ML15211A362

University of Texas at Austin - Request for Additional Information Regarding the License Renewal Request for the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Triga Mark II Nuclear Research Reactor

ML15211A362
Person / Time
Site:	University of Texas at Austin
Issue date:	07/31/2015
From:	Michael Balazik Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch
To:	Biegalski S University of Texas at Austin
Hardesty D, NRR/DPR, 415-3724
References
TAC ME7694
Download: ML15211A362 (5)

Text

July 31, 2015 Dr. Steven Biegalski, Director Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory The University of Texas at Austin 10100 Burnet Rd, Bldg 159 Austin, Texas 78758

SUBJECT:

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE LICENSE RENEWAL REQUEST FOR THE NUCLEAR ENGINEERING TEACHING LABORATORY TRIGA MARK II NUCLEAR RESEARCH REACTOR (TAC NO. ME7694)

Dear Dr. Biegalski:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is continuing its review of your application for renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-129, for the University of Texas at Austin, dated December 12, 2011, as most recently supplemented on July 15, 2015 (redacted version available on the NRCs public website, www.nrc.gov, in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS], Accession Nos. ML12156A097 and ML15211A638) respectively.

During our review of your recent submittal, a question has arisen for which we require additional information. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additional information within 30 days of the date of this letter.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Section 50.30(b),

Oath or affirmation, your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. Your response must be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 50.4, Written Communications. Information included in your response that is considered sensitive, or proprietary, that you seek to have withheld from the public, must be marked in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. Any information related to security should be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21, Protection of Safeguards Information: Performance Requirements. Following receipt of the additional information, we will continue our evaluation of your amendment request.

S. Biegalski If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at (301) 415-2856 or by electronic mail at Michael.Balazik@nrc.gov.

Sincerely,

/RA by DHardesty for/

Michael F. Balazik, Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-602 cc w/encl: See next page

University of Texas at Austin Docket No. 50-602 cc:

Governors Budget and Planning Office P.O. Box 13561 Austin, TX 78711 Bureau of Radiation Control State of Texas 1100 West 49th Street Austin, TX 78756 Dr. William Powers, Jr., President University of Texas at Austin Nuclear Engineering teaching Laboratory Austin, TX 78758 Office of the Governor P.O. Box 12428 Austin, TX 78711 P. Michael Whaley, Associate Director Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory The University of Texas at Austin 10100 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78758 Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611

ML15211A362 OFFICE DPR/PRLB: PM DPR/PRLB: LA DPR/PRLB: BC DPR/PRLB: PM MBalazik ELee AAdams MBalazik NAME (DHardesty for) (w/comment) (LTran for) (DHardesty for)

DATE 7/31/2015 7/31/2015 7/31/2015 7/31/2015

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING LICENSE RENEWAL REQUEST FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN TRIGA MARK II NUCLEAR REACTOR LICENSE NO. R-129; DOCKET NO. 50-602 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is continuing its review of your application for renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-129, for the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) TRIGA Mark II Nuclear Research Reactor (the facility) owned by the University of Texas at Austin (UT, the licensee), dated December 12, 2011, as most recently supplemented on July 15, 2015 (available on the NRCs public website, www.nrc.gov, in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), Accession Nos.

ML12156A097 and ML15211A638).

During the review of your recent submittal for license renewal of the NETL TRIGA Mark II Nuclear Research Reactor (herein referred to as UT TRIGA), the following question has arisen for which we require additional information.

The guidance in NUREG-1537 Section 4.5.2, Reactor Core Physics Parameters, requests the applicant provide calculations of certain core physics parameters and compare them with applicable measurements. A request for additional information was sent to you in a letter dated July 25, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML15211A638), regarding a comparison of calculated and measured values for reactivity parameters. In response, your submittal dated July 15, 2015 (ADAMS Accession No. ML121500308), provided calculations for control rod worth and excess reactivity in Tables 11 and 12, respectively. In addition, you provided comparisons of these calculations and measurements in Table 13.

a. In Table 11, your calculations of excess reactivity and control rod worth on 3/16/1992, 7/24/2007, 6/4/2008, 6/11/2008, 6/14/2010, 6/23/2010, 7/25/2011, and 8/2/2012 indicate the shutdown margin for the UT TRIGA reactor would have a positive reactivity. A positive reactivity would not meet Technical Specification 3.2 Shutdown Margin. Please justify why the positive reactivity presents an acceptable level of safety regarding shutdown margin for the UT reactor.

b. In Tables 11 and 12, your calculations for excess reactivity are consistently higher than the measured values. The average bias between the calculated and measured values is

$2.56. Please justify why this bias presents an acceptable level of agreement in modeling the UT reactor.

c. Control rod worth in Table 13 appears to be inconsistent. For example, the Regulating Rod worth varies between +12.7% and -21.2%. Specifically, the values for two separate Regulating Rod data points on 7/13/2012, changes from -10.1% to +12.7%. Similarly, Shim-2 worth varies between -23.1% and +30.1%. Please justify why these variations indicate an acceptable level of agreement in modeling the UT reactor.

ENCLOSURE