ML20062A110

Forwards Changes in Procedures for Aug 1977-June 1978: Biennial Control Rod Insp,Fuel Element Insp & Reactor Startup W/Period Scram Bypassed

ML20062A110
Person / Time
Site:	Kansas State University
Issue date:	09/25/1978
From:	Faw R KANSAS STATE UNIV., MANHATTAN, KS
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
NUDOCS 7810110029
Download: ML20062A110 (9)

Text

.

KRn5RS STRTE UNIVERSITY Department of Nuclear EmTeee-q

,,' Ward Han 8Aannattan, aCaesas 66506

, Phone: 913 53: 5624 Septembar 25, 1978 Office of Inspection & Enforcement Region IV U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Suite 1000 611 Ryan Plaza Drive Arlington. TX 76012 RE: Docket 50-188 Centlemen:

Pursuant to 10CFR50.59(b), the following items are submitted for the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II Nuclear Reactor, Facility license R-88, for the period 1 Aug 1977 - 30 June 1978:

A. Changes in Procedures .

1. Facility Procedure No. 1, " Biennial Control Rod Inspection," as I revised, was approved by the Reactor Safeguards Committee on i 27 Jan 1978. A copy of the revised procedure is attached.

l l 2. Facility Procedure No. 10. " Fuel Element Inspection," was approved i by the Reactor Saf eguards Corittee on 27 Jan 1978. A copy of the procedure is attached.

3. Facility Procedure No. 11 " Reactor Start-up with Period Scram

, Bypassed," was approved by the Reactor Safeguards Committee on 27 Jan 1978. A copy of the procedure is attached.

B. Tests and Experiments Conducted Without Prior Coce.ission Approval.

During the reporting period, no new tests or experiments were performed.

C. Changes in the Facility

1. Control-Rod Position Indicators New control-rod position indicators were installed for the shim

• od and regulating rod. The position indicators are digital panel meters with LED display. Rod position is derived from a direct current electrical signal taken from a ten-turn potentiometer on a common shaf t with the centrol-rod drive motor. The proposed changes, safety analyses, and test procedures were approved by the Reactor Safeguards Co=mittee on 9 Nov 1977 and 27 Jan 1973. In their determination that the changes did not involve unreviewed safety questions, the Committee took into accout the facts that the cor. trol-rod positiets indicators are not covered by technical specifications

$f 8 $ h&f W NY hk A$ 7 h kO h

//W

Office of Inspection & Enforcement Page 2 September 25, 1978 i nor are the position indicators connected to scram circuitry, power-level-indication circuitry, or control-rod drive circuitry.

2. End Fitting for Pulse-rod Poison Section A new end fitting for the pulse-rod poison section was installed on 13 Mar 1978. The new fitting was threaded over the old and circumferentially welded. Specifications, installation procedures, ar , test procedures were approved by the Reactor Safeguards Committee on 10 Mar 1978.

Sincerely, j k {. ?W Richard E. Faw, Director KSU Nuclear ~ Reactor Facility cc: (40 copies)

Director

• Office of Inspection & Enforcement DDC, ADM U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 REF/sk a

l

,p, - - ,-  % , - =r--7%- 7

January 1979 Procedure No. 11 A REACTOR START-UP WITH PERIOD SCRAM BYPASSED wt PURPOSE: To satisfy Technical Specification No. H.l." Written 4

Instructions, Approved by the Reactor Saf eguards committee, shall be in effect for, but not limited to: reactor start-up..."

BASIS: This procedure is designed to allow the reactor to be brought to full power on a short period while limiting the insertion of reactivity so as to remain in the delayed-supercritical condition.

BACKGROUND: Amendment No. 5 to License No. R-88 (dated 14 Nov 77) authorizes operation without a period scram. The console circuitry has been modified by placing a key operated switch, with an indicator lamp, between the period meter relay and the period scram relay. For training operations the period scram will be engaged.

For all console check-outs the period scram will be engaged. For other operations the senior operator who is serving as reactor supervisor may authorize bypassing the period scram.

'n PROCEDURE: 1) Determine the desired positive period, in seconds, s) to be used for the reactor start-up.

NOTE Under no circumstances will the reactor be operated with a predicted period less than one second. All data and cal-culations will be entered in the Operations Log.

2) From the tabulated solution of the In-hour equation in the Operations Notes notebook in the control room calculate the amount of positive reactivity which must be inserted into the reactor to achieve the desired period.

3) Determine the positions of the control rods which will insert the calculated amount of positive reactivity.

4) Disengage the period scram by turning the key 60 degrees clockwise. The red indicator lamp will go out.

5) Perform the start-up as per the calculated control rod positions.

A

' If circumstances permit, measure the resulting 6)

. period from the linear recorder to check the calculation.

Approved: KSU Reactor Safeguards Committee 7/ jf [ ,,,, g /g( g -j . 27 January 1978 N. D. Eckhoff, Chairman Date

Revised January 1978

') Procedure No. 1 BIENNIAL CONTROL ROD INSPECTION PURPOSE: To satisfy Technical Specification No. H.l. " Written instructions, approved by the Reactor Safeguards Committec, shall be in ef fect for, but not limited to: Surveillance and calibration of reactor operating instrumentation and control...."

BASIS: This procedure is designed to compliment existing Reactor Experiment No. 20, " Control Rod Inspection."

3ACKGROUND: In order to disable a control rod drive mechanism and remove the control rod poison section from the core for inspection or other purposes, it will almost always be necessary to unload one or more fuel elements to reduce the positive reactivity

, of the core to comply with Technical Specifications A.l.a.,

A.l.d., D.l., and E.5. Experiment 20 addresses this point in some detail.

PROCEDURE: I Control Rod Removal

1. Loosen any clamps or ties on the control rod drive mechanism electrical cables between the structural steel center channels f- so as to provide approximately 1.25 meters of slack in the cahics.

2. Use a 7/32 hollow set screw key to remove the four 5/16 x 18 hex-head bolts which fasten the control drive mechanism mount to the center channel cover plate.

3. Lift the entire control rod drive mechanism connectinr. .

rod and control rod poison section straight up as a unit, being careful not to da= age the rod down/ contact limit switch actuator foot or stress. the control rod drive mechanism electrical cables.

CAUTION Great care should be taken not to dent or damage these drives in any way. This includes rubbing the poison section against another connecting rod, the central thimble, etc.

4. Af ter the unit has been lif ted high enough to raise the upper connecting rod pin above the center-channel cover plate, cut the stainless steel " keeper wire," carefully saving all fragments; remove the aper connecting rod pin and withdraw the connecting rod from the tubular section of the upper control red drive assembly.

e -

5. Th2 uppsr control driva cec;2bly may now be placsd horizontally on suitable padding on the pool covers.

6. Remove the connecting rod and poison section from the pool as a unit.

CAUTION The poison section and lower portion of the connecting rod will be radioactive. Proper precautions must be taken by health physics personnel to prevent overexposure of the personnel who perform this procedure.

II Control Rod Inspection After removal of the control rod from the reactor tank the poison section diameter will be measured with a vernier caliper and the dimensions will be compared to previous measurements and as-built dimensions. The rod will be visually inspected

( for any indication of loss of cladding integrity and will be weighed, radiographed, or further tested, if deemed necessary.

Connecting rod pins will be inspected for fit. If significant play is encountered the existing pins will be replaced with oversized pins. The upper pin will be smooth stainless steel with a flat head on one end and secured by a stainless steci

" keeper-wire" at the other end. The lower pin will be aluminum and, in order to prevent inadvertent withdrawal, will be press

({} fit with " upset" or pecned ends.

III Control Rod Reassembly

1. Lower the poison section and the connecting rod into the pool as a unit.

2. Carefully place the upper end of the connecting rod into the hollow aluminum tubular section of the upper control rod drive assembly.

3. Line up the holes in the connecting rod with the holes in the upper control rod assembly.

4. Insert the smooth stainless steel flat head pin into the hole and secure it by means of a stainless stccl " keeper-wirc."

5. Lower the entire control rod drive mechanism into a fully scated position. This step will involve placing the poison section into the control rod guide tube in the core and pulling the control rod drive mechanism electrical cables down through the cable hole in the support structure.

CAUTION A

Great care should be taken not to damage the poison section,

, control rod drive electric.a1 cables or rod down/ contact limit switch actuator foot.

6. Use a 7/32 hollow set screw key to secure the four-5/16 x 18 f?)

hex-head bolts which fasten the control rod drive mechanism

. mount to the center channel cover plate.

7. Secure any slack in the control rod. drive mechanism electtical cables with appropriate clamps or ties.

IV Testing for Proper Operation A removed control rod must be fully reinstalled and be demonstrated to be capable of normal operation, including unrestricted drop from a fully withdrawn position in less than one second, before this procedure is considered complete.

It is recommended that ten rod drop time measurements from full withdrawal to full insertion be made and recorded to prove compliance with Technical Specification E.ll.b.

\..

Approved: KSU Reactor Safeguards Committee I/. bL,-r '

k ff N. Dean Eckhof f', Chairman 27 January 1978 O Date 4

4 m n -

January 107S Procedure No. 10 FUEL *_2 MENT INSPECTION PURPOSE: To satisfy Technical Specification No. H.l. " Written instructions.

approved by the Reactor Safeguards Committee, shall be in ef fect for, but not limited to: d. Fuel loading or unloading; f.  ! bin-tenance operations which may af fect core saf ety. And to satisfy

' Technical Specification No. D.6. "Each Fuel Element shall be checked for transverse bend and longitudinal elongation after each 100 pulses of magnitude greater than $1.00."

BASIS: This procedure is designed to accommodate a modification of the fuel-element inspection tool originally furnished by the reactor

. manufacturer.

BACKGROUND: Many of the fuel elements in the present inventory are of the Mark III type and, as such, will not fit the original fuel-element inspection tool. According to the reactor manufacturer's

. suggestions, the fuel-element inspection tool has been codified to accept either Mark II or Mark III fuel elements.

, NOTE As in other fuel handling operations an NRC licensed senior operator must be in attendance to provide direct supervision fs and an NRC licensed operator must attend a live console during N/ this procedure.

PROCEDURF: .I ZEROING THE DIAL INDICATOR

1) With the fuel-handling tool lower a graphite dummy element into the GO-NO-C0 gauge so that the bottom of the cladding can rests on the forks at the lower end of the fuel-element inspection tool.

,6

2) Remove the fuel-handling tool.

, 3) Place the standard element indexing rod on the upper surface of the cladding can so that the forks on the indexing rod straddle the triflute of the graphite dummy element. The mark on the indexing rod must line up with the mark on the flat surface of the fuel-element inspection tool.

4) Adjust the dial-indicator be:el to :cro the pointer.

5) To ensure that the standard indexing rod and the graphite dummy element are not distorted repeat Step 3 twice, rotating the graphite dummy ele =ent 120 degrees er.ch time.

,_s

6) Remove the standard indexing rod and the graphite dummy

, element.

I t

t r v -

II_ INSPECTING A STANDARD FUEL ELEMENT

1) Insert the fuel element into the GO-NO-GO guage using fuel-handling tool. If the element passes freely through the gauge, it is within allowable straightness

- tolerance; if not, the element has a bow or swelling in excess of 0.062 inch (1.57 mm).

CAUTION Never force or drop a fuel element through the CO-NO-GO gauge. To do so could possibly damage the gauge, rupture the cladding or jam an element in the gauge. To pass the bow and swelling test the element should pass through the GO-NO-C0 gauge while being slowly lowered into a scated position.

x 2) After the straightness test, remove the fuel-handling tool and place the standard indexing rod on the upper surface of the cladding can so that the forks on the indexing rod straddle the triflute of the fuel element. The mark on the indexing rod must line up with the mark on the flat surface e

of the fuel-element inspection tool.

3) Read the dial-indicator and record the reading.

/~)

4) Repeat Step 2 twice, rotating the fuel element 120 degrees each time.

NOTE If the fuel element being inspected is of the Mark III variety, the fuel-handling tool must be used to lift the fuel element before rotation so that'the fins on the lower end fixture of the fuel element clear the forks at the lower end of the fuel-element inspection tool.

3) Average the three dial-indicator readings and add this average algebraically to the length of the graphite dummy element; the result is the length of the fuel element inspected.

6) Remove the standard indexing rod and the fuel element.

III INSPECTING INSTRDENTED FUEL ELDENTS

1) Zero the dial-indicator with the graphite dummy element and special indexing rod as in Section I.

m

' Utill:ing the 1/2 inch aluminum tubing or 5/8 inch 2) stainless steel tubing that houses the thermocouple 1 cads place the instrumented fuel clcment in the CO-NO-C0 gauge as in II 1) above.

e

+w- ,,. ,4-

.- y,, - . ,---

3) Test for straightness as in II) above.

) 4) Place the special indexing rod on the upper lip of the cladding can so that the " Vee" in the indexing rod fits over one of the corners of the triflute.

5) Read the dial-indicator and record the reading.

6) Repeat Steps 4 and 5 twice, lifting the instrumented fuel element up about six inches and rotating at 120 degrees each time.

7) Average the three dial-indicator readings and add this average algebraically to the length of the graphite dummy element; the result is the length of the instrumented fuel element.

8) Remove the special indexing rod and the instrumented fuel s element.

Approved: KSU Reactor Safeguards Committee O

$o LYan .

$$)h N. D. Eckhoff, Chairman 27 Januarv 1978 Date 4

s e

__ . - - . - _ - _ . _ _ . _ - . . . _ _ _ _ . .