ML032521451
| ML032521451 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington State University |
| Issue date: | 08/22/2003 |
| From: | Tripard G Washington State Univ |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML032521451 (8) | |
Text
M Washington State University
_ Nuclear Radiation Center PO Box 641300 Pullman, WA 99164-1300 509-335-8641 FAX 509-335-4433 August 22, 2003 Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission --
Washington, DC 20555 Re: Docket No. 50-27; Facility License R-76
Dear Sir:
In accordance with the Technical Specifications for Facility License R-76 and the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, paragraph (6), the attached Annual Report prepared by Stephanie L. Sharp, Reactor Supervisor of the WSU facility, is hereby submitted. The report covers the period July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003.
Sincerely, Gerald E. Tripard Director GET/pw Enclosure cc: S.L. Sharp Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation American Nuclear Insurers
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE OPERATION OF TIE WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TRIGA REACTOR Facility License R-76 for the Reporting Peiod of July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003 A. Narrative Summary of the Year's Operation I. Operating Experience The Washington State University Reactor has accumulated 1000 Megawatt hours on Core 33-X hours during the reporting period. A total of 1305 samples were irradiated, for a total of 4333.2 sample-hours. In addition, 10 pulses greater than $1.00 of reactivity addition were performed during this reporting period. The quarterly operations summaries are shown in Table I Section B.
II. Changes In Facility Design, Performance Characteristics, and Operating Procedures Related to Reactor Safety.
There were no major changes made to the reactor ficility during the reporting period.
Ell. All surveillance tests and requirements were performed and completed within the prescribed time period. The results of all inspections revealed no abnormalities.
B. Energy and Cumulative Output The quarterly operations summaries are given in Table I.
TABLE I Fiscal Year Summary of Reactor Operations J-A-S O-N-D J-F-M A-M-J TOTALS Hours of Operation 296.98 202.83 271.18 295.23 1066.2 Megawatt Hours 272.12 190.01 257.70 280.45 1000.3 No. oflrradiations 166 161 211 185 723 No. of Samples Irradiated 690 223 289 103 1305 User Hours 1231.07 860.43 1061.74 1179.96 4333.2 No. Pulses > $1.00 2 4 0 4 10 The cumulative energy output since criticality of the TRIGA core since 1967 is 957 Megawatt Days, The mixed core of FLIP and Standard fuels installed in 1976 has accumulated 691 Megawatt Days.
2 C. Emergency Shutdowns and Inadvertent Scrams There were no emergency shutdowns that occurred during the reporting period. The dates and causes of the 8 inadvertent SCRAMS are listed in Table II.
TABLE H Inadvertent SCRAMS 819/02 Operator Switched mode to Pulse, SCRAMming pulse rod 10/1/02 Short Period at Power. Believed due to electrical noise.
10/8/02 Seismograph SCRAM due to crane movement vibration.
12/2/02 Short Period at Power. Believed due to electrical noise.
12/6/02 Power SCRAM Safety Channel #2. Due to Witch fault.
3/4/03 Short Period at Power. Believed due to electrical noise.
6/17/03 Manual SCRAM by operator due to fire alarm.
6/23/03 Trainee switched mode switch to test instead ofrundown.
D. Major Maintenance All major maintenance performed was routine planned maintenance items.
E. Changes, Tests and Experiments performed Under 10 CER 50.59 Criteria There have been no changes to the facility made under 10 CFR 50.59 criteria within the reporting period.
F. Radioactive Efuent Discharges I. Radioactive Liquid Releases A total of 2276.6 microcuries was released in 1327 gallons of liquid during the reporting period. The releases are listed in Table m on Page 3.
3 TABLE 1m
__________ Radioactive Liquid Releases Date Nuclide Activity (IiCi/ml) Release Limit Percent of
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Release Lim it 8/6/2002 Ir- 2.05 x 10 1.00 x F - 2.05%
.__________ _______57 4 3.05 x 10 3.00 X I 0.10°h
_ _ _Co 1.52x 10 6.00 x 10- 0.25%
5_CO 1.32 x: 10 8.00 x 10e 0.02%
____________ 6Co 3.59 x 104 3.00 x 10 1.200/G
__ Sb 2.15 x 10' 7.00 x 10O 30.69%
_ 6sc_ 5.76 x 7 1.o x 104 0.58%
"Cr 1.07 x10- 5.00 x 10- 0.03%
65Zn 9.00x 104 -5.00x 10 18.00%
°5R h 1.04x i0 4 5.00 x 1074 20.81%
Total Activity Released in 664 3 water: 1956.5 .iCi 4/18/2003 46Sc 8.89 x IO 1.00 x l0 0.09°h
__Cr 4.68x 107 5.00 x 10-3 0.01%
___________ _ _____54 __ 4.84 x 10_ 3.00 x 104 0.02%
57Co 3.49 x 10 4 -6.00 x 1 0.01%
'°CO 7.59 x 106 2.00 x 10- 3.8%
"_co 5.78 x 10f 3.00 x 10-5 0.19%
65 Zn 2.41 x 10 5.00 x 107- 4.82%
____________ _________ _ 1.71 x 10' 5.00x 10 3.43%
__ Sb 4.32x 106 7.00x 10-5 6.18%
ir 8.70 x 10-7 1.00 x V 0.87%
Total Activity Released in 663 ft3 water: 320.1 pCi
- 2. Radioactive Gaseous Release During the reporting period, no significant quantity of any gaseous or particulate material with a half-life greater that eight days was released.
During the reporting period, at no time did the Argon-41 release exceed 20% of the Effluent Release Limit.
A total of 9.8 Curies of Argon-41 was released, with an average concentration of Argon-41 of 1.485x10 uCi/cc. The monthly releas are summarized in Table IV on Page 4.
4 TABLE IV Monthly Argon-41 Releases Conc. Before % Release Limit % DAC Limit Quantity mCi Month Dilution, uCi/ml Before Dilution' Before Dilution 2 Jul. 02 2.052 x 10 8.21 0.0274 1129 Aug. 02 1.69 x 10 6.75 0.0225 930 Sep. 02 1.21 x 10- 4.83 0.0162 666 Oct. 02 1.106 x 10 4.43 0.0148 608 Nov. 02 9.416 x 10g 3.77 0.0126 518 Dec. 02 1.363 x I0 5.45 0.0182 750 Jan. 03 2.155 x I07 8.62 A 0.0287 1185 Feb. 03 1.369 x 10f 5.26 0.0183 753 Mar. 03 1.190x C 4.76 0.0159 654 Apr. 03 1.542 x 10 6.17 - 0.0206 848 May. 03 1.549 x 10 6.19 0.0207 852 Jun. 03 1.655x10- 6.62 0.0221 910
'Based on 10 CFR 20 effluent release limit of 1.Ox1O-8 uCi/mI for 4lAr rable 2, Col.1), and a dilution factor of 4.Ox1O-3 (S.A-R. 6.4.2) for a before dilution limit of2.5x10-6 uCi/cc. (20% of limit is 5.Ox1O-7 uCi/nl).
2 Based on 10 CFR 20 DAC Emit of 3.Ox1O-6 uCi/nm for 4lAr (Table 1, Col. 3) and a dilution factor of4.OxlO-3 for a before dilution DAC limit of 7.5x 0-4 uCi/nil.
- 3. Radioactive Solid Waste Disposal During the reporting period, the following solid waste was transferred to the Campus Radiation Safety Office for packaging and disposal.
0.32 milicuries in 28 cubic feet of non-compacted solid waste.
0.1 millicuries in 7.5 cubic feet, (1 - 7.5 cuft bafel), of non-compacted solid waste.
G. Personnel and Visitor Radiation Exposures The quarterly exposures of selected Nuclear Radiation Center reactor staff and experimenters who routinely utilize the W.S.U. reactor are given in Table V on Page 5. The maximum quarterly exposure of a reactor staffmember was 28 millirem, whole body.
A total of 1687 individual persons visited the Nuclear Radiation Center during the reporting period, of which 571 entered aResticted Area A exposures as determined, by digital pocket dosimeter were less than I millirem.
5 A total of 35 group tours, consisting of 408 individuals, visited the Center during the reporting period. As determined by digital pocket dosimeter, all exposures were less than I millirem.
During Dad's Weekend, the reactor hosted 6 group tours, a total of 13 people, with all exposures less than 1 mrem.
TABLE V Quarterly Reactor and Experimenter Staff Exposure (in millirem)
Badge No. Jul-Au-Sep 02 Oct-Nov-Dec 02 Jan-Feb-Mar 03 Apr-May-Jun 03 5855 10 4 6 8 5922 0 0 - 0 N/A 4045 0 0 0 1 6296 28 7 9 17 3497 0 0 0 N/A 587 0 0 N/A N/A 5723 N/A N/A N/A 13 6619 N/A N/A N/A 7 3504 N/A N/A N/A 3 Hi Reactor Facility Radiation and Contamination Levels The routine area radiation surveys of the building in non-reactor vital areas' had an average dose level of 0.073 mR/Hr., while routinely accessible reactor vital areas had an average dose level of 0.12 mR/Hr. The highest average dose level in a routinely accessible reactor vital area was 0.43 mR/Hr., which occurred in Room 201, Reactor Pool Room, on the reactor bridge. The lowest average dose in a routinely accessible reactor vital area was 0.02 mi/r., which occurred in Room 201A, the Reactor Shop area. The average dose in the Reactor Control Room was 0.02 mR/Hr. The average dose in the radiochenistiy sample hoods was 0.15 mR/Hr. The highest average on site dose level was 9.6 mR/H. which occurred in Room 2A, Cave Room, which is a locked storage area where radioactive material and radioactive sources are stored.
Routine building surveys for removable contamination in non-reactor vital areas' had an average level of 1.02xl0e pCi/100 cm 2 , while the average level in the reactor vital areas was 8.18 x1047 Ci/100 cm2. The highest average value in the reactor vital areas was 2.5xl10 Ci/100 cm2 wich was found on the heat exchanger pit floor. The lowest average value in the reactor vital areas was 4.38 x10< ttCi/100 cm2 which was in Room 201, the Reactor Bridge, north side.
The average level of removable contamination in the radiochemistry hoods was 9.62 x10e Ci/0oo cm2.
' A non-reactor vital area is an area in the building where radioactive materials are used or stored but which is not a part of the Licensed reactor facility.
6 L Environmental Monitoring Program The environmental monitoring program uses thermoluminecent dosimeters (TLD's) at locations both near and at distances around the reactor building facility. The quarterly exposures in the vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation Center are listed in Table VI. The average ambient gamma radiation levels for this area (80 mile radius) is 243 uRem/day as reported in the 30th Annual Report of the Environmental Radiation Program, Washington State Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, Table A-12, Page 131.
The values observed indicate there is no significant effect on the environment radiation levels due to reactor operation.
TABLE VI Environmental Radiation Levels in the Vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation Center' (Exposure in uRem/day)
Jul-Aug-Sep 02 Oct-Nov-Dec 02 Jan-Feb-Mar 03 3 Apr-May-Jun 03 Average 153.8 - 207.5 469.88 152.5 171.3 DosbwtwpdwW 672.732 469.882 727.272 478.342 docwhe__
For sampling stations located 25 meters or greater from the Nuclear Radiation Center.
2 TLD attached to 'Decorative" granite display on Compton Union Building Mall approximately 1300 meters from the Nuclear Radiation Center.
3 Due to abnormal background TLD reading, all dosimeters save at the granite rock read below background in first quarter 03. These readings are not included in the overall average calculation to ensure conservative reporting.
Quarterly exposures at locations at the reactor facility are listed in Table VII on Page 7. No significant effect on the environmental radiation levels by reactor operation was noted.
7 TABLE VII Environmental Radiation Levels Adjacent to the Nuclear Radiation Center (Exposure in uR/day)
Location Jul-Aug-Sep Oct-Nov-Dec Jan-Feb-Mar3 Apr-May- Average
- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Jun E. Loading Dock 152 218 <BKG 117 162 Rad. Storage Shed 163 209 145 156 176 Rx Rm W.Ser.Gate 185 236 36 195 205 Cooling Tower Fence 315 218 169 169 234 Liquid Waste Tank 174 218 <BKG 143 178 Building RoofWest 130 182 <BKG 143 152 Building W. Side 196 245 <BKG 182 208 Rx. Room Exh. Vent 120 173 <BKG 117 137 Rx Room W. Vent 2 609 473 434 584 555 Pool Room E. Vent 345 355 205 429 376 Building RoofEast 141 191 <BKG 117 150 S. Bldg. Entrance 228 I 362 221 225 1For sampling stations located less than 25 meters from the Nuclear Radiation Center.
2PoolRoom West Vent. TLD on rooft directly above reactor core.
1 quarter 2003 samples compared against abnormal background dosimeter. This quarter not included in averages.
BOLD print locations indicate areas that are readily accessible by the public.
Technical Specifications ALARA effluent releases in 3.12(2) specify annual radiation exposures at the closest off-site extended occupancy shall not, on an annual basis, exceed the average local off-site background radiation level by more than 20%. For the reporting period, the average total background radiation level for sampling points 25 meters or greater from the fiLcility was 172 uR/day, while the average total radiation level at the closest extended occupied area 930 meters away was 161 uR/day, indicating no significant exposure level above natural background.