate. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

April 13-24 -- Kalinin NPP, Russia.
Training. Staff from General Physics Corporation and Balakovo NPP will work with training center staff from Kalinin NPP to finalize the pilot Mechanical Maintenance course on Shaft Alignment (Laser). The course will be implemented during the second week of this visit. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

April 13-May 8 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Simulators. Staff of GSE Systems, Inc., will provide training to representatives from Bilibino NPP in software maintenance associated with the analytical simulator being developed for the plant. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

May 18-22 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Simulators. Plant staff involved with Balakovo's simulator project, plus representatives from one or more additional NPPs, will attend a training course on simulator verification and validation. A U.S. training specialist will present the course. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

May 18-June 2 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Simulators. Staff of GSE Systems, Inc., will provide training to representatives from Bilibino NPP in hardware maintenance associated with the analytical simulator being developed for the plant. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

June 8-July 6 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Simulators. Training staff from Bilibino NPP will participate in a training course for simulator instructors. The course, to be presented by personnel from GSE Systems, Inc., is associated with the analytical simulator being developed for the plant. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)


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