ML022910070
| ML022910070 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Issue date: | 05/10/2002 |
| From: | Harris D Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| To: | Gutteridge J, Steiner D Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, US Dept of Energy (DOE) |
| References | |
| Download: ML022910070 (4) | |
Text
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10 May 2002 ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555 US Department of Energy NE-30 John Gutteridge 1000 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20585 Dr. D. Steiner, Program Director Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 Eighth Street Troy, NY 12180.
Subject:
Annual Report for the Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute Reactor Critical Facility (RCF). NRC License CX-22, Docket Number 50-225.
Dear Sirs,
The RPI Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) operated successfully over the period fall 2001 - spring 2002. During this period, The RCF was used for courses and for two Masters theses. In addition, a total of twelve credits of PhD thesis work were carried out at the RCF. This document constitutes the current Report of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) to the USNRC, USDOE and to RPI management.
Work proceeded on critical experiments with the 0.640 pitch lattice plates, the last of the three sets of lattice plates provided by USDOE contract.
The results of experiments with SPERT(FI) fuel and with ABBCE fuel are being analyzed for publication. The SPERT(F1) fuel is 4.81w/o enriched high density U02 pellet fuel clad in stainless steel, so it is similar to power plant reactor fuel. Until 1986 the RCF fuel was highly enriched metal plate fuel, so it was similar to naval reactor fuel. The RCF is now the only facility in the U.S.
carrying out reactor physics critical experiments in support of the power reactor function. These experiments are similar to power reactor startup measurements. A PhD thesis experiment is underway to measure the penetration of fission gammas through fuel pin lattices without water; the application is to above-ground cask storage of spent fuel and to fuel handling devices. A Masters thesis examined large reactivity additions potentially resulting from fuel rearrangments in a terrorist situation. A second Masters A. 00 I)
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thesis developed a technique for reactor power measurement based on detecting core gammas outside the reactor tank. Work continues on upgrading the reactor instruments, circuits, readouts, and facilities.
The RCF continued to share the facility with visiting groups, with a total to date of 1036 individuals from participating organizations examining the RCF, operating it and carrying out a reactor physics experiment. The visitors also learn about the radiological and nuclear safety of the reactor, its regulation by the USNRC and its relation to civilian, naval and research power reactors. A cumulative list of RCF Sharing events is attached (Attachment A).
License maintenance training for the RCF continues.
The technical specifications, App. A to USNRC License CX-22 require reporting the following operational items:
- 1. Changes to the facility design: None
- 2. Significant maintenance, repairs and other work performed on RCF systems as follows:
- a. Janusry 16,2002 Deck area monitor malfunction repaired.
- b. June 19, 2001 LP2 trip to solenoid interrupt circuit malfunction corrected.
- 3. Changes in Operating Procedures which relate to the safety of RCF operations: None
- 4. Surveillance checks, tests, and calibrations were conducted and logged as required. The results were satisfactory. On May 24, 2002 an emergency preparedness drill was conducted at the RCF.
5 Changes, tests or experiments requiring authorization from the USNRC under 1 OCFR50.59 a or b: None
- 6. Timothy Trumbull has been Operations Supervisor through this period.
- 7. Calculated integrated thermal power: Approximately .003 kwhr/yr, far less than the Tech Spec 3.1.10 limit of 200 kwhr/yr.
- 8. There was one unplanned scram in the report interval: On 03/10/02 at 1145AM an unplanned scram was induced in LP2, apparently by an electrical transient. The LP2 scram was reset and no further problem occurred.
- 9. Maintenance operations were carried out and logged with satisfactory results.
- 10. The enviromental monitoring program yielded the following summary of TLD doses taken at the exclusion area boundary and the site boundary for this report period: All were within limits.
Station Dose (mRem) 1 Exclusion Area Boundary Rad. Safety Office 2 Exclusion Area Boundary 3 Exclusion Area Boundary 4 Exclusion Area Boundary 5 Site Boundary
6 Site Boundary 7 Control (Public Safety Office)
- 11. Facility personnel exposures were all less than 100 mRem for the report period.
Sincerely, Dr. Donald R. Harris, Director RPI Reactor Critical Facility (RCF)
Attachment A Reactor Sharing Events. September 1990-May 2002.
Date Visitor # of students 09/29/90 Troy High School 30 03/06/91 U.S. Navy 6 04/16/92 West Point 11 05/01/91 U.S. Military Academy 13 05/08/91 Amsterdam High School 21 05/21/91 Troy High School 17 05/28/91 Burnt Hills High School 16 08/02/91 Oneonta 25 02/28/92 Adirondack Community College 9 03/04/92 Fulton Montgomery Community College 11 03/27/92 Amsterdam High School 15 05/12/92 Stillwater High School 14 05/12/92 Williams College 13 05/18/92 Guilderland High School 45 05/19/92 Guilderland High School 45 05/20/92 Guilderland High School 60 08/04/92 Oneonta 26 03/27/93 ANS North Eastern Student Conference 28 05/06/93 Vermont Tech 6 12/03/93 Adirondack Community College 28 05/06/93 Boy Scouts of America 25 05/03/94 Vermont Tech 9 05/05/94 State University of NY at Delhi 9 10/29/94 ANS Secondary School Teachers 35 03/02/95 Duanesburg Central School 45 03/03/95 Duanesburg Central School 38
05/05/95 Bethlehem Central High School 23 05/09/95 Vermont Tech 7 11/06/95 U.S. Military Academy 32 03/15/96 Schenectady Fire Department 25 05/07/96 Vermont Tech 9 03/03/97 Bethlehem Central High School 24 05/01/97 Vermont Tech 10 04/06/98 Albany Academy 6 05/05/98 Vermont Tech 8 05/12/98 Guilderland High School 92 05/13/98 Guilderland High School 85 09/06/00 Vermont Tech 9 10/28/01 RPI Group .5 05/29/01 Vermont Tech 9 11/06/01 Scout Troop 18 03/13/02 Emma Willard School 63 05/16/02 RPI Group 16 Total to date 1036