ML070860217

Submittal of Operating Report No. 59 for 2006

ML070860217
Person / Time
Site:	National Bureau of Standards Reactor
Issue date:	03/20/2007
From:	Gallagher P US Dept of Commerce, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML070860217 (6)

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-VOICE (301) 975-6210 FAX (301) 975-9427 March 20, 2007 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-0001

Subject:

Docket #50-184 Gentlemen:

Transmitted herewith is Operations Report No. 59 for the NBSR. The report covers the period January 1,2006 to December 31, 2006.

Sin(-rely, Patri'ck Gallagler Director, NIST Center for Neutron Research Enclosure cc: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Marcus Voth, Reactor Inspector One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike, M/S 012-G15 Rockville, MD 20852-2738 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Marvin Mendonca 012-G13 Washington, DC 20555-0001 NMsr

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY REACTOR (NBSR)

Docket #50-184 Facility License No. TR-5 Operations Report

-- #59 --

January 1, 2006 - December 31, 2006 This report contains a summary of activities connected with the operations of the NBSR. It is submitted in fulfillment of section 7.8(3) of the NBSR Technical Specifications and covers the period from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.

Section numbers in the report (such as 7.8(3)(a)) correspond to those used in the technical specifications.

M h 20 2007 Patrick Gallagher Director, NIST Center for Neutron Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7.8(3)(a) Summary of Plant Operations 7.8(3)(b) Unscheduled Shutdowns 7.8(3)(c) Tabulation of Major Items of Plant Maintenance 7.8(3)(d) Tabulation of Major Changes in the Facility and Procedures, and the Test and Experiments, Carried Out Without Prior Approval by the NRC Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59 7.8(3)(e) Summary of Radioactive Material Released and Results of Environmental Surveys Performed 7.8(3)(f) Summary of Significant Exposures Received by Facility Personnel and Visitors 2006 Operations Report for NBSR (TR-5)

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7.8(3)(a) Summary of Plant Operations During the period January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006 the reactor was critical for 6120 hours0.0708 days <br />1.7 hours <br />0.0101 weeks <br />0.00233 months <br /> with an energy output of 122,155 MWH. Major activities during this period included: reconfiguration of secondary cooling system piping; addition of a helium blanket system to the Thermal Shield Cooling System tank; validation of console control and indication wiring; a tabletop emergency exercise with local, state, and federal organizations; and the licensing of two senior reactor operators. There were two occurrences of unlatched fuel elements, both discovered immediately after refueling through routine latch checks, with the reactor still shutdown; the condition was corrected and element position subsequently verified. During routine and required maintenance, a slow drop time was recorded for a shim safety arm; a minor adjustment was made to the clutch assembly and the drop time returned to the expected value.

7.8(3)(b) Unscheduled Shutdowns

1. There were 3 scrams due to commercial power interruptions. A return to 20 MW was made within an hour of one scram. A return to 20 MW was made within 44 hours5.092593e-4 days <br />0.0122 hours <br />7.275132e-5 weeks <br />1.6742e-5 months <br /> of a second scram, the delay being due to xenon. A third scram was accompanied by loss-of-power induced equipment damage, with a return to 20 MW being made within 39 hours4.513889e-4 days <br />0.0108 hours <br />6.448413e-5 weeks <br />1.48395e-5 months <br />, the delay being due to damaged equipment and xenon.

2. A major scram was caused by failure of effluent monitor RM4-1. The monitor was de-energized in accordance with procedures and a return to 20 MW was made within an hour of the scram.

7.8(3)(c) Tabulation of Major Items of Plant Maintenance Note: Some of these items may be also listed as Engineering Change Notices (ECN).

1. Installed new RT-2 thimble assembly.

2. Installed helium blanket system for thermal shield storage tank.

3. Reconfigured secondary piping system.

4. Cut 44 spent fuel elements for eventual shipment.

2006 Operations Report for NBSR (TR-5)

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5. Instrument calibration surveillance tests were performed for the following:

Three Wide-range Nuclear Power Channels Reactor Vessel Flow and Level Recorders and Indicators Two Reactor Differential Temperature Channels Confinement Building Area Radiation Monitors Fission Product Monitors and Secondary Cooling N16 Monitors Three Confinement Building Effluent Monitors Emergency Ventilation System Controllers

6. Forty-five instrument service requests (ISR) were completed, including:

ISR # ACTION 1725 Cleaned RM4-1 meter selector switch and verified scram function.

1749 Replaced detector tube in RM3-2 Fission Products radiation monitor and calibrated monitor.

1753 Replaced console switch contact for DWV-5.

1761 Replaced NC-4 Log Amp card and calibrated channel.

1763 Replaced intermediate range rundown relay in number 2 logic drawer.

7.8(3)(d) Tabulation of Major Changes in the Facility and Procedures, and Tests and Experiments, Carried Out Without Prior Approval by the NRC pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59.

The following facility changes were completed this year. None required a license amendment or a change to the technical specifications, and there were no changes made pursuant to the applicable criteria of 10 CFR 50.59.

ECN 476 Helium Blanket for Thermal Shield Cooling System Storage Tank ECN 479 Install RT-2 Pneumatic Sample Assembly 7.8(3)(e) Summary of Radioactive Material Released and Results of Environmental Surveys Performed.

Gaseous releases consisted of 547 curies of tritium, 1220 curies of Argon-41, and 0.097 curies of other beta-gamma emitters. There were 3.80 curies of tritium and 1.6 millicuries of other beta-gamma emitters released into the sanitary sewer.

Environmental samples of the streams, vegetation, and/or soil, and air showed no significant changes.

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7.8(3)(f) Summary of Significant Exposures Received by Facility Personnel and Visitors.

1. None to visitors.

2. Dosimetry results for this reporting period indicated that no facility personnel received any significant exposures.

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