ML100431302
| ML100431302 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute |
| Issue date: | 03/27/2009 |
| From: | Miller S US Dept of Defense, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute |
| To: | Alexander Adams NRC/NRR/ADRO |
| References | |
| Download: ML100431302 (16) | |
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ARMED FORCES RADIOBIOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE 8901 WISCONSIN AVENUE BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20889-5603 71 March 27, 2009 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation ATTN: Al Adams, NRR/ADRO/DPR!PRT Mail Stop 12-G13 Washington, DC 20555-0001
Dear Mr. Adams:
Enclosed is the 2008 Annual Operating Report required by the technical specifications for the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute reactor (license R-84, docket 50-170).
Should you need any further information, ne at (301) 295-9245.
Enclosure:
MILLER as stated lity Director 74020:
Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute AFRRI TRIGA Reactor Facility 1 January 2008 - 31 December 2008 To satisfy the requirements of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission License No. R-84 (Docket No. 50-170),
Technical Specification 6.6.b.
Prepared by Harry H. Spence Reactor Operations Supervisor Submitted by Stephen I. Miller Reactor Facility Director Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute 8901 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, MD 20889-5603 Telephone: (301) 295-1290 Fax: (301) 295-0735
Submission of 2008 Annual Report I declare under of perjury that this report is true and correct.
I LC ZK/e5 Date Director
2008 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction General Information Section I Changes in the Facility Design, Performance Characteristics, Administrative Procedures, Operational Procedures, Results of Surveillance Tests and InspectionsSection II Energy Generated by the Reactor Core and the Number of Pulses $2.00 or Larger Section III Unscheduled ShutdownsSection IV Safety-Related Corrective Maintenance Section V Facility and Procedure Changes as Described in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR),
New Experiments or Tests Performed During the Year Section VI Summary of Radioactive Effluent Released Section VII Environmental Radiological SurveysSection VIII Exposures Greater Than 25% of 10 CFR 20 Limits
2008 ANNUAL REPORT INTRODUCTION The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) reactor facility was available for irradiation services throughout the year except for one nonoperational period of approximately one month during the annual reactor maintenance shutdown.
There were no major reactor modifications or projects during the year. There were no unplanned shutdowns during 2008. Reports required by the reactor technical specifications were submitted, and the details are found in Section IV.
The 2008 annual reactor audit required by the reactor technical specifications was conducted by Mr. Scott Lassell in December 2008. Mr. Lassell is a senior reactor operator and Manager of Nuclear Services at the North Carolina State University reactor. During the audit he verbally indicated that he had not found any major discrepancies in reactor operations and those conclusions are reflected in his written report.
A comprehensive NRC inspection of reactor facility operations was conducted by Dr.
Marcus Voth and Mr. Patrick Isaac during January 2008. While they had several recommendations for improving reactor operations, no safety concerns or noncompliance with NRC requirements were identified.
There was one RRFSS membership change during the year, detailed in the following section. One operator candidate received his senior reactor operator license during the year.
There were no reactor staff arrivals and two staff departures during the year.
The remainder of this report is written in the format designated in the Technical Specifications for the AFRRI TRIGA Reactor Facility. Items not specifically required are presented in the General Information section. The following sections correspond to the required items listed in Section 6.6.b. of the Technical Specifications.
GENERAL INFORMATION All personnel held the listed positions throughout the year unless otherwise specified.
Key AFRRI personnel (as of 31 December 2008) are as follows:
- 1. AFRRI Director - Patricia Lillis-Hearne, COL, USA Radiation Sciences Department (RSD) Head - Stephen I. Miller Radiation Safety Officer - Anna M. J. Teachout (effective 13 October) 2 Reactor Facility Director and Facility Radiation Manager - Stephen I. Miller (SRO)
- 3. Reactor operations personnel:
Reactor Operations Supervisor - Harry H. Spence (SRO)
SRO Training Coordinator - Harry H. Spence (SRO)
ERT Training Coordinator - Kelly L. Baldwin, MSG, USA (SRO)
Maintenance Specialist - Walter D. Tomlinson (SRO - 12 February)
Records Administration Specialist - Harry H. Spence (SRO)
- 5. Operator candidates:
None
- 6. Newly licensed operators:
Walter D. Tomlinson (SRO - 12 February)
- 7. Additions to staff during 2008:
None
- 8. Departures during 2008:
Kenneth Allen, MAJ, USA (SRO through 14 July)
Michael J. Belson, CPT, USA (16 April)
- 9. There was one change to the Reactor and Radiation Facilities Safety Subcommittee (RRFSS) during 2008. Anna M. J. Teachout replaced LT Matt Beery as the Radiation Safety Officer on 13 October.
In accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 6.2.1.1. of the Technical
Specifications for the AFRRI TRIGA Reactor Facility, the RRFSS consisted of the following members as of 31 December 2008.
Regular members are:
Radiation Safety Officer - Anna M. J. Teachout Reactor Facility Director and Facility Radiation Manager - Stephen I. Miller Reactor Operations Specialist - Dr. Seymour Weiss Health Physics Specialist - Joe Pawlovich Chairman and Director's Representative - Dr. Christopher Lissner Special nonvoting member - David Lake, Montgomery County Government (Department of Environmental Protection)
Recorder - Harry H. Spence Two meetings were held in 2008:
07 May 05 November
SECTION I Changes in the Facility Design, Performance Characteristics, Administrative Procedures, Operational Procedures, Results of Surveillance Tests and Inspections A summary of changes to the facility design, performance characteristics, administrative procedures, and operational procedures as well as the results of surveillance testing are provided in this section.
A. DESIGN CHANGES There were no design changes to the reactor facility during 2008.
B. PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS There were no changes to the performance characteristics of the core during 2008. All fuel, chambers, and the core experiment tube (CET) remained in place for operations throughout the year.
C. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES There was one minor change to the Administrative Procedures during the year.
Administrative Procedure A2 was changed to update requirements for personnel dosimetry in a reactor controlled area. The specific change is detailed in the attachment to this report.
D. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES There were several changes to the Operational Procedures during the year involving changes to reactor Startup, Safety, and Weekly Operational Checklists. The specific changes are detailed in the attachment to this report.
E. RESULTS OF SURVEILLANCE TESTS AND INSPECTIONS All maintenance and surveillance tasks during 2008 were accomplished as normally scheduled during the year.
Malfunctions are detailed in Section IV, Safety-Related Corrective Maintenance.
The 2008 annual reactor audit required by the reactor technical specifications was conducted by Mr. Scott Lassell in December 2008. Mr. Lasssell is a senior reactor operator and Manager of Reactor Services at the North Carolina State University reactor. During the audit he verbally indicated that he had not found any major discrepancies in reactor operations and those conclusions are reflected in his written report.
A comprehensive NRC inspection of reactor facility operations was conducted by Dr.
Marcus Voth and Mr. Patrick Isaac during January 2008. No safety concerns or noncompliance with NRC requirements were identified.
SECTION II Energy Generated by the Reactor Core and the Number of Pulses $2.00 or Larger Month Kilowatt Hours JAN 1.8 FEB 95.9 MAR 18.9 APR 477.3 MAY 106.2 JUN 534.3 JUL 36.0 AUG 3942.5 SEP 2.7 OCT 792.8 NOV 336.5 DEC 226.5 TOTAL 6571.4 Total energy generated in 2008: 6,571.4 kWh Total energy on.fuel elements: 1,015,957.2 kWh Total energy on FFCRs*: 283,159.5 kWh Total pulses this year > $2.00: 2 Total pulses on fuel elements > $2.00: 4,218 Total pulses on FFCRs* > $2.00: 106 Total pulses this year: 45 Total pulses on fuel elements: 12,050 Total pulses on FFCRs*: 2,285
- Fuel-follower control rods
SECTION III Unscheduled Shutdowns There were no unscheduled shutdowns during 2008.
SECTION IV Safety-Related Corrective Maintenance Following is an excerpt from the malfunction logbook during the reporting period. The reason for the corrective action taken, as in all cases, was to return the failed equipment to its proper operational status.
23 July 2008 - The gas stack monitor (GSM) air pump began making very loud noises.
Operations were not being conducted at the time. The RFD was notified. The radiation monitoring circuits of the GSM were tested and operated normally. Pending replacement of the air pump, the RFD determined that the GSM would only be turned on during reactor operations as required by the reactor technical specifications. The air flow rate through the GSM remained normal when the pump was operating.
On 23 August, a replacement air pump and motor were installed. The annual GSM calibration was also completed. All components operated normally and the system was returned to full-time operation.
SECTION V Facility and Procedure Changes as Described in the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR), New Experiments or Tests Performed During the Year A. FACILITY CHANGES AS DESCRIBED IN THE FSAR There were no facility changes as described in the FSAR during the year.
B. PROCEDURE
CHANGES AS DESCRIBED IN THE FSAR There were no changes to procedures as described in the FSAR.
C. NEW EXPERIMENTS OR TESTS No new experiments or tests were performed during the reporting period that were not encompassed by the FSAR.
There was one safety evaluation for changes not submitted to the NRC, pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59. This modification was described and qualified using Administrative Procedure A3 - Facility Modification. This procedure uses a step-by-step process to document that the criteria in 10 CFR 50.59(c)(2) were not met and that technical specification changes were not required prior to implementation.
SECTION VI "
Summary of Radioactive Effluent Released A. Liquid Waste: The reactor produced no liquid waste during 2008.
B. Gaseous Waste: There were no particulate discharges in 2008.
The total activity of Argon-41 discharged in 2008 was 2.63 curies. The estimated effluent concentration from the release of Argon-41 was below the constraint limit for unrestricted areas (Table 2 of Appendix B of 10 CFR 20).
Quarterly: Jan - Mar 2008 0.053 Ci Apr - Jun 2008 0.305 Ci Jul - Sep 2008 1.830 Ci Oct - Dec 2008 0.438 Ci C. Solid Waste: All solid radioactive waste material was transferred to the AFRRI byproduct license; none was disposed of under the R-84 reactor license.
SECTION VII Environmental Radiological Surveys All environmental sampling of soil and vegetation yielded radionuclide levels within the background range. The radionuclides that were detected were those expected from natural background and from long-term fallout from nuclear weapons testing.
The calculated annual dose, due to Argon-41 release to the environment for 2008, was 0.083 mRem at the location of maximum public exposure. The maximum exposure is calculated at a location 91 meters from the release point as described in the FSAR. Exposure to the general population at the boundary of the National Naval Medical Center is significantly less due to the diffusion of Argon-41 in the atmosphere. The constraint limit for exposure to the public established under 10 CFR 20.1101(d) is 10 millirem per year. The exposure dose was calculated using COMPLY code, level 2, which is the most conservative level of COMPLY.
Emissions due to reactor operations were 0.83% of the 10 millirem constraint limit, or 0.083 millirem for the entire year.
The reactor in-plant surveys, specified in Health Physics Procedure (HPP) 3-2, all resulted in readings that were less than the action levels specified in HPP 0-2.
SECTION VIII Exposures Greater than 25% of 10 CFR 20 Limits There were no doses to reactor staff personnel or reactor visitors greater than 25% of 10 CFR 20 occupational and public radiation dose limits.
ATTACHMENT 10 CFR 50.59 analysis for administrative changes to various reactor procedures
- 1. Description of change:
- a. Administrative Procedure A2 - Revised to eliminate the requirement that personnel wear AFRRI-issued personal dosimetry during routine passage through the prep area. Only radiation workers are now issued dosimetry, not all AFRRI employees. Also changed the title Safety and Health Department to Environmental Health and Safety Department.
- b. Operational Procedures 8, Tab B and 8, Tab B 1 - The Daily Operational Startup Checklist and the Daily Safety Checklist are revised (Line 111.6.) to add a confirmation that the "stack gas pump off alarm" is functional. This visual alarm has previously been checked monthly when the pump was turned off to check the oil level. During a review of all procedures, the staff decided that the alarm should be checked each day before operations since the Technical Specifications require the stack gas monitor (SGM) to be operational during all reactor operations.
- c. Operational Procedure 8, Tab H - Several updates are made in Section IV of the Weekly Operational Instrument Checklist. In Line A, the location of the second top lock key is changed from the old LOG office to Warm Storage. This is necessary due to building renovation. Line B is revised to change the weekly stack gas monitor filter change to a filter check. Since the stack gas monitor samples from a location after the absolute filters, there should be virtually nothing on the SGM particulate filter. Changing a clean filter weekly is an unnecessary waste of filters. The former Line C is deleted since the new reactor multichannel analyzer does not require a constant liquid nitrogen supply. This multichannel analyzer is a backup for the primary Environmental Safety and Health Department equipment and is not normally used for reactor analysis. It is not an item of reactor equipment.
- 2. Reason for change:
Update reactor procedures because of building renovations, equipment upgrades, AFRRI policy changes, and reactor staff procedure reviews.
- 3. Verify that the proposed changes do not involve a change to the Technical Specifications or meet any of the criteria in 10 CFR 50.59(c)(2):
Most of these changes are purely conforming in nature. None require any changes to the Technical Specifications. The changes concerning the stack gas monitor (SGM) do not increase the likelihood or consequences of a malfunction and do not create the possibility of a malfunction or accident of a different type than previously evaluated. The SGM pump alarm change decreases the possibility that the reactor might be operated with the SGM inoperative.