ML13059A459

Dow Triga Research Reactor Annual Report - 2012

ML13059A459
Person / Time
Site:	Dow Chemical Company
Issue date:	02/27/2013
From:	O'Connor P Dow Chemical Co
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML13059A459 (4)

Text

The Dow Chemical Company Midland, Michigan 48667 February 27, 2013 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'Connor 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, 433 Paul O'Connor, 1897 10.j4L

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2012 There was one US NRC inspection in 2012 and there were no violations found. The annual peer review audit was conducted by Prof. Mike Hartman of The University of Michigan in October of 2012.

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 2012. There were no staff changes during the year, 2012.

A. Staff, Licenses, and Training Dr. Tomlin, a trainee on staff since 2011, obtained an Instant SRO license in April 2012. 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 Senior Reactor Operator Operator licenses are current. Dr. Yusuf renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2012.

Mr. Haskins renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2012.

The current two year re-qualification program started in the 1st quarter of 2012, and will end in 4h quarter of 2013. 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. Each operation involves 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 305 hours0.00353 days <br />0.0847 hours <br />5.042989e-4 weeks <br />1.160525e-4 months <br /> during 2012 by the three Senior Reactor Operators.

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2012 There were no membership changes to the Reactor Operations Committee (ROC) during the year, 2012. 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 Research Leader Dow R&D M. E. Buchmann Associate Quality 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 operations staff member 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 is a Research Leader and reports through the Dow Coating Materials R&D. Mr. M. E. Buchmann is an Associate Quality Director and reports through the Dow Manufacturing and Engineering.

B. Reactor Operating Experience The reactor was operated for 1.5 Megawatt-days during 2013 for a total of 305 hours0.00353 days <br />0.0847 hours <br />5.042989e-4 weeks <br />1.160525e-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 8050 samples were irradiated in 2012.

C. Major Changes There were no major changes to the facility in 2012 and there were no changes to the facility procedures.

D. Unscheduled Shutdowns There Were 19 unscheduled shutdowns (scrams) during 2012, down from 2011 numbers. 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 2012. There were however, 13 preventive and corrective maintenance items. These are related to replacements of water purification cartridges, adjustments on the NM1000 safety channel, adjustments on the NPP1000 safety channel, adjustment on a limiting switch, replacement of the high resolution monitor, clearing defective poly-capsules from the pneumatic system.

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DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2012 F. Radioactive Effluents The only radioactive material normally released to the environment from the facility is argon-41.

This 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. Ar-41 is also produced 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 February 27, 2012

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