September 13, 1996
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

Novovoronezh Emergency Water Supply Project. Parsons Power representatives met with MOHT, Rosenergoatom (REA), Atomenergoproject, Gidropress, and Novovoronezh nuclear power plant (NPP) personnel in Moscow for a project review. Parsons Power has contracted directly with MOHT and the Novovoronezh plant for design services on this project. MOHT provided its first deliverable the application to Gosatomnadzor (GAN) for a modification to the Novovoronezh plant. The plant piping must be modified to provide the appropriate connections to the emergency water supply. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 509-372-4591).

Confinement Radiation Monitoring System for Kola Unit 2. The two radiation field calibration instruments for calibrating the high-level radiation monitors (containing cesium-137 sources) were released from Customs this week. Matrix International Logistics, Inc., delivered the calibration instruments to the Kola NPP. Included in the shipment were 10,000 feet of RG-59 coaxial cable for completion of the wiring at the plant. Computer diskettes of the Russian translation of the user's manual for the radiation monitor system were received by the plant and are in use by the staff. Kola NPP staff expect to complete the wiring of the readouts, recorders, and remote indicators for the high-level radiation monitor system in September. U.S. project team members and the equipment manufacturer's staff will return to the Kola NPP in October to complete the installation and calibration of the radiation monitor system and to train the plant personnel in its use. (George Greene, BNL, 516-344-2296)

Plant-Specific Safety Assessments at Novovoronezh NPP. A group of engineering staff members from the Novovoronezh NPP and GAN are at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) this week. They are performing deterministic calculations in support of safety assessments for two reactor units at the Novovoronezh plant.

The work of two Novovoronezh engineers and one of the GAN staff members is focused on the safety assessment specific to Novovoronezh Unit 3 , a VVER-440/179B reactor. They are constructing the RELAP5 input deck for this unit.

Another pair of Novovoronezh plant engineers and the second GAN staff member are working on the calculations in support of the safety assessments for Novovoronezh Unit 5 , a VVER-1000 reactor. During a previous visit, Novovoronezh plant staff constructed the RELAP5 input deck for Unit 5. This project team now is defining scenarios and developing RELAP5 input for transient calculations for simulated failures of equipment under small-break loss-of-coolant-accidents such as a failure of a high-pressure pump, low-pressure pump, or accumulator. (Greg Slovik, BNL, 516-344-7983)

UKRAINE

European Commission Chornobyl Shelter Project. Under a program task order finalized on September 10, 1996, Bechtel Power Corporation will provide support to the European Commission Chornobyl Shelter Project. Bechtel specialists in the areas of structural design and decontamination and decommissioning will join with other international experts addressing the short- and long-term measures being considered for the Chornobyl Shelter. (LaDonna James, PNNL, 509-375-4372)

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Analyzer Project. Staff supporting the Kozloduy NPP have completed the transient calculations for a scenario in which an operator-controlled, steam generator pressure relief valve is assumed to be stuck open. The results will be provided to the Kozloduy plant staff for their review. (Greg Slovik, BNL, 516-344-7983).

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

"*" indicates the event is a new item or has been changed from the last report.

September 14-28 -- Kyiv, Ukraine, and Khmelnytskyy and Chornobyl NPPs, Ukraine.
A program nuclear safety expert will meet in Kyiv with representatives of the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Wastes and Radioecology and the Ukraine Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety Engineering Training Center, followed by meetings at the Khmelnytskyy and Chornobyl NPPs with plant representatives. The objective of the meetings is to complete the first phase of the safety works database at Ukrainian NPPs, compile a list of potential fuel cycle safety projects, and assist in drafting a business plan for Chornobyl Center development. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

September 14-20 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
Program review meetings will take place in Kyiv with representatives from the Chornobyl Center, DOE, Goscomatom, and U.S. program technical staff. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

September 14-21 -- Ignalina NPP, Lithuania.
Members of the U.S. project team will visit Ignalina NPP to reach agreement on the design, manufacture, and testing of two prototype analog-to-relay electronic modules. These modules will help establish a more reliable instrumentation and control system. (Norm Fletcher, DOE, 301-903-3275)

September 14-28 -- Moscow, Russia.
Acceptance testing of the Kalinin full-scope simulator will take place at the simulator manufacturing factory of VNIIAES/GET in Moscow. U.S. program technical staff will attend. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

*September 15-29 -- Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
U.S. program technical staff will meet with representatives from the Kurchatov Institute, the Ministry of Atomic Power (Minatom), and senior staff from the Leningrad NPP to continue analysis in support of site-specific decommissioning studies for nuclear power plants with RBMK reactors. (Richard Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

September 16 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
The first classes on vibration analysis and shaft alignment will be held at the Smolensk Training Center. (Tom Vehec, PNNL, 509-372-4072)

September 16-19 -- Moscow, Russia.
Staff from Parsons Power, Westinghouse, RDIPE, Atomenergoproject, Kursk NPP, and REA will meet to discuss the plan for installing the safety parameter display system at Kursk Unit 2. Chornobyl NPP staff also will travel to Moscow to discuss the conformed specification for the Chornobyl Unit 3 safety parameter display system. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

September 16-20 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
Sonalysts, Inc. staff will meet with personnel from Chornobyl NPP to develop the scope for radiation protection training. This training will constitute the second major training program developed at the Chornobyl plant. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 16-20 -- Kalinin NPP, Russia.
Russian participants will accompany U.S. personnel on this site visit that is part of the project involved with transferring training technology. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

September 16-20 -- Moscow, Russia.
Representatives from GAN will attend a workshop on quality assurance for the transport of nuclear materials. (George Sherwood, DOE, 301-903-4162, or George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836)

*September 20 -- Helsinki, Finland.
A U.S. program representative will meet with STUK, the Finnish regulatory agency, regarding that agency's potential participation in the probabilistic and deterministic safety analysis project under way at the Leningrad NPP. Discussions will include review and oversight of both the development activities and deterministic analysis for the probabilistic risk assessment. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

September 20-22 -- Moscow, Russia.
The Kola in-depth safety analysis (KOLISA) project will be reviewed at a meeting in Moscow. Technical staff from the U.S. program will attend. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

September 20-29 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
A VVER-440/230 emergency operating instruction (EOI) working group meeting is tentatively scheduled. Representatives from the Armenia Nuclear Power Station and the Kozloduy, Novovoronezh, and Kola NPPs will attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

September 21-October 4 -- Ignalina NPP, Lithuania and Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
Program staff will participate in configuration management meetings at Ignalina NPP. Then staff from Kozolody NPP, Risk Engineering Limited, and the U.S. program team will meet at Kozloduy NPP to discuss the configuration management and seismic upgrade projects. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 509-372-4591)

September 23-27 -- Khmelnytskyy NPP, Ukraine.
General Physics Corporation will conduct a 1-week work session at Khmelnytskyy NPP. The primary objective of the session is to continue development of three training programs: Control Room Reactor Operator, Refueling Floor Operator, and Chemical Operator. General Physics also will provide instruction to Khmelnytskyy plant personnel in the systematic approach to training. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 23-24 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
Burns & Roe staff and U.S. program team members will meet with Goscomatom and Ukrainian nuclear power plant representatives to discuss safety parameter display systems for VVER-1000 plants in Ukraine. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

September 23-October 4- -- Trnava, Slovakia.
U.S. program staff will work with Slovakian specialists from the Nuclear Power Plant Research Institute (VUJE) to develop additional computer terminal displays for the upgraded V1 simulator. The program plan and schedule for the validation and verification process also will be discussed and finalized. (Bill Shier, BNL, 516-344-2385).

*September 24-25 -- Novovoronezh NPP, Russia.
A member of the program team will represent the United States at a general coordinating meeting of the G-24 members of the Nuclear Safety Advisory Council for nuclear power plants with VVER-440/230 reactors. The meeting was called specifically for the Novovoronezh and Kola NPPs. Participating international organizations include the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Commission, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as the G-24 countries. An exchange of technical information will provide updates on the reactor safety activities of each participating organization. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852, and Doug Timmins, PNNL, 509-372-6415)

September 24-26 -- Obninsk, Russia.
The U.S. Department of Energy will hold an information exchange,"Analytical Methods and Computational Tools for NPP Safety Assessment," at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE). The primary purpose is to provide an open forum for the exchange of information among experts involved in the safety evaluation of Soviet-designed reactors and communicate the results of the safety analyses carried out under program sponsorship in Russia, Ukraine, and Central European countries with Soviet-designed reactors. Papers will be presented on topics including probabilistic risk assessment, thermal hydraulic analysis, structural analysis, and neutronic analysis. Safety analysis specialists from Russian, Ukrainian, and Central and Eastern European power plants and technical organizations will participate. Participation of a limited number of Western European and U.S. experts also is expected. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628, or Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)

*September 25-26 -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
The steering committee for the Leningrad NPP probabilistic and deterministic safety analysis project will meet to review project schedule and scope. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

*September 30-October 4 -- Slavutych, Ukraine.
Program representatives will attend a meeting of the European Commission Chornobyl Shelter Project. At that meeting, Ukrainian authority concurrence will be pursued regarding project recommendations for the short- and long-term measures. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

September 30-October 4 -- Place TBD
Representatives from BNL, DOE, GAN, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will attend training technology transfer meetings. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September 30-October 10 -- Waterford, Connecticut, USA.
Balakovo specialists will travel to Sonalysts to continue development of the training course for instrumentation and control operations. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

September TBD -- Leningrad NPP, Russia.
Representatives from the U.S. program, Parsons Power, Westinghouse, Leningrad NPP, and RDIPE will meet to reach agreement on specifications for the Leningrad Unit 3 safety parameter display system and sign a memorandum of agreement on roles and responsibilities. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

*October TBD -- Armenia Nuclear Power Station, Armenia.
The project team for fire safety will meet at the Armenia Nuclear Power Station to develop a joint plan for making improvements to fire safety at Unit 2. The team also will discuss ideas for potential new projects. The team will coordinate activities with assistance teams from the European Union and Russia. U.S. program staff and Burns & Roe personnel will attend. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

October 7-11 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Staff representing the South Ukraine and Rivne NPPs and S3 Technologies will meet with U.S. program staff to discuss contractual arrangements for the full-scope simulator projects at South Ukraine Unit 1 and Rivne Unit 3. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

October 7-18 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
General Physics and Sonalysts staff will assist Kozloduy NPP with the implementation of training courses for the shift supervisors and reactor repair technicians. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

*October 11-20 -- Moscow and Desnagorsk, Russia.
U.S. experts from the program team and the contractor, Mechanical Maintenance Products, Inc., will travel to Moscow and on to Desnagorsk, to the Smolensk NPP. There they will oversee and assist in classroom and field training on U.S.-supplied mechanical and optical alignment systems.Trainees will include representatives of the training departments from the five RBMK reactor sites in Russia, Ukraine, and Lithuania. (Grigory Trosman, DOE, 301-903-3581)

October 14-25 -- Novovoronezh NPP, Russia, and Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
Staff representing the Novovoronezh and Chornobyl NPPs will meet with S3 Technologies, VNIIAES, and U.S. program team members to discuss detailed arrangements for the recently awarded analytical simulator projects. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

October 14-18 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
Russian participants will accompany U.S. personnel on this site visit that is part of the project involved with transferring training technology. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

October 14-25 -- Waterford, Connecticut, USA.
Balakovo NPP specialists will travel to Sonalysts to continue development of the radiation protection training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

October 21 -- Helsinki, Finland.
A KOLISA project status review will be presented to the project steering committee. The steering committee consists of the Kola plant manager, the DOE program manager, and a technical consultant from IVO-Finland. (Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)

*October 21-25 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
The project team for developing and implementing management and operational controls procedures will meet. The team will conduct technical reviews of draft procedures and planned steps to complete implementation of the procedures at pilot plants in countries with Soviet-designed NPPs. Attendees include representatives from Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. The U.S. representatives include staff from the Brunswick NPP, INPO, and DOE. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

October 21-25 -- Novovoronezh NPP, Russia.
Russian participants will accompany U.S. personnel on this site visit that is part of the project involved with transferring training technology. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

October 26-November 2 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) workshop will be cosponsored with the IAEA at the Czech Republic's Nuclear Research Institute (REZ). A U.S. team member will coordinate and participate in the workshop, which is being held to resolve discrepancies in modeling assumptions and databases among the different PRAs of VVER-440 reactors. Safety analysis specialists from Russian, Ukrainian, and Central and Eastern European power plants, and technical organizations will address modeling assumptions, initiating events, and component reliability data, with the goal of agreeing on consistent assumptions. Participation of a limited number of Western European and U.S. experts also is expected. (Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)

October 28-November 1 -- Moscow, Russia.
A course on the systematic approach to training will be given in Moscow for participants of the training technology transfer program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

October TBD -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
An EOI workshop tentatively is scheduled for Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from Sonalysts will present the principles of the U.S. "User's Guide" to staff from Kozloduy VVER-1000 and VVER-440/230 units. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

October TBD -- Dukovany NPP, Czech Republic.
In a tentatively scheduled EOI workshop, Sonalysts representatives will present the U.S. principles of verification and validation to staff from the Dukovany NPP VVER-440/213 units. (Larry Sherfey, PNNL, 509-372-4080)

October TBD -- Moscow, Russia.
U.S. specialists will visit REA in Moscow to assess the capability of Russian-manufactured high-temperature suits to protect personnel for entry into hostile environments at nuclear power plants with RBMK reactors. (Jim Guppy, BNL, 516-344-2698)

October TBD -- Moscow, Russia.
A special meeting of the VVER-1000 working group will be held at VNIIAES. Working group members from the Balakovo, Kozloduy, and Zaporizhzhya NPPs will meet with VNIIAES and Gidropress to review and discuss results of analysis calculations completed by Gidropress. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
A VVER regulator EOI workshop has been scheduled at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Training Center. Representatives from Russian, Ukrainian, and CEEC regulatory agencies, with primary responsibilities for reviewing and approving VVER EOIs, will attend. They will observe, learn, and discuss regulator involvement with EOIs associated with the VVER reactors. Workshop objectives are to

• educate/familiarize regulators on symptom-based EOI concepts
• provide demonstrations on the use of EOIs to mitigate accidents
• build regulator confidence in the quality of the EOI development process
• provide answers to questions the regulators may have concerning symptom-based EOIs
• demonstrate the U.S. approach to regulator involvement in EOI development/implementation
• encourage regulator involvement/priority in EOI development, approval, and implementation.

A combination of classroom lectures and simulator scenarios will be used to demonstrate these key points. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be a VVER-440/230 EOI working group meeting at Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/230 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine.
There will be a VVER-1000 EOI working group meeting at Zaporizhzhya NPP. Representatives from all VVER-1000 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 11-22 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Sonalysts staff will assist Balakovo in the implementation of the water chemistry training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

November 11-December 6 -- Place TBD.
A workshop on the systematic approach to training will be held for participants of the training technology transfer program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

November 18-22 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
There will be an RBMK EOI working group meeting at Smolensk NPP. Representatives from all RBMK NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

*November 18-22 -- Bohunice NPP, Slovakia.
The VVER-440/213 EOI working group will meet. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

December 11 - 12 -- Moscow, Russia.
A meeting will be held with the training technology transfer participants to discuss the progress of the program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

December TBD -- Charlotte, North Carolina.
Plans are being made to bring nondestructive examination specialists from Russia and Ukraine to the United States to observe U.S. nondestructive examination practices. Tentative plans include visits to the Electric Power Research Institute Nondestructive Examination Center in Charlotte and a U.S. NPP, as well as to the Savannah River Site to observe how its inspection program has been upgraded. (Robert Moffitt, PNNL, 509-372-4108)

ACRONYMNS/ABBREVIATIONS

Note: in the interest of providing a timely update on the Soviet-Designed-Reactor Safety Program, no formal document review of this weekly report has been conducted by DOE or PNNL.