Reactivity management question.

[Higgs]

Operators,

For large, planned power maneuvers, does the reactivity supervisor provide the peer check for the controls manipulation at your station?

Justin

[a|F]

As you are aware, supervisors don't provide peer checks at Exelon.  Specific to reactivity maneuvers, the unit sup directs the reactivity sro who directs the RO's to perform. They peer check themselves.

[Higgs]

Thanks!

Justin

[Xenon_Free]

... the unit sup directs the reactivity sro who directs the RO's to perform. They peer check themselves.

Ditto here.

XF

[Higgs]

Thanks!

Justin

[Neutron_Herder]

Yep. We do it the same way.

[Higgs]

Thank you!

Justin

[Fermi2]

No because they are authorizing and over seeing the evolution.

[Higgs]

Thank you!

[STGN]

Our reactivity SRO provides a peer check for reactivity manipulations, such as moving control rods, dialing in power changes, etc.  The reactivity SRO is providing oversight for the specific activity, and another SRO is in charge of the control room maintaining the big picture.  It's felt that to provide good oversight in a critical evolution such as a large power maneuver, physics testing, etc, the SRO needs to be directly involved and know what's going on in more detail than in less sensitive evolutions.  Perhaps we're an outlier, but we haven't had a significant reactivity management event in a while due to personnel error.  

[Higgs]

Thank you!

Justin

[Fermi2]

During some major evolutions like Physics testing we will have a Reactivity Management SRO, but he never peer checks, Peer checking is an Operator function.

[STGN]

During some major evolutions like Physics testing we will have a Reactivity Management SRO, but he never peer checks, Peer checking is an Operator function.

Yes it is, and a SRO is an Operator.  We will go out on rounds or jobs with NEOs and provide a peer check if needed, in addition to performing Reactivity Management peer checks when we are the RM SRO.  We are also known to go turn on a valve, operate a breaker, and hang/verify red tags from time to time.  We don't want any errors and do what we can to reduce the chance for mistakes.   

[Fermi2]

The NRC will tell you SROs are not Operators... In fact the License is worded different.

[Higgs]

Yes it is, and a SRO is an Operator.  We will go out on rounds or jobs with NEOs and provide a peer check if needed, in addition to performing Reactivity Management peer checks when we are the RM SRO.  We are also known to go turn on a valve, operate a breaker, and hang/verify red tags from time to time.  We don't want any errors and do what we can to reduce the chance for mistakes.   

I will agree with you that it is ok for an SRO to do that IF he isn't in a supervisory role and there is no one else available.

If he is signed in as unit supervisor, or reactivity management supervisor, then he should not be peer checking.

I think SOER 10-2 and 07-1 are pretty explicit in this, and they specifically talk about supervisors stepping out of their supervisor role in many industry events.

My license specifically says I can operate the controls, and in fact, when I first got on crew I did some ro duties including standing ro during requal until the crews we're realigned.

However, our primary function is oversight and if we are in that role, peer checking causes us to step out of that role, and we're asking for trouble.

Think about how you'd explain to the nrc how the supervisor was peer checking the evolution he was supervising when it went wrong. I don't think that would go to well.

Justin

[Fermi2]

I will agree with you that it is ok for an SRO to do that IF he isn't in a supervisory role and there is no one else available.

If he is signed in as unit supervisor, or reactivity management supervisor, then he should not be peer checking.

I think SOER 10-2 and 07-1 are pretty explicit in this, and they specifically talk about supervisors stepping out of their supervisor role in many industry events.

My license specifically says I can operate the controls, and in fact, when I first got on crew I did some ro duties including standing ro during requal until the crews we're realigned.

However, our primary function is oversight and if we are in that role, peer checking causes us to step out of that role, and we're asking for trouble.

Think about how you'd explain to the nrc how the supervisor was peer checking the evolution he was supervising when it went wrong. I don't think that would go to well.

Justin

I agree with everything you say, especially the last couple sentences. Historically it hasn't gone well with the NRC.

[Higgs]

STGN,

By the way, your station and mine are outliers, based on my informal bench marking. I've surveyed twenty different stations across eight different utilities, and we're the only two allowing sros to peer check reactivity maneuvers when assigned as reactivity supervisor.

I brought it up when I first got here, but was told that it is the way they've always done it, despite what those SOERs said and the rest of the industry is doing.

Now that I have a license, though, maybe they'll listen.

Justin

[HydroDave63]

Now that I have a incense, though, maybe they'll listen.

Doesn't smell like hemp, does it? 

[Higgs]

Doesn't smell like hemp, does it? 

LMFAO I'm on my phone with a crappy connection, I'm struggling.

Justin

[STGN]

STGN,

By the way, your station and mine are outliers, based on my informal bench marking. I've surveyed twenty different stations across eight different utilities, and we're the only two allowing sros to peer check reactivity maneuvers when assigned as reactivity supervisor.

May I ask what other stations and utilities you have information from?  I'm curious. 

Personally, I feel that the way we do business is best, but my commercial nuclear plant experience is limited to the site I work at minus a couple of benchmarking trips when I was in engineering.  So I'll try and keep an open mind.     

[Higgs]

May I ask what other stations and utilities you have information from?  I'm curious. 

Personally, I feel that the way we do business is best, but my commercial nuclear plant experience is limited to the site I work at minus a couple of benchmarking trips when I was in engineering.  So I'll try and keep an open mind.     

Although I spoke with several exelon plants, you can count them all since they all have the same policy.

Anyway, stations;

Peach bottom
LaSalle
Nine mile point
Ginna
Oyster creek
Byron
Braidwood
Clinton
Quad cities
Susquehanna
Brunswick
Vermont Yankee
Grand gulf
Monticello
Palo Verde
Watts bar
Seqouia
Fermi

Companies;
Exelon
Entergy
Southern
Xcel
APS
TVA
Ppl
Detroit Edison

Justin

[STGN]

Thank you.

[CT-Mike]

When I am stationed as the Reactivity Mgmt SRO I provide the peer checks for control rod and turbine adjustments, as well as dilutions/borations during planned ramps. My understanding is that the other units in our fleet do the same thing.

We also station a Reactivity RO on top of the RO and BOP operators.