ML20079P695

Annual Operating Rept for 1983

ML20079P695
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1983
From:	INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:
References
NUDOCS 8401310310
Download: ML20079P695 (7)

Text

i e

I U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 'IRIGA REAC'IUR ANNUAL REPORT Janua ry 1, 1983 -

December 31, 1983 NRC License No. R-113 -

Docket No. 50-274

1. Administrative Changes Dr. Charles W. Naeser replaced Mr. Ca rl M. Bunker as a member of the Reactor Operations Committee.

II. Operating Experience The prime function of the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) for the year 1983 continued to be the provi-sion of neutrons for the various research programs being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Irradiations were also performed for other Government agencies and educational institutions.

A listing of irradiations performed during the year 1983 is given below:

Organization Samples (1983)

Geologic Division (Denver) 10,269 Geologic Division (Reston) 2,044 Colorado State University 376 Rockwell International 90 Oregon State University 84 University of Georgia 21 University of Maine 6 University of New York 6 Louisiana State University 2 Brigham Young University 1 12,896 The operation of the reactor has been normal. The specific's of operations relating to performance character-istics are:

A. Thermal power calibrations at 50 KW were performed in January and July.

8401310310 831231 PDR ADOCK 05000274 #)"()

R PDR

t B. Control rods were inspected and calibrated in January.

C. One Class II experiment was approved during 1983.

D. During the report period, 188 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in com- {

pliance with Technical Specifications require- l ments for surveillance of the reactor facility.

E. Tburs of the reactor facility were provided to 22 groups during the yea r . The major groups visiting the facility were affiliated with:

Geological Survey of South Africa Green Mountain High School Colorado Division of Wildlife Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University University of Colorado Boy Scouts of America Highland High School Food and Drug Administration Rockwell International Boulder Valley Schools During the year, 222 visitors were admitted to the reactor facility.

III. Thbulation of Ehergy Generated Megawatt Time Reactor Number of Month Hours Was Critical Pulses January 1983 79.668 98 hours 57 minutes O February 1983 80.958 87 hours 25 minutes O March 1983 87.524 93 hours 37 minutes O April 1983 116.383 119 hours 58 minutes O May 1983 81.245 91 hours 56 minutes 0 June 1983 75.332 83 hours 54 minutes 0 July 1983 82.851 91 hours 13 minutes O August 1983 65.035 71 hours 32 minutes O September 1983 40.918 43 hours 41 minutes O October 1983 83.912 89 hours 24 minutes 0 November 1983 99.611 104 hours 47 minutes 0 December 1983 86.424 95 hours 06 minutes 0 979.861 1071 hours 30 minutes II

b IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns Dmergency Shutdowns - number and reason

1. Magnet Power - bulb burned out on Serial #292 Safety rod Cont /ON button

2. External Power Scram - power failure Serial #293

3. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #294

4. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #295

5. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #296

6. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #297

7. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #298

8. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #299

9. External Power Scram - power dip Serial #300

10. Percent Power Scram - noise spike Serial #304 Unscheduled Shutdowns

1. Manual scram - " Sample failed to leave reactor" signal. Rabbit broken. All parts recovered, Serial #291

2. Manual scram - Water in tank well area. Removed excess water. Serial #301

3. Manual acram - Percent power reading low. Cleaned and dried connectors. Serial #302

4. Manual scram - Pneumatic system computer system failure. Serial #303

5. Manual acram - Rotary specimen rack stopped rotating. Cleaned and lubricated main shaft bearing. Serial #305

v. Major Maintenance Operations

1. Replaced Roots blower on Ar-41 monitoring system.

2. The demineralizer resin was changed once during the year.

3. Replaced motor on demineralizer pump.

VI. Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 Changes No changes were made under 10 CFR 50. 59.

VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluents released to the environs beyond the effec-tive control of the reactor facility.

License (R-113) 10 GR 20 Argon-41 Allowable 'Irititsu (IMO) Allowable

& nth (curies) (curies) (curies) (curies)

January 1983 0.72 5.8 7.8 X 10-5 0.25 February 1983 0.95 5.8 s 8.2 X 10-5 0.25 Furch 1983 1.10 5.8 9.9 X 10-5 0.25 April 1983 0.90 5.8 9.7 X 10-5 0.25 f4ay 1983 0.75 5.8 8.7 X 10-5 0.25 June 1983 0.93 5.8 12.8 X 10-5 0.25 July 1983 0.60 5.8 6.5 X 30-5 0.25 Atr4ust 1993 0.61 5.8 11.2 X 10-5 0.25 <

September 1983 0.69 5.8 S.7 X 10-5 0.25 0:tober 1983 0.93 5.8 11.5 X 10-5 0.25 November 1983 1.08 5.8 14.0 X 10-5 0.25 December 1993 0.69 5.8 11.6 X 10-5 0.25 Tbtal 9.95 70.0 1.20 X 10-3 3.00

% of allowable 14.2% 0.04%

(Note #1: The argon activities reported are integrated values obtained from the facility's gaseous stack monitor.

Calculated values have been substituted for measured values in the few instances when the monitoring system was down for maintenance or repair).

(Note #2: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor times the concentration of tritium as HTO) .

B. There were no radioactive liquid effluents released from the reactor facility during the year 1983.

C. Fifteen (15) drums (55-gallons each) of radio-active waste were shipped to the waste burial site at Richland, Washington in 1983.

I

The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1983 is estimated to be approxi-mately 3.0 mci.

(Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralizer resin - used resin with small quantitites of rinse water is solidi-fled with Portland cement prior to release in 55-gallon drums).

VIII. Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year 1983.

1. Eighteen area monitors (17 gammas, 1 neutron) located throughout the Nuclear Science Building.

To provide a background signal, a small check source is attached to the scintillation detector. High alarm set points range from 2 mr/hr to 50 mr/hr. High level alarms have been infrequent and are documented in appropriate Log Books.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) sampling the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of 3.0 X 10 8 pci/cc present for two minutes will result in an increase of ~900 cpm above background. There are two alarm set points. A low-level ala rm is set at 3,000 cpm, and the high-level alarm is set at 10,000 cpm.

Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The fixed particulate air filter is changed and counted daily on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is changed and counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MPC (10 CFR r Part 20, Appendix B, Thble II) concentrations for all isotopes in question in the reactor bay.

l

3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once each month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a certified 3-curie Cs-137 source and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products j G4020 Lcw Level counting system.

Wipe surveys have shown the reactor area remains free of tactile contamination except for inter-mittent low level activity on work table tops and m

the sample storage caves. Instrument surveys indicate no fixed areas of contamination and radiation leaking at outside wall surfaces have been less than 0.5 level mr/hr at our maximum

power level. The magimum count level for a wipe 1

(beta + gamma /100 cm ) was 3644 pCi on a work table top.

4. Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned to all permanent occupants of the Nuclear Science Building. CaSO4:Dy dosimeters have been used at four outdoor environmental

, stations. Reactor facilty visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.

These monitoring results are categorized below:

Rem - 1993 Gamma Beta Neutron Reactor Staff Whole Body Highest 0.045 0 000 0.00 Mean 0.022 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.380 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.145 0.000 0.00 Reactor Experimenters Whole Body Highest 0.065 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.030 0.000 0.00 Hands Highest 0.100 0.000 0.00 Mean 0.050 0.000 0.00 Reactor Visitors All readings were less than 1.0 mrem.

i

\

l

Environuental Sta tions Rem 1983 Exhaust Stack O.0691 West 0.0034 Southwest None measured Southeast None measured IX. Ehvironmental Monitoring Pursuant to reactor operating procedures, soil and water samples are collected every second year. Samples were not collected in 1983.

I

__ __ _ _ _ _