Oconee is in week #2 of our E&A and a question has arisen that I could use some benchmarking help with.  Specifically, during offload or reload, who makes the decision to increase / decrease the overload / underload setpoint (within the fuel vendor handling limits) on the fuel crane? We have a Refueling SRO on the bridge and a fuel handler (operating the bridge and mast crane). We let these two make the decision on what’s needed within strict limits that are provided in technical procedures that they are trained on.  (Any very rate instance that we may need to go outside the vendor limits would have significantly higher approval level and would involve the fuel vendor in the decision process ... this would represent an “event”.)

For your fleet / site, do you do something similar? Do you have a higher level of approval? If you have a higher level of approval required, how often do you encounter the need to increase / decrease the setpoint (within the fuel vendor handling specification limits)?  Or, perhaps your overload / underload setpoints are at the vendor limits?

Any quick turnaround answer or a contact name / number would be very much appreciated!

Carl

Carl D. Fago

Reactor Engineering Supervisor

Oconee Nuclear Station

Duke Energy Carolinas

Phone:  (864) 885-3047

Fax:  (864) 885-3374

Email:  cdfago@duke-energy.com