ML13037A105
| ML13037A105 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Issue date: | 01/24/2013 |
| From: | Timothy Debey US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS) |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML13037A105 (7) | |
Text
MwUSGS science for a changing world Department of the Interior US Geological Survey Box 25046 MS-974 Denver CO, 80225 January 24, 2013 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington DC 20555
Dear NRC staff,
The 2012 annual report is herein submitted for the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA non-power reactor facility. This report is generated in compliance with our license conditions.
The facility docket number is 50-274.
Sincerely, Timothy M. DeBey Reactor Supervisor Enclosure Copy to:
Paulette Torres, MS OWFN 12 D20 to
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 1, 2012 - DECEMBER 31,2012 NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 - DOCKET NO. 50-274
- 1. Personnel Changes:
None.
II. Operating Experience The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operation for the year 2012. No major facility changes were made during the year.
A synopsis of irradiations performed during the year is given below, listed by the organization submitting the samples to the reactor staff:
Organization M urnhir nf -qnm la USGS -INAA 1784 USGS - Geochronology 1109 USGS - other 38 Non-USGS 4063 Total 6994 A. Thermal power calibrations were performed in July and September, with minor adjustments made to the instrumentation.
B. During the report period, 222 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.
C. Tours were provided to individuals and groups during the year for a total visitor count of approximately 610.
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III. Tabulation of Eneray Generated MWh operated Critical hours Pulses Jan 142.216 142h 35m 0 Feb 69.557 74h 27m 0 Mar 145.525 164h 49m 0 Apr 74.608 84h 25m 11 May 74.186 76h Om 0 June 89.304 92h 10m 0 July 128.729 134h 21m 0 73.514 75h 47m 0 Sept 121.539 127h 41m 0 Oct 50.081 56h 30m 0 Nov 154.002 161h 22m 4 Dec 67.856 73h 55m 0 Totals 1191.117 1266h 9m 15 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Number Date Cause 1099 2/24/12 DAC watchdog due to CSC/DAC network error 1100 4/3/12 NPP high power due to overshoot on square wave 1101 4/6/12 CSC watchdog due to CSC/DAC network error 1102 4/9/12 CSC watchdog due to computer lockup 1103 4/9/12 CSC watchdog due to computer lockup 1104 4/12/12 CSC watchdog due to computer lockup 1105 6/5/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1106 6/5/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1107 6/5/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1108 7/10/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1109 7/18/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1110 7/19/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1111 7/19/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1112 7/27/12 NPP high power due to noise spike 1113 9/18/12 NPP high power due to AC power surge 1114 12/4/12 Scram due to computer shutdown 1115 12/6/12 NPP high power due to trainee error 2
V. Significant Maintenance Operations 2/12 Replaced spacer at bottom of Shim 1 rod drive dashpot.
3/12 Replaced Magnehelic AP gauge on HEPA exhaust filter for Rm 151.
4/12 Replaced HX outlet low pressure sensor switch on secondary pipe.
7/12 Replaced potentiometer R79, signal coaxial cable, and CIC detector for NPP-1 000 power channel.
7/12 Installed low voltage motor controls for cooling pumps and cooling tower fans.
7/12 Replaced prefilter and pipe connections for purification system.
8/12 Replaced Action Pak signal conditioners on Ar-41 monitor and RAM 4 with new Universal signal conditioners.
8/12 Replaced shaft seal on primary cooling pump.
8/12 Replaced potentiometer R6 on NPP-1000 power channel 9/12 Repositioned roll pin on Shim 1 drive connecting rod to stop it from rubbing on dashpot spacer.
10/12 Replaced backup battery on RAM 6.
11/12 Replaced ion exchange resin.
11/12 Cleaned out drain line on secondary pipe (inlet pipe to cooling tower).
.12/12 Installed central thimble sample oscillator.
VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 chanaes There were two 50.59 changes that were evaluated and approved by the Reactor Operations Committee in CY 2012. One was to install a sample oscillator for central thimble samples. This change would allow central thimble samples to be oscillated vertically with a maximum stroke of 3 inches and an oscillation period of approximately 2 minutes. This change was implemented in December, 2012.
The second 50.59 change involved a change in the signal conditioners used for control console input signals. The original signal conditioners were built in -1988 and are now obsolete, difficult to maintain, and no longer manufactured. The new signal conditioners are similar to those installed in new control consoles provided by General Atomics. This change was only been implemented for two signals in CY2012 and the remaining units will be changed as allowed by staff availability.
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VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluent released to the environment beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.
Table 1. Gaseous Effluents Released to the Environment Month Argon-41 R-113 License Tritium (HTO IOCFR20 Allowable (mCi)
- Allowable (Ci) (Ci) (mCi)
January 1.159 5.833 0.13 124 February 1.027 5.833 0.00 124 March 1.644 5.833 0.14 124 April 0.922 5.833 0.00 124 May 0.756 5.833 0.13 124 June 1.151 5.833 0.00 124 July 1.998 5.833 0.40 124 August 0.802 5.833 0.18 124 September 0.815 5.833 0.00 124 October 0.578 5.833 0.18 124 November 0.763 5.833 0.00 124 December 0.992 5.833 0.17 124 Total 12.607 70.00 1.33 1488
% of Allowable 18.01% 0.089%
- Note: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor multiplied by the concentration of tritium as HTO.
Tritium sample analyses were performed by Test America Laboratories.
B. A solid low-level waste shipment of 15.0 cu.ft., part of which was reactor generated, was shipped this calendar year.
C. Throughout the year Na-24 and Br-82 were observed on the CAM filter analyses.
The conservative estimated releases for these isotopes are in Table 2.
Table 2. Releases of other isotopes in 2012 Isotope PCi pCi/ml 10 CFR 20 limits (pCi/ml) % of limit Na-24 1.25E-02 8.37E-16 7.OOE-09 1.20E-05 Br-82 1.78E-03 1.20E-16 5.OOE-09 2.40E-06 Vill. Radiation Monitorina Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year.
- 1. Nineteen gamma-sensitive area monitors are located throughout the Nuclear 4
Science Building. A remote readout panel is located in the reactor health physics office. High alarm set points range from 2 mR/hr to 50 mR/hr. High level alarms are very infrequent and due to sample movements.
- 2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) samples the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of about 1.5 x 10-8 pCi/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of about 400 cpm above background. The alarm setpoints are a low-level alarm set at 3000 cpm and the high level alarm set at 10000 cpm. Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The fixed particulate air filter is changed each week and counted on a HPGE gamma spectrometer counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the particulate air filter, is also changed and counted weekly. In all instances, sample data were less than airborne concentration values in 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 2 for all particulate radioisotopes produced by the reactor.
- 3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a 3-Curie (initial activity) Cs-137 source traceable to NBS, and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G5000 low level counting system. The highest removable contamination found was equal to 880 pCi/1 00 cm beta-gamma, located in the reactor bay on top of the west brown table on the south side. This area was successfully decontaminated below MDA. The next highest removable contamination found was equal to 648.9 pCi/1 00 cm 2 beta-gamma, located in the reactor bay on top of the west white table on the north side. No areas were greater than 9.8 pCi/1 00 cm2 alpha contamination.
The roof area over the reactor tank is roped off and posted as a radiation area (averaging 2.5 mR/hr) during 1 MW operations.
- 4. LiF TLD dosimeters were used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued self-reading dosimeters. Reactor staff personnel are issued beta, gamma, albedo neutron badges.
Table 3. Personnel Monitoring Results (12/1111 - 11/30/12)
Employee code Whole Body (Rem) Whole Body (Rem) Extremity (Rem)
Deep Dose Equiv. Shallow Dose Equiv.
E0888 0.320 0.345 1.033 E0607 0.250 0.253 1.233 E0707 0.249 0.270 2.111 E0908 0.108 0.108 0.268 Reactor visitors and occasional experimenters wore pocket dosimeters that resulted in no individual's reading that was greater than 4.0 mrem per a visit and no cumulative total greater than 19.9 mrem.
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Table 4. Environmental Dose Results Location Dose Dose Dose Dose Total Jan-Mar Apr-June July-Sept. Oct.- Dec.
Exhaust 0.044 0.129** 0.058 0.128 0.359 Stack Cooling 0.007 0.058** 0.000 0.000 0.065 Tower Fence West Vehicle 0.000 0.077** 0.032 0.029 0.138 Gate West Room 0.047 0.114** 0.065 0.056 0.282 151 Gate Southwest 0.001 0.085** 0.018 0.012 0.116 Light Pole Control 0.044* 0.014** 0.053 0.045 0.156 (background)
Southeast 0.010 0.038** 0.017 0.000 0.065 Light Pole Rx Fence 0.051 0.133** 0.092 0.107 0.383 Loading Dock
- Control badge exhibited an unusual response and was not used. The control dose was estimated by averaging the last four control badges.
- All badges showed an unusual response due to an unknown chemical contaminate.
All readings are estimates and the control badge was conservatively estimated low by using a background dose rate of 0.15 mrem/day (dose rate at sea level).
Note: Above totals have the background subtracted (see control). Environmental TLDs were supplied and analyzed by Mirion Technologies.
X. Environmental Monitoring There were several isotopes detected on the CAM filters throughout the year resulting in very small releases of Na-24 and Br-82 through the normal air exhaust on the roof. The amounts released are shown in Table 2.
Environmental soil and water samples were taken and analyzed. No elevated readings or reactor-produced isotopes were identified (fallout Cs-1 37 was identified).
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