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Annual Rept,Jan-Dec 1980.
	ML20003A487
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1980
From:	; INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:	;
References
	NUDOCS 8102040136
	Download: ML20003A487 (9)
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53i 7 [ U. S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor gu a. '

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. m ANNUAL REPORT

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p ':: Lj January 1, 1980 - December 31, 1980

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I. Administrative Changes The following changes have been made in the membership of the Reactor Operations Committee:

1) Dr. Roman A. Schmitt of Oregon State University replaced Dr. Warren W. Miller.

2) Dr. Dale E. Klein of the University of Texas replaced Dr. Thomas H. Pigford. <s t

3) Dr. R. Douglas O' Dell of Los Alamos Laboratories has replaced Dr. Thomas H. Pigford as Chairman of the Reactor Operations Committee.

1 II. Operating Experience The prime function of the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) for the year 1980 continued to be the provision of neutrons for

[ the various research programs being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Irradiations were also performed for other Governmental agencies and educational institutions.

A listing of all irradiations performed during the year 1980 is tabulated below.

l Organization Samples (1980) l Geologic Division (Denver) 32,925 l University of Georgia 44 Geologic Division (Menlo Park) 30 Australian National University 28 California Insitiute of Technology 16 University of British Columbia 7 l 33,050 l

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2 The specifics of operations relating to performance characteristics, changes in the facility design, or operating procedures are:

A. Thermal power calibrations at 50 KW were performed in January and June, 1980.

B. Fuel elements were inspected and measured in January 1980.

C. Three standard TRIGA fuel elements were added to the core in January 1980.

D. The control rods were calibrated in January 1980.

E. Two Class II experiments were approved by the Reactor Operations Committee.

Experiment 0-5 was approved in February 1980. It authorized experiments by the reactor staff with a thermal to fast neutron converter.

Experiment P-14 was approved in September 1980. It authorized the irradiation of organic solvents, or evaporated residues of the solvents, containing dissolved natural uranium.

F. During the report period, 206 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with Technical Specification requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

G. Tours of the reactor facility were provided to 20 groups during the year. The major groups visiting the facility were affiliated with:

Society of Applied Spectroscopy Highland High School Wasson High School Colorado College University of Florida Colorado School of Mines Lakewood Public Safety Federal Bureau of Investigation Lakewood Fire Department Bureau of Mines Bennett High School

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During the year, 301 visitors were admitted to the reactor facility.

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3 III. Tabulation of Energy Generated Megawatt Time Reactor Pulsing Month Hourg,_ Was Critical Number - K/B January 1980 100.72 124 hours0.00144 days 0.0344 hours 2.050265e-4 weeks 4.7182e-5 months 11 minutes -

0 February 1980 108.04 117 hours0.00135 days 0.0325 hours 1.934524e-4 weeks 4.45185e-5 months 51 minutes O March 1980 111.56 118 hours0.00137 days 0.0328 hours 1.951058e-4 weeks 4.4899e-5 months 01 minutes 0 i

April 1980 100.09 109 hours0.00126 days 0.0303 hours 1.802249e-4 weeks 4.14745e-5 months 12 minutes O May 1980 86.60 94 hours0.00109 days 0.0261 hours 1.554233e-4 weeks 3.5767e-5 months 37 minutes 0 June 1980 71.93 88 hours0.00102 days 0.0244 hours 1.455026e-4 weeks 3.3484e-5 months 32 minutes 0 July 1980 82.61 91 hours0.00105 days 0.0253 hours 1.50463e-4 weeks 3.46255e-5 months 18 minutes O August 1980 77.80 86 hours9.953704e-4 days 0.0239 hours 1.421958e-4 weeks 3.2723e-5 months 34 minutes O September 1980 49.87 56 hours6.481481e-4 days 0.0156 hours 9.259259e-5 weeks 2.1308e-5 months 34 minutes 0 October 1980 60.64 70 hours8.101852e-4 days 0.0194 hours 1.157407e-4 weeks 2.6635e-5 months 51 minutes 0 November 1980 51.13 56 hours6.481481e-4 days 0.0156 hours 9.259259e-5 weeks 2.1308e-5 months 41 minutes 0 December 1980 62.17 70 hours8.101852e-4 days 0.0194 hours 1.157407e-4 weeks 2.6635e-5 months 51 minutes _O Total 963.16 1085 hours0.0126 days 0.301 hours 0.00179 weeks 4.128425e-4 months 13 minutes 0 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Emergency Shutdowns - number and reason -

1. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed to leave reactor" signal. Sample l returned OK. Serial #238 l 2. Power transient in building. Serial #247

3. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed Serial #249 to leave reactor" signal. Sample returned OK. Changed circuit board l in CTD.

4. Power transient in building. Serial #252

5. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed -

to leave reactor" signal. Sample returned OK. Serial #254

6. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed to leave reactor" signal. Sample i returned OK. Tubing loose on i

sample changer. Serial #255

7. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed l to leave reactor" signal. Sample returned OK. . Slow transit time.. Serial #256

8. Power failure in building. Serial'#259-1 ._ _. _ _ . :__

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9. Percent power scram in " Auto" mode. Tested OK. Possible power transient. Serial #261

10. Power transient in building. Serial #262

11. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample failed to leave reactor" signal. Sample returned OK. Sample slow leaving reactor. Serial #267 Unscheduled Shutdowns - number and reason

1. Manual Scram - Low water level in secondary cooling system tank. Serial #237

2. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Stuck in transit out" signal. Photo-detector missed sample. Serial #239

3. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Stuck in transit out" signal. Sample returned OK. Problem in CTD program. Serial #240

4. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Improper sequence" signal. Adjusted photodetector. Serial #241

5. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit in" signal.

Problem in CTD program. Serial #242

6. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal.

Photodetector malfunction. Serial-#243

7. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal.

Sample returned OK. Serial #244

8. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal.

Photodetector malfunction. Serial #245

9. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Improper sequence" signal. Samples accounted for.- Serial #246

10. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system.- Photodetector on with no sample in tne system.- Serial #248 a

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11. Manual Scram - Area monitor radiation alarm.

No. 18 station not in reactor area. Serial #250

12. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. Lost computer (CTD) program. Samples accounted for. Serial #251

13. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. CTD failure.

Samples OK. Serial #253

14. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. CTD failure.

Samples OK. Serial #257

15. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. CTD stopped.

Samples OK. Serial #258

16. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. CTD failure.

Samples OK

17. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal. Sample returned OK. Serial #263

18. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Improper sequence" signal. Sample returned OK. Photodetector malfunction. Serial #264

19. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal. Sample returned OK. Poor contact on photodetector. Serial #265

20. Manual Scram - Pneumatic system. " Sample stuck in transit out" signal. Sample slow in transit. Serial #266 V. Major Maintenance Operations A. Water Systems

1. The demineralizer resin was changed once during the year.

B. Control Rods

1. The control rods were-calibrated.

2. A new Reg. rod drive motor was installed.

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C. Instrumentation

1. The linear compensated ion chamber was replaced.

VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 Changes No changes were made under 10 CFR 50.59, 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 1980 0.78 5.8 8.3 x 10 s-0.25 February 1980 0.72 5.8 15.8 x 10 s -

0.25 Mr.rch 1980 0.71 5.8 15.8 x 10 s -

0.25 April 1980 0.57 5.8 15.8 x 10 s -

0.25 May 1980 0.57 5.8 15.7 x 10 s -

0.25 June 1980 0.39 5.8 7.7 x 10 s-0.25 July 1980 0.48 5.8 13.7 x 10 s 0.25 August 1980 0.59 5.8 22.9 x 10--5 0.25 September 1980 0.31 5.8 21.2 x 10 s 0.25 October 1980 0.41 5.8 12.2 x 10 s 0.25 November 1980 0.32 5.8 9.1 x 10 s 0.25 December 1980 0.68 5.8 9.6 x 10 0.25 1.67 x 10 '

Total 6.53 70.8 3.00

% of allowable 9.3% 0.055%

(Note #1: The argon activities reported are integrated values obtained from the facility's gaseous stack monitor. ' Calculated values have been substituted for measured 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 con-centration of tritium as HTO).

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B. There were no radioactive liquid effluents released from the reactor during the year 1980.

C. Solid radioactive material released as radioactive wastes have been shipped via Garrett Truck Lines to Richland, Washington.

Eleven 55-gallon drums were received by Nuclar Engineering.

The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1980 is estimated to be approximately 7.0 mC1.

(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).

VIII. Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year 1980.

1. Eighteen area monitors (17 gammas, 1 neutron) located through-out 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 8 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 particular 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 and counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MPC (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table II) 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-curies Cs-137 source and wipes are counted on a Beckman Low Beta II counting system.

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Wipe surveys have shown the reactor area remains free of tactile contamination except for intermittent low level activity to approximately 1,036 pCi beta and gamma per 100 cm 2 on work table tops, the sample storage caves and floor. 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 power level of 1 MW.

4. personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned to all permanent accupants of the Nuclear Science Builidng. CaSO3 :Dy dosim?sers have been used at four outdoor environmental sfations, neactor facility visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.

These monitoring results are categorized below:

Rem - 1980 Reactor Staff Gamm'a Beta Neutron Whole Body Highest 0.045 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.025 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.140 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.065 0.000 0.00 1

Reactor Experimenters Whole Body l

Highest 0.015 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.012 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.180 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.086 0.000 0.00 l

Reactor Visitors All readings were less than 1.0 mrem.

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Environmental Stations Rem 1980 Exhaust Stack 0.1615 West 0.0336 Southwest 0.0132 Southeast 0.0169 personnel monitoring results are for the fourth quarter of 1979 and the first three quarters of 1980.

Environmental monitoring is for an 11-month period.

IX. Environment ~al' Monit~oring Pursuant to reactor operating procedures, soil and water samples are collected every second year. Samples were collected in 1980 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:

Samp1'e Number Lo' cation Beta UCi/ml Alpha pCi~/ml 9

W-1 Federal Center 2.6 x 10~ 6.7 x 10~9 3rd & Center Ave.

9 W-2 Federal Center 4.7 x 10~9 3.9 x 10~ .

Duck pond

_9 W-3 Off-Site 2.7 x 10-9 1.8 x 10 Ward Reservoir ,, ,

W-4 Oft-Site 9.4 x 10 1.4 x 10 Sloans Lake 9 9

W-5 Off-Site 4.5 x 10 1. 6 x 10 Clear Creek W-6 Off-Site No sample,taken ,

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W-7 Off-Site 4.5 x 10 8.2 x 10 Kendrick Reservoir-

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ML20003A487

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