ML19269D002
| ML19269D002 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Illinois |
| Issue date: | 02/19/1979 |
| From: | Beck G, Chilton B ILLINOIS, UNIV. OF, URBANA, IL |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7902260345 | |
| Download: ML19269D002 (6) | |
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University o" I inois at Uraana-Champaign Nuclear Engineering Program 214 Nwclear Engineering Laborofory urbo,o. m;,oa 61801 Feb. 19, 1979 (217) 333-2295 Director Division of Reactor Licensing U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C.
20555
Dear Sir:
SUBJECT:
Annual Report, Illinois Advanced TRIGA Reactor License No. R-ll5 Docket No. 50-151
'Ihe following is written to comply with the requirements of Section 6.7.f. of the Technical Specifications and the conditions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50.
The outline of the report follows the numbered sequence of Section 6.7.f. of the Technical Specifications.
Yours truly, N2
- .5,Jz',0 YA^&
Gerald P.
Beck, Reactor Supervisor B & Id W M / e *.=,
Arthur B. Chilton, Chairman L
Nuclear Reactor Committee Attachment fb \\
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N q 90 2 60$
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ANNUAL REPORT January 1, 1978 - December 31, 1978 ILLINOIS ADVANCED TRIGA Facility License R-115 1.
SU5 NARY OF_ OPERATING EXPERIENCE A.
Summary of Usage lhe reactor was scheduled for usage an average of 23 hours2.662037e-4 days <br />0.00639 hours <br />3.80291e-5 weeks <br />8.7515e-6 months <br /> per week and was in operation an average of 17 hours1.967593e-4 days <br />0.00472 hours <br />2.810847e-5 weeks <br />6.4685e-6 months <br /> per week.
This was a decrease of about 19% over the previous year.
The decrease is attributed to a minimum activity in Research Projects.
Scheduled and operating time for the other areas increases during the year.
In the following table, the percent of time used for different purposes is given.
Scheduled time is that reserved for a given operation, while operational time is that from start-up to shutdown.
Category Operational Scheduled Research Projects 12.0%
11.5%
Sanple Irradiation 48.3%
41.6%
Education and Training 38.6%
45.1%
Maintenance and Measurements 1.1%
1.8%
There are two individuals with a Senior Operator License and two with an Operator License.
The facility basically operates on a 40-hour week and has 2 full-time equivalent operators available.
B.
Performance Characteristics 1.
Fuel Element Length and Diameter Measurements One set of measurements on the elements in the B and C-hexagonals was made during the year.
There were no changes noted in either parameter.
The total number of pulses at the end of 1978 was 5432.
2.
Reactivity Control Rods:
Several measurements on this parameter were made during the year with no changes noted from previous values.
The reactivity worths of the different control rods have stayed constant for the past 4-5 years.
Core Reactivity' The loss in reactivity, attributed to burn-up, was $0.28.
There were no changes made in the core during the year.
The present excess reactivity is about $6.40 and the shutdown margin, with the highest worth rod withdrawn, is about $2.45.
Page 2 II.
TABULATION _O_F ENERGY A.
Ifours Critical and Energy Type of Operation Time (hrs.)
Energy (hM-hrs.)
0-10 kilowatts 338.4 0.0 10-250 kilowatts 92.0 16.7 250 kW - 1.5 megawatts 310.4 237.1 Pulsing 134.2 2.3 TOTALS 875.0 256.1 B.
Pulsed Operation Pulse Size Number
$1.70 - 2.00 12 2.01 - 2.30 67 2.31 - 2.90 0
2.91 - 3.19 286 TOTAL PULSES 365 III.
REACTOR SCRAMS lhere were 37 unplanned scrams and no emergency shutdowns.
The scrans were attributed to:
Operator error - 25; Instrument malfunction - 4; and External causes - 8.
The following is a list of the systems that initiated the scram:
Linear Recorder - Power Level (20 scrams)
There were 19 operator errors that occurred when the range switch is moved down-range either too soon during a power decrease or in the wrong direction.
This is a typical error made by trainees at the controls.
The other one cas due to a switch malfunction.
Period (6 scrams)
There were 4 operator errors in switching to the automatic mode incorrectly or by withdrawing control rods too far before the period circuit was operational.
Two malfunctions occurred from transients causing a period scram.
Primary Flow (3 scrams)
One of these was an operator error in increasing the power level too high (1 FM) during natural convective cooling.
One resulted from placing the log N to high calibrate which simulated and operation above 1 SM and the other resulted from a loss of secondary flow due to cavitation of the pump.
Loss of Power (1 scram)
This was caused by a momentary loss of power to the building.
Page 3 Fuel Element Temperature (7 scrams)
'Ihis scram is caused by a RF signal from CB transmitters being used near the laboratory. When the reactor is at high power, the signal is sufficient to cause a fluctuation of the temperature reading to the scram set point.
IV.
51AINTENANCE Approximately 11 hours1.273148e-4 days <br />0.00306 hours <br />1.818783e-5 weeks <br />4.1855e-6 months <br /> / month were used for maintenance.
This work is typically done when reactor operation is not scheduled.
In the summary on Page 1 of the Report, only the maintenance that interfers with normal reactor operation is included.
This totaled 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> during the year.
It is estimated that 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> / month are spent on surveillance requirements.
Of these, about 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> / month was included on Page 1 of the Report.
Primary and Secondary Pumps (Forced Cooling)
The only significant maintenance was on the above pumps.
Due to excessive noise from the primary pump, a check was made and it was found that damage had occurred to the coupling spring and the coupling seals.
A slight mis-alignment between the two shafts was also noted.
The damaged items were replaced and the shafts were re-aligned.
This did not affect operations since the maintenance was scheduled on a day when the forced cooling system would not be used.
Staintenance was performed on the secondary pump due to excessive leakage of water through the shaft seals.
The shaft seals and bearings were replaced and all exposed surfaces of the pump were cleaned.
Reactor operations using the forced cooling system were suspended, however, this did not affect other types of operation.
V.
CONDITIONS UNDER SECTION 50.59 of 10 CFR 20 A.
Changes to System None B. Changes g Procedures None C.
Experiments The only new experiment during the year that was deemed to require an evaluation by the Nuclear Reactor Committee was for the irradiation of gasoline samples in the Lazy Susan. The samples would be doubly encapsulated and would contain equal amounts of gasoline and water. Previous to ae final evaluation, two tests were made.
In one case, a sample of water, with a thermocouple inserted, was irradiated at twice the power level planned for
Page 4 the experiment to determine the temperature incre. se.
An increase of 33 C was noted giving an actual temperature of about 58 C.
From this in formation,
a gasoline sample was prepared and placed in an oven at a temperature of 95 C for two hours.
Upon removal, it was noted that the plastic had softened, but there was no indication of any leakage.
Upon this evaluation, the experiment was approved by the Nuclear Reactor Committee.
VI.
RlitliASli 0F RADICACTIVli MATliRI ALS The average concentration of A-41 released to the environs via the building exhaust system was 3.3 x 10 uCi/cc.
The total release for the year was 1.3 curies with a range of 35-200 mci per month.
It is estimated that about I mci of tritium is released during a year from the evaporation of water in the reactor tank.
The gross beta activity in the water effluent to the sanitary sewer from the reactor laboratory retention tank was 2.7 microcuries.
Vll.
IINVIRONMliNTAL SURVliYS There were no environmental surveys taken during the reporting period.
Contamination surveys were made in the laboratory as indicated in the following section.
Vill.
PliRSONNiil RADI ATION EXPOSURi! AND SURVliYS h'ITitIN FACI LITY A.
Personnel Radiation fixposure Fifteen persons were assigned film badges at the facility.
Three of tu se are full-time empicyees, while the others average less than 20 hours2.314815e-4 days <br />0.00556 hours <br />3.306878e-5 weeks <br />7.61e-6 months <br /> per week at the laboratory, The badges were sent to Radiation Detection Company of California where dosages less than 10 millirems are not reported.
In addition to the badge, a dosimeter is worn by an individual if an above radiation exposure is likely to occur.
The table below gives the dose received by those assigned film badges.
Dose (rems)
Number.o_f Individuals No measurable exposure 11 0.01 -- 0.10 3
0.10 -- 0.25 0
0.25 -- 0.50 1
Total = 15 The highest individual dose was 315 millirems. This was received by the Reactor liealth Physicist, who handles 95"o of the radioisotopes that are made, does smear tests on al1 Campus sealed sources, and performs calibrations on radiation monitoring instrumentation.
Individual doses to students and visitors, from dosimeter readings, was less than 10 millirems.
Page 5 B.
Contamination Surveys Smear samples from 34 locations in the laboratory are taken at six to eight week intervals.
The removable beta contamination is determined by checking the samples with a flow counter.
The maximum concentration occurs in the vicinity of the tubes from which samples are removed after an irradiation in the reactor.
During this year there were 2,672 samples irradiated.
In this area, the contamination
-5 varied from 52 to 13,600 dpm/100 cm or 2. 3 x 10'7 to 6.1 x lo uCi/cm'.
Smears from all other areas on the floor and from laboratory benches showed
-6 a maximum of 349 dpm/100 cm or 1.6 x 10 uCi/cm~.
IX.
NUCLIIAR Rl! ACTOR CO>tMITTlil!
The present committee is composed of 4 members of the Nuclear lingineering Academic Staff, 2 members from the liealth Physics Staff, and the Reactor Supervisor.
Dr. Arthur C. Chilton continued as Chairman during the year.
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