ML20006A561

USGS Triga Reactor Annual Rept 1989. W/900118 Ltr

ML20006A561
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1989
From:	Timothy Debey INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
0RA-891231, RA-891231, NUDOCS 9001290115
Download: ML20006A561 (6)

Text

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, . United States Department of the Interior c VEY GEOLOGICAL llOX 250M hl.S. S1'{24 DENVER IT.DERA1. CENTER DENVER, COLORADO 80225 n eern minia in January 18, 1990 Administrator, Region IV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, TX 76011 e

Gentlemen The enclosed annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA reactor facility is submitted in accordance with license conditions.

Sincerely, Timoth M. DeBey Reactor Supervisor Enclosure Copy to:

Document Control Desk (2) 9001290115 891231 PDR ADOCK 05000274 R PDC Il

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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ,

1 ANNUAL REPORT l 1

JANUARY 1, 1989 - DECEMBER 31, 1989 l s

NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 - DOCKET NO. 50-274 I. , Administrative Chances )

Tim DeBey assumed the position of Reactor Supervisor on January 1, 1989, relieving Paul Helfer, who was Acting Reactor Supervisor from June 1, 1988, through December 31, 1988.

II. Operatina Experience  :

The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operations <

for the year 1989. A new irradiation facility was added external to the core and preinstallation checks were continued on the new control console. .

A total of 271 irradiation requests were processed during the year, ,!

with the average request representing 78 samples and 8.5 full-power hours of '

reactor operation. A synopsis of irradiations performed during the year 1989 '

is given below, listed by the organization submitting the samples to the reactor staff Organization Number of S - les Geologic Division - BGC 18,728 Geologic Division - BIG 1,219 Geologic Division - CHR 1,037 Geologic Division - WHR 30 Geologic Division - BSP 20

. Non-USGS users 96 Total 21,130 A. Thermal power calibrations at about 800 kW were performed in June and December, with only very minor adjustments required.

B. Three new Class I experiments were approved and one Class I ,

experiment was amended during this period. One new class II experiment was also approved. This experiment involved the irradiation of a cylinder of argon gas pressurized to 50 psig for the production of a radioactive tracer material.

C. During the report period, 183 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

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O D. Tours were provided to individuals and groups in 1963 for a total visitor count of approximately 250.

1 III. Tabulation of Enerav Generated Megawatt Time Reactor Number of Month Hours Was Critical Pulses January 1989 89.485 94 hours0.00109 days <br />0.0261 hours <br />1.554233e-4 weeks <br />3.5767e-5 months <br /> 1 minute 0 Tebruary 1989 90.507 93 hours0.00108 days <br />0.0258 hours <br />1.537698e-4 weeks <br />3.53865e-5 months <br /> 2 minutes 0 March 1989 130.168 136 hours0.00157 days <br />0.0378 hours <br />2.248677e-4 weeks <br />5.1748e-5 months <br /> 6 minutes e April 1989 118.349 122 hours0.00141 days <br />0.0339 hours <br />2.017196e-4 weeks <br />4.6421e-5 months <br /> 32 minutes 0 Hay.1989 100.011 103 hours0.00119 days <br />0.0286 hours <br />1.703042e-4 weeks <br />3.91915e-5 months <br /> 16 minutes 0 June 1989 95.453 104 hours0.0012 days <br />0.0289 hours <br />1.719577e-4 weeks <br />3.9572e-5 months <br /> 20 minutes 0 July 1989 96,100 37 hours4.282407e-4 days <br />0.0103 hours <br />6.117725e-5 weeks <br />1.40785e-5 months <br /> 52 minutes O August 1989 112.546 115 hours0.00133 days <br />0.0319 hours <br />1.901455e-4 weeks <br />4.37575e-5 months <br /> 6 minutes O September 1989 87.500 88 hours0.00102 days <br />0.0244 hours <br />1.455026e-4 weeks <br />3.3484e-5 months <br /> 38 minutes 0 October 1989 90.549 92 hours0.00106 days <br />0.0256 hours <br />1.521164e-4 weeks <br />3.5006e-5 months <br /> 1 minute O Povember 1989 88.980 92 hours0.00106 days <br />0.0256 hours <br />1.521164e-4 weeks <br />3.5006e-5 months <br /> 21 minutes 0 December 1989 86.420 88 hours0.00102 days <br />0.0244 hours <br />1.455026e-4 weeks <br />3.3484e-5 months <br /> 46 minutes 9 Totals 1186.068 1228 hours0.0142 days <br />0.341 hours <br />0.00203 weeks <br />4.67254e-4 months <br /> 1 minute 0 IV. Unscheduled shutdowns Serial No. Q31g Cause 411 1/5/89 Period scram caused by AC power dip 412 1/11/89 Period scram caused by loose connector on log channel 413 1/12/89 Linear scram caused by AC power dip 414 1/12/89 Period scram caused by dirty contacts on bistable card 415 1/25/89 Hanual scram due to loss of DN system blower (AC loss) 416 2/6/89 Linear scram due to intermittent ground on cables 417 3/2/89 Hanual scram due to DN system failure, rabbit stuck 418 3/21/89 Linear scram due to noise from range switching 419 3/29/89 Period scram due to AC power dip 420 4/3/89 Linear scram due to physical shock to control console 421 4/5/89 Linear scram due to momentary AC power outage 422 4/5/89 Period scram due to AC power line noise 423 4/14/89 Linear scram due to noise from pool alarm reset 424 4/17/89 Linear scram due to momentary AC power outage 425 4/20/89 Linear bcram due to AC power line noise 426 5/2/89 Linear scram due to physical shock to control console  ! '

427 6/1/89 Linear scram due to physical shock to control console 428 6/6/89 Linear scram due to noise from pool alarm reset 429 6/7/89 Linear scram due to noise from range switching 1

430 6/14/89 Percent power scram due to physical shock to console l 431 6/21/89 Linear scram due to AC noise from Transient Rod drive 432 8/4/89 Linear scram due to AC noise from Transient Rod drive 433 8/10/89 Linear scram due to AC noise from Transient Rod drive j 434 9/19/89 Linear scram due to noise from range switching .

I 435 9/27/89 Linear scram due to momentary AC power outage j 436 12/14/89 Percent power scram due to cables being stepped on j Period scram due to signal noise on log channel 437 12/19/89

V. Maior Maintenance Operations Maintenance items in CY'89 are relatively minor compared to the reactor tank replacement of CY'88. In March, the temporary gamma and neutron shielding at the top of the reactor tank was removed and replaced with permanent shielding that provided additional radiation attenuation. In April, the cooling tower nozzles were removed, inspected, cleaned, and reinstalled.

Rust particles were found to be clogging a number of the nozzles. After the maintenance, a significant decrease in cooling tower header pressure was noted. Overall performance of the cooling tower continues to be satisfactory.

A DOP leak test of the reactor room exhaust plenum was satisfactorily performed in August, and a routine control rod inspection was performed in December. Ion exchange resin was replaced twice during the year, in Harch and September.

VI. Summary of 10 CTR 50.59 chances There were no 50.59 changes at the facility during this report period. The pending installation of a new control console will not be performed as a 50.59 change, but will be installed after receiving the appropriate approval and technical specifications changes from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The current schedule calls for the console to be installed in the spring of 1990.

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

10 CFR 20 License (R-113) i Argon-41 Allowable Tritium (HTO) Allowable l H2 nth (Curies) (Curies) (ucuries) (Curies)

January 1989 0.73 5.8 28 0.25 l February 1989 1.19 5.8 11.4 0.25 l- March 1989 0.97 5.8 55.6 0.25 l April 1989 1.10 5.8 58.1 0.25 May 1989 0.74 5.8 87.5 0.25 June 1989 0.47 5.8 54.1 0.25 July 1989 0.75 5.8 55.7 0.25 August 1989 0.84 5.8 11.0 0.25 September 1989 0.61 5.8 13.8 0.25 October 1989 0.71 5.8 12.8 0.25 November 1989 0.70 5.8 10.6 0.25 December 1989 0.65 5g t 11.7 0.25 Total 9.46 70.0 410.3 uCi 3.00

% of allowable 13.5% 0.014%

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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 multiplied by the concentration of tritium as HTO. Tritium sample analyses are being performed by Colorado State University. -

a B. About 707 liters of contaminated reactor water containing a total of 22.4 uCi of S*Co were released into the rederal Center sewage system over a twelve month time period. This water was diluted by 3.4 x 105 gallons of sewage water.

C. Four 55-gal, drums of low level solid waste and solidified resin were shipped for burial in Nevada in 1989.

The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1989 is estimated to be approximately 27.5 mC1.

Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralirer resin - used resin with small quantities of rinse water is solidified with Portland cement prior to release in 55-gallon drums.

VIII. Radiation Honitorina 1

L A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year 1989.

l 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 (CAH) sampling the air in the reactor bay,. An equilibrium concentration of 3.0 x 10-e uC1/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of 400 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 Gamma products G4020 Low Level counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, j is changed and counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MpC (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 11) concentrations for all isotopes in question in the reactor bay.

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3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable  !

instruments are calibrated with a certified 3-Curie Cs-137 source and wipes i are counted on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system.

Monthly wipe tests in the Reactor Bay indicated two areas of l' contamination in 1989. The first was located on a sample storage cave and the j

second on the floor near the cave. The recorded activities were 22 and 51 pC1/100 cm2 beta, respectively. Neither area was greater than two square  !

feet. The roof hatch over the reactor bay has been roped off and posted as a radiation area due to radiation streaming from the annulus when operating at high power. Radiation levels within the roped boundaries measure up to 3 mr/h  !'

and average about 2.5 mr/h when the reactor is operating at 1 HW.

4. Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned  !

to al1 < permanent occupants of the Nuclear Science Building. CaSO4:Dy t dosimeters have been used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.  ;

Personnel monitoring results are categorized below Rem-1989 gam _a g_elg e Neutron Reactor Staff Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year (thru 11-19-89)

Highest 0.080 0.080 0.000 Hands Cumulative Shallow Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.000 0.490 0.000 Reactor Experimenters Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.080 0.080 0.000 Hands Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.060 0.180 0.000 Reactor Visitors All readings were less than 14 mrem.

Environmental Stations Rem 1989 Exhaust Stack 0.1564 Wes't 0.0103 Southwest 0.0000 l Southeast 0.0000 l

l IX. Environmental Monitorina Pursuant to reactor procedures, soil and water samples are collected every second year. No environmental samples were collected in 1989.

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