ML12066A128

Annual Report for the Dow Triga Research Nuclear Reactor

ML12066A128
Person / Time
Site:	Dow Chemical Company
Issue date:	03/02/2012
From:	O'Connor P Dow Chemical Co
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML12066A128 (4)

Text

-4ý The Dow Chemical Company Midland, Michigan 48667 March 2, 2012 Document Control Desk United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington D.C., 20555 Dear Sir; Enclosed is the annual report for The Dow TRIGA Research Nuclear Reactor, Docket No. 50-264. If you have any questions, please contact me at (989) 638-6185.

Paul J. O'Colnor Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor Enclosure CC: Geoff Wertz; USNRC Wayde Konze, 1897 Siaka 0. Yusuf, 1602 Bryan Tomlin, 1602 Bryan Haskins, 1602 James R. Weldy, 1803 Jay. D. Romick, 1707 Michael E. Buchmann, 1702 Paul O'Connor, 1897

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2011 There was one US NRC inspection in 2011 and there were no violations found. The annual peer review audit was conducted by Prof. Mike Hartman of The University of Michigan in November of 2011. The audit looked at all aspects of the Dow TRIGA nuclear reactor facility programs and there were no safety concerns or non-compliances with US NRC requirements found.

The normal in-house audits of the radiation protection program, safety and housekeeping, and records were also performed and the recommendations acted upon.

There were no significant changes to the facility during 2011. There were a number of staff changes.

Dr. Krahenbuhl is no longer with Dow. Dr. O'Connor, an Associate R&D Director in the Analytical Sciences of the Dow Chemical Company, replaces her as the facility director.

A. Staff, Licenses, and Training There was an additional staff to the operational staff in 2011, Dr. Tomlin. He joined Dow in October 2011. The current reactor staff members are:

P. J. O'Connor Facility Director S. 0. Yusuf Reactor Supervisor B. D. Haskins Assistant Reactor Supervisor B. E. Tomlin Trainee Senior Reactor Operator Operator licenses are current and it is noted that they will be due for renewal in the third quarter of 2012. Dr. Yusuf renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2006. Mr. Haskins received his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2006. Dr. Tomlin is scheduled to take his license exam in, late first quarter, 2012.

The current two year re-qualification program which started in the 1st quarter of 2010, ended in 4th quarter of 2011. All operators are up-to-date in their quarterly re-qualification participations, including operating experience, participation in emergency preparedness drills, Reactor Operation Committee meetings, operating examinations, and the annual fuel inventory.

Operation of the reactor is an important part of the training program, thus, the reactor is operated on an as-needed basis which results in numerous operations. And each involving reactivity manipulations, use of the control console, placement and retrieval of samples and handling of radioactive materials. The reactor was operated for a total of 350 hours0.00405 days <br />0.0972 hours <br />5.787037e-4 weeks <br />1.33175e-4 months <br /> during 2011.

Furthermore, each licensee performed at least 1/2 of the daily checkout procedures, during the year and performed about six monthly checkout procedures.

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2011 The Reactor Operations Committee (ROC) also has a new member, Dr. Konze, who is the level 1 manager for the Dow TRIGA Research Reactor. The ROC is currently composed of the following staff members:

W. V. Konze ROC Chairman P. J. O'Connor Facility Director S. 0. Yusuf Reactor Supervisor J. R. Weldy Radiation Safety Officer J. D. Romick Principal Research Scientist M. E. Buchmann Associate R&D Director Dr. Konze is the first level manager for the facility on behalf of Analytical Sciences and serves as the chairman for the ROC. Dr. O'Connor is the level 2 manager and facility director. Dr. Yusuf is the reactor operation staff members of the ROC. Mr. Weldy is the Dow Midland location Radiation Safety Officer as well as the TRIGA Radiation Safety Officer and reports through the Dow Environmental, Health and Safety department. Dr. Romick reports through the Dow Coating Materials R&D and Mr. M. E. Buchmann reports through the Portfolio Development of the core R&D.

B. Reactor Operating Experience The reactor was operated for 1.7 Megawatt-days during 2011 for a total of 350 hours0.00405 days <br />0.0972 hours <br />5.787037e-4 weeks <br />1.33175e-4 months <br />.

Operational experience is similar to recent years. The main purpose of operations at the Dow facility is to perform neutron activation analysis. About 9660 samples were irradiated in 2011.

C. Major Changes There were no major changes to the facility in 2011 and there were no changes to the facility procedures.

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DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2011 D. Unscheduled Shutdowns There were 24 unscheduled shutdowns (scrams) during 2011. Most of these were due to losses of computer function. The most common malfunction is still with the DIS064 device which processes the digital signals into the DAC computer. The vendor is working on a solution to this situation.

E. Major Preventive and Corrective Maintenance of Safety Significance There was no maintenance which had safety significance performed during 2011. There were however, 9 preventive and corrective maintenance items. These are related to replacements of water purification cartridges, adjustments on the NM1000 safety channel and adjustments on the NPP1000 safety channel. A maintenance item related to the replacement of the conductivity meter was also carried out.

F. Radioactive Effluents The only radioactive material normally released to the environment from the facility is argon-41, which is produced from activation of the natural argon dissolved in the pool water and subsequently escapes from the pool into the reactor room and from there to the outside of the building, and from the natural argon present in the air used to transport samples from a laboratory into a terminus in the core of the reactor.

Overall, any release, after dilution is estimated to be less than 25% of the allowed or recommended maximum concentration in 10CFR20.

G. Radiation Exposures Radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors are monitored using film badges and thermoluminescent detectors. No persons have received exposures approaching 25% of those allowed or recommended in 10CFR20.

P. J. O'Connor Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor March 2, 2012

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