ML20040G373
| ML20040G373 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000433 |
| Issue date: | 02/11/1982 |
| From: | Profio A CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, SANTA BARBARA, CA |
| To: | |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8202120225 | |
| Download: ML20040G373 (5) | |
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA L-77 REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT OF OPERATIONS January 1, 1981 through December 31, 1981 License R-124 Docket No. 50-433 A.E. Profio Reactor Director N
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Operating Experience, Changes and_ Tests This is the seventh annual report for the 10 watt, L-77 training reactor at the University of California, Santa
- Barbara. The. reactor is. operated.mainly for instruction in nuclear engineering and for occasional neutron activation irradiations.
The reactor is the principal facility for the NE125 Neutronics Laboratory course. The course is required for_all B.S. degree majors in nuclear engineering, graduate students may also take the course, and approximately 16' students per ye,ar are enrolled in the laboratory. Experiments include power calibration and flux plotting, control rod reactivity calibrations by subcritical multiplication and supercritical .
period measurements, reactivity-worth (importance) of neutron absorbing and scattering samples as a function of position in the core, and neutron activation. analysis.
Students operate the reactor under the supervision of a licensed operator. The lab is offered in the spring quarter, once or twice per week depending on enrollment.
Senior Operator A.E. Profio is presently the only licensed operator, but a staff employee and an assistant professor of nuclear engineering are being trained as' reactor operators.
There were no significant . changes
- to tthe facility or procedures in 1981. A new laboratory to house a free electron laser is being constructed adjacent t o th e reactor facility, and will share the cast wall except for the area near the cast emergency exit. There are no penetrations in the common i
/ ,
- wall, and ventilation and utilities are separate. There '
should be no influence of the free-electron laser lab operations on the reactor. facility, or vice versa, except
. that the reactor-emergency. plan will be revised to reflect the new construction and occupancy.
1 The annual power calibration was performed on 5-20-81.
1 The annual control rod worth and speed tests were performed on 5-6-81. The annual control mechanisms inspection was carried out 11-11-81. The annual radiation monitor and air monitor calibratione and servicing were done on'll-10-81 to 11-13-81. The seismic trip calibration was done 10-9-81.
The annual tank and console maintenance was done 11-10-81.
Semiannual rod drop time tests were performed on 4-27-81 and 11-13-81. Core-recombiner pressure scram test and calibration was done 6:-7-81 (another is scheduled for l early 1982). The shield water level scram was also tested l 6-17-81. The flux instruments and recorder were calibrated i
l and serviced on 5-4-81 and 12-22-81. The radiation icyc1 l
and contamination survey were carried out with the cooperation of the Environmental Health and Safety Office on 7-15-81 (another due in early 1982). Alarms were checked weekly.
Unscheduled Shutdowns and Scrams 7-15-81: Scram on incorrect range switching of linear flux meter amplifier during shutdown by driving rod down (subcritical at time).
Preventive and Corrective Maintenance Operations Routine preventive and corrective maintenance operations were performed according to the Operations Manual.
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.e There were a number of radiation and security alarms, ,
i most false and none serious:
1-21-81: Area radiation monitor #1 erratic. Replaced probe
- and recalibrated.
l-281-81: Power failure. Alarms reset.
2-3-81: Power failure. Area monitor #3 tripped. Problems with the monitor required taking it c :t of service several i times during the year (this instrument is installed at the 2 console as a backup. It does not alarm remotely like area I
monitors #1 and #2. Only one area monitor has to be working
- according to the Technical Specifications.)
6-26-81: Security alarm. South door open. Latches for door l
not secure. No evidence of entry. To avoid problem in future, i spring-loaded latches were installed. Also the door alarm switch was relocated for faster action as door is opened.
. 7-23-81: False radiation alarm from electronic failure in area monitor #3. Repaired same day.
7-28-81: False radiation alarm at Police Dispatch. Apparent i
i problem in trasmitter as no local radiation trip indicated.
I 9-4-81: Small carthquake. No seismic trip. Inspection showed l
- l everything normal.
l 11-17-81: Security alarm tripped several times. Problem in transmitter as no evidence of entry, doors secure.
l Changes Under 10 CFR 50.59 Mone.
' Radioactive Effluents Discharged Liquid wastes: none from reactor.
Solid wastes: Very low level contaminated gloves and similar
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--w s v e - - a ,--,--,---..-.m, ,r.
., . were disposed off-site by Environmental Health & Safety.
Gaseous wastes: Not discharged during operation as core-recombiner vessel is scaled. However, the core-recombiner vacuum gage is calibrated-and-loss-of-vacuum alarm and trip are tested semiannually by admitting air, then reevacuating into a tank for holdup and decay over six months or until the next test. Short lived activities in the vessel gas space decay between tests, but some 10.4-yr half-life Kr is discharged to the atmosphere, mixed with room exhaust, when the holdup tank is evacuated. Calculations based on watt-hours of operation, fission yield of Kr, and conservatively neglec' ting radioactive decay give:
0.03 micorcuries discharged in 1981.
This is entirely negligible for health effects.
Environmental Surveys Done Outside Facility: none Significant Radiation Exposures: none Encrgy Output in 1981: 7.7 watt-hours.
Hours Critical in 1981: 9 Energy Output Since Initial Criticality: 300 W-h or 12.5 W-d.
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