ML102150155
| ML102150155 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Wisconsin |
| Issue date: | 07/29/2010 |
| From: | Agasie R Univ of Wisconsin - Madison |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML102150155 (20) | |
Text
Nuclear Reactor Laboratory UWNR University of Wisconsin-Madison 1513 University Avenue, Room 1215 ME, Madison, WI 53706-1687, Tel: (608) 262-3392, FAX: (608) 262-8590 email: reactor@engr.wisc.edu, hftp://reactor.engr.wisc.edu License R-74 Docket 50-156 July 29, 2010 U.
S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN:
Document Control Desk Washington, D.
C.
20555
Dear Sir:
Enclosed is a copy of the 2009-2010 Annual Report for the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Laboratory as required by our Technical Specifications.
Sincerely, Robeyrt A
sie Reactor Director Enc.
(Annual Report) cc:
Region III Administrator Compliance Inspector, Craig Bassett Facility Project Manager, Geoffrey A. Wertz Reactor Safety Committee, RSC 1060 A 709c
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010 ANNUAL OPERATING REPORT Prepared to meet reporting requirements of:
U.
S.
Department of Energy Special Master Task Research Subcontract No.
C96-175937 And U.
S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Docket 50-156, License R-74)
Prepared by:
Robert J.
Agasie Department of Engineering Physics THE UNIVERSITY WMSA6NSIN M A D I S 0 N
EIREMMUMMS
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 1 of 17 EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
OF REACTOR UTILIZATION Instruction:
Teaching usage of *the reactor during the year included:
120 Nuclear Engineering students in laboratory and lecture courses.
73 students and staff from other UW-Madison departments and programs.
146 students and instructors from 4 non-college level educational organizations as part of the UW Nuclear Reactor Outreach Program.
Research:
Neutron irradiations during the year included:
.406 samples irradiated for departments at UW-Madison.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 20.09-2010 Page 2 of 17 TABLE OF CONTENTS A.
SUMMARY
OF OPERATIONS.......................................
3
- 1.
INSTRUCTIONAL USE....................................
3
- 2.
OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.......................
4
- 3.
SAMPLE IRRADIATIONS AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS SERV ICES..............................................
5
- 4.
OTHER MAJOR EDUCATIONAL,
- RESEARCH,
& OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES.............................................
6
- 5.
CHANGES IN PERSONNEL, FACILITY AND PROCEDURES.........
7
- 6.
RESULTS OF SURVEILLANCE TESTS AND INSPECTIONS.........
8 B.
OPERATING STATISTICS AND FUEL EXPOSURE....................
8 C.
EMERGENCY SHUTDOWNS AND INADVERTENT SCRAMS................
9 D.
MAINTENANCE 9
E.
CHANGES IN THE FACILITY OR PROCEDURES REPORTABLE UNDER 10 CFR 50.59 1 0 F.
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL...............................
11 G.
SUMMARY
OF RADIATION EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL...............
11 H.
RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS.........................
12 TABLE 1 SOLID WASTE.
13 TABLE 2 LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISCHARGED TO SEWER.........
14 TABLE 3 EFFLUENT FROM STACK..................................
15 TABLE 4 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DOSE DATA............
16 APPENDIX A SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (SAR)........
17
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 3 of 17 A.
SUMMARY
OF OPERATIONS
- 1.
INSTRUCTIONAL USE Nuclear Engineering (NE)
- 231, "Survey of Nuclear Engineering" was offered in the spring semester with an enrollment of 34 students.
The course is designed for freshmen students interested in nuclear engineering and consists of three lecture modules surveying fission, fusion and radiation science technologies.
The fission module concludes with a reactor tour.
NE 427 was offered in the fall and spring semesters with a total enrollment of 40 students.
Several NE 427 experiments use materials that are activated in the reactor. One experiment entitled "Radiation Survey" requires that students make measurements of radiation levels in and around the reactor laboratory.
NE 428 was offered in the spring semester with a total enrollment of 12 students.
Three experiments in NE 428 require exclusive use of the reactor.
These experiments
("Critical Experiment",
"Control Element Calibration",
and "Pulsing") required a total of 9 hours1.041667e-4 days <br />0.0025 hours <br />1.488095e-5 weeks <br />3.4245e-6 months <br /> of exclusive reactor use.
Other NE 428 laboratory sessions use material that has been irradiated in the reactor ("Fast Neutron Flux Measurements by Threshold Foil Techniques" and "Resonance Absorption").
Individual class sections for Nuclear Engineering 305, "Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering", Medical Physics 569, "Health Physics", Anthropology 311, "Archaeological Chemistry",
and Physics 107, "Energy",
where held at the Reactor Laboratory, with 83 students participating.
The Reactor Laboratory's continued commitment. to its educational outreach program and community service attracts large numbers of community organizations who visit the
-reactor.
A listing of individual schools and educational programs that have visited or received services is provided below in section A.2 of this report.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 4 of 17
- 2.
OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Participating Institution Number of Participants Abundant Life Christian High School 14 Reactor tour with a discussion on applications of nuclear energy and uses of the UW nuclear reactor.
Beloit College 0
Analyzed swipe tests to leak check radioactive sources and performed detector calibrations.
Capital Science & Engineering Fair 19 Reactor tour with a discussion on applications of nuclear energy and uses of the UW nuclear reactor.
Part of the Capital Science & Engineering Fair which was established to provide high school students from South Central Wisconsin a unique opportunity to perform science and engineering and learn from University faculty and staff.
Mount Horeb-High School 25 Reactor tour with a discussion on applications of nuclear energy and uses of the UW nuclear reactor.
.Spring Harbor Middle School 88 Provided lecture to students on nuclear energy and a reactor demonstration using remote distance eduction technology as described in section A.4 of this report.
University of Wisconsin -
Whitewater 0
Analyzed swipe tests to leak check radioactive sources and performed detector calibrations.
UW College of Engineering 20 Student Services & Department Administrators Reactor tour with a discussion on applications of nuclear energy and uses of the UW nuclear reactor.
UW Engineering Physics Department Graduate Student Recruitment Program 16 Reactor tour with a discussion on the capabilities and uses of the UW nuclear reactor in support of graduate research recruitment program.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 5 of 17 OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE USER
SUMMARY
Institutions:
8
Participants:
182
- 3.
SAMPLE IRRADIATIONS AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS SERVICES There were 406 individual samples irradiated during the year.
Of these samples, 162 were irradiated for 15 minutes or less.
Samples accumulated 160.9 irradiation spade hours and 452.9 sample hours.
Many samples were irradiated and then counted at the Reactor Laboratory as part of our neutron activation analysis program.
In the listing below the notation (NAA) indicates that the samples were processed by our neutron activation analysis program.
Engineering Physics Department, UW-Madison UW Nuclear Reactor Laboratory 137 samples, 129.7 sample hours Physics testing in support of the reactor LEU conversion restart program, production of calibration sources for required reactor measurements and development of methods for instrumental neutron activation analysis.
Engineering Physics Department, UW-Madison Undergraduate Research Project 53 samples, 61.4 sample hours Irradiation of foil sources for neutron flux measurements of UWNR experimental facilities as part of an NE 699, independent study, for an undergraduate research project in support of the reactor LEU conversion restart program.
Engineering Physics Department, UW-Madison Instrumentation Laboratory 77 samples, 85.7 sample hours Irradiation of foil sources for radiation detector experiments, including absolute counting for neutron flux measurements and activation of samples for neutron activation analysis experiment.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 6 of 17 Engineering Physics Department; UW-Madison NE 428 23 samples, 27.7 sample hours Irradiation of foils for resonance absorption measurements and fast neutron flux measurements.
Engineering Physics Department, UW-Madison NE 234 5 samples, 0.5 sample hours Irradiation of air and water for reactor water chemistry measurements and Ar 4 1 demonstration.
Department of Anthropology, UW-Madison (NAA) 81 samples, 144.9 sample hours Professor R.
Law used NAA to characterize fragments of steatite manufacturing debris excavated from the archaeological site of Harappa, Pakistan.
Department of Pathobiological Sciences, UW-Madison(NAA) 30 samples, 3.0 sample hours UW faculty A.M. Talaat, and research assistant S.
Ward investigated the role of copper in interactions between bacterial pathogens and their human hosts.
Copper is a
required micronutrient that is also toxic at excess concentrations.
NAA was used to measure copper concentrations in M. tuberculosis cultures.
- 4.
OTHER MAJOR EDUCATIONAL,
- RESEARCH,
& OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES The University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor was ordered by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to convert from high to low enriched uranium fuel.
Subsequently on August 19, 2009 at 9:29 AM the facility ceased operations with the HEU core.
TRIGA 30/20 LEU fuel loading began on September 8, 2009.
Initial criticality was achieved on September 16, 2009 at 2:32 PM with core loading J18-RO (18 fuel bundles, 0
reflectors).
Core excess reactivity was measured to be 0.074 %Ak/k and the shutdown margin was measured to be 5.26 %Ak/k.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 7 of 17 Fuel loading continued until a core loading of J21-R14 was achieved on October 6, 2009.
Core excess reactivity was measured to be 3.695 %Ak/k and the shutdown margin was measured to be 1.779 %Ak/k.
Low power physics testing continued until November 3, 2009.
The initial approach to 1MW was conducted on November 11, 2009.
Testing during full power operations included temperature mapping and measurement of the fuel temperature coefficient of reactivity.
Pulse mode testing began on December 15, 2009.
Neutron flux measurements were completed by April 2010.
A complete description of the reactor conversion and start-up testing is documented in the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Reactor Start-up Report which was submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 21, 2010.
On December 11, 2009 the facility conducted a reactor demonstration "offered at a distance" with Spring Harbor Middle School.
Eighty eight children participated in a
lecture and demonstration that was broadcast over the internet.
Adobe Connect Pro software was utilized to provide the connectivity between the Spring Harbor Middle School and the UW Nuclear Reactor Lab.
The reactor demonstration included a supercritical power excursion and demonstration of the prompt negative fuel temperature coefficient of reactivity that ended with a reactor scram to show the shutdown characteristics of a nuclear reactor.
This capability was funded through a NRC Educational Curriculum Development Grant, entitled "Remote Nuclear Reactor Measurements Laboratory:
Development of innovative web-based nuclear engineering measurement modules to be; offered at a distance".
- 5.
CHANGES IN PERSONNEL, FACILITY AND PROCEDURES Any changes reportable under 10 CFR 50.59 are indicated in section E of this report.
Other changes to the facility included the implementation.
of individual blade SCRAM switches in support of the LEU conversion.
The purpose of this modification was to quickly determine integral blade worths, by the rod drop
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 8 of 17 method, while loading to the operational LEU core.
The modification was to simply add normally closed, spring return, toggle switches with missile switch covers in series with the trip actuator amplifiers which supply current to the SCRAMImagnets.
There were no personnel changes during the year.
- 6.
RESULTS OF SURVEILLANCE TESTS AND INSPECTIONS The program of inspection and testing of reactor components continues, satisfactorily meeting procedural acceptance criteria.
Inspection of underwater components during the annual maintenance showed no deterioration or wear.
The pool leak surveillance program continues to monitor the pool evaporation rate, the pool make-up volume, and pool water radioactivity.
The pool leak surveillance program indicates there has been no water effluent released to the environment.
B.
OPERATING STATISTICS AND FUEL EXPOSURE Operating Period Critical T MW-Hrs Runs Pulses Hours Fiscal Year 445.88
'194.34 239 58 2009-2010 Cumulative 18,527.67 15,255.16 5,489 1,194 FLIP Core Cumulative 404.69 170.69 226 56 TRIGA 30/20 LEU Core 123-RIO was operated until August 24, 2009.
The excess reactivity of this core was determined to be 4. 3 9 3 %p.
The first operational TRIGA 30/20 LEU core J21-R14 was inaugurated on November 11, 2009.
The excess reactivity of this core was determined to be 3.695%p.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 9 of 17 C.
EMERGENCY SHUTDOWNS AND INADVERTENT SCRAMS There were two automatic SCRAMS or manual emergency shutdowns during the year.
Each is described below in chronological sequence.
May 4, 2010; SCRAM from picoammeter number I.
While performing a normal reactor startup, a reactor operator trainee failed to uprange the picoammeter to the next higher range.
As a result, a reactor SCRAM from a neutron high flux trip at 125% occurred.
May 6, 2010; SCRAM from picoammeter number 1 and number 2.
While performing a normal reactor startup, a reactor operator trainee failed to uprange the picoammeters to the next higher range.
As a result, a reactor SCRAM from the neutron high flux trips at 125% occurred.
D.
MAINTENANCE The Preventive Maintenance Program continues to maintain equipment and systems in good condition.
The demineralizer resins were replaced on July 16, 2009 and routine regeneration occurred on March 26, 2010.
Corrective maintenance performed as a follow up action necessary for reactor restart following an automatic-SCRAM is covered in section C of this report.
Additional corrective maintenance was performed on the following reactor systems:
In July 2009 picoammeter #2 responded slowly to bugging and under no flux was found to be highly negative.
Investigations revealed that the cables degraded sufficiently due to radiation damage to affect performance.
Replaced all cables
(+HV,
-HV, SIG/C).
On November 24, 2009 the pneumatic tube area radiation monitor (ARM) went into continuous discharge when bugged during weekly checks.
The GM tube inside the ARM was replaced.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 10 of 17 In January 2010 the Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) particulate channel was observed to be "noisy".
A plateau curve was run on the detector and noise was seen while generating the curve; additionally the shape was unusual and different from the curve performed at the most recent calibration. The sealed gas proportional detector in the particulate head was replaced. A new plateau curve looked normal.
The detector efficiency was re-verified and the CAM was put back in service.
During NE 234 training on April 21,
- 2010, a trainee attempted to withdraw the fission counter drive, but inadvertently, and momentarily, hit insert, then withdraw.
This action stripped the fission counter drive motor gear.
The motor was replaced with a recently rebuilt spare with bronze gears from Electric Motor Service.
E.
CHANGES IN THE FACILITY OR PROCEDURES REPORTABLE UNDER 10 CFR 50.59 There was one change to the facility reportable pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59 completed during the year.
The change is summarized below.
The original regulating blade was a 1/8" thick sheet of 304 stainless steel which was attached to the regulating blade drive by a threaded aluminum connecting rod.
The threaded connecting rod was fastened to the blade by 12 aluminum rivets.
Over time, 4 of these rivets failed and the blade was starting to separate from the connecting rod.
The original blade was replaced with a blade of similar construction but with a stainless steel threaded connecting rod that was welded to the blade.
In addition a 2 inch diameter hole was cut into the top of the blade in identical fashion as the shim safety blades to aid in handling.
This change is reflected in the attached page 2-13 of the Safety Analysis Report, found in Appendix A of this report.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 11 of 17 F.
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
- 1.
SOLID WASTE All solid waste was transferred to the UW Broad Scope license for ultimate disposal in accordance with radioactive materials license number WI 25-1323-01.
The amount and activity are detailed in Table 1.
- 2.
LIQUID WASTE RELEASED TO THE SANITARY SEWER Liquid waste discharges from the facility during the year are detailed in Table 2.
- 3.
PARTICULATE AND GASEOUS ACTIVITY RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE Table 3 presents information on stack discharges during the year.
2
- 4.
LIQUID ACTIVITY RELEASED TO THE ENVIRONMENT
- There was no liquid activity released tothe environment during the year.
G.
SUMMARY
OF RADIATION EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL (01/01/09 12/31/09)
The personnel radiation monitoring program at the University of Wisconsin for the past calendar year used Global Dosimetry brand TLD monitors for whole body exposure while extremity dose was monitored using TLD ring badges processed by Landauer Inc.
No personnel received any significant radiation exposure for the above period.
The highest annual doses recorded were 55 mrem to the whole body and 210 mrem to the extremities.
The highest dose received by a member of the public visiting the reactor lab was 0.7 mrem, as measured by Siemens brand Electronic Personal Dosimeters.
Monthly radiation surveys continue to demonstrate
.acceptable radiation dose rates within the reactor laboratory and no contamination.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 12 of 17 H.
RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS (01/15/09 -
01/14/10)
The environmental monitoring program at the University uses Landauer Luxel brand area monitors located in areas surrounding the reactor laboratory.
Table 4 indicates the dose a person would have received if continuously present in the indicated area for the entire 2009 calendar year.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 13 of 17 TABLE 1 SOLID WASTE Date:
Volume:
07/07/09 11.7 ft 3
11/17/09 1.94 ft 3
11/18/09 1.94 ft 3
TOTAL VOLUME 15.6 ft 3
Routine Consumables Routine Consumables Activated Gem Stones Constituents:
Activity Activity Activity Isotope Co-58 Co-60 Cs-134 Cs-137 Eu-152 Mn-54 Sb-124 Sn-123
.Zn-65 (PCi) 1.393
.27.05 (PCi)
(PCi) 16.70 0.887 50.30 0.105 15.03 0.066 35.52
- 5. 030 0.019 65.70.
0.089 Total Activity by Isotope (pCi) 3.986 185.6 4.672 0.010 20.72 7.000 89.67 0.053 31.73 TOTAL ACTIVITY 147.2 pCi Total Activity per Transfer (pCi):
74.16 87.54 51.19
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 14 of 17 TABLE 2 LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISCHARGED TO SEWER Release Date:
Gallons Released:
Total pCi:
Sum of Fraction of MPC w/o dilution:
Sum of Fraction of MPC w/ daily dilution:
MPC Isotope (pCi/ml) 06/07/2010 1650 121.7 0.2129 0.0139 Released Co-58 2.OOE-4 60.9 pCi 9.75E-06 pCi/ml 0.049 Fraction of MPC Co-60 3.OOE-05 19.5 pCi 3.12E-06 pCi/ml 0.104 Fraction of MPC Mn-54 3.OOE-04 27.0 pCi 4.33E-06 pCi/ml 0.014 Fraction of MPC Zn-65 5.OOE-05 14.3 pCi 2.28E-06 pCi/ml 0.046 Fraction of MPC Total volume of water released sanitary sewer (gallons) to the 1650 Total quantity of radioactive material released to the sanitary sewer (pCi)
Average daily sewage flow for dilution (gallons)
Maximum fraction of MONTHLY release limit with DAILY dilution Maximum fraction of MONTHLY release limit with MONTHLY dilution 121.7 2.37E+4 0.014 0.001
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 15 of 17 TABLE 3 EFFLUENT FROM STACK
- 1.
Particulate Activity There was no discharge of particulate activity above background levels.
- 2.
Gaseous Activity
- All Argon-41 Month July 2009 August September October November December January 2010 February March April May June Activity Discharged (Curies) 0.192 0.000 0.000 0.159 0.244 0.018 0.005 0.104 0.133 0.150 0.000 0.005 Maximum Concentration (pCi/ml x 1E-6) 0.597 0.000 0.000 0.477 0.654 0.348 0.522 0.572 0.783 0.895 0.000 0.290
. Average Concentration (pCi/ml x 1E-6) 0.013 0.000 0.000 0.010 0.016 0.001 0.0003 0.008 0.010 0.011 0.000 0.0003 Total 1.010 Maximum 0.895 Average 0.008 Using the Gaussian Plume model, as described in section 13.1.7.2 to the "LEU Conversion Safety Analysis Report for the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor",
a concentration of 6E-5 pCi/ml at the stack discharge would result in a maximum air concentration of 1E-8 pCi/ml at any point downwind.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 16 of 17 TABLE 4 ANNUAL ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DOSE DATA (01/15/09 61/14/10)
Annual Dose (mrem)
Location Dose\\Inside Reactor Laboratory Stack Highest Dose in Non-restricted Area Highest Dose in Occupied* Non-restricted Area Average Dose in all Non-restricted Areas (26 Monitor Points) 9.0 34.0 20.0 12.8
- Occupied areas include classrooms, offices, and lobbies/meeting areas where an individual might reasonably spend in excess of 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> per day.
UWNR ANNUAL REPORT-Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Page 17 of 17 APPENDIX A SAFETY ANALYSIS REPORT (SAR)
REPLACEMENT OF PAGE 2-13 ATTACHED
from 9/16-12 304 thread~ed rod FIGURE 9 REGULATING BLADE 2
13