ML20049H585
| ML20049H585 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | General Atomics |
| Issue date: | 02/25/1982 |
| From: | Mowry W GENERAL ATOMICS (FORMERLY GA TECHNOLOGIES, INC./GENER |
| To: | John Miller Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| 38-3056, NUDOCS 8203030327 | |
| Download: ML20049H585 (5) | |
Text
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NWmMOw& -m - mmmmtammems GENERAL ATOMC COMPANY PO BOX 81608 In Reply 8
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February 25, 1982 Refer To:
38-3056
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Ifr. James R. liiller, Chief x'
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Standardization and Special Projects Branch
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Division of Licensing
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Subject:
Facility License R-38; Docket 50-39 Subnittal of Annual Report (3 copies)
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Dear fir. ?! iller:
The following is a routine annual report required by the applicable Techni-cal Specifications. The present report covers the operation for the year 1981. The numbered sections below are those referred to in Section 9.6e.
Part 1 A brief narrative sunnary of (1) operating experience (including experinents performed), (2) changes in facility design, perfornance characteristics and operating procedures related to reactor safety occurring during the report-ing period, and (3) results of surveillance tests and inspections.
1.
The Ilark I reactor was operated during the year to provide 24 pulses and steady-state irradiations for numerous experimentc.
The operations included:
activation analysis, neutron radiography, King furnace high-tenperature studies of reactor fuel, numerous ir-radiations of sanples or pieces of equipment, including high tenp-erature ion chanbers, and training exercises for operator trainees.
2.
No changes in facility design, performance characteristics, or operating procedures related to safety occurred during this report-ing period.
3.
The surveillance tests and inspections were perforned as required by Sections 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 of the Technical Specifications.
Sone results are presented below.
Tuel Surveillance The fuel was inspected visually and for bending and length changes on Decenber 15, 16, and 17, 1981. All elenents were satisfactory.
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ControERodSurveillance The visual inspection for deterioration was performed on December i
17, 1981.. All rods were found to be in satisfactory condition.
Pulsing System Surveillance The rechanical components of the pulsing system (pulse control rod, air piston, lip seal, anvil, and accumulator) were inspected, cleaned'as required, lubricated, and reassembled on June 29 and
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December 17, 1981.
g i.s Reactor Safety Systems f
As specified in the Technical Specifications, Channel Tests of the l
reactor safety system channels, Channel Calibrations of the Power
..-Level monitoring channels, Calibration of the Temperature measur-
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ing channels, Chsnnel Checks of the power-level measuring channels, and Ch'annel Checks of the fuel-element temperature measuring chan-nels were performed. The tests were performed at least as often as required, and the results were satisfactory.
In no case was a required safety channel scram found to be operating outside the specified safety limits. The reactor power-level monitoring chan-nels were calibrated at least monthly during the reporting period, 9
the most recent in December, 1981. Three of thesa monthly tests i
rec.uired changes in the calibration of at least one channel by an a9funtgreatertaan5%butlessthan10%.
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The monitor and survey systems were under surveillance during the
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reporting period. The frequency of calibrations was as indicated below.
Continuous Air Monitor Alarm setpoints were checked daily. The system was calibrated semiannually with three U-235 sources in front of detector (600 ets/ min,1500 cts / min, and 5500 ets/ min).
Eberline Area Monitors Operation is checked daily; alarms are activated in response to l
a source every two weeks; calibration is performed semiannually l
with a 4 mci Cs-137 source.
I Part 2 A tabulation showing the energy generated by the reactor (in megawatt hours),
i The energy generated in 1981 by the Mark I was 47,134 kilouatt-hours (47.13 megawatt-hours).
James R. Hiller 38-3056 Part 3 The number of emergency shutdowns and inadvertent scrams, including the ef-fect, if any, on the safe operation of the reactor, and the reasons for any corrective maintenance required, if any.
A total of two inadvertent scrams occurred in 1981 during an estimated 1000 separate startups and operations. A list of the scrans according to cause, date, and corrective maintenance (if needed) follows.
It may be noted that neither of the two scramo occurred primarily as a reactor operator error.
1.
A PERCENT POWER No. 2 scram occurred due to a flux tilt in the core while operating the Lazy Susan with 37 samples. The SAFE Rod was full up.
The fluctuation of flux (+10%) due to rotation
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of Lazy Susan plus the tilted flux caused a scram in one of the power channels. A more balanced rod bank is desirable if full power operation is attempted under these circunstances. No Safety matters were involved (8/4/81).
2.
An automatic shutdown in the EXTEPJIAL SCRAM circuit was caused by King Furnace No. 2.
The timer was not serving any useful purpose at the time and ran down to zero from ita 1000 hour0.0116 days <br />0.278 hours <br />0.00165 weeks <br />3.805e-4 months <br /> read-ing, causing a harmless but annoying scram 13 hours1.50463e-4 days <br />0.00361 hours <br />2.149471e-5 weeks <br />4.9465e-6 months <br /> and 50 minutes into a 16 hour1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> run. No Safety problems were involved (9/22/81).
Part 4 l
Discussion of the major maintenance operations performed during th3 period, including the effects, if any, on the safe operation of the reactor, and the reasons for any corrective maintenance required.
1.
The Range Switch on the Control Panel was changed to give 300 kW full scale. Multiplier resistors were altered to increase the full power scale reading from 250 kW to 300 kW to allow proper calibration of the Console power channels. Note that there is no screen function on the LIN channel (3/27/81).
2.
The Rod Position Indicator (RPI) failed to read correctly, gave a zero indication during a reactor run. The rod was raised to its full UP position manually and the other rods were used to ad-just reactivity. The problem was traced to a broken wire to the drive motor in the rod drive assembly on the reactor bridge. This wire is a DC ground return from the RPI to the potentiometer. The wire was resoldered and the RPI was declared serviceable and re-turned to service (4/17/81).
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4 James R. Miller 38-3056 3.
An intermittent problem was observed in the SERVO controller cir-
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cuitry which prevented use of AUTOMATIC Hode of operation.
ELECTRONICS personnel investigated and could find no problem, probably because the problem never returned. ELECTRONICS suggests that the only explanation was a temporarily stuck relay in the SERVO circuitry (5/13/81).
4.
The Keithley current source (Model 201) and the Electrometer (610B) are used periodically to calibrate several of the cir-cuits in the Control Console. The test equipment at the TRIGA Facility is temporarily out of specification and is replaced by similar calibrated equipment from the CALIBRATION Imboratory.
Part 5 l
A summary of each change to the facility or procedures, tests, and experi-ments carried out under the conditions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50.
i During this report period no reviews were conducted using the provisions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50.
Part 6 i
A summary of the nature and amount of radioactive effluents released or dis-charged to the environs beyond the effective control of the licensee as meas-ured at or prior to the point of such release or discharge.
41 During the calendar year 1981, 0.089 curies of Ar vere released from the facility to the atmosphere.
All liquid and solid wastes are transferred to CAC's SNM-696 Licensed Waste Processing Facility for ultimate disposal by a licensed disposal vendor.
Part 7 A description of any environnental surveys performed outside the facility.
There have been no significant changes to the environnental surveillance pro-gram for 1981.
See Reference 38-675 dated February 24, 1976, Facility License R-38; Docket 50-89, Submittal of Annual Report, Attachment 1, General Atomic Company's environmental surveillance program. The results of this program j
are submitted in our semi-annual effluent report.
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James R. Miller 5-38-3056 Part 8 A summary of radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors, including the dates and time of significant exposure, and a brief sunmary of the results of radiation and contamination surveys performed within the fac-ility.
Facility Personnel Whole Body Exposures for the Year 1981 (Rem):
Number of Employees Monitored Higil Low Average 3
0.970*
0.100 0.550 Nonfacility CAC Personnel Whole Body Exposures for the Year 1981 (Rem):
Number of Employees Monitored HM Low Averago 52 0.430*
0.000 0.050 Contractor Personnel Whole Body Exposures for the Year 1981 (Rem):
Number of Persons Monitored High
-Low Average 41 0.270 0.000 0.020 Visitor Whole Eody Exposures for the Year 1981 (Rem):
Number of Persons Monitored Iligh Low Average l
50 0.030 0.000 0.001
(* Employees also worked at other facilities on GAC site.)
Routine Wipe Surveys 2
High Wipe 2.6 K 8 dpm/100 cm2 Average Wipe 15 6 dpm/100 cm2 Low Wipe O
S dpm/100 cm Routine Radiation Measurements High 153 SY mR/hr 0 1 foot Average 2
Sy nR/hr Q l foot Low 0
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James R. Miller 38-3056 Should you desire additional information concerning the above, please let me know.
Very truly yours, William R. Mowry Licensing Administrator Nuclear Ibterials Control Division WRM:he cc:
R. H. Engelken, U.S. NRC, Region V.
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