IR 05000166/1983001
| ML20024B810 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Maryland |
| Issue date: | 06/21/1983 |
| From: | Elsasser T, Kinney W NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I) |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20024B807 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-166-83-01, 50-166-83-1, NUDOCS 8307110401 | |
| Download: ML20024B810 (9) | |
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U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
REGION I
Report No.
50-166/83-01 Docket No.
50-166 License No.
R-70 Priority Category G
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Licensee:
University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 20742 Facility Name: Maryland University Training Reactor Inspection At:
College Park, Maryland 20742 Inspection Conducted:
May 25-27, 1983 d!Bl Inspector:
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Approved by:
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Section bo. IB Inspection Summary:
Inspection on May 25-27, 1983 (Report No. 50-166/83-01)
Areas Inspected:
Routine, unannounced inspection by a region-based inspector
[T7 hours) of organization, facility operations, separation of potentially contaminated water from water supply, logs and records, reviews and audits, procedures, surveillance activities, radiation control, and gaseous and liquid radioactive effluents.
Results: No violations or deviations were identified.
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8307110401 830623 PDR ADOCK 05000166
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DETAILS 1.
Persons Contacted
- Dr. F. J. Munno, Directo,r, Nuclear Engineering Programs
- Dr. R. L. Belcher, Director, Nuclear Reactor
- Mr. D. Marksberry, Assistant Director, Nuclear Recctor Mr. S. Shanks, Assistant Radiation Safety Officer
- denotes those present at the exit interview 2.
Organization The incumbents of the organizational positions addressed in Technical Specification 6.1, Organization, as of May 27, 1983, are given below.
Position Incumbent Chancellor, University of Maryland Dr. J. Slaughter Provost, Division of Mathematics and Dr. F. Kerr Physical Sciences and Engineering Dean, College of Engineering Dr. G. Dieter, Jr.
Chairman, Department of Chemical Dr. T. Cadman and Nuclear Engineering Director, Nuclear Reactor Dr. R. Belcher Radiation Safety Officer Mr. E. Blackburn Senior Reactor Oparators Mr. D. Marksberry Dr. F. Munno Mr. R. Lee Dr. R. Belcher Reactor Operator Dr. T. Andreadis The Reactor Safety Committee as of May 27, 1983, has the following members.
Dr. Y. Y. Hsu, Chairman (Nuclear Engineering)
Dr. T. Cadman (ex officio as Chairman of Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering)
Dr. R. Belcher (ex officio as Director of Nuclear Reactor)
Mr. E. Blackburn (Radiation Safety Officer)
Mr. S. Shanks (Assistant Radiation Safety Officer)
Dr. F. Munno (Nuclear Engineering)
Dr. J. Silverman (Nuclear Engineering)
Dr. M. Modarres (Nuclear Engineering)
Dr. M. Roush, (Physics)
Mr. D. Marksberry (Nuclear Engineering)
This Committee membership and the qualifications'of the members meet the requirements of Technical Specification 6.3, Reactor Safety Committe.
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No violations were identified.
3.
Facility Tour The inspector inspected the Maryland University Training Reactor (MUTR)
with the Nuclear Reactor Director immediately after the entrance interview. The housekeeping of the facility was good.
No violations were identified.
4.
Facility Operation The MUTR is an open pool 250 KW TRIGA reactor which is used for nuclear engineering courses, in-house training of reactor operators, and irradiation of samples for activation analyses.
The licensee plans to shut the reactor down for a two week preventative maintenance program starting on June 20, 1983.
No violations were identified.
5.
Separation of Potentially Contaminated Water from Water Supply The city water supply is connected to the reactor coolant system at two locations: makeup water to the primary coolant water and the open loop secondary water to the two heat exchangers used for cooling the primary coolant water.
There are three manual valves in the primary coolant water makeup supply line, and there is one manual valve before the heat exchanger in each of the secondary water lines to the two heat exchangers. Also, the pressure of the city water supply is greater than the pressure in the primary coolant water system. Hcwever, none of the connections between the potentially contaminated water and the city water supply had any positive means such as a check valve or an air break to prevent the backflow of potentially contaminated water into the city water supply.
The licensee agreed to install check valves in these two connections.
The check valve in the primary water makeup water supply line is to be installed by June 3,1983, and the check valve in the heat exchanger secondary water supply line will be installed during the summer of 1983.
The installation of these check valves will be inspected during a future inspection (83-01-01).
No violations were identified.
6.
Logs and Records The inspector reviewed the Control Room Log Book for the period of-September 2, 1981, through May 25, 1983. The log included information and data concerning reactor operations, surveillance activities, and maintenance activities.
The operational information and data included personnel on duty; run numbers; purpose of runs; dates, times, and power levels of runs; experiments performed; and experimental data. The log book
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entries were signed by responsible personnel. Maintenance activities recently significantly increased.
In March 1983 the licensee experienced problems with the regulating rod drive system, the exhaust radiation monitor, and the primary water conductivity measurement system. The licensee indicated that the equipment had given relatively trouble free service until the occurrence of these recent problems.
The inspector reviewed the startup checklists for Run Nos.1154 through 1212, conducted May 22, 1982, through May 25, 1983. The checklists were comprehensive. The licensee properly completed the checklists in most cases; however, the " Water Room" section of the checklist was often not filled in. The licensee explained that the primary coolant often was not circulated and not cooled using the heat exchangers; therefore, the equipment in the water room was not always used.
The inspector also discussed with the licensee that the checklist (and the operating procedure)
did not specify when and how the primary coolant was to be circulated and cooled. The licensee indicated that it was their intent that the " Water Room" section of the checklist be completed in the future and that they would address the operation of the reactor coolant and purification systems in the operating procedures.
Licensee actions with regard to these two matters will be reviewed during a future inspection (83-01-02).
No violations were identified.
7.
Reviews and Audits The inspector reviewed the minutes of the 1978 through first quarter 1983 meetings of the Reactor Safety Committee. The committee met quarterly as required by Technical Specification 6.3, Reactor Safety Committee. The Reactor Safety Committee reviewed operational and maintenance problems with the safety system and measuring channels equipment, especially the radiation monitoring equipment; reviewed and approved operating, surveillance, maintenance, and emergency procedures; and reviewed the license renewal application and security plans.
The licensee arranged with a four member team of auditors from the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) in Bethesda, Maryland, to audit the operation of the MUTR in June 1981. The licensee took appropriate cctions on the findings and recommendations of the audit team.
The licensee has made arrangements with AFRRI and the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) at Gaithersburg, Maryland, to participate in a
"round-robin" audit program. The licensee is currently arranging the schedule for these audits. This will be reviewed during a future inspection (83-01-03).
No violations were identifie R
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8.
Procedures The inspector examined the following procedures:
Procedure Revision Approval Number Title No Date 100 Series - Operating Procedure OP 101 Startup Instrument Checklist
12/20/82 OP 102 Reactor Shutdown Checklist
3/28/83 OP 103 Reactor Startup
12/20/82 OP 104 Reactor Operations
12/20/82 OP 105 Installation of Experiments
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2/17/78 200 Series - Surveillance Procedures SP 200 Inspection and Calibration
12/20/82 SP 201 Fuel and Control Rod Inspection
3/28/83 300 Series - Maintenance Procedures MP-301 Dismantling and Reassembling
12/20/82 Fuel Bundle MP-302 Setting the Flux Contro'11er
12/20/82 MP-303 Fuel Movement
3/28/83 MP-304 Control Rod Removal
3/28/83 400 Series - Emergency Procedures EP-401 Reactor Evacuation Procedure
12/20/82 EP-402 Primary Coolant Leaks
12/20/82 EP-403 Abnormal Reactivity Changes
12/20/82 EP-404 Release of Radioactivity
12/20/82 EP-405 Security
12/20/82
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With the exception of OP-105, Installation of Experiments, all the pro-cedures listed above were just recently revised by the Assistant Nuclear Reactor Director, reviewed and recommended for approval by the Nuclear Reactor Director, and reviewed and approved by the Reactor Safety Committee.
The Assistant Nuclear Reactor Director is currently revising OP-105 and the surveillance procedures for measuring control and drop times, deter-mining the reactivity worth of each control rod, and calibrating each power level monitoring channel.
As mentioned in paragraph 6, the licensee indicated they would address the operation of the reactor coolant and purification systems in the operating procedures.
During the examination of the surveillance activities, the inspector noted that the procedures and checklists do not specifically address the per-formance of channel checks of the power level measuring channels and fuel element temperature measuring channels during each day of operation.
Discussion with the licensee and review of the Control Record Log Book disclosed that these surveillance activities were performed as required by Technical Specifications 4.3.c and 4.3.d.
The licensee stated they would address the performance of the channel checks in their procedures and would provide for the recording the performance of these channel checks. This will be reviewed during a future inspection (83-01-04).
No violations were identified.
9.
Surveillance Activities The inspector reviewed the performance of the following surveillance requirements:
Time Tech Spec Description Frequency Period 4.1.a Visually inspect 4 fuel element biennially 10/79 - 12/82 clusters for damage or deterior-ation 4.2.a Determine the reactivity worth annually 10/80 - 4/83 of each control rod 4.2.b Determine rod drop times annually 4/81 - 5/83 4.2.c Visually inspect control rods biennially 10/79 - 12/82 for deterioration 4.3.a Perform channel test of each prior to 3/22/82 -
t reactor instrumentation and each operation 5/25/83 safety system channel l
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4.3.b.
Perform calibration of power annually 4/82 - 4/83 level monitoring channel 4.3.c Perform channel check of power daily level measuring channels during operation 4.3.d Perform channel check of the fuel daily element temperature measuring during channels operation 4.4 Verify alarm set points for the prior to 3/22/82 -
radiation monitoring instruments each oper-5/25/83 ation The performance of the surveillance activities was recorded in the Control Room Log Book, The licensee did not have a schedule which summarized when the required i
activities were due to be performed and when they were actually performed.
l The licensee is currently establishing such an information and scheduling system, which will help the licensee assure that the required surveillance activities are performed at the required frequency.
As mentioned in paragraph 8, the licensee will address the channel checks of power level and fuel element temperature measuring channels, as required by Technical Specifications 4.3.c and 4.3.d, in their procedures. Also, the performance of these channel checks will be recorded.
No violations were identified.
10.
Radiation Control a.
Area Radiation Monitors There are three radiation monitors located in the water room, on the reactor bridge, and next to an exhaust fan.
Technical Specification 3.2, Reactor Instrumentation, requires that at least two of these monitors must be operable during reactor operation. According to the Control Room Log Book, the exhaust fan monitor ceased to function on March 30, 1983. The licensee has been operating the reactor with the minimum number of operable monitors since that time.
The exhaust fan area radiation monitor initiates the isolation of the reactor building upon sensing radiation above its set point.
Even though this system is not addressed in the Technical Specifications,
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I it would appear that this area radiation monitor should be operable.
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According to the licensee, they have had problems maintaining these area radiation monitors in operable condition for years, and these monitors have been a Reactor Safety Committee topic since 1978. The licensee has been attempting to install replacement area radiation monitors for over a year.
Since the malfunction of the exhaust fan
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monitor, the licensee has attempted to expedite this installation and plans to have the replacement system operable by the end of July
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1983. This will be inspected during a future inspection (83-01-05).
No violations were identified.
b.
Glovebox for Rabbit Tube The pneumatic transfer system is loaded and unloaded in a glovebox located in the sample preparation laboratory located on the west balcony. The glovebox has a small blower to reduce the air pressure in the glovebox so that any air leakage will be into, rather than out from, the glovebox; and any radioactive contaminants would not leak from the glovebox. At the inspector's request, the blower was turned on.
It was evident that the blower did not create a significant vacuum in the glovebox. The licensee stated that, although it isn't necessary to operate the blower for contamination control, they would replace the blower.
No violations were identified.
c.
Personnel Radiation Exposure The inspector examined the yearly 1982 ' exposure records for personnel associated with the MUTR. The maximum yearly exposure was 80 millirems.
No violations were identified.
d.
Smear Data The licensee took between 30 and 40 scears of the facility on a monthly frequency and counted the smear sample for beta and gamma radioactive contamination.
The location where the smear samples were taken and the counting results were recorded.
The records for January 1982 through April 1983 showed that no removable radioactivity was detected on any smear.
No violations were identified, e.
Posting of Radiation Areas The inspector observed that the radiation areas of the MUTR facility were properly posted.
No violations were identified.
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l 11. Gaseous and Liquid Radioactive Effluents The licensee took monthly one-hour samples of the particulate matter in the air being released from a roof vent. The samples taken from January 1982 through April 1983 all had no detectable particulate radioactivity.
The licensee takes samples of the liquid in the sump prior to release to the sewer. -The licensee also takes monthly samples of the sump and the reactor pool. There was no detectable radioactivity in any of these samples taken from January 1982 thorugh April 1983.
No violations were identified.
12.
Exit Interview
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The inspector met with the licensee representatives (listed in Paragraph 1) at the conclusion of the inspection on May 27, 1983.
The inspector presented the scope and findings of the inspection.
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