ML20052B064
| ML20052B064 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000600 |
| Issue date: | 03/29/1982 |
| From: | Valente F SEATTLE UNIV., SEATTLE, WA |
| To: | Kosla B NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| 20547, NUDOCS 8204290641 | |
| Download: ML20052B064 (3) | |
Text
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a DEPARTMENT OF PliYSICS Seattle University y
SEATTLE, WASillNGTON 98122 TELEPilONE (206) 626-5400
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APR 8 1982
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'y ce s*n Attention: Ms. B. M. Kosla p ac u sc a n Uranium Processing Licensing Section 4
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Uranium Fuel Licensing Branch ro Division of Fuel Cycle & Material Safety L-
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Dear Sirs / Madame:
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In response to your letter of February 25, 1982, regarding our reque
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for the renewal of License SN 589, the following comments are sub '
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1.a) Current Radiation Safety Officer:
Frank A. Valer(D p
,<r M p o o 7ag2 + ;v UJ b) The minimum requirements for RSO are:
'o he must have the education, training and experierAe('.to "
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teach the one-quarter course in the basic elementstof\\
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f(s nuclear fission reactors (PH 475) with respect to ii. Performance by students of the basic experiments relating to criticality; and iii. the radiation safety expertise of the type discussed in Chapter Five (Radiological Considerations) of the Manual of Experiments in Reactor Physics (Valente, et al.).
c) The reporting structure is as follows:
The RSO reports to the Dean of Engineering and Science, who reports to the Academic Vice-President, who in turn reports to the Executive Vice-President.
- 2. In order to attempt to comment on item 2, it is believed a brief description of the S.U. subcritical assembly is advisable.
It produces no power of any significance; no control mechanism of any kind requiring student manipulation for the subcritical assembly's use, is therefore needed. It requires no shielding; no monitoring instrumentation of any kind for its operation.
The only instrument needed with the subcritical assembly is a suitable counter connected to the appropriate Scaler. The main task of the students, working with the subcritical assembly, is to record data.
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Attention: Ms. B. M. Kosla March 29, 1982 Page Two The actual operation of the subcritical assembly requires the use of a neutron source (in our course, a plutonium-berylluim source of neutrons is the one used.) bly is done by the instructor; when this is to be done, The insertion or removal of the neutron source from the subcritical assem the students are asked to step out of the laboratory and return to the laboratory only when the source has been safely inserted in the desired position in the assembly; or removed from the assembly and placed in a shielded, safety spot.
The same procedure is followed in activation of foils or in special, independent study projects; the students are not permitted to handle any of the neutron sources for the purposes of irradiation of any sort; the instructor alone does it.
In the loading experiment alone do the students come in close contact with the slightly enriched uranium slugs.
There is one laboratory period a week, averaging about 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br />; the -
time available during the quarter permits the performance of only six to seven experiments (the loading experiment may require two or more periods).
In general, if time permits, one or more experiments may be done.
Experiments, normally performed in the laboratory, are the basic ones of Diffusion Area, Fermi Age, Loading, Radial Buckling, Vertical Buckling, Poison Effect.
The course is listed as PH 475 in the catalog, and is normally offered as an elective.
In addition, it has been offered and taken, from time to time, by high school teachers who come to Summer School at S.U.
Students are permitted to do research projects in the subcritical assembly, such as flux density distribution studies.
These are done under the supervision of the instructor who also is the RSO.
2.a) The classes are in general small enough to require no staff except the professor instructing in the course, who is also the RSO.
Usually, students have already had a course in radiation and radiation measurements (Text:
Principles of Radio Isotope Methodology, Chase and Rabinowitz).
A student with an exceptional scholastic record (without previously having taken a radiation measurement course) may be permitted to take PH 475 but then he is handled as a special case in class by the RSO or the instructor with respect to radiation safety, b) If and when such instructions are necessary, the RS0 gives
- them, c) At the beginning of the course, each student is handed a copy of A Manual of Experiments in Reactor Physics which describes the relevant Instrumentation, neutron sources, experiments, radiation safety, etc.
3.
Badges sensitive to x-rays, gamma rays, beta rays, and neutrons, are handed to the students at the beginning of the laboratory period, and collected at the end.
The exposed badges are sent to Radiation Detection Company of Sunnyvale, California for processing. After processing, this company
Attention: Ms. B. M. Kosla March 29, 1982 Page Three submits a report on its findings of the following type:
x-gamma rays-Beta Neutrons x mr/ period used y mr/ period used -
z mr/ period used Since becoming RS0 in 1974, the returned exposed badges have read "0" in all categories except in two cases. The company asserts that "0" means less than 10 mr.
No changes in the current safety practices in operation of the subcritical assembly are forseen that would require the verification of an independent safety officer.
4.
From the surveys conducted,.in order to meet the State of Washington requirements, the average radiation level in the working area (hall-level floor) of the subcritical assembly is about 0.03 mr/ r on h
SU-B2-701 survey meter.
(This meter belongs to the 2650 series of Nuclear Chicago Survey meters, and has a standard calibrating source of radiation.)
This meter records an average of about 0.07 mr/hr in basement level where the plutonium-berylluim neutron sources are kept when not in use. This same meter reads about 0.01 to 0.02 mr/ r f r the background which is due to h
cosmic rays and natural radioactivity outside the subcritical assembly building. According to BEIR, (1972),' the sea-level radiation is 102 mr/ year r 0.012 mr/ r.
The characteristics of the survey meter are h
shown in the table below.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SURVEY METER SU-B2-701 Type of Measurement Meter Range Mr/ r Read This h
Desired Desired (Full Range)
Control Setting Meter Scale 0.3 mr/hr
.3 Red, mr/ r h
3 3
(bottom scale) 30 30 milliroentgens per hour 0.1mrfhr
.1 1
1 Black, mr/ r h
10 10 (top scale) 100 100 150 cp/m
.1 Counts per minute 3
10 x 1000 150000 100 (Center Scale)
I hope your questions have been answered.
Very truly yours, h auk 8.Ltolu t Frank A. Valente, Ph.D.
Director, Nuclear Facility
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