RCF 17-01, Submittal of 2016 Operations Report

Submittal of 2016 Operations Report

ML17138A292
Person / Time
Site:	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Issue date:	04/28/2017
From:	Caracappa P Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
RCF 17-01
Download: ML17138A292 (2)

Text

Rensselaer L. DAVID WALTHOUSEN LABORATORY REACTOR CRITICAL FACILITY RCF 17-01 April 28, 2017 U.S. Nuclear'Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Re: Operations Report for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reactor Critical Facility, NRC License CX-22, Docket Number 50-225.

To Whom It May Concern:

This document constitutes the Calendar.Year 2016 Operations Report of the RPI RCF to the USNRC and to Rensselaer management. ***

The Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) operated successfully during calendar year 2016. The RCF was used for one laboratory course and two introductory courses in the Nuclear Engineering curricula. The facility staff trained. three n~w Synior Re.acto~ Ope~a,tors who passed an NRC licensing exam in January 2016.

Students from. Vermont Technical.c;::onege carried out experimer.ts"similarto those performed in the*

lab6rat6ry'course. *' * *. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . *. .. * .

Researcheis*:ftom Los Alamos National Laborat~ry collected. data with He3 detecto.rs in several subcritical configurations: This exp.eriment was sponsored by Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.

Work proceeded on critical experiments with the 0.640 pitch lattice plates. Critical .measurements were performed with 327-pin and 333-pin configurations. Some subcritical measurements were conducted with fewer pins. The SPERT(Fl) fuel is 4.81 w/o enriched high density U0 2 pellet fuel clad in stainless steel, so it is similar to power plant reactor fuel. The RCF is now the* only facility in the U.S. carrying out reactor physics critical experiments in support of the power reactor function. These experiments are similar to pbwer reactor startup measurements.

A NRC inspection was performed in August 2016. NRC findings have been reported in other correspondence.

Training and proficiency requirements for all licensed operators have been reviewed and are current.

1)1e NSRB rr{embe~s,remain t.he same, however,Dr. Wei Ji replaced Dr. Yaron Danmias the Chair~

The Technical *specifications; App'. A to USNRCLicense CX-22 require ~:epci~i~g the following operational items:*

1. Changes to facility design: The 327-pin core with Zr reflectors was altered with a* return to the nominal 332-pincore without Zr reflectors. ' . . .* . .

• 2 .. ::Significant maintenance, repairs or oth~r"York performed on RCF systems: None

• 3 .' ;* Charig~s"i~ operating pro~edures which ~elate to ~he safety of RCF operations: None

4. *

• S"urveillan~e checks, tysts, and.calibrations vyere conducted and logged:as required. The results were

. satisfactory. On)une s', 2016 an emergency preparedne~s drill was conducted at the RCF. * * .

. . . ***.. )PZO Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute p p 110 8th Street I Troy, NY 12180-3590 USA Nf-1\..,

'.. f P~one (518) 276-22121 Fax (518) 276-4832

5. Changes, tests or experiments requiring authorization from the USNRC under 10CFRS0.59 a orb:

None

6. Calculated integrated thermal power: Approximately 77.5 x 10-3 kw-hr for all of 2016.

7. There were no unplanned scrams in the report interval.

8. Maintenance operations were carried out and logged with satisfactory results.

9. There were no discharges of radioactive effluents.

10. Environmental monitor dosimetry is performed at the exclusion area fence (EMl through EM4), and at the site boundary fence (EMS and EM6). The environmental monitoring results are reported without background subtraction, and the accumulated dose to an off-site control monitor is reported separately. The sum of the quarterly control readings from 2016 was 123 mrem. The sums of the gross readings and net dose results for 2016 are:

Gross Net EMl U6mrem Omrem EM2 131 mrem 8mrem EM3 110 mrem Omrem EM4 107 mrem Omrem EMS 104 mrem Omrem EM6 131 mrem 8mrem

11. A total of 11 personnel monitoring badges recorded an accumulated dose greater than the minimum reportable dose of 10 mrem in at least one quarter of 2016, for a total collective dose of 226 mrem.

Sincerely, Cc:

Dr. Shekhar Garde Dean of Dr. Suvranu De, Head, Dr. Yaron Danon Engineering Mechanical, Aerospace, and Chairman, NSRB and Head, Nuclear Engineering . Nuclear Engineering Program Department Ms. Annette Chism, Director Mr. Glenn Winters, RCF Environmental Health and Operations Supervisor Safety