ML12100A074

Mit, Submittal of Annual Report for January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

ML12100A074
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	03/29/2012
From:	Foster J, Lau E, Newton T Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML12100A074 (27)

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NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CENTER OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY EDWARD S. LAU 138 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-4296 Facility Tours Assistant Director of Telefax No. (617) 253-7300 Education & Training Reactor Operations Tel. No. (617) 253-4211 Activation Analysis Coolant Chemistry Nuclear Medicine March 29, 2012 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Attn.: Document Control Desk

Subject:

Annual Report, Docket No. 50-20, License R-37, Technical Specification 7.7.1 Gentlemen:

Forwarded herewith is the Annual Report for the MIT Research Reactor for the period from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, in compliance with paragraph 7.7.1 of the Technical Specifications issued November 1, 2010, for Facility Operating License R-3 7.

Sincerely, John P. Foster Edward S. Lau, NE Superintendent for Operations & Maintenance Assistant Director of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor MIT Res arch Reactor Shomas H. Ne /on, Jr., Ph.D., PE irector of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor ST/gw

Enclosure:

As stated cc: USNRC - Senior Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Branch A Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation USNRC - Senior Reactor Inspector Research and Test Reactors Branch B Division of Policy and Rulemaking lkcgco Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

MIT RESEARCH REACTOR NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT to United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Period January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011 by REACTOR STAFF

Table of Contents Section Page Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 A. Summary of Operating Experience ............................................................. 3

1. General ............................................................................................ 3

2. Experim ents ...................................................................................... 5

3. Changes to Facility Design ................................................................ 7

4. Changes in Performance Characteristics ............................................ 7

5. Changes in Operating Procedures ..................................................... 8

6. Surveillance Tests and Inspections ................................................... 9

7. Status of Spent Fuel Shipm ent ......................................................... 9 B. Reactor Operation .................................................................................... 10 C. Shutdowns and Scrams ................................................................................ 11 D. M ajor M aintenance ................................................................................... 13 E. Section 50.59 Changes, Tests, and Experim ents ......................................... 15 F. Environm ental Surveys .............................................................................. 18 G. Radiation Exposures and Surveys Within the Facility .................................. 19 H. Radioactive Effluents ................................................................................. 20 Table H-I Argon-41 Stack Releases .................................................. 21 Table H-2 Radioactive Solid Waste Shipments .................................. 22 Table H-3 Liquid Effluent Discharges ................................................. 23 I. Summary of Use of Medical Facility for Human Therapy ......................... 24

MIT RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT TO U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2011 - DECEMBER 31, 2011 INTRODUCTION This report has been prepared by the staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor for submission to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in compliance with the requirements of the Technical Specifications to Facility Operating License No. R-37 (Docket No. 50-20), Paragraph 7.7.1, which requires an annual report that summarizes licensed activities from the 1st of January to the 31 st of December of each year.

The MIT Research Reactor (MITR), as originally constructed and designated as MITR-I, consisted of a core of MTR-type fuel, enriched in uranium-235 and cooled and moderated by heavy water in a four-foot diameter core tank, surrounded by a graphite reflector. After initial criticality on July 21, 1958, the first year was devoted to startup experiments, calibration, and a gradual rise to one megawatt, the initially licensed maximum power. Routine three-shift operation (Monday-Friday) commenced in July 1959. The authorized power level for MITR-I was increased to two megawatts in 1962 and to five megawatts (the design power level) in 1965.

Studies of an improved design were first undertaken in 1967. The concept which was finally adopted consisted of a more compact core, cooled by light water, and surrounded laterally and at the bottom by a heavy water reflector. It is under-moderated for the purpose of maximizing the peak of thermal neutrons in the heavy water at the ends of the beam port re-entrant thimbles and for enhancement of the neutron flux, particularly the fast component, at in-core irradiation facilities. The core is hexagonal in shape, 15 inches across, and utilizes fuel elements which are rhomboidal in cross section and which contain UAIx intermetallic fuel in the form of plates clad in aluminum and enriched to 93% in uranium-235. The improved design was designated MITR-II. Much of the original facility, e.g., graphite reflector, biological and thermal shields, secondary cooling systems, containment, etc., has been retained.

After Construction Permit No. CPRR-118 was issued by the former U.S.

Atomic Energy Commission in April 1973, major components for the modified reactor were procured and the MITR-I completed its mission on May 24, 1974, having logged 250,445 megawatt-hours during nearly 16 years of operation.

The old core tank, associated piping, top shielding, control rods and drives, and some experimental facilities were disassembled, removed, and subsequently replaced

2 with new equipment. After preoperational tests were conducted on all systems, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued Amendment No. 10 to Facility Operating License No. R-37 on July 23, 1975. After initial criticality for MITR-II on August 14, 1975, and several months of startup testing, power was raised to 2.5 MW in December.

Routine 5-MW operation was achieved in December 1976. Three shift operations, Monday through Friday, was continued through 1995 when a gradual transition to continuous operation (24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> per day, 7 days per week with a shutdown for maintenance every 4-5 weeks) was initiated. The current operating mode is continuous operation at full power.

In December 2000, a fission converter medical facility was commissioned. This facility generates the highest quality epithermal beam in the world for use in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

On November 1, 2010, NRC relicensed the reactor for 6-MW operation through November 1, 2030. Following completion of relevant safety reviews, reactor power was increased in small increments from 5 MW for observations and data collection, and reached 5.8 MW on April 23, 2011. Routine 5.8 MW operation began on May 25, 2011, following the scheduled two-week maintenance outage in mid-May.

This is the thirty-seventh annual report required by the Technical Specifications, and it covers the period January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. Previous reports, along with the "MITR-II Startup Report" (Report No. MITNE-198, February 14, 1977) have covered the startup testing period and the transition to routine reactor operation. This report covers the thirty-fifth full year of routine reactor operation at the 5-MW to 6-MW power level. It was another year in which the safety and reliability of reactor operation met and exceeded requirements and expectations.

A summary of operating experience and other activities and related statistical data are provided in Sections A through I of this report.

3 A.

SUMMARY

OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE

1. General The MIT Research Reactor, MITR-II, is operated to facilitate experiments and research including in-core irradiations and experiments, neutron activation analyses, and materials science and engineering studies such as neutron imaging. It is also used for student laboratory exercises and student operator training, and education and outreach programs. Additionally, the reactor has been used for industrial production applications and other irradiation services. When operating, the reactor is normally maintained at slightly below 6 MW. For this reporting period, the nominal full power operating cycle continued to be four weeks at a time, followed by a scheduled outage lasting about two weeks, for reactor and experiment maintenance and other necessary outage activities. The reactor would then be re-started to full power and maintained there for another several weeks.

Throughout CY 2011, the reactor averaged 90 operating hours per week, compared to 70 hours8.101852e-4 days <br />0.0194 hours <br />1.157407e-4 weeks <br />2.6635e-5 months <br /> per week for CY 2010, and 110 hours0.00127 days <br />0.0306 hours <br />1.818783e-4 weeks <br />4.1855e-5 months <br /> per week for the July 2009 - June 2010 reporting period. The lower average for CY 2010 was the result of the major planned outage from May to September 2010 for replacement of reactor heat exchangers and for major piping upgrades of the primary and secondary coolant systems. In CY 2011, there were also extended planned outages for replacement of the main heat exchanger in the D 20 reflector system and its associated piping, and for repair and maintenance on reactor instrumentation.

The reactor was operated throughout the year with 24 fuel elements in the core.

The remaining three positions were occupied by solid aluminum dummies or in-core experiments. During CY201 1, compensation for reactivity lost due to burnup was provided by six refuelings. These followed standard MITR practice which is to introduce fresh fuel to the inner portion of the core (the A- and B-Rings) where peaking is least and to place partially spent fuel into the outer portion of the core (the C-Ring). In addition, fuel elements were inverted and rotated so as to achieve more uniform burnup gradients in them. Nine new fuel elements were introduced into the reactor core during CY201 1.

The MITR-II fuel management program remains quite successful. All of the original MITR-II fuel elements (445 grams U-235) have been permanently discharged.

The overall burnup for the discharged ones was 42%. (Note: One was removed prematurely because of excess out-gassing.) The maximum overall bumup achieved was 48%. A total of two hundred seventeen of the newer, MITR-II fuel elements (506 grams U-235) have been introduced to the core. Of these, one hundred fifty-five have attained the maximum allowed fission density and were discharged. Six fuel elements have been identified as showing excess out-gassing and three were suspected of this. All nine have been removed from service and returned to an off-site DOE storage facility. The other fifty-three are either currently in the reactor core, in the fission converter tank, or have been partially depleted and are in the wet storage ring

4 awaiting reuse or discharge. During the period of CY201 1, eight spent fuel elements were returned to an off-site DOE facility.

Protective system surveillance tests are conducted whenever the reactor is scheduled to be shut down.

As in previous years, the reactor was operated throughout the period without the fixed hafnium absorbers, which were designed to achieve a maximum peaking of the thermal neutron flux in the heavy water reflector beneath the core. These had been removed in November 1976 in order to gain the reactivity necessary to support more in-core experiment facilities.

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2. Experiments The MITR-II was used for experiments and irradiations in support of research, training and education programs at MIT and elsewhere. Irradiations and experiments conducted in CY2011 include:

a) Activation of gold- 198 seeds for brachytherapy.

b) Activation of uranium and plutonium foils for detector calibration at the Los Alamos National Laboratories.

c) Activation of ocean sediments for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

d) Activation and NAA of ultra high purity B-11 for determination of trace element analysis for Ceradyne Boron Products, LLC.

e) Exploratory activation and NAA of the following materials: archived atmospheric particulate matter samples for a doctoral candidate at the MIT Parsons Lab, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering; finger and toe nail samples for nutritional research by Dr. Joseph J. Kehayias, Director, Body Composition Laboratory, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, and Tufts University; and quartz to be used in a dark matter detector for Dr.

Chamkaur Ghag, UCLA Department of Physics & Astronomy.

f) Irradiation of transistors and diodes for damage studies and neutron detection capabilities for Lincoln Labs.

g) Experiments at the 4DHI radial beam port facility by MIT undergraduate and graduate students, including: 1) measurements of leakage neutron energy spectrum to determine reactor temperature; 2) measurement of neutron wavelength and time-of-flight; and 3) measurement of attenuation coefficients for eight shielding materials. In addition, the 4DH1 spectrometer was used for experiments to measure the capture cross-sections of copper isotopes.

h) Use of the reactor for training MIT student reactor operators and for MIT nuclear engineering classes (courses 22.06 "Engineering of Nuclear Systems",

22.09 "Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection", and 22.921 "Nuclear Power Plant Dynamics and Control") as well the physics department (8.13 "Junior Lab").

i) Neutron transmutation doping of Ge wafers for Lawrence Berkley National Labs. These wafers were then used for further neutrino detector research.

j) Activation and NAA of Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide nanoparticles for radiotracer studies of nanomaterial toxicity for Harvard School of Public Health.

6 k) The Advanced Cladding Irradiation (ACI) campaign continued with funding from INL's Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF). Prof. Mujid Kazimi is the Principal Investigator for this project, which began in mid-June 2009. A variety of samples to test bonding methods for SiC were irradiated in addition to composite cladding tube samples.

1) The in-core sample assembly (ICSA) was used to irradiate high temperature "MaxPhases" materials for Drexel University.

m) The HYdride Fuel Irradiation (HYFI) experiment entered its irradiation phase in mid-March as planned. Three fuel samples were irradiated during 2011 up to a maximum burnup of approximately 5 MWd/kgU.

An ongoing initiative is the partnership with INL Advanced Test Reactor User Facility (ATR-UF) for materials testing. The MITR is the first university facility selected to partner with the ATR-UF. MITR staff also worked with INL staff to jointly develop advanced reactor instrumentation, and reviewed ATR-UF's user proposals.

Final preparations were made for irradiation of fiber-optic sensors in the ICSA controlled temperature facility. These irradiations will be carried out during CY 2012.

Design was also substantially completed for an additional fiber-optic test in a custom-built in-core high temperature facility for irradiation to 1200 'C with real time read-out of the fiber sensors.

The MITR has completed a web-enabled neutron spectrometer at the 4DH1 beam facility, which was utilized by several student groups. In collaboration with MIT's iLabs program, the MITR provides the online, interactive, real-time neutron-based experiment with a few partner universities. Using a combination of LabVIEW software and a prototype iLabs-developed architecture, this facility provides educational opportunities to students nationwide and internationally that do not have the benefit of an on-site nuclear reactor or other neutron source. In CY 2011, students from the West Point Military Academy nuclear engineering laboratory course used the facility for remote neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy experiments.

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3. Changes to Facility Design Except as reported in Section E, no changes in the facility design were made during this calendar year. As indicated in past reports the uranium loading of MITR-II fuel was increased from 29.7 grams of U-235 per plate and 445 grams per element (as made by Gulf United Nuclear Fuels, Inc.) to a nominal 34 and 510 grams respectively (made originally by the Atomics International (AI) Division of Rockwell International, now by B&W). With the exception of seven elements (one Gult six AI) that were found to be out-gassing excessively, performance of these fuel elements has been good.

The heavier loading results in 41.2 w/o U in the fuel meat, based on 7% voids, and corresponds to the maximum loading in Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel. One hundred seventy-seven elements fabricated by B&W have been received, fifty-three of which remain in use. One has been removed because of suspected excess out-gassing and one hundred twenty-three have been discharged because they have attained the fission density limit.

The MITR is actively involved in studies for the use of low enrichment uranium (LEU) in the MITR, partially supported by the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program at DOE. These studies principally focus on the use of monolithic U-Mo fuels with uranium densities in excess of 15 g/cm3 (compared with 1.5 g/cr 3 for UA1x fuel), currently under development by the RERTR Program.

Although initial studies show that the use of these fuels is feasible, conversion of the MITR-II to lower enrichment must await the final successful qualification of these fuels.

4. Changes in Performance Characteristics Performance characteristics of the MITR-II were reported in the "MITR-II Startup Report." Minor changes have been described in previous reports. Performance characteristics of the Fission Converter Facility were reported in the "Fission Converter Facility Startup Report", and in the FY2006 report which described a 20%

improvement in the intensity of the unfiltered epithermal neutron beam.

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5. Changes in Operating Procedures With respect to operating procedures subject only to MITR internal review and approval, a summary is given below of changes implemented during the past year.

Those changes related to safety and subject to additional review and approval are discussed in Section E of this report.

a) PM 3.6, "Waste Tank Discharge Procedure", was updated to incorporate new equipment such as the automatic isolation valve added to the discharge line, a Magnetoflow gage at the suction of the sewer pump, and a pair of waste tank level digital indicators in the control room. The discharge portion of the procedure now makes provision for the recirculation time to be other than the nominal six hours, depending upon sample activities. Valving sequence was revised to optimize control of discharge flow. (SR #0-10-5) b) PM 1.14.3, "Equipment Tagout and Lockout Program", was expanded to align the NRL's program with the one proposed by the MIT Environment, Health and Safety Program, which adheres closely with current OSHA safety protocols.

(SR #0-10-10) c) PM 3.5, "Daily Surveillance Check", was updated to reflect current practices and equipment, including inspection and draining of the core purge inlet filter jar (core purge blower now located in a more accessible part of the equipment room) and use of an automatic controller to regulate helium fill of the gasholder for the medical H 2 0 shutter. Surveillance frequency for the emergency battery pilot cell was reduced to monthly rather than every four days. (SR #0-11-1) d) PM 3.1.6, "Restart Following an Unanticipated or a Brief-Duration Scheduled Shutdown", & PM 3.1.5, "Independent ECP Calculation" - The checklist for restart of the reactor was re-aligned for current equipment and order of checks, use of PM 3.1.5 rather than a dedicated page on the main procedure for Estimated Critical Position calculation, and minimization of use of "N/A" on steps becoming non-applicable. (SR #0-11-2) e) "Hydride Fuel Irradiation Experiment Test and Handling Procedures" and HYFI-4, "Hydride Fuel Irradiation Experiment Gas Sampling Procedure",

established and updated a set of operational checklists for use with the HYFI experiment, including test procedures to satisfy temperature calibration and scram test requirements as per Technical Specification 6.7.6 for in-core experiments that are fueled. (SR #0-11-4 & SR #0-11-4A)

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6. Surveillance Tests and Inspections There are many written procedures in use for surveillance tests and inspections required by the Technical Specifications. These procedures provide a detailed method for conducting each test or inspection and specify an acceptance criterion which must be met in order for the equipment or system to comply with the requirements of the Technical Specifications. The tests and inspections are scheduled throughout the year with a frequency at least equal to that required by the Technical Specifications. Thirty such tests and calibrations are conducted on an annual, semi-annual, or quarterly basis.

Other surveillance tests are done each time before startup of the reactor if shut down for more than 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, before startup if a channel has been repaired or de-energized, and at least quarterly; a few are on different schedules. Procedures for such surveillance are incorporated into daily or quarterly startup, shutdown, or other checklists.

During this reporting period, the surveillance frequency has been at least equal to that required by the Technical Specification, and the results of tests and inspections were satisfactory throughout the year for Facility Operating License No. R-37.

7. Status of Spent Fuel Shipment In CY20 11, there was one shipment made, reducing the inventory of spent fuel at MIT to close to zero. This shipment was MIT's initial use of the BEA Research Reactor (BRR) package. The U.S. Department of Energy has indicated that further shipments may be feasible in CY2012 for future fuel discharges.

10 B. REACTOR OPERATION Information on energy generated and on reactor operating hours is tabulated below:

Calendar Quarter 1 2 [ 3 1 4 Total

11. Energy Generated (MWD):

a) MITR-II (MIT CY2011)

(normally at 5.8 MW) b) MITR-I1 (MIT FY1 976-CY20 10) c) MITR-I (MIT FY1959-FY1974) d) Cumulative, MITR-I & MITR-11

2. MITR-II Operation (hours):

(MIT CY2011) a) At Power

(Ž>0.5-MW) for 1080.0 1456.1 1006.6 1187.3 4730.0 Research b) Low Power

(< 0.5-MW) for 68.1 17.8 102.3 42.9 231.1 Training(l) and Test c) Total Critical 1148.1 1473.9 1108.9 1230.2 4961.1 (1) These hours do not include reactor operator and other training conducted while the reactor is at full power for research purposes (spectrometer, etc.) or for isotope production. Such hours are included in the previous line.

11 C. SHUTDOWNS AND SCRAMS During this reporting period, there' were nine inadvertent scrams and ten unscheduled shutdowns.

The term "scram" refers to shutting down of the reactor through protective system automatic action when the reactor is at power or at least critical, while the term "shutdown" refers to an unscheduled power reduction to subcritical by the reactor operator in response to an abnormal condition indication. Rod drops and electric power loss without protective system action are included in unscheduled shutdowns.

The following summary of scrams and shutdowns is provided in approximately the same format as for previous years in order to facilitate a comparison.

1. Nuclear Safety System Scrams Total a) Period channel levels offscale scram as result of spurious electronic noise tripping Channel #3 low. 1 b) Trip on Channel #4 as result of conservative setting combined with power variation during a reshim.

c) Trip on Channel #5 as result of spurious electronic noise.

d) Withdraw Permit Circuit de-energized as result of high load tripping an upstream circuit breaker.

Subtotal 4

2. Process System Scrams a) Low flow primary coolant scram from improper adjustment of the flow.

b) Low flow core purge scram from electrical fault in exhaust damper hydraulic system isolating the building ventilation. 1 c) Trip on simultaneous opening of both doors of the basement personnel lock. 1 d) Scram as result of failure in the HYFI experiment's high temperature scram circuit. 2 Subtotal 5

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3. Unscheduled Shutdowns a) Shutdown as result of loss of off-site electricity. 3 b) Shutdown as result of loss of on-site electricity. 1 c) Shutdown as result of magnet drop of shim blade #3. 1 d) Shutdown as result of loss of city water pressure following an off-site city water main rupture.

e) Shutdown as result of lack of personnel when MIT closed for a storm emergency. 2 f) Shutdown as result of failure of shim blade drive #5. 1 19 1

g) Shutdown upon failure of Channel #6 input signal.

Subtotal 10 Total 19

4. Experience during recent years has been as follows:

Nuclear Safety and Process System Calendar Year Scrams 2011 9 2010 20 Nuclear Safety and Process System Fiscal Year Scrams 2010 6 2009 2 2008 4 2007 5 2006 6

13 D. MAJOR MAINTENANCE Major maintenance projects performed during CY2011 are described in this Section. These were planned and performed to improve safety, reliability and efficiency of operation of the MIT Research Reactor, and hence improve the predictability of the reactor operating schedule and the availability of the reactor for experiments, research and training purposes. Additionally, Reactor Operations staff performed safety reviews for all reactor experiments and their operating procedures. The staff also provided support for installations and removals of experiments, and monitored key performance data from the experiments during reactor operations. In CY2011 these experiments included the Advanced Clad Irradiation (ACI-2), the In-Core Sample Assembly (ICSA) with Drexel University capsules, the Hydride Fuel Irradiation (HYFI), and the Diffractometer at the 4DH4 beam facility.

For continuous support of neutron transmutation doping of silicon, reactor staff performed routine irradiation and shipping activities. There is an annual external audit to review the program for continuation of ISO 9001 Certification. Preventive maintenance on conveyor machinery, such as alignment of conveyor carriages, was performed during major outages. Components for instrumentation and controls were replaced and tested. These included power supply connectors, conveyor watch-dog switches, and airlock control gears.

In CY201 1, reactor staff initiated measurements to determine build-up of hydrogen gas in the reactor core purge space under various operating conditions. An independent air-flow circulation system was built at the reactor top utility shelf using stainless steel tubing and a cold-trap for moisture removal. Hydrogen concentration in the core purge space was measured to be -0.85% under normal 5.8-MW operating conditions. Extrapolation of the data showed that the concentration would reach -5%

asymptotically if the core purge space were isolated indefinitely at full power. In the case of a reactor scram from full power with an extended loss of off-site electrical power (and the resulting automatic isolation of the core purge space), hydrogen concentration would peak at only -1% after eight minutes.

Major reactor maintenance items performed in CY2011 are summarized as follows:

1) HE-D1, the D 20 reflector system's main heat exchanger, was replaced along with its associated piping and its associated secondary piping in the equipment room.

2) The connecting pipe between HE-D1 and the overpressure-protection oil seal was modified to improve return of D 20 condensate into the D 20 storage tank.

3) Heat exchanger HE-2 of the primary cleanup system was replaced along with its associated piping and its associated secondary piping.

4) A flow conditioner was installed along a straight section of the 10" piping for the primary cold-leg. This was to reduce flow noise during measurement of primary

14 mass flow rate. However, this flow conditioner did not provide significant improvement in the reduction of flow noise.

5) A filter screen was installed at the inlet of HE-i, the main primary heat exchanger, to prevent debris from lodging in the heat exchanger plate.

6) The inlet filter jar for the reactor core purge blower was replaced with one that has a larger capacity for collecting condensate, and has a bleed valve at the bottom of the jar. The bleed valve arrangement allows drainage of the condensate without the need to secure the core purge blower.

7) A new alarm was installed for Low Flow Core Purge warning. The alarm is blue in color on the control room annunciator panel. It comes on when the flow is continuously low for more than two minutes. Another new alarm was installed that will provide an automatic reactor scram two minutes after the blue alarm if the low flow condition is not corrected.

8) A new alarm was installed to provide an automatic scram on loss of city water pressure. This alarm is initiated three minutes after the loss of city water pressure indication alarm should the condition persist.

9) The reactor security system went through a second phase of upgrade. The upgrade consisted of fine-tuning based on operating experience with the first phase system installation. DOE-NNSA provide the necessary funding and performed another system-wide assessment on 15-16 September 2011, approving the new equipment as meeting all DOE protocols and requirements.

10) The electromagnet for reactor control shim blade #3 was replaced on 6/13/2011.

11) The neutron absorber section for shim blade #6 was replaced on 6/29/2011.

12) The drive for shim blade #5 was rebuilt and its electromagnet replaced 8/12/2011.

13) The primary ion column was repacked and replace on 3/15/2011 and 10/7/2011.

The ion column inlet filter (75 micron) was replaced on 3/17/2011, 5/24/2011, and 11/17/2011.

14) The D2 0 ion column was replaced on 10/7/2011.

15) The cooling tower cleanup system piping was modified by removal of the cooling tower booster pumps, which were not necessary in the secondary system as built in 2010. A climate control unit was installed in the cooling tower shed.

16) The original instrumentation power supply unit in the control room was replaced.

It provides the necessary high voltage for neutron detectors for all reactor nuclear instrumentation.

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17) The two Withdraw Permit Circuit panels were completely replaced with new panels and up-to-date components. A smaller new panel was added to accommodate key switch bypasses so that routine bypass functions would not require physical manipulation of a relay.

18) The center annunciator panel in the control room was updated with many new alarm modules.

19) The gasket for the basement airlock outer door was replaced.

Many other routine maintenance and preventive maintenance items were also scheduled and completed throughout the fiscal year.

E. SECTION 50.59 CHANGES, TESTS, AND EXPERIMENTS This section contains a description of each change to the reactor facility or procedures and of the conduct of tests and experiments carried out under the conditions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50, together with a summary of the safety evaluation in each case.

The review and approval of changes in the facility and in the procedures as described in the SAR are documented in the MITR records by means of "Safety Review Forms". These have been paraphrased for this report and are identified on the following pages for ready reference if further information should be required with regard to any item. Pertinent pages in the SAR have been or are being revised to reflect these changes, and they either have or will be forwarded to the Document Control Desk, USNRC.

The conduct of tests and experiments on the reactor are normally documented in the experiments and irradiation files. For experiments carried out under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, the review and approval is documented by means of the Safety Review Form. All other experiments have been done in accordance with the descriptions provided in Section 10 of the SAR, "Experimental Facilities".

16 Advance Cladding Irradiation Facility (ACI)

SR #0-06-4 (04/03/2006), #0-06-6 (05/18/2006)

An in-core experiment loop was installed on May 22, 2006, to investigate the effects at various stages of irradiation on specimens of silicon carbide intended for use in advanced fuel cladding designs. Its envelope of operating conditions is very similar to that of previous in-core experiments such as the Zircaloy Corrosion Loop and the Electro-Chemical Potential Loop. No new safety issues were raised. Operation continued until October 2007. A second advanced cladding loop, designated ACI-2, operated in core from March 2009 through mid-December 2009, March to April 2010, December 2010 through June 2011, and from October 2011 to the present.

Heated In-Core Sample Assembly Experiment (ICSA)

SR #0-04-19 (12/01/2004), #M-04-2 (12/30/2004), #0-05-11 (07/22/2005),

SR #M-09-1 (07/30/2009), #M-09-2 (12/11/2009), #0-10-2 (03/28/2010)

High-temperature sample capsules were used with the redesigned titanium 2" ICSA tube to provide a heated irradiation environment for the specimens within. These capsules include gamma-heating susceptors similar in principal to the High Temperature Irradiation Facility. An alternate 16" plug was designed and installed in the reactor top shield lid to allow simultaneous use of the ICSA and the ACI-2 in-core experiments.

The ICSA operated in core from December 2009 through April 2010 and from August 2010 to January 2012 for various sample irradiations using heated and unheated capsules.

Heat Exchanger Replacements, Piping Upgrades, and Power Increase to 6 MW SR #M-10-3, #M-10-4, #M-10-5, #0-10-3, #0-10-4, #0-10-7, #0-10-8, #0-10-9, SR #M-11-1, #M-11-2, #M-11-3, #0-11-3, #0-11-5, #0-11-8, #0-11-10, #0-11-11, SR #0-11-13, #0-11-17, #0-11-18 This renovation of the primary and secondary coolant process systems was described in CY 2010 Annual Report Section D Major Maintenance Item #1. The upgrade effort continued in Spring 2011 with the replacement of the main D20 reflector system heat exchanger HE-D1 and associated piping, the replacement of auxiliary heat exchanger HE-2 for the primary cleanup system and associated piping, and installation of a flow conditioner in the main primary piping. Numerous related operational checklists, standard operating procedures, abnormal operating procedures, and test and calibration procedures were updated correspondingly, and were also reviewed and updated for compliance with the license renewal Technical Specifications issued by NRC on November 1, 2010. In conjunction with this, the NRL modified the SAR to incorporate all wording changes to which it had committed in the RAIs. Between April 2011 and May 2011, reactor power was increased incrementally from routine 5-MW operation to 6-MW operation.

17 Withdraw Permit Circuit Relay Panels SR #E-11-1 (03/15/2011)

Two new relay panels were designed, constructed, and installed to replace the two existing Withdraw Permit Circuit panels. Several new bypass key switches were added in order to avoid most uses ofjumper relays.

New Core Purge Low Flow Alarm & Scram SR #E-11-2 (04/29/2011)

Two new console annunciator alarms were installed: blue "Core Purge Blower Off' two-minute alert, and red "Low Flow Core Purge Scram", the latter having a new scram function. Associated procedures were updated accordingly, and a procedure was established governing bypass of the scram during core purge filter jar draining.

Ion Chamber HV Power Supply System, and Fission Chamber SCAs for Ch. 1 & Ch. 2 SR #E- 11-3 (07/28/2011), #E- 11-4 (07/29/2011)

The high voltage power supplies for the ion chambers of nuclear safety Channels #1 - 6, linear flux Channel #7, and gamma power channel N-16 were replaced and upgraded with two Caen model N1471 power supply chassis, each composed of four independent high voltage power supplies. The associated abnormal operating procedure was updated to reflect installation of a white warning alarm for fault indication, to go along with the red "Low Voltage Chamber Power Supply" scram. For the Channel #1 - 2 fission chambers, which are independent of these power supplies, the amplifiers / single channel analyzers were updated from an in-house built model to a standard off-the-shelf equivalent.

Pressure Relief System Upgrade SR #M-11-5 (10/07/2011)

The containment pressure relief system was modified to enable airflow-activation of the two charcoal filter banks without the need to secure building ventilation. There is no change to its method of function under emergency conditions.

City Water Pressure Scram SR #0-11-7 (07/28/2011)

An automatic scram was installed for sustained (3-minute) loss of city water pressure, with an associated new red "Loss of City Water Press." console annunciator alarm to accompany the white alert. The pressure sensor was relocated to the upstream side of the city water backflow preventer for better accuracy. The associated abnormal operating procedure was updated, and a scram test procedure was established.

Physical Security Plan Update SR #0-11-9 (07/13/2011), #0-11-15 (09/28/2011)

The Physical Security Plan and procedures were updated for greater detail and to include some of the new hardware added under the DOE-NNSA Voluntary Security Enhancement program. The new Plan received MITRSC approval on 9/30/2011.

18 F. ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS Environmental monitoring is performed using continuous radiation monitors and dosimetry devices. The radiation monitoring system consists of G-M detectors and associated electronics at each remote site with data transmitted continuously to the Reactor Radiation Protection Office and recorded on strip chart recorders. The remote sites are located within a quarter mile radius of the facility. The calendar year total detectable radiation exposures per sector, due primarily to Ar-41, are presented below.

Some units were inoperable periodically during the reporting period due to site renovations. These values are adjusted for the period(s) when the site units were not operational.

Site Exposure (01/01/11- 12/31/11)

North 0.01 mrem East 0.27 mrem South 0.73 mrem West 0.28 mrem Green (east) 0.30 mrem Calendar Year Average 2011 0.3 mrem 2010 0.1 mrem Fiscal Year Average 2010 0.2 mrem 2009 0.3 mrem 2008 0.3 mrem 2007 0.2 mrem 2006 0.2 mrem 2005 0.2 mrem 2004 0.2 mrem 2003 0.2 mrem 2002 0.3 mrem

19 G. RADIATION EXPOSURES AND SURVEYS WITHIN THE FACILITY A summary of radiation exposures received by facility personnel and experimenters is given below:

January 1. 2011 - December 31, 2011 Whole Body Exposure Range (rems) Number of Personnel No measurable 72 Measurable - <0.1 29 0.1 - 0.25 ...................................................................................... . 9 0.25 - 0.50 ............. I....................... 22.....................................

0.50 - 0.75 ....................................................................................... 0 0.75 - 1.00 0......................................

0 1.00 - 1.25 .............................. .............. 0 1.25 - 1.50 ....................................................................................... 0 1.50 - 1.75 ....................................................................................... 0 1.75 - 2.00 ............................................. 0 2.00 - 2.25 ....................................................................................... 0 Total Person Rem = 2.7 Total Number of Personnel = 112 From January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2011, the Reactor Radiation Protection Office provided radiation protection services for the facility which included power and non-power operational surveillance (performed on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and other frequencies as required), maintenance activities, and experimental project support. Specific examples of these activities included, but are not limited to, the following:

I. Collection and analysis of air samples taken within the containment building and in the exhaust/ventilation systems.

2. Collection and analysis of water samples taken from the secondary, D20, primary, shield coolant, liquid waste, and experimental systems, and fuel storage pool.

3. Performance of radiation and contamination surveys, radioactive waste collection and shipping, calibration of area radiation monitors, calibration of effluent and process radiation monitors, calibration of radiation protection/survey instrumentation, and establishing/posting radiological control areas.

4. Provision of radiation protection services during fuel movements, in-core experiments, sample irradiations, beam port use, ion column removal, and diffractometer beam installation and testing, etc.

The results of all surveys and surveillances conducted have been within the guidelines established for the facility.

20 H. RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS This section summarizes the nature and amount of liquid, gaseous, and solid radioactive wastes released or discharged from the facility.

1. Liquid Waste Liquid radioactive wastes generated at the facility are discharged only to the sanitary sewer serving the facility. The possible sources of such wastes during the year include cooling tower blowdown, the liquid waste storage tanks, and one controlled sink in the Restricted Area (Engineering Lab). All of the liquid volumes are measured, by far the largest being the 12,379,975 liters discharged during CY2011 from the cooling towers. (Other large quantities of non-radioactive waste water are discharged to the sanitary sewer system by other parts of MIT, but no credit for such dilution is taken because the volume is not routinely measured.)

Total activity less tritium in the liquid effluents (cooling tower blowdown, waste storage tank discharges, and engineering lab sink discharges) amounted to 53.8 gtCi for CY201 1. The total tritium was 132 mCi. The total effluent water volume was 12,412,926 liters, giving an average tritium concentration of 10.6 x10-6 gtCi/ml.

The above liquid waste discharges are provided on a monthly basis in the following Table H-3.

All releases were in accordance with Technical Specification 3.8-1, including Part 20, Title 20, Code of Federal Regulations. All activities were substantially below the limits specified in 10 CFR 20.2003. Nevertheless, the monthly tritium releases are reported in Table H-3.

2. Gaseous Waste Gaseous radioactivity is discharged to the atmosphere from the containment building exhaust stack. All gaseous releases likewise were in accordance with the Technical Specifications and 10 CFR 20.1302, and all nucides were substantially below the limits, using the authorized dilution factor of 50,000 (changed from 3,000 starting with CY2011 per the renewed license's Technical Specifications). The only principal nucide was Ar-41, which is reported in the following Table H-1. The 1111.75 Ci of Ar-41 was released at an average concentration of 1.68E-10 JtCi/ml. This represents 1.68% of EC (Effluent Concentration (lx10- 8 gtCi/ml)).

3. Solid Waste One shipment of solid waste was made during the calendar year. The information pertaining to this shipment is provided in Table H-2.

21 TABLE H-1 ARGON-41 STACK RELEASES CALENDAR YEAR 2011 Ar-41 Average Discharged Concentration(l)

(Curies) (jCi/mi)

January 2011 180.03 3.92 E-10 February 29.86 5.20 E-11 March 83.90 1.46 E-10 April 110.92 1.93 E-10 May 81.72 1.42 E-10 June 120.86 2.11 E-10 July 46.71 8.14 E-11 August 101.12 1.76 E-10 September 83.57 1.46 E-10 October 132.69 2.31 E-10 November 42.15 7.35 E-11 December 98.21 1.71 E-10 Totals (12 Months) 1111.75 1.68 E-10 EC (Table II, Column I) 1 x 10-8

% EC 1.68%

(1) Average concentrations do not vary linearly with curies discharged because of differing monthly dilution volumes.

22 TABLE H-2

SUMMARY

OF MITR-II RADIOACTIVE SOLID WASTE SHIPMENTS CALENDAR YEAR 2011 Description 3

Volume 288 f Weight 28,132 lbs.

Activity 502 mCi Date of shipment June 11, 2011 Disposition to licensee for burial Energy Solutions, Clive, UT Waste broker Energy Solutions, Clive, UT

23 TABLE H-3 LIQUID EFFLUENT DISCHARGES CALENDAR YEAR 2011 Total Total Volume Average Activity Tritium of Effluent Tritium Less Tritium Activity Water(l) Concentration (xl0-6 Ci) (mCi) (liters) (xl 0-6 gCi/ml)

Jan. 201'1 2.49 9.62 1,878,531 5.12 Feb. 27.6 4.08 262,442 15.5 Mar. NDA 1.28 723,701 1.78 Apr. NDA 0.00152 1,195,909 0.00127 May NDA 0.00305 991,073 0.00308 June 19.7 5.60 1,120,740 5.00 July NDA 0.00136 104,230 0.0130 Aug. NDA 0.00263 840,125 0.00313 Sept. 0.585 30.3 2,207,192 13.7 Oct. 1.02 75.1 1,124,950 66.8 Nov. 1.66 3.13 654,908 4.78 Dec., 0.706 2.73 1,309,138 1.81 12 months 53.8 132 12,412,926 10.6 (1) Volume of effluent from cooling towers, waste tanks, and NW12-139 Engineering Lab sink. Does not include other diluent from MIT estimated at 2.7 million gallons/day.

(2) No Detectable Activity (NDA); less than 1.26x1 0-6 ptCi/ml beta for each sample.

24 I.

SUMMARY

OF USE OF MEDICAL FACILITY FOR HUMAN THERAPY The use of the medical therapy facility for human therapy is summarized here pursuant to Technical Specification No. 7.7.1.9.

1. Investigative Studies Investigative studies remain as summarized in the annual report for FY2005.

2. Human Therapy None.

3. Status of Clinical Trials The Phase I glioblastoma and melanoma trials with BIDMC have been closed.

A beam that is superior to the original epithermal beam in the basement Medical Therapy Room in both flux and quality continues to be available from the Fission Converter Facility. No use of that beam is anticipated in the near term because of a nationwide funding hiatus for work of this type.