ML031410054

Annual Report for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reactor Critical Facility (RCF)

ML031410054
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Issue date:	05/12/2003
From:	Stephens J Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
To:	Gutteridge J Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, US Dept of Energy (DOE)
References
Download: ML031410054 (5)

Text

DEPARTMENT OF M EC HANICAL, 111131 AEROSPACE, AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING May 12,2003 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 U.S. Department of Energy NE-30 John Gutteridge 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20585 Re: Annual Report for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reactor Critical Facility (RCF)

NRC License CX-22 Docket Number 50-225 To Whom It May Concern:

The RPI Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) operated successfully over the period Fall 2002 -

Spring 2003. Over the past year, the RCF was used for one course, and six credits of PhD thesis work. In addition, extensive upgrades to equipnent vere carried out. The facility re-licensing documentation was submitted to the NRC in November. This document constitutes the current Report of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) to the USNRC, USDOE, and to RPI administration.

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 SPERT(FI) fuel is 4.81 -w/oenriched high density U0 2 pellet fuel clad in stainless steel, so it is similar to power plant reactor fuel.

The RCF is one of the few facilities 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 undenvay to measure the penetration of fission gammas through fuel pin lattices without vater, the application is to above-ground cask storage of spent fuel and to fuel handling devices.

Work continues on upgrading the reactor instruments, circuits, readouts, and facilities. Most notably, the paper and ink strip chart recorders were replaced with new plasma screen units, vhere data can be viewed and saved electronically. The analog linear and log power instrumentation was replaced with new digital units.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th Street I Troy, NY 12180-3590 USA

The RCF continued to share the facility with visiting groups, with a total to date of over one thousand individuals from participating organizations examining the RCF, operating it, and carryout 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).

Physical and procedural security upgrades to the facility are underway. RCF staff is working closely with RPI Public Safety to implement these plans.

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 facility design: Instrumentation upgrades as described above.

2. Significant maintenance, repairs or other work performed on RCF systems as follows:

a. 5/22102 Continuous air monitoring system calibrated.

b. 9/5/02, 9/19/02 Installation and testing of new nuclear instrumentation.

c. 1/9/03 Installation and testing of new water heaters.

d. 4/15/03 Sent out one area gamma monitor for maintenance.

3. Changes in operating procedures which relate to the safety of RCF operations: None, though changes to startup procedures will be made shortly to accommodate operation of new reactor instrumentation.

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 IOCFR50.59 a orb: None

6. Timothy Trumbull was Operations Supervisor through the end of the 2002 calendar year. Presently, Jonathan Stephens is the Operations Supervisor. Dr. Don Harris has been Director for the past year, though Glenn Winters is the new Director as of June 2003. The health physicist (formerly Dr. George Xu) is Dr. Chan Kim.

7. Calculated integrated thermal povr, Approximately P,Q2 kWh/yr far less than the Tech Spec 3.l.10 limit of 200 kWh/yr.

8. There were 3 unplanned scrans in the report interval, occurring on 7/25/02, 8/20/02 and 10/3/02. In all cases, an unplanned scram was induced in LP2, apparently by an electrical transient. The LP2 scram was reset and no firther problem occurred The

LP2 instrument has since been replaced with a new digital instrument and chart recorder.

9. Maintenance operations were carried out and logged with satisfactory results.

10. The environmental 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 Radiation 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)

I 1. Facility personnel exposures were all less than 100 mRem for the report period.

Sincerely, athan E. Stephens, Supervisor RPI Reactor Critical Facility JES:jes

Attachment A Reactor Sharing Events September 1990 - May 2003 Date Visitor f of Students

_029/90 Troy High School 30 03/06/91 U.S. Navy 6 04/16/92 U.S. Military Academy 1 05/01/91 U.S. Military Academy 13 05/08/91 Amsterdam High School 21

-05121/91 -TroyHigh School - ---- 7 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 Comm. College 1]

03i27/92 Amsterdam High School 15 05/12192 Stillwater Hih School 14 05/12/92 Williams College 13 05/18/92 Guilderland High School 45 05/19/92 Guilderland High School 45 05/120/92 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 05/06193 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 DuanesbwgCntfil S&h6ol -45 03/03/95 Duanesburg Central School 38 05/05195 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 05/05198 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 05/16102 RPI Group 16 10/24/02 RPI Group 10 10/30/02 RPI Group 8 1/30/03 KAPL, Inc. / Naval Reactors 5 Total to Date 1059