ML092720460
| ML092720460 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Idaho State University |
| Issue date: | 08/14/2009 |
| From: | Kunze J Idaho State University |
| To: | Duane Hardesty Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML092720460 (7) | |
Text
August 14, 2009 Duane A. Hardesty Research and Test Reactors U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mail Stop: 0-12 D-03 11555 Rockville Pike Washington, DC 20555-0001 Rockville, MD 20852 STATE
SUBJECT:
Submission of Annual Report for AGN-201, License R-110 UNIVERSITY
Dear Mr. Hardesty:
Enclosed is the Annual Report for the calendar year 2008, for the AGN-201 Reactor at Idaho State University.
College of I apologize for this report being over one month late. Our unexpected changes in Engineering reactor operational personnel have resulted in delays as the new operations team 921 South 8th Avenue, Stop 8060 becomes familiar with the systems and the archived data.
Pocatello, Idaho 83209-8060 This report is being copied to Greg Shoenebeck, the Research and Test Reactor Inspector. If there are other individuals to whom this report should be sent, I would appreciate your advise and recommendations.
Sincerely, Jay F. Kunze, PhD, PE, CHP Reactor Administrator (Professor of Nuclear Engineering) kunzejaygisu.edu c: Greg Schoenebeck, Research and Test Reactor Inspector Phone: (208) 282-2902
'4-a2o Fax: (208) 282-4538 email: engineering@isu.edu ISU Is An Equal Opportunity Employer 2
Idaho State University AGN-201M Reactor Facility License R-110, Docket No. 50-284 Annual Operating Report for 2008 Calendar Year
- 1. Narrative Summary A. Changes in Facility Design, Performance Characteristics, and Operating Procedures:
There were no changes in facility design, performance characteristics, and operating procedures relating to reactor safety during the reporting period.
B. Results of Major Surveillance Tests and Inspections:
(1) Channel tests performed on all safety channels and scram interlocks were found to be satisfactory and within specifications.
(2) Power level and period check experiments were performed with satisfactory results.
(3) The shield water tank was inspected (4/17/08) and no leaks or excessive corrosion were observed.
(4) The seismic displacement interlock was tested satisfactorily.
(5) (a) Control element capsules (cladding) were inspected (10/9/08) and found to be in good condition with no evidence of deterioration since the previous inspection.
(b) The control rod drive mechanisms were inspected (10/9/08) and tested with satisfactory results.
(c) Ejection times were measured for all scrammable rods and found to be less than 130 milliseconds (d) The: reactivity worth of all safety and control rods were measured, as well as the time required to drive each rod to its fully inserted position. Reactivity insertion rates were determined to be less than 0.037%Ak/k s- ($0.050 s-) for all rods.
(e) The shutdown margin was determined to be greater than 1.38%Ak/k ($1.86) with both the most reactive scrammable rod and the fine control rod fully inserted.
(f) All surveillances were within the appropriate Technical Specification requirements.
- 2. Operating History and Energy Output.
The reactor was operated at power levels up to 4.9 watts for a total of 41.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> generating 2.26 watt-days (54.29 watt-hours) of thermal energy during this reporting period. A summary of monthly operations for 2008 is given in Table I.
Idaho State University AGN-201M Reactor 2008 Annual Report Page 2 of 6 Table I. Summary of Monthly Reactor Operations (1 January 2008 through 31 December 2008)
Month Energy (W-hr)
January 0.40 February 1.04 March 12.52 April 10.71 May 0.81 June 0.99 June 0.00 August 15.45 September 1.78 October 4.47 November 3.44 December 2.68 Total 54.29
- 3. A. Unscheduled Shutdowns and Corrective Actions Taken.
Channel No. 3 Malfunction 4/11/08: During pre-start-up checkout procedure, the Channel No. 3 sensor was reading abnormally high. Cable malfunction was suspected. Checkout aborted. Additional test supported cable malfunction suspicions.
4/17/08: Additional radiation safety precautions were taken and the Channel 3 detector can was removed. Inspection found corrosion on the cable connector, suspected to be from water vapor condensation. The channel was tested with new cabling and returned to normal functionality. The corrosion was treated, additional waterproofing was added, a new rubber gasket cut, and detector can was reassembled.
4/22/08: The new assembly was tested, found satisfactory, and reinstalled into reactor.
Startup approved by reactor supervisor.
CCR Drive Switch Malfunction 6/24/08: CCR failed to drive above 23.80 when increasing power to 10 mW, rod could not drive up or down and run was terminated. Drive switched was cleaned and drive response tested. The drive was returned to normal functionality.
B. Inadvertent Scrams and Action Taken.
There were 33 inadvertent scrams during this reporting period. Table II summarizes the inadvertent scrams, known or suspected cause, and action taken. There were eleven scrams from manual range switching error with operator trainees and eleven scrams suspected to be caused by power transients within the engineering laboratory. Channel No. 1 scramming low is common while below 10 mW and accounts for six scrams. The remaining five scrams were caused by experimental response either from testing the new console or inserting Cadmium into the glory hole.
Idaho State University AGN-201M Reactor 2008 Annual Report Page 3 of 6 Table II. Summary of Inadvertent Scrams (1 January 2008 through 31 December 2008)
Date SCRAM Type Cause Action Occurrences 3/3 No Cause Indicated Suspected Power Transient Restart 3 3/3 Channel 1 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 3/3 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 3/31 No Cause Indicated Suspected Power Transient Restart 1 3/31 Channel 1 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 4/7 Channel 1 Low Counts During Startup Restart 1 4/7 No Cause Indicated Suspected Power Transient Restart 1 4/23 Channel 1 Low Counts During Startup Restart 1 5/7 No Cause Indicated Suspected Channel 1 Low Shut Down 1 6/18 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 6/24 Channel 1 Low Counts During Startup Restart 1 8/11 Loss of Power Temporary Loss of Power Restart 1 8/13 Channel 1 Low Counts During Startup Restart 1 8/13 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 8/14 No Cause Indicated Suspected Power Transient Restart 1 8/14 Channel 1 Detector was Raised Restart 1 9/13 No Cause Indicated Suspected Power Transient Restart 1 10/9 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 10/9 Channel 3 Switching Transient* Restart 2 10/14 Channel 3 Unknown Cause* Restart 1 10/14 Channel 1 Suspected Power Transient* Restart 2 10/14 Channel 3 Unknown Cause* Shut Down 1 10/28 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Shut Down 1 11/3 Channel 1 Operator in Training Error Shut Down 1 11/7 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Shut Down 1 11/10 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 12/2 Channel 3 Operator in Training Error Restart 1 12/18 Channel 3 Cadmium in Glory Hole Restart 1 12/2 Channel 1 Low Counts Restart 1 Total: Total: 33
- While testing new console in tandem
- 4. Safety-Related Corrective Maintenance 8/28/08: A BNC cable was replaced on Channel No. 2.
2/25/08: During MP-1 rod drop checks SR-i & SR-2 did not respond to signals from the rod drop test box. Malfunction was caused by a broken solder joint and was repaired.
2/27/08: During scheduled rod maintenance procedure MP-lthe down indicator of SR-i was found to trip too high for the magnet to connect with the rod plate. Once the trip sensor was adjusted SR-i returned to functioning normally.
- 5. Modifications.
A. Changes in Facility Design.
There were no changes to the facility design to the extent that changed a description of the
Idaho State University AGN-201M Reactor 2008 Annual Report Page 4 of 6 facility in the application for license and amendments thereto during 2008.
B. Changes to Procedures.
None.
C. Experiments.
A rabbit system was constructed and used in the glory hole and beam port for experimental sample insertion and fast transport to the counting lab. The rabbit system used compressed nitrogen to transport samples through a plastic tube.
D. Reactor Safety Committee.
As of the end of the reporting period, membership of the Reactor Safety Committee (RSC) consisted of the following individuals:
Frank H. Just - Chair Michael E. Vaughan - retired July 2008 Jay F. Kunze - Reactor Administrator John S. Bennion - Reactor Supervisor Richard R. Brey - Radiation Safety Officer Thomas F. Gesell (Emeritus)
Robert Boston Richard E. McCracken
- 6. Summary of Changes Reportable under 10 CFR 50.59.
None.
- 7. Radioactive Effluents.
A. Liquid Waste - Total Activity Released: None.
B. Gaseous Waste - Total Estimated Activity Released: 1.18 [tCi oh Ar-41.
The AGN-201 Reactor was operated for 41.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br /> at power levels up to approximately 4.9 watts. At this power le-el Ar-41 production is negligible and substantially below the effluent concentration limit given in 10 CFR 20 Appendix B, Table 2. The total activity of Ar-41 released to the environment was conservatively estimated at 1.18 ptCi. This activity corresponds to the total activity of all gaseous radioactive effluent from the facility. A monthly summary of gaseous releases is given in Table IV.
." j Table IV. Summary of Monthly Gaseous Radioactive Effluent Releases (1 January 2008 through 31 December 2008)
Month Ar-41 (pCi)
January 0.00873 February 0.02279 March 0.27377 April 0.23411 May 0.01765 June 0.02157 June 0.0 August 0.33787 September 0.03899 October 0.09778 November 0.07522 December 0.05856 Total 1.187071 C. Solid Waste - Total Activity: None.
- 8. The latest environmental radiation surveys, performed at the facility boundary while the reactor was operating at 80% of full licensed power (4.0 watt), measured a maximum combined neutron and gamma dose equivalent rate of less than 0.45 mrem hP-1 at the outside walls of the building proximal to the reactor. The total equivalent dose rate at 100% power at these locations was less than I mrem hr 1 .
- 9. Radiation Exposures.
The Radiation Safety Officer reviews personnel radiation exposures quarterly. Annual reports of ionizing radiation doses are provided by the Radiation Safety Officer to all monitored personnel as required under the provisions of 10 CFR 19.
Personnel with duties in the reactor laboratory on either a regular or occasional basis have been issued radiation dosimeters by the Idaho State University Technical Safety Office.
The duty category and whole body exposure for the 2008 monitoring period of personnel are summarized in Table V:
Table V. Personnel Radiation Monitored for 1/1/2008-12/31/2008 Name Duty Category Exposure by Type (mrem)
Deep Lens Shallow Jason Andrus Occasional <1 <1 2 Mike Bailey Occasional <1 <1 <1 John Bennion Regular 7 7 3 Kenyon Hart Regular 3 3 5 Ryan Loveland Occasional 1 1 <1 Zachary Miller Occasional 8 8 11 Surendera Prajapati Regular 21 19 26 Caleb Robinson Occasional <1 <1 1 Clinton Wilson Occasional 4 4 14 Ben Baker Occasional < 1 <1 6 James Cleaver Occasional < 1 <1 <1 Danielle Perez Occasional <1 <1 <1 Troy Reiss Occasionl <1 <1 <1 George Imel Occasional < 1 <1 <1 Adam Mallicoat Occasional <1 <1 <1 Sean Morrell Occasional 1 2 9
Vý ,
Idaho State University AGN-201M Reactor 2006 Annual Report Page 6 of 6 The 10 CFR 20.1201 occupational dose limits to adults are: total 5 rem, lens of eye 15 rem, shallow 50 rem, and deep 50 rem. The doses received for all reactor laboratory personnel during 2008 are well below the dose limits of 10 CFR 20.1201.
Anytime a member of the public visits the reactor pin dosimeters are issued for the extent of the tour. A minimum of 1 dosimeter to every 5 people is issued for a representative group dose. During the 2008 calendar year there were 192 recorded visitors to the facility.
A summary of the public dose exposure is presented in Table VI.
Table VI. Summary Whole-Body Exposures to the Public (1 January 2008 through 31 December 2008)
Estimated whole-body Number of individuals exposure range (mrem): in each range:
No Observable Dose 172 1.0 mrem* 20 Greater than 1.0 mrem 0 Total number of individuals reported 192
- Below 1.0 mrem is considered un-measureable None of the 192 visitors to the facility during 2008 received a measurable dose that would exceed the annual 0.5 rem dose limit of 10 CFR 20.1301.
Therefore, the average and maximum doses received by personnel and the public are within NRC guidelines.
Report prepared by: Adam Mallicoat, Reactor Manager/Supervisor August 14, 2009