ML16224A322
| ML16224A322 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Lowell |
| Issue date: | 08/11/2016 |
| From: | Bobek L Univ of Massachusetts - Lowell |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| GL-16-001 | |
| Download: ML16224A322 (1) | |
Text
Pinanski Building One University Avenue Lowell, Massachusetts 01854 tel:
978.934.3366 fax:
978.934.4067 url: www.uml.edu/radlab RADIATION LABORATORY August 11, 2016 ATTN: Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Re:
NRC Generic Letter 2016-01, License No. R-125, Docket No. 50-223 This letter is submitted in response to the NRC Generic Letter 2016-01: Monitoring of Neutron-Absorbing Materials in Spent Fuel Pools.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) owns and operates a 1MW non-power research reactor. Part of the facility design includes fuel storage racks in a wet location within the reactor pool. The storage racks are briefly described in section 6.1 of the FSAR (1984) and more fully described in the draft FSAR (2015) submitted as part of license renewal. The storage racks are designed and constructed to hold no more than nine fuel elements in a linear array, and include a Boral sheet as part of the incorporated rack materials.
A criticality analysis for a rack fully loaded with fresh fuel elements has shown that without credit for the Boral sheet, the linear array has a maximum keff of <0.7. This value is well below the keff limiting value of <0.9 for fissionable material storage specified in ANSI/ANS-15.1-2007: The Development of Technical Specifications for Research Reactors. Therefore, there is no credit is assumed or taken for the Boral material in the fuel storage racks for the UMLRR.
Please direct any requests for additional information regarding this submittal to:
Mr. Leo Bobek, Reactor Supervisor Radiation Laboratory University of Massachusetts Lowell One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854 I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Sincerely, Leo M. Bobek Reactor Supervisor, Radiation Laboratory