ML20034C526
| ML20034C526 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Missouri-Columbia |
| Issue date: | 04/25/1990 |
| From: | Mckibben J, Meyer W MISSOURI, UNIV. OF, COLUMBIA, MO |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20034C527 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9005040074 | |
| Download: ML20034C526 (4) | |
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I Research Reactor Facility April 25,1990 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
. Research Park Columbia. Missouri 65211 Telephone (314) 882-4211 L
' Directo'r of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mall Stop P1-137-
- Washington, D. C. 20555 -
.A'ITENTION: - Document Control Desk
REFERENCE:
Docket 50-186 University of Missourl:Research Reactor License R-103
SUBJECT:
Response to Nuclear Regulatory Commission I
Request for Additional Information, 11/21/89 In your letter dated November 21,1989 to Mr. J Charlie McKibben, you requested additional information in support of your review of the University of Missouri-Columbia Research Reactor (MURR) application dated September 26,1986, as supplemented, for amendment of the referenced license.
Our response to your request is attached. Also attached is a copy of all page's of the Technical Specifications which we propose be changed pursuant to the original application and all supplements. 'If there are any questions, please feel free to call Don Alger or me at 314-882-4211.
incerely.
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l Walt A. Meyer, Reactor anag r ENDORSEMENT:
Reviewed and Approved
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J. C. McKibben 1
Associate Director Attachments xc: Regional Administrator, NRC Region III N
Mr. Alexander Adams, Jr.
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1 Attachment to Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulatory Letter Dated ~ April 25,1990 Page'1 RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR~ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA DOCKET NO. 50-186, LICENSE R-103 REQUEST 1:
Please provide a safety analysis for your proposed change to Technical Specification 3.8 d concerning kert imits for fuel storage.
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RESPONSE
The use of ELAF fuel with its higher U-235 loading necessitates storage of fuel outside of the core with a kerrin excess of the current Technical Specification 3.8 d. maximum of 0.8.
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Storage of fuel allowed by the proposed Technical Specification 4.1.c. results in kerr being less than 0.9 for all storage geometries and for all condiUons of moderation and reflection.
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The University of Missouri-Columbia requests that the attached proposed version of Technical Specification 3.8.d. be approved to allow a maximum kerr of 0.9.
This limit is consistent with the recommendation of the American National Standards Institute and the American Nuclear Society as published in American National Standard for the Development of Technical Specifications for Researnb_
i Reactors ANSI /ANS-15.1.
.0 Atta6hment to Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulatory Letter Dated April 25,1990 Page 2 REQUEST 2:
t Please explain the safety significance of adding limits on volume % of UAlx j
powder for the fuel meat in Technical Specification 4.1.b.
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RESPONSE
I Placing a limit on the maximum volume % of UAlx powder in the fuel meat is essentially redundant with placing a maximum U-235 loading per fuel element.
Since a maximum loading is now being requested (see item 4 below),'we have l
eliminated the reference to a maximum volume % in the proposed Technical Specification 4.1.b. (see attachment).
REQUEST 3:
i It appears that all reference to uranium-aluminum alloy fuel is being removed i
from the Technical Specifications. Is this correct?
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RESPONSE
There is no need to provide for uranium-aluminum alloy type fuel ' This i
technology does not provide for sufficient U-235 loading.
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' Attachment to Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulatory Letter Dated April 25,1990 Page 3 REQUEST 4 Your proposed changes to Technical Specification 4.1.c. removes the limit on the maximum uranium-235 (U-235) per fuel element and adds boron carbide to the fuel as a burnable poison. However, our evaluation focused on ELAF with ai
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maximum of 1270 grams U-235 and boron carbide in selected fuel plates, iPlease suggest wording for Technical Specification 4.1.c. that addresses these limits, based upon EIAF.
RESPONSE
Wording for Technical Specification 4.1.c. is suggested in the attached proposed specification. The specification for the ELAF has been changed to' be consistent with the focus of the evaluation and establishes the criteria of a maximum of 1270 grams of U-235 and a maximum of 1.08 grams of natural boron in'the form of' s
boron carbide per element. The proposed specification retains the criteria for.
the present fuel elements which contain a maximum of 775 grams of U-235..
These elements will continue to be used for several years. We have also proposed l
a specification which specifically covers the operation of the reactor with a mixture of the 775 gram and ELAF clements. The safety analysis shows that any mixed fuel combination of the 775 gram and 1270 gram elements can be safely operated within the existing Technical Specification safety limits for 10 MW operation.
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