ML19305A916

Submits SAR Revision 20 Describing Hot Cells Recently Installed in Reactor Containment Bldg & Requests Amend to Facility OL Authorizing Receipt & Possession of Byproduct Matl for Use in Hot Cells

ML19305A916
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	03/13/1980
From:	Lisa Clark MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE
To:	Doug Garner Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8003180577
Download: ML19305A916 (11)

Text

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      ,.                                   NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY                                                        l QN                                                                                                        -

pMY s MASSACHUSE'S INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Ok H A RL, LNG 138 Albany Street Cambridge. Mass. 02139 L CL ARK. JR

    >e,e                                                (617)253 4202                       o, rect:., c, neactor operations March 13, 1980 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Division of Operating Reactors ATT: Mr. Daniel Garner Operating Reactors, Branch #4 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D. C. 20555

Subject:

SAR Revision No. 20 and License No. R-37 Amendment Request, Docket 50-20 Gentlemen: Massachusetts Institute of Technology is writing this letter to the  ! Commission for two purposes: (1) to submit Safety Analysis Report Revision 20, which describes j hot cells recently installed in the reactor containment build-l ing, and (2) to request an amendment to the Facility Operating License which would authorize the receipt and possession of byproduct materi-  ! als, activated in reactors other than the MIT Research Reactor, for use in the above hot cells. SAR Revision No. 20 j i The hot cells were installed during 1978 and 1979 for use in connec- j tion with byproduct materials activated in the MIT Research Reactor. The 4 installation and use was in accordance with the provisions of 100'R 50.59 4 (a)(1) . Plans for the installation were reported to the Commission in the

                  " Annual Report to USNRC for the Period July 1, 1977 - June 30, 1978," and partial installation was reported in the annual report for the following year, 1978-79. Installation should be completed during the current year.

The enclosed SAR Revision No. 20 is for the purpose of updating the

                  " Safety Analysis Report for the MIT Research Reactor (MITR-II)," Report No.

MITNE-115 (October 22, 1970), as amended. The revision incorporates a de-scription of the hot cells, criteria for their use, and the purposes for which they are and will be utilized. An attached sheet lists the pages to y be removed and inserted and also provides a description of each change. i 8 00818o N j

o Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Division of Operating Reactors ATT: .Mr. Daniel Carner March 13, 1980 Amendment to Facility Operating License The purpose of the requested amendment is to broaden Facility Op- , erating License No. R-37 so that byproduct materials activated in other reactors, as well as in MITR-II, may be received and possessed for utilization in the hot cells. The request is in response to the letter of July 31, 1979, from Mr. Robert W. Reid, USNRC-DOR, to Lincoln Clark, MIT. It is expected that the possession of the above materials would be principally for examination and physical testing. Byproduct mater-ials authorized under the amendment would be for atomic numbers 3 through 83 in solid form only. The total inventory of materials from other sources would not exceed 1,000,000 curies, with limits of 100,000 Ci for any one isotope and 10,000 Ci for any sample or specimen. Each sample or specimen would be further limited such that the dose rate at one meter would not exceed 1000 rads / hour unshielded. i For the above purposes it is requested that paragraph 2, B (3) of 4 the license be amended by deleting the word "and" at its end and by adding the following clause:

"to receive, possess, use and transfer byproduct materials -

activated in reactors other than the MIT Reactor, with atomic numbers 3 through 83 in solid form, and in quanti-ties not to exceed 1,000,000 curies at any time, and" In addition to matters pertaining directly to the reactor itself, the SAR for MITR-II describes the reactor organization, the containment in which the hot cells are located, the radiation protection program for the reactor, equipment and procedures available for the protection of the health and safety of on-site personnel and the general public, waste disposal, and procedures for the review and approval of experi-ments. SAR Revision No. 20 now adds the hot cells to the description of facilities and of the programs planned and provides the criteria for

          -hot cell use with materials activated in the MITR-II. The same person-nel, equipment and procedures will be utilized in the handling of by-product materials activated in other reactors and, in addition, there will be limitations on the type and amounts of material and requirements for inventory, control and approval procedures as described in the en-closed SAR Revision No. 20.

The SAR revision submission and the amendment application have been approved by the MIT Reactor Safeguard Committee's mail ballot of Febru-ary 28,.1980. e, ..r, , - - - , - p ~. .<v-- rn, , n--

t Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Division of Operating Reactors ATT: Mr. Daniel Carner March 13, 1980 Your prompt attention to this matLar will be appreciated. Please contact me or Mr. William Fecych (617-253-4205) if further information should be required. Sincerely, m'c Lincoln Clark, Jr. LC:DKE

Enclosure:

SAR Revision No. 20 Xc: MITRSC (w/o enclosure) USNRC-NRR (3 signed and 19 copies, with enclosure) USNRC-0MIPC (with enclosure)

                               $      bW              SS  5lA        l3 ,19D Subscribed and Sworn to before me this 12      day of 71M              , 19 ho .

[ M f,/, j ,A (Signature)" W4C O f . Al#h Notary Public . My commission expires O E /f , 19 Tf ?._ I i 1

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Office of' Nuclear Reactor Regulation March 13, 1980 SAR Revision No. 20 Remove Insert Description of Revision 3.2.3-6 3.2.3-6 Brief description of hot cells added to (8/15/70) (2/6/80) section 3.2.3, Reactor Building. Fig. 3.2.3.2 Fig. 3.2.3.2 Updates reactor floor plan to show location (11/14/72) (2/6/80) of hot cells. 10.6a, b New section 10.1.5 providing a description (2/6 /30) of the hot cells and information on ventila-tion, instrumentation and fire prevention. 10.8a, b New section 10.' 4 providing criteria for (2/6/80) hot cell experitaents. 10.31a New section 10.3.5 providing information on (2/6/80) the experimenta'. programs for which the hot e cells are used. c^ I. [ l

r - 3.2.3-6 b ( '; Three access plugs, as shown, allow equipment transfer between the main floor and the basement when necessary. A 20 ton crane is provided for this and other handling jobs. The personnel air luck as shown is 7 ft. wide by 8 ft. high by 16 f t. long, to accommodate a platform lift truck. The truck air lock is big enough to accommodate a truck with a 10 ton load, and as shown is approximately 10 ft. wide by 12 high by 25 ft. long. The hot plug storage in the wall of the reactor room consists of nild steel pipes welded into the gas-tight enclosure and extending outward into a shielded vault. Two adjacent hot cells that are constructed of eighteen inch thick concrete slabs are located along the southeast wall of the first floor of the containment building. The two cells provide approxinately forty square feet of floor space O)

   \_     in which to study specimens that have been irradiated in the reactor. Access is through two roof ports that are normally closed with stepped concrete plugs. A naster-slave manipulator is provided for each cell along with a high-density leaded glass viewing window. Each cell's shielding has been designed so that dose rates on the reactor floor will be maintained well within the limits as prescribed in 10 CFR 20.

iv. Second Floor The second floor includes the reactor tup, the moveable bridge, the circular platform around the building, various equipment platforms and the crane. Access to the circular platform from the reactor floor is provided by a stair-way. The top of the reactor and experiment platform is surrounded by guardrails. ( ') l snn o-so-4 FEB G 1900

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O - S R #. C ' E U ' FEB6 1980

 .                                                                              10.6m 10.1.5     Hot Cells

("'; 10.1.5.1 Description

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The hot cells are designed as a double unit located on the southeast side of the containment building opposite radial beam port 4DHS and close to the containment wall. They are constructed of. concrete and have approximate overall dimensions: 16 ft. wide, 7 ft. deep and 12 ft. high. This provides space for two cells (separated by a shielding wall), each approximately 5 f t, wide, 4 f t. deep and 10 1/2 ft. high. The back, sides and top are ordinary concrete, 18" thich, while the front is high density concrete to provide additional protection for the operators. Further shield-ing for the back of the cells is provided by the 2 f t. thick containment wall. The reactor main floor, on which the cells are located, is 3 f t. of ordinary reinforced concrete. The cells are set so that they may be moved should there be any future inter-ference with the use of beam tubes. They are assenbled so as to mininize streaming, and the joints for non-removable blocks are grouted; removable blocks and shicided plugs are gasketed. Each cell has a high-density glass observation window in the front wall and access holes for the installation of renote manipulators. Interior

  ,_    benches and trays may be installed as required.

k-) m Access to the cells is normally through ports in the roof blocks, either man-ually or by the use of the building crane. Such ports may also be used for the installation inside the cells of additional local shielding if this should be necessary in order to reduce personnel exposure levels to as low as is reasonably achievable. 10.1.5.2 Ventilation The cells are kept at a negative pressure (magnitude greater than 0.1" W.C.) with a flow of about 100 CFM per cell to the containment building ventilation system. Both inlet and outlet air passes through 2" roughing filters. The outlet air is then ducted to a fire-resistant 6" HEPA filter, a blower, and finally into the building

        -xhaust upstream from the radiation monitors, holdup plenum and filters.

The hot cell blower is electrically interlocked with the building exhaust to shut off when the main ventilation is off (the same as other auxiliary blowers). Operation of the hot cell ventilation systen is subject to the periodic inspection and approval of the Industrial Hygiene Group of the MIT Environmental Medical Service. 73 10.1.5.3 Instrunentation Instrunentation is provided for measuring radiation levels and for nonitoring operation of the ventilation system. A detector capable of gamma neasurenents up to 1000 r/hr is installed to check the dose rates for samples introduced into a hot sn# o_ eo FEB8 1980 l

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cell. Reactor area monitors will provide backup readings. One of the reactor

           . floor monitors (SAR paragraph 12.3.2.4.1), which alarms in the control room and at the detector site, will indicate the general radiation level exterior to the hot cell. The Reactor Radiation Protection Office also conducts periodic surveys.

Ventilation is monitored by means of a manoneter on each cell, and procedures specify the minimum differential pressure required for cell use. A local alarm notifies the hot cell operator if the differential pressure is too low. i 10.1.5.4 Fire Prevention The potential for fire is minimized by limiting the amounts of flammable materials, such as paper used in reducing contanination. Decontamination of the hot cell. interiors is done with non-flammable detergents, except that small amounts of solvents such as acetone may be needed to clean the manipulators. Rags and similar materials are stored in metal containers with self-closing lids. Provisions have been made to flood the cells with Halon and/or CO 2 fr m bottles installed at the location in the event that fire should occur. O

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SR#-'O-00-4 FEB G 1980

    *L                                                                                  10.8a 10.2.4           Criteria for Hot Cell Experiments 10.2.4.1    Materials Activated in MITR-II For byproduct materials activated in the MIT Reactor, the criteria are as follows:

a. Solid and liquid samples; gases and radioactive iodines not permitted.

If corrosion or evaporation could lead to significant release of f radioactive products, separate containment of the material must be i provided to limit the release. I

b. Activities of the following types are permitted:

i. examination

11. mechanical and physical testing 111. packaging and repackaging of materials iv. dividing materials into smaller lots

v. taking small samples for assay or fluence determination (other types of separation of byproduct materials is not permitted).-

                     'c. Proposed uses of the hot cells are reviewed and approved in accordance with the applicable parts of Technical Specification paragraphs 7.5.le (iii), 7.9 and 6.1.

(} d. Proposed uses of the hot cells must comply with the written procedures

,                          established by the MIT Reactor Safeguard Committee concerning approvals, ventilation, shielding, handling, and other requirements. These pro-cedures provide for limitation of dose rates and exposures based on cal-culated shielding factors and on measurements of actual radiation levels.

i A record book is maintained for cell utilization and maintenance.'

c. Containment integrity will be maintained when any activity is being con-ducted in.a hot cell.

10.2.4.2 Materials Activated in Other Reactors For byproduct materials activated in other reactors and brought to MIT for utilization in one of the hot cells, the criteria are as follows: , a. Solid material only in any chemical form -

b. Activity linits for materials activated in other reactors:

i. 1,000,000 Ci total at any time

11. 100,000 Ci for any one isotope iii. 10,000 Ci for any one sanple or specimen, and the dose rate at one

  -{ }                            meter unshielded shall not exceed 1000 rads / hour.

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c. . Activities of the following type are permitted:

1. Examination

11. Mechanical and physical testing

d. Proposed uses of the hot cells are reviewed and approved in accordance with the applicable parts of Technical Specification paragraphs 7.5.le (iii), 7.9 and 6.1.

e. Proposed uses of the hot cells must comply with the written procedures established by the MIT Reactor Safeguard Committee concerning approvals for acquisition, control, use and inventorying of materials activated in other reactors as well as other requirements for hot cell use specified in the above paragraph 10.2.4.1(d).

f. Containment integrity will be maintained when any activity is being con-ducted in a hot cell.

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m a o.eo-4 FEB6 1980 .

1 10.31a 9-() 10.3.5 Hot Cells

             -10.3.5.1  Materials Activated in MITR-II Utilization of the hot cells for byproduct materials formed by activation in the MITR-II is for such activities as inspection and exanination of experiments irradiated in the reactor and of reactor components and structures, such as control blades or irradiation thimbles. .They may also be used for packaging of radioisotopes made in MITR-II, for transferring materials from irradiation capsules to shipping containers, for assay sampling and similar purposes.

10.3.5.2 Materials Activated in Other Reactors It is expected that the hot cell facilities at the MIT Research Reactor will prove useful for necessary activities in naterial science research. Inspection,

       . examination, and the mechanical and physical testing (e.g. tensile, fatigue, impact, etc.) of solid byproduct materials activated in other reactors will be perfo rmed. Comparisons may be made with similar or other materisis activated in the FET Research Reactor.

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