ML19256A844

1978 Annual Rept for Triga Reactor.Prime Function Was to Provide Neutrons for Various Research Programs.Irradiations Were Also Done for Other Govt Agencies

ML19256A844
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1978
From:	INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:
Shared Package
ML19256A842	List: ML19256A841 ML19256A844
References
NUDOCS 7901160227
Download: ML19256A844 (8)

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U. S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor ANNUAL REPORT January 1, 1978 - December 31, 1978

1. Administrative Changes A. Mr. Donald Rusling assumed responsibility as Reactor Supervisor on April 24, 1978 from Mr. Paul Helfer who had been Acting Reactor Supervisor since the resignation of Mr. George P. Kraker.

B. Effective December 31, 1978, responsiblity for the operation of the reactor facility was transferred from the Water Resources Division to the Geologic Division of the Geological Survey. Mr. Albert P.

Marranzino, Deputy Regional Geologist, ntral Region, was designated Reactor Administrator replacing Mr. Alfred Clebsch, Jr. of the Water Ret:ourcu Division.

II. Operating Experience The prime function of the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) for the year 1978 has been to provide neutrons for the various research programs being conducted by the Geologic Division and the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. As time was available, irradiations were also performed for other Governmental agencies and education institutes.

A listing of all irradiations performed during the year 1978 is tabulated below:

Organization Samples (1978)

Geologic Division (Denver)

Branch of Analytical Laboratories 20,332 Uranium and Thorium Branch 241 Water Resources Division (Denver) 334 Colorado State University 206 Rockwell International (ERDA) 28 EG&G 22 Ohio State University 6 Geologic Division (Menlo Park) 5 University of Colorado 4 California Institute of Technology 3 Georgia Institute of Technology 1 21,182 7901160}F7

2 Except as detailed below, operation of the reactor facility has been normal. The specifics of operation relating to performance characteristics, changes in facility design or operating procedure are:

A. Thermal power calibration at 50 KW was performed in June 1978.

B. One Class II experiment was approved. Experiment P-11 was approved March 28, 1978 by the Reactor Operations Committee. It covers the expansion of P-9, the delayed neutron system, from a single terminus and counter to two termini and two counters operating simultaneous.

C. During the report period, 220 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with Technical Specification requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

D. Tours of the reactor facility were provided to 18 groups during the year. The major groups visiting the facility were affiliated with:

University of Colorado State of Colorado Science Fair Colorado State University Rockwell International Isotope Geology Conference (attended by Geologists and Geophysicists from over 3C countries)

Creighton School Bethlehem School So. Africa Geological Survey During the year, 368 visitors were admitted to the reactor facility.

III. Tabulation of Energy Generated The following is a tabulation of the thermal energy generated in megawatt hours, the number of hours the reactor was critical and the amount of pulsing for the year.

Megawatt Time Reactor Pulsing Month Hours Was Critical Number - K/B January 1978 77.009 91 hours0.00105 days <br />0.0253 hours <br />1.50463e-4 weeks <br />3.46255e-5 months <br /> 32 minutes 0 February 1978 49.562 78 hours9.027778e-4 days <br />0.0217 hours <br />1.289683e-4 weeks <br />2.9679e-5 months <br /> 06 minutes 0 March 1978 77.553 87 hours0.00101 days <br />0.0242 hours <br />1.438492e-4 weeks <br />3.31035e-5 months <br /> 41 minutes 0 April 1978 74.438 86 hours9.953704e-4 days <br />0.0239 hours <br />1.421958e-4 weeks <br />3.2723e-5 months <br /> 43 minutes O May 1978 47.900 56 hours6.481481e-4 days <br />0.0156 hours <br />9.259259e-5 weeks <br />2.1308e-5 months <br /> 06 minutes 0 June 1978 56.484 71 hours8.217593e-4 days <br />0.0197 hours <br />1.173942e-4 weeks <br />2.70155e-5 months <br /> 45 minutes 0 July 1978 65.172 68 hours7.87037e-4 days <br />0.0189 hours <br />1.124339e-4 weeks <br />2.5874e-5 months <br /> 24 minutes 0 August 1978 103.649 112 hours0.0013 days <br />0.0311 hours <br />1.851852e-4 weeks <br />4.2616e-5 months <br /> 54 minutes 0 September 1978 88.722 99 hours0.00115 days <br />0.0275 hours <br />1.636905e-4 weeks <br />3.76695e-5 months <br /> 17 minutes 0 October 1978 88.789 98 hours0.00113 days <br />0.0272 hours <br />1.62037e-4 weeks <br />3.7289e-5 months <br /> 47 minutes 0 November 1978 76.585 85 hours9.837963e-4 days <br />0.0236 hours <br />1.405423e-4 weeks <br />3.23425e-5 months <br /> 11 minutes 0 December 1978 77.259 85 hours9.837963e-4 days <br />0.0236 hours <br />1.405423e-4 weeks <br />3.23425e-5 months <br /> 40 minutes 0 Total 883.122 1022 hours0.0118 days <br />0.284 hours <br />0.00169 weeks <br />3.88871e-4 months <br /> 06 minutes 0

. 3 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Emergency Shutdowns - number and reason

1. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to return signal. Rabbit had returned.

Timer setting was incorrect. (Serial #187)

2. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to return signal. (Serial #190)

3. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to return signal. (Serial #196)

4. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to return signal. (Serial #197)

Unscheduled Shutdowns - number and reason

1. Manual Scram - Rabbit slow returning. (Serial #186)

2. Manual Scram - Rabbit slow returning. (Scrial #188)

3. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #189)

4. Manual Scram - Lazy Susan stopped rotating. (Serial #191)

5. Manual Scram - Rabbit jammed loading block. (Serial #192)

6. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system blower solenoid failed. (Serial #193)

7. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #194)

8. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #195)

9. Manual Scram - Lazy Susan stopped rotating. (Serial #198)

10. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #199)

11. Linear Power - Taysical shock to console. (Serial #200)

12. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #201)

13. Manual Scram - Rabbit slow returning. (Serial #202)

14. Manual Scram - Delayed neutron sample had higher activity than anticipated. (Serial #203)

15. Manual Scram - Rabbit failed to eject. (Serial #204)

16. Linear Power - Range switching transient. (Serial #205)

17. Linear Power - Rais#ng of central thimble sample caused 28 cents reactivity addition. (Serial #206)

. 4 V. Major Maintenance Operations The corrective maintenance required during the year is listed below by major categories: within a category the maintenance items required are listed in chronological order. Preventative maintenance on all mechanical equipment was accomplished.

A. Water Systems

1. The demineralizer resin was changed three times during the year.

2. Installed new demineralizer pump.

3. Replaced gate valve on cooling tower bleed-off line.

B. Console - Reactor Electronics

1. Replaced the linear amplifier in the recorder.

2. All required reactor safety channels were calibrated.

C. Control Rods

1. The transient rod mechanism was cleaned and lubricated three times during the year. The drop time was observed to be slow, and the mechanism was dismantled and cleaned. A report was made to NRC, Region IV, by letter dated 9/27/78.

D. Startup Source

1. The aluminum seal ring on the source holder broke and caused difficulty removing the source from the core. The source was removed from the core and stored in the tank a few days ta allow some decay.

The source was then removed from the tank, and a new seal ring was inctalled in the source holder. The source was returned to the core.

E. Air Systems

1. Installed new HEPA filter in emergency exhaust system. DOP testing of new filter was performed by personnel from Rocky Flats.

VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 Changes No changes were made under 10 CFR 50.59.

5 VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluents released to the environs beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

License (R-113) 10 CFR 20 Argon-41 Allowable Tritium (HTO) Allowable Month (curies) (curies) (curies) (curies) s January 1978 0.50 5.8 12.3x10[s 0.25 February 1978 0.27 5.8 12.5 x 10 s 0.25 March 1978 0.57 5.8 15.0x10[s 0.25 April 1978 0.45 5.8 12.9 x 10_s 0.25 May 1978 0.28 5.6 16.0 x 10 3 0.25 June 1978 0.23 5.8 6.1x10[s 0.25 July 1978 0.32 5.8 14.4 x 10 s 0.25 August 1978 0.83 5.8 21.0 x 10--5 0. 2_'

September 1978 0.66 5.8 19.6 x 10 s 0.25 October 1978 0.48 5.8 19.6 x 10- 0.25 November 1978 0.51 5.8 9.4 x 10-5 0.25 December 1978 0.41 5.8 18.3 x 10-5 0.25 Total 5.51 70.0 1.77 x 10-3 3.00

% of allowable 7.9% 0.06%

(Note #1: The argon activities reported are integrated values obtained from the facility's gaseous stack nonitor. Calculated values unve been substituted for neasured values in the few instances when the monitoring system was down for maintenance or repair).

(Note #2: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor times the concentration of tritium as HTO).

B. There were no radioactive liquid effluents released from the reactor facility during the year 1978.

C. Solid radioactive material released as radioactive wastes has been shipped via Garrett Truck Lines to Beatty, Nevada. Nine 55-gallon drums were received by Nuclear Engineering. All shipments were in compliance with Title 49 CFR Parts 170-189.

The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1978 is estimated to be approximately 9.0 mci.

(Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralizer resin - used resin with small quantities of rinse water is solidified with an oil dry compound prior to release in 55-gallon drums).

6 VIII. Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements listed below during the operating year 1978.

1. Eighteen area monitors (17 gammas, 1 neutron) located throughout the Nuclear Science Building. To provide a background signal, a small check source is attached to the scintillation detector. High alarm set points range from 2 mr/hr to 50 mr/hr. High level alarms have been infrequent and are documented in appropriate Log Books.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) sampling the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of 3 x 10- pCi/cc present for two minutes will result in an increase of 900 cpm above background. There are two alarm set points. A low-level alarm is set at 3,000 cpm, and the high-level alarm is set at 10,000 cpm.

Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The fixed particulate air filter is changed and counted daily on a Beckman Low Beta II counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is changed r.ad counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MPC (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table IIO) concentrations for all isotopes in question in the reactor bay.

3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once each month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a certified 3-curie Cs-137 source and wipes are counted on a Beckman Low Beta II counting system.

Wipe surveys have shown the reactor area remains free of tactile contamination except for intermittent low level activity to approximately 1000 pCi beta and gamma per 100 cm2 on work table tops and the sample storage caves. Instrument surveys indicate no fixed areas of contamination and radiation leaking at outside wall surfaces have been less than 0.5 mr/hr at our maximum operating power level.

4. Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned to all permanent occupants of the Nuclear Science Building. CaSO 4:Dy dosimeters have been used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.

7 These monitoring results are categorized below:

Rem - 1978*

Reactor Staff Gamma Beta Neutron Whole Body Highest 0.040 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.018 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.410 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.105 0.000 0.00 Reactor Experimenters Whole Body Highest 0.000 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.000 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.230 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.052 0.000 0.00 Reactor Visitors All readings were less than 1.0 mrem.

Environmental Stations **

Rem 1978 Exhaust Stack 0.128 West 0.013 Southwest 0.003 Southeast 0.000

• Personnel mrinitoring results are for the fourth quarter of 1977 and the first three quarters of 1978.

• • Environmental monitoring is for an 11 month period.

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8 IX. Environmental Monitoring Pursuant to reactor operating procedues, soil and water samples are collected every second year. Samples were collected in 1978 at the following locations.

A. On Site ( Denver Federal Center )

16 soil samples 2 water samples B. Off Site ( To radius of 4-miles from reactor facility )

21 soil samples 4 water samples Soil samples have not been analyzed. Water sample locations and analysis for gross alpha and beta are as follows:

Sample Number Location Beta UCi/ml Alpha uCi/ml W-1 Federal Center 2.4 x 10- 7.5 x 10-3rd and Center Ave.

W-2 Federal Center 1.3 x 10- 2.3 x 10-Duck Pond

-9 W-3 Off-Site 4.1 x 10 1.0 x 10-Ward Reservoir W-4 Off-Site 1.1 x 10- 1.0 x 10-Sloans Lake W-5 Off-Site 6.1 x 10- 8.2 x 10-Clear Creek W-6 Off-Site No sample taken W-7 off-site 3.6 x 10- 4.2 x 10-Kendrick Reservoir