ML19257D829

Submits Annual Operating Rept 1979

ML19257D829
Person / Time
Site:	University of Virginia
Issue date:	01/18/1980
From:	Farrar J VIRGINIA, UNIV. OF, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8002060561
Download: ML19257D829 (12)

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] UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

((r- ,- ~'g SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE J CH ARLO TTESVI LLE. 22901 DEPAR TM ENT OF NUCLEAR ENGIN EER I NG AND ENGINEERING PHYSICS T EL E P H O N E: 804 224-7138 REACTOR F A CILI TY January 18, 1980 Division of Reactor Licensing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Regulation Washington, D.C. 20545 Re: Docket No. 50-62, License No. R-66 Docket No. 50-396, License No. R-123

, Centlemen:

We hereby submit as required by Section 6.7.e of the Technical Specifications our annual report of the operations of the University of Virginia Research Reactor (UVAR), License No. R-66, Docket No. 50-62 and the CAVALIER Reactor, License No. 123, Docket No. 50-396 during the period January 1, 1979 through December 31, 1979.

A. UVAR Reactor

'The UVAR reactor was operated during the year as follows:

llours Operated >!N I! curs First Quarter 736.0 1224.77 Second Quarter 934.5 1560.32 Third Quarter 507.0 518.12 Fourth Quarter 686.5 1122.59 TOTAL 2864.0 4425.80 1.0 Rod Drop Tests and Visual Inspection Rod drop tests were made on the UVAR reactor during the year and the results are as follows:

ifagnet Rod Magnet Free Rod Current (ma) Position (inches) Release (ms) Drop (ms) Total (ms) 1-16-79 1 160 26 19 - 466 485 2 160 26 38 486 524 3 160 26 21 471 492 4-23-79 1 160 26 29 482 511 2 160 26 38 493 531 3 160 26 24 480 504 1928 175 0 a

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 2 January 18, 1980 flagnet Rod Magnet Free Rod Current (ma) Position (inches) Release (ms) Drop (ms) Total (ms~

8-24-79 1 155 26 24 471 495 2 155 26 44 485 529 3 155 26 30 566 596 The rod drop times continue to be well within the limits required by the Technical Specifications. The UVAR control rods were visually inspected on April 20, 1979. The following is abstracted from the reactor log book.

Safety Rod #1 Inspected rod under ~ 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water 50 nr/hr. Noted discoloration on surface of rod. No evidence of cracking. 0.950" gage passes casily. Rod inserted in fuel element Ac-3 in grid position 34.

Safety Rod #2 Inspected rod under - 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water 50 mr/hr. Rod surface discolored. No signs of cracking.

0.900" gage -lightly tight. 0.950" gage passing easily. Rod inserted in fuel element BC-7 in grid position 46.

Safety Rod #3 Inspected rod under ~ 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water 50 ,r/hr. Some rub marks on side of rod. Some discoloration.

No evidence of cracking. 0.950" gage passes easily. Rod inserted in fuci element AC-2 in grid position 25.

The rods were visually inspected again on December 3rd and 4th, 1979 during a core change of the reactor. Although not required by the Technical Specifications, the regulating rod was also inspected at this time.

The following is abstracted from the reactor log book.

Safety Rod #1 Inspected rod under - 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water 250/mr/hr. Noticed a few rub marks. No signs of cracking.

0.950" gage passes easily. Inserted rod into fuel element T-33 and attached guide tube. Inserted fuel element T-33, with Safety Rod #1 and guide tube attached, in grid position 34.

Safety Rod #2 Inspected rod under - 3 feet of water. Reading 250 mr/hr at surface of water. A few rub marks. No signs of cracking. 0.900" gage tight. 0.950" gage passes casily. Inserted rod into fuel element T-35 and attached guide tube. Inserted fuel element with rod and guide tube attached into grid position 46.

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i Division of Rec tor Licensing Pa.go 3 January 18, 1980 Safety Rod #3 Inspected safety rod #3 under - 3 feet of wat r. Reading 250 mr/hr at surface of water. Some rub marks. No evidence of cracking. Passes 0.950" gage casily. Rod inserted in fuel element T-36 and guide tube attached. Fuel element with rod and guide tube attached inserted in grid position 25.

Regulating Rod Inspected regulating rod under - 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water 200 mr/hr. 0.950" gage tight at top of rod.

1.00" gage passes easily. No evidence of cracking. Inserted rod into fuel element T-34 and attached guide tube. Fuel element with regulating rod and guide tube attached inserted in grid position 55.

2.0 5faintenance Operations The following maintenance was performed on the UVAR system during the year.

January 1979 - a) Wired escape hatch to scram when hatch opened. Changed to conform with Tech Spec change.

February 1979 - a) Replaced amplifier card in reactor face monitor (Victorcen model 847-1). Instrument failed to respond to radiation source.

March 1979 - a) Substituted Tracerlab !!ot Cell monitoring system for Victorcen face monitor after the detector pre-amplifier failed on Victoreen system.

April 1979 - a) Substituted Keithley model 412 for model 411 used on core gamma monitor. Power supply for model 411 had burned out.

b) Replaced amplifier tube on primary flow indicator. Indicator would not zero, c) Replaced resin in non-regenerable ion exchanger. Old resin exhausted.

Stay 1979 - a) Replaced detector amplifier on Victorcen model 847-1 for reactor face monitor. This corrects problem in March when instrument would not respond to radiation.

July 1979 - a) Replaced old Tracerlab area monitors for Ilot Cell and demineralizer room with new Victorcen model E47-1 to upgrade the system. - -

August 1979 - a) Replaced magnet adjustment potentiometer #4 in scram logic drawer. Old potentiometer burned out.

b) Repaired pool level trip valve (Demineralizer system) solenoid.

Valve failed to trip properly when float switch was opened.

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 4 January 18, 1980 August 1979 (continued) c) Installed test switch for solid state relay failure lights on scram logic drawer. Provides a means of testing indicator lamps, d) Replaced tube type Keithley model 412 used for core gamma monitor with transistor model 417. Old instrument increasingly difficult to calibrate.

e) Replaced pool temperature probe (RTD) for AT system.

Intermittant ground in RTD made readings unreliable.

September 1979 a) Replaced uncompensated ion chamber on Safety channel #1 with a compensated ion chamber. Old UIC giving erratic indication at power.

b) Replaced gear in servo rod drive motor'for regulating rod.

Old gear stripped and causing binding of gear train, c) Cleaned heat exchanger. Unable to maintain continuous reactor operation since the pool temperature approached 1JS F prior to cleaning the heat exchanger.

d) Replaced thermistor pool temperature probe. Open probe gave no reading.

e) Replaced temperature monitoring readout system with new unit.

Old system was in need to updating.

October 1979 a) Moved readout and controls for constant air monitor into control room to allow operator direct access to indication and control of instrument.

b) Replaced safety channel #1 CIC with a UIC. CIC was needed in linear channel. Replaced CIC in linear channel connectors on old CIC were corroded.

3.0 Operating Procedures The standard operating procedures for the UVAR reactor were upgraded during June and October 1979.

1) The changes in June involved procedural changes in experiments, calibration of some of the instrumentation and visual inspection of the control rods.

2) The changes in October 1979 involved changes to the daily check list, start-up procedures, experiment handling, calibration of power range channels, and emergency procedures.

These changes were approved by the Reactor Safety Committee.

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s Division of Reactor Licensing Page 5 January 18, 1980 4.0 Experiments a) A broad program of activation analysis work was carried out during the year. Activations were done for the Departments of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, Chemistry, Radiology, and the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory.

A continuing program of activation analysis was performed for the Philip Morris Co.

The following Academic Institutions utilized the facility for activation analysis experiments.

1) Emory and IIenry University 4) Sweet Briar College

2) Roanoke College 5) Piedmont Community College

3) Virginia Military Institute 6) Randolph Macon College b) A series of experiments were performed during the year for the Electric Power Research Institute.

Purpose:

The purpose of the experiment is to perform studies on radiation damage in pressure vessel samples. Westinghouse Corp. will design and fabricate the sampics and U.Va. will supply the reactor space.

Experiment: A set of 4 capsules were run in the front row of the grid plate adjacent to the reactor core during the period 1-17-79 to 4-16-79 for and integrated power of ~1590 Mi hours and a total neutron fluence of ~ 1019 The four capsules were shipped individually during the months of May and June, 1979 to the Westinghouse Corp. for analysis.

A second set of 4 capsules were run in the reactor during the period 5-2-79 to 9-13-79. These capsules were stored in the reactor pool and annealed at temperatures up to 850 F for - 168 hours0.00194 days <br />0.0467 hours <br />2.777778e-4 weeks <br />6.3924e-5 months <br /> during the period 11-13-79 to 12-3-79. This set of capusles will ha - .;t in the reactor again for ~ 1590 M1 hours.

A third set of 4 capsules was run in the reactor during the period 10-2-79 to 11-8-79 for an integrated reactor power of 795 MN hours. The se,cond half of this cycle will be completed in 1980.

The capsules that were annealed were reloaded in the reactor on 12-10-79 and will be exposed for a total reactor power of - 1590 MV hours and will run into early 1980.

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 6 January 18, 1980 5.0 Surveillance Requirements a) The following tests were conducted on a monthly basis as required by the Technical Specifications.

1) Operational checks of the ventilation duct, personnel door, Truck door and emergency exit cover, b) The following tests were performed at intervals not exceeding 6 months.

1) Visual inspection of gaskets on personnel door, ventilation duct, and truck door.

2) Calibration of Source Range, Intermedi-te Range, Power Range, Linear Power, core gamma monitor, bridge monitor, reactor face monitor, argon monitor, air monitor, pool 1cvel monitors, pool temperature monitor, core differential temperature system, and primary flow.

c) The daily check list, which is completei . hen the reactor is to be operated, provides for checks on all of the required scram systems associated with the reactor. All of these tests and calibrations were within limits set forth in the Technical Specifications. Data on all of these tests and calibrations is on file at the facility.

d) The emergency spray system was tested during the month of March, 1979 and the results are as follows:

date S.E. Tank S.W. Tank March 12, 1979 required flow gal / min + 11.0 11.5 actual flow gal / min + 12.3 12.3 The flow continues to be above that required.

e) Pool make-up During the calendar year 1979 make-up water to the pool averaged 74 gal / day.

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6.0 Unplanned Shutdowns Following is a list of unplanned shutdowns on the UVAR reactor during the calendar year 1979.

1-23-79 False pool level scram when skimmer pump turned on.

2-1-79 Pool level #2 scram-apparently air trapped under probe.

2-2-79 Scram while loading partial fuel element-element moved near log N detector. Reactor was sub-critical at time.

2-19-79 Scram - apparent low flow.

2-28-79 Scram-spurious signal from face monitor. Actual monitor showed no radiation.

3-6-79 Scram-pool 1cvel #2-air trapped under probe.

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 7 January 18, 1980 ,

3-19-79 Scram-apparent low flow.

3-22-79 Scram-building power failure.

3-22-79 Scram-pool 1cve1#2-air trapped under probe.

3-22-79 Scram-building power failure 3-30-79 Scram. fuel element. moved near detector. Reactor was sub-critical.

4-12-79 Scram-building power failure.

4-16-79 Scram-manual scram button was inadvertently actuated at reactor room door.

4-19-79 Scram at 250 kw. Operator forgot to throw desensitize switch.

4-26-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

5-2-79 Scram-forgot to throw desensitize switch.

5-2-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

5-2-79 Scram-auxillary scram-cause unknown.

5-7-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate 5-8-79 Scram-reactor bridge monitor while bleeding gas line from experiment.

5-9-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

5-10-79 Scrm-operator forgot to throw desensitize switch.

5-10-79 Scram-building power failure.

5-11-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate 5-21-79 Scram-operator forgot to throw desensitize switch.

5-21-79 Scram-air bi.bbles trapped in pool level #2 probe.

6-19-79 Scram-header moved away from grid plate.

6-20-79 Scram-spurious signal from low flow.

7-2-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

7-12-79 Scram-pool I w el #2-air trapped under probe.

7-12-79 Scram-high power trip-actual power was 2 MW.

7-12-79 Scram-noise in desensitize switch.

7-19-79 Scram-power loss to area monitors.

7-31-79 Scram-operator forgot to throw desensitize switch.

8-1-79 Scram-building power failure.

8-3-79 Scram-forgot to move desensitize switch.

8-7-79 Scram-air in pool 1cvel #2 probe 8-10-79 Scram when recompensating Log N circuit-reactor was sub-critical.

8-14-79 Scram-pool level #2-air under probe.

3-15-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

8-18-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

8-21 '1 Scram-pool level #1-noise in circuit.

8-28 .3 Scram-building power failure.

8-29-79 Scram-building power failure.

9-4-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

9-5-79 Scram-building power failure. - - -

9-10-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

10-4-79 Scram-building power failure.

10-10-79 Scram-building power failure.

10-12-79 Scram-building power failure.

10-16-79 Scram-pool 1cvel #2 - air under probe.

10-19-79 Scram-pool level #2 - air under probe.

10-23-79 Scram-building power failure.

10-24-79 Scram-header fell away from grid plate.

10-24-79 Scram-building power fal bre.

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11-27-79 Scram-building power failure.

11-28-79 Scram-operator error-turned off power to secondary console.

Division of Reactor Licensing Page 8 January 18, 1980 12-5-79 Scram-while checking area monitor.

12-13-79 Scram-reactor sridge monitor.

12-17-79 Scram-building power failure.

12-17-79 Scram-spurious signal-pool icvel #1.

12-17-79 Scram-spurious signal on low flow.

12-19-79 Scram-safety chamber #1, actual power 9 1.75 Mi. Subsequently replaced safety #1 detector.

The increase in the number of unplanned shutdowns over the previous year is due to the dramatic increase in operating time of the reactor. The number of operating hours has increased by a factor of ~ 5.

B. CAVALIER Reactor During the calendar year 1979 the CAVALIER reactor was operated as follows:

Hours Operated Watt-Hours First Quarter 13.5 6.62

, Second Quarter 57.5 246.54 Third Quarter 42.75 248.10 Fourth Quarter 31.5 136.42 145.25 637.68 1.0 Rod Drop Tes'.

Rod drop tests performed on the CAVALIER during the year are listed below.

Position Magnet Magnet Free Total Date Rod (inches) Volts Release (msec) Drop (asec) Drop (msec) 2-9-79 1 26 36 87 459 546 2 26 52 62 467 529 3 26 34 96 435 531 4 26 30 76 485 561 3-5-79 Re-aligned rod #2 2 26 52 70 440 510 6-4-79 1 26 36 81 460 541 2 26 52 87 454 541 3 26 35 96 . 440 _ ,

536 4 26 30 87 484 571 6-26-79 Changed drive motor on rod #2 2 26 52 82 442 524 10-8-79 1 26 36 79 453 532 2 26 52 71 445 516 3 26 34 83 439 522 _

4 26 30 97 492 589 The rod drop times continue to be within the limits set by the Technical Specifications.

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e Division of Reacter Licensing Page 9 January 18, 1980 2.0 Operating Procedures The operating procedures for the CAVALIER Reactor were upgraded in Jar.uary and October, 1979.

1) The change in January 1979 was in the Emergency Actions Section of the procedures and involved the upgrading of personnel lists, phone numbers, etc.

2) The changes in October 1979 included changes in the daily check list and revisions to the emergency procedures.

These changes were approved by the Reactor Safety Committee.

3.0 Maintenance The following maintenance was performed on the CAVALIER reactor system during the calendar year 1979.

a) May-Replaced several amplifier tubes in linear power system. Meter failed to respond on high ranges, b) June-

1) Installed test switches to check solid state relay failure lights and made this test a part of the daily check list.

2) Replaced rod drive motor #2. Old motor had slippage in gear mechanism, c) August-Replaced source drive switch. Old switch was grounded.

d) September-Replaced rod #2 control relays. Old relays burned out when one failed to open.

4.0 Unplanned Shutdowns The following unplanned shutdowns occured on the CAs\ LIER reactor during the calendar year 1979.

S-17 Tank level scram apparently caused by float switch not reset properly.

Tank level was at 7'9 1/2" and rods were withdrawn Icss than 2 inches.

5-29-79 Scram-caused by operator moving source drive cover and bumping cables.

6-6-79 Scram-electrical noise in console. . _ .

6-7-79 Scram from Log N channel. Found trip point low. Reset and recalibrated.

6-11-79 Scram-noisc-trainee stepped on cables.

6-19-79 Scram-power loss to console.

6-25-79 Scram-personnel stopped on cables.

8-3-79 Scram-noise in source drive switch.

7-5-79 Scram while testing SSR failure lights.

8-16-79 Scram while testing SSR failure lights.

9-20-79 Scram-noise in control rod #2 switch. ~

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 10 January 18, 1980 5.0 Surveillance Requirements The following tests were conducted as requir-2 'oy the Technical Specifications.

a) Rod drop measurements were made at intervals not exceeding four months.

b) The following tests were conducted at interval not exceeding six months.

1) Calibration of Source Range Channels, Log N Channel, Log G Channel, Linear Power Channel, pool IcVel monitor, radiation monitoring system, and boron concentration in ARIS system.

c) The following tests were conducted at intervals not exceeding twelve months.

1) Measurement of control rod worth

2) Flow test of ARIS system d) The daily check list, which is completed when the reactor is to be operated, provides for checks on all of the required scram systems associated with the reactor.

Data on all of these tests and calibrations is on file at the facility.

C. IIcalth Physics 1.0 Effluent Reicase a) Atmospheric Release The following effluent was released to the atmosphere during the Calendar year 1979.

AR 6.37 curies from operation of the UVAR reactor.

b) Solid Waste During the calendar year 1979 approximately 17.5 cubic feet of solid waste was shipped from the reactor facility by Toledyne Inc. The activity in the waste was as follows:

Isotope Activity (millicuries)

Na'4 O.5 60 Co 30.5 Tc 1.2 3?

P~ .05 S

2.1 Cs 0.2 TOTAL 34.55 1928 184

Division of Reactor Licensing Page 11 January 18,1980 c) Liquid Waste Liquid waste from regeneration of the demineralizer system was released during the year and diluted with water froo the hold-up pond. The most predominant isotopes in the effluent are Sa5 and p32, Activity (microcuries) Volume (gallons)

First Quarter 237.2 5,389,000 Second Quarter 176.9 4,138,000 Third Quarter 89.9 2,125,500 Fourth Quarter 125.8 2,669,200 Total 629.8 14,321,700 The average specific activity released was 1.16 x 10- pCi/ml.

2.0 Environmental Monitoring During the year the Health Physicist took air and water sampics both at the facility and outside the site boundary. The following table lists these locations and the specific activities obtained from these samples.

Location Sample Specific Activity (average of all samples)

Reactor Facility Water 5.99 x 10-2 pCi/ml

-12 Air 0.97 x 10 Ci/cc Filter Plant Water 1.98 x 10- pCi/ml

-12 Air 4.98 x 10 Ci/cc Barracks Road Water -9 4.38 x 10 pCi/mi

~I Air 3.91 x 10 pCi/cc 3.0 Personnel Monitoring During the year approximately 150 personnel, including faculty, staff and students were monitored by film badges supplied by the R.S. Landauer Co. The highest exposures were by three staff members directly involved with the operation of the facility and the handling of samples used in activation analysis.

Gamma Exposure Beta Exposure Individual A 470 millirem 70-mill-irem Individual B 420 millirem <40 millirem Individual C 370 millirem 180 millirem During the year the facility had 2380 visitors. These visitors were monitored with direct and indirect reading dosimeters and received no significant exposure.

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Division of Reactor Licensing Page 12 January 18, 1980 D. Miscellaneous

1) Formal meetings of the Reactor Safety ,mmittee were held on the following dates.

January 3, 1979 September 10, 1979 January 16, 1979 September 17, 1979 March 9, 1979 October 15, 1979 April 17, 1979 November 12, 1979 June 21, 1979 .

A sub-committee of the Reactor Safety Committee performed an audit of the facility operations during January and May, 1979.

2) Practice evacuations of the facility were held on June 14, 1979 and August 16, 1979.

3) NRC Compliance personnel visited the facility on the following dates.

July 12,13 General Inspection September 18,19,20,21 Health Physics Inspection December 13,14 General Inspection E. Personnel a) Dr. B.i . Shriver was appointed Director of the Facility on January 1, 1979 replac.ng Dr. T.G. Williamson, who remains as Chairman of the Department.

b) Dr. J.L. Meen was appointed Chairman of the Reactor Safety Committee on July 1,1979 replacing Dr. A.B. Reynolds who will remain a member of the Committee.

c) A new position of Reactor Engineer was established during the year and Mr. P.E. Benneche, a Senior Operator on the staff has been appointed to that position, d) Reactor operator examinations were given by the NRC during the months of March and August, 1979 and resulted in the licensing of Three Senior Operators and Eleven operators.

This report has been reviewed and approved by the Reactor Safety Committee.

Sincerely, N

J.P. Farrar, Reactor Supervisor University of Virginia, Reactor Facility -

JPF:vs cc: Office of Inspection 4 Inforcement Atlanta, CA.

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