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Sept. 22, 2003 -- FirstEnergy Corp. announced that the pressure test of the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) and other equipment at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station of the company's FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) subsidiary is now under way. The seven-day pressure test is an important milestone in the plant's restart process.
Davis-Besse's RCS is currently operating at 2,155 pounds per square inch (psi) and 532 degrees Fahrenheit using the plant's four Reactor Coolant Pumps. Teams of technicians are conducting the first of three inspections of equipment and systems. The second will be done in three days, and the final inspection will be completed following cool-down of the system in about 10 days.
"The Reactor Coolant System is performing well," said FENOC Chief Operating Officer Lew Myers. "We have also identified and resolved several issues on our way to achieving full pressure. This work will help ensure a safe and effective restart."
A comprehensive Restart Test Plan, which lists activities that need to be completed as well as management oversight of these activities, is being followed to ensure that plant personnel move through the extensive inspections and other activities safely and effectively.
Prior to conducting the pressure test, Davis-Besse personnel completed such major work as replacement of the reactor head; expansion of the Containment Emergency Sump screen from 50 to 1,200 square feet; installation of the state-of-the-art FLUS leak monitoring system; replacement of the Containment Air Coolers; painting the inside of the Containment Building; validation of the integrity of fuel; and total refurbishment of the Decay Heat Tank. All told, Davis-Besse personnel performed 102 modifications to equipment or systems, finished nearly 8,000 work orders, and conducted some 15,000 surveillance tests and 2,200 preventive maintenance tests on equipment, ranging from valves to the turbine generator.
After completing the test, Davis-Besse personnel will perform the planned modification of the High Pressure Injection pumps to improve their reliability for recirculating sump water, in addition to other plant safety margin improvements, such as modifications to the plant's electrical system. These modifications are expected to take four to six weeks, followed by plant restart, subject to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
FENOC is a subsidiary of the Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp., a registered public utility holding company.
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