ML100110050

Submittal of Annual Report Required by Rinsc Technical Specifications (Section 6.8.4)

ML100110050
Person / Time
Site:	Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission
Issue date:	07/31/2009
From:	Bicehouse H State of RI, Atomic Energy Comm
To:	William Kennedy Division of Policy and Rulemaking
References
Download: ML100110050 (7)

Text

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS RHODE ISLAND ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center 16 Reactor Road Narragansett, RI 02882-1165 July 31, 2009 Docket No. 50-193 Mr. William Kennedy, Project Manager Non-Power Reactors, Decommissioning and Environmental Project Directorate Division of Reactor Projects - IIIV//V U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Washington, DC 20555 Dear Mr. Kennedy.

This letter and enclosures constitute the annual report required by the RINSC Technical Specifications (Section 6.8.4). Enclosure 1 provides reactor operating statistics. Enclosure 2 provides information pertaining to inadvertent reactor shutdowns or scrams. Enclosure 3 discusses maintenance operations performed during the reporting period. Enclosure 4 describes changes to the facility carried out under the conditions of Section 50.59 of Chapter 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Lastly, Enclosure 5 summarizes the radiological controls information. If there are any questions regarding this information; please call me at 401-789-9391.

Sincerely, H. J. Bicehouse Assistant Director for Radiation and Reactor Safety Enclosures (5)

ENCLOSURE 1 Technical Specifications Section 6.8.4.a Month Year Reactor Energy Energy Critical Generated Generated (Hours) (MWhrs) (MWdays)

July 2008 29.03 41.03 1.71 August 2008 27.13 26.93 1.12 September 2008 21.12 25.53 1.06 October 2008 41.12 45.67 1.90 November 2008 29.32 36.03 1.50 December 2008 37.73 57.97 2.42 January 2009 55.38 86.73 3.61 February 2009 49.50 68.43 2.85 March 2009 36.48 43.80 1.83 April 2009 67.23 96.00 4.00 May 2009 34.45 46.23 1.93 June 2009 21.67 29.93 1.25 2008-09 Totals 450.16 604.30 25.18 Total Energy Output Since Initial Criticality: 62,405.06 MWhrs or 2,600.21 MWdays.

In October 2008, we moved four fuel elements from the center of the core into storage, moved the remaining elements inward, and added four fresh fuel elements in the comer positions.

ENCLOSURE 2 EMERGENCY SHUTDOWNS AND SCRAMS The following is a listing of the emergency shutdowns and inadvertent scrams that occurred during the 2008-2009 reporting period. This information is required by Technical Specification 6.8.4.b.

Date Run Logbook Page Description Deliberate/Inadvertent No.

7/1/08 8240 56 25 Scram during startup-may have bumped Inadvertent down along with up on WWRang2 Remote Control 7/31/08 8246 56 31 Scram on startup - 3 blades pulled - Inadvertent Start #1 Primary Pump - Thermal column flow red - green pressed -

Switch to 2 MW = Scram 8/13/08 8249 56 34 Intentional scram to shutdown quickly to Deliberate use dry gamma tube for experiment #5 8/20/08 8251 56 361Scrammed on purpose for shutdown Deliberate 9/23/08 8261 56 46 Scram for emergency drill Deliberate 11/10/08 8278 56 70 Dropped SS #3 Inadvertent 2/19/09 8312 56 104 Scram for tour Deliberate 2/24/09 8314 56 106 Scram for shutdown at specific time Deliberate 2/26/09 8316 56 108 Scram for tour Deliberate 2/27/09 8317 56 109 Scram - Power levelnot set to 2 MW Inadvertent 3/13/09 8324 56 116 Scram for tour Deliberate 3/30/09 8330 56 122 Scram for tour Deliberate 3/31/09 8331 56 123 Scram for tour Deliberate 4/24/09 8343 56 135 Scram to shutdown to do gamma Deliberate irradiation 5/5/09 8348 56 140 Scrammed from operator error Inadvertent 5/11/09 8350 56 142 Scram for tour Deliberate 5/29/09 8357 56 149 Scram for tour Deliberate Table includes planned scrams, ("deliberate"), and unplanned scams, ("inadvertent"). Most of the unplanned shutdowns occurred because of operator errors. One scram occurred when a shim safety blade magnet failed to hold on to the associated blade. Factors that contribute to this problem include misaligmnent between the magnet and the armature, and vibration caused by coolant flow past the blades.

No scrams were due to overpower excursions.

ENCLOSURE 3 Technical Specification 6.8.4.c requires a listing of the major maintenance operations performed in the 2008-2009 reporting period including their impact upon the safe operation of the reactor and the reasons for the corrective maintenance. No major maintenance operations were performed during this reporting period.

ENCLOSURE 4 FACILITY CHANGES - 10CFR50.59 REVIEW Technical Specification 6.8.4.d requires that we provide a listing and description of any 10CFR50.59 evaluations conducted during the 2008-2009 reporting period. There weren't any changes requiring a 10 CFR 50.59 evaluation during this reporting period.

ENCLOSURE 5 RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS

1. Environmental Surveys Outside the Facility - Technical Specification 6.8.4.e Quarterly OSL' badges are deployed outside the reactor building in three separate locations. The general public does not frequent these locations and therefore occupancy factors may be used to approximate annual dose. The allowable external dose rates must be below 50 mrem per year. The quarterly doses in units of mrem are shown in the table below.

LOCATION 3RD QTR 2008 QTR 2008 41TM 1ST QTR 2009 2 I1QTR 20092 Northeast Wall 23 17 21 15 Demineralizer 82 89 98 99 Door Heat Exchanger 1 1 OSL Lost' 7 Door These areas are in locations where access is limited. Consequently, the general public will not frequent these areas, and appropriate occupancy factors can be used to approximate annual dose. Assuming that the maximum time that a member of the general public would be present in one of these locations is 15 minutes per day, an occupancy factor of 0.01 can be used to obtain the annual dose that would be received by a member of the general public, in any of these areas.

The dose rate in the Northeast Wall area is due to storage of RAM, and is present regardless of reactor operation. Applying the occupancy factor, the annual dose to an individual in this area would be 0.76 mrem over the course of last year. The annual dose rate at the Demineralizer and Heat Exchanger Doors is dependent on the operations schedule of the reactor. Ignoring the fact that the dose rate is not present 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> per day, and applying the occupancy factor of 0.01, the annual dose that would be received by an individual at the Demineralizer Door would be 3.68 mrem. Likewise the dose received at the Heat Exchanger Door would be 0.16 mrem. The variations from quarter to quarter and from previous reports were due in part to movements of items within the reactor building during the fiscal year.

2. Annual Exposures Exceeding 500 mrem - Technical Specification 6.8.4.f There were no personnel exposures greater than 500 mrem.

3. Radioactive Effluents - Technical Specification 6 .8 .4.g A. Individual gaseous effluent concentrations for each reactor operation are recorded on the Monthly Information Sheets (Form NSC-78). The concentration of radioactive materials in the effluent released from the facility exhaust stacks shall not exceed lE+05 times concentrations specified 4

in 10CFR20, Appendix B, Table II, when averaged over time periods permitted by 10CFR20.

Gamma spectroscopy of stack gas samples has shown that the principal gaseous effluent is Argon-

41. The maximum concentration for this principal contaminant permitted under that Technical Specification is 1E-8 times 1E5 or 1E-3 #Ci/cc. Concentrations released during the year were less than 0.02 of that limit.

The total Argon-41 release during the reporting period was 85.07 curies. The calculated effective dose equivalent for this release is 1.8 mrem/year (COMPLY Code).

Optically Stimulated Luminescence 2 Landauer reads the OSL dosimeters to 1 mrem.

3 Since the OSL was lost, a dose equivalent of 7 mrem corresponding to the maximum recorded quarterly dose for this location was assumed for the annual dose calculation.

4 Technical Specifications, Section 3.7.2.

ENCLOSURE 5 RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS B. Liquid effluent concentrations released to the sewer are documented on the Sewer Disposal Record (Form NSC-52) and/or the Liquid Release Record (Form NSC-17).

No liquid releases to the sewer occurred during the reporting period.