ML15051A367

Annual Report 2014 for the Dow Triga Research Nuclear Reactor

ML15051A367
Person / Time
Site:	Dow Chemical Company
Issue date:	02/17/2015
From:	O'Connor P Dow Chemical Co
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML15051A367 (4)

Text

The Dow Chemical Company Midland, Michigan 48667 February 17, 2015 Document Control Desk United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 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'Connyr Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor Enclosure CC: Geoff Wertz; USNRC Wayde Konze, 1897 Siaka Yusuf, 1602 Bryan Tomlin, 1602 Bryan Haskins, 1602 James Weldy, 1803 Jay Romick, 1707 Michael Buchmann, 1897 Paul O'Connor, 1897 4 co

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2014 There was one US NRC inspection in 2014 and there were no violations found. The annual peer review audit was conducted by Mr. Joseph Talnagi of Ohio State University (Retired) in December of 2014.

The audit examined 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 non-nal in-house audits of the radiation protection program, safety and housekeeping, and records were also performed and there were no issues found.

There were no other significant changes to the facility during 2014, except for several changes in Technical Specifications (TS), Administrative Procedures and Operating Procedures as results of the renewed license which was effective June of 2014. There were no staff changes during the year, 2014.

A. Staff, Licenses, and Training 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. Dr. Tomlin obtained his Senior Reactor Operator license in 2012.

The annual re-qualification program was carried out according to the new TS. 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 318 hours0.00368 days <br />0.0883 hours <br />5.257936e-4 weeks <br />1.20999e-4 months <br /> during 2014 by the three Senior Reactor Operators.

DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2014 There were no membership changes to the Reactor Operations Committee (ROC) during the year, 2014. 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 Process Analytical Global Leader 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 Enviromnental, Health and Safety department. Dr. Romick is a Research Leader and reports through the Dow Coating Materials R&D. Mr. M. E. Buchmrnan is a Process Analytical Global Leader and reports through the Dow Global Process Analytical.

B. Reactor Operating Experience The reactor was operated for 1.4 Megawatt-days (a decrease of about 18% flom last year) during 2014 for the total of 318 hours0.00368 days <br />0.0883 hours <br />5.257936e-4 weeks <br />1.20999e-4 months <br /> (An increase of 4% from last year). Operational experience is slightly up and similar to recent years. The main purpose of operations at the Dow facility is to perform neutron activation analysis. About 7,264 samples were irradiated in 2014, up by 18%

from last year, 2013. An increase in the number of experiments, an increase in the number of hours operated and a decrease in the Megawatt-days operated is a sign of an improved productivity for the Dow TRIGA Research Reactor.

C. Major Changes The DTRR license was renewed by the US NRC in June of 2014. There was a special Reactor Operations Committee meeting held to address the changes mandated by the renewed license and the Technical Specifications. During this meeting, changes, to the Operating Procedures and Administrative Procedures, to be in compliance with the renewed License and TS were reviewed and Approved by the ROC. There were no other changes to the facility in 2014. The US NRC inspection in 2014 focused on the changes mandated by the renewed license and TS and how they were being implemented. There was also a visit to the facility by Mr. Geoff Wertz (US NRC Project Manager), as part of a biennial facility tour and primarily, this time, to discuss any operational challenges due to the changes brought by the renewed license and TS.

D. Unscheduled Shutdowns There were 8 unscheduled shutdowns (scrams) during 2014, down from 2013 numbers. Most of these were due to losses of computer function. The most common malfunction is still with the

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DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2014 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 2014. There were however, 22 preventive and corrective maintenance items. These were related to replacements of water purification cartridges, repair and calibration of the Eberline area monitor, Like for Like replacement of a potentiometer to Shim I control rod drive, adjustments on the NM 1000 safety channel, adjustments on the NP 1000 safety channel, and repair of the power supply to the high resolution monitor.

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 recorm-mended 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 recoimmended in I OCFR20.

H. Outside Sampling and Monitoring There were no incidences requiring outside sampling or monitoring during the year 2014.

P. J. O'Connor Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor February 17, 2015

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