ML20085H205

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Monthly Operating Rept for Aug 1966 for Saxton Nuclear Experimental Corp
ML20085H205
Person / Time
Site: Saxton File:GPU Nuclear icon.png
Issue date: 08/31/1966
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SAXTON NUCLEAR EXPERIMENTAL CORP.
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ML20083L048 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-91-17 NUDOCS 9110280168
Download: ML20085H205 (8)


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,s SATTON INO2AR EU'ERI!'HITA1, CORPURATION Operations Report for Aurust 1966

1. OENERA L At the beginning of this report period the reactor was in a cold shutdown condition in continuation of the plant outage begun on July 24th.

A containment vessel leakage rate test which was in progress at the beginning of the month was ennpleted on August 2nd.

4 The period August 3rd to August 12th was devoted primarily to the handling of test fuel subassenblies. Subassemblies #503-9-1 (2x2), #503-4-25 (3x3), #503-4-27 (3x3) and a materials irradiation capsule assembly were removed from reactor core positions N-1, N-3, N-5 and N 6 respectively and were inspected with the underwater periscope.

On August 10th the irradiated fuel shipping cask, containing subassembly

  1. 503-9-1 (four rois); subassembly #503-4-24 consisting of five non-removable rods; four removable rods from the plutonium subassembly #503-4-26; two removable rods,
  1. 123 (defect) and #1 (thin clad) from subassembly #503-4-25; and the materials irradiation capsule was removed from the containment vessel and returned to the Westinghouse Post Irradiation Facility at Walt: Mill, Pa.

Test fuel subassemblies #503-4-25 (five fuel rods and four rods containing circonium alloy test specimens), #503-4-27 (nine fuel rods), and #503-4-2 (eight fuel rods) were inserted in reactor core positions N-1, N-5 and N-3 respectively.

Restoration of tne reactor vessel head to normal conditions for operation was completed on August 17th. Concurrently with the work on the reactor vessel head, maintenance was performed on several of the remote operated valves in the charging and purification systaas, t Filling and venting of the main coolant system and pressure testing it to 500 psig was completed on August 16th. Heat-up to 250 F using the main coolant pump and pressuri er heaters was completed on August 18th.

2. REACTOR OPERATIONS l

! The reactor was made critical on August 19th and was used to heat the main coolant system from 2500 F to 530 F. Upon completion of the heat-up the reactor was shutdown and a hot leak test of the main coolant system was conducted.

On August 20th and 21st the reactor was used for start-up training for five Spanish trainees.

The reactor was made critical on August 22nd and was maintained in a low power condition until the secondary system was started up in the morning of August i 23rd. The reactor load was increased to 21 MWt and held at this level while a flux l map was made and evaluated. On August 24th the reactor power level was increased to l 23. 5 Mut . Operation at 23.5 MWt was continued through the remainder of the month.

1 9110290168 910424 PDR FOIA PDR DEKOK91-17 ,

SNEC Operations Report for Aururt 1966 . . . . . . #2 3 EXPFJ11MMfAL PRO'RE The following irradiated fuel rods and materials were shipped to the Westischouse Facilit/ for examination in the hot lab Four fuel rods, Nos. 3, 4, 8 and E-4 in subassembly #503-9-1.

Fuel rod No. 123 - defect rod.

Fuel rod No. 1 - thin clad rod.

Four plutonium enriched fuel rods, Nos. D, E, X1 and X5 (two Vi-pac and two pelletized) from subassembly No. 503-4-26.

Five fuel rods, Nos. 301, 302, 303, 311 and 312 in subassembly No. 503-4-24.

A capsule containing reactor vessel material specimens.

Test fuel subassembly No. 503-4-25 (3x3) was installed in the center core position, N-1. The four removable rods in this subassembly are clad with Zircaloy-4 having a nominal thickness of 23.5 mils and contain a series of Zirealoy-4 test capsules. Each capsule contains one or more zirconium alloy test specimens. These rods are being irradiated to provide information on the in-pile performance of zirconium alloy test specinens subjected to combined thermal and radiation fluxes, with particular emphasis on the amount of stress relaxation experienced with specimens loaded to simulate conditions which would be present in a fuel assembly spring clip.

Test fuel subassembly No. 503-4-27 (3x3) . installed in a peripheral core position, N-5. The four removable rods in this subassembly are Nos. 783 784, 711 and 712. Fuel rods Nos. 783 and 784 are identical to standard fuel rods except that they are internally pressurized to produce tensile stresses of approximately 41,.000 psi in the clad at reactor operating conditions. Fuel rods Nos. 711 and 712 are clad with Zircaloy-4 and contain uranium dioxide pellets enriched to 17 49%

U-235 These rods are internally pressurized to produce a maximum tensile ctress of 22,000 psi in the clad at reactor operating conditions. All four removable rods have previous irradiation exposures. The five fixed rods are identical to standard fuel rods with the exception that the end closure welds are sub-standard. The continued irradiation of the fuel rods in subassembly No. 503-4-27 will provide information en the in-pile performance of sub-standard end closure welds and of 304 SS and zircaloy-4 cladding that is subjected to large tensile stresses.

A full core flux map was csde at full power equilibrium xenon conditions with control rod #2 at 27.5 inches and the other five control rods fully withdrawn.

A full set of the.nnal and hydraulic measurements were also made. This data will be compared with that obtained previously for the same operating conditions.

I l

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SNEO Operations Report for Aucurt 1966 . . . . . . #3

4. OPERATIO!AL TESTS An integral leakage rate test on the containment vessel was completed on August 2nd. The test was conducted for 80 hours9.259259e-4 days <br />0.0222 hours <br />1.322751e-4 weeks <br />3.044e-5 months <br /> at an average pressure of 10.19 psig.

The leakage rate was determined to be 0.076S of the net free volume per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.

The technical specifications limit at the test pressure of 10.19 psig is 0.136%

per 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />.

On August 10th, the response times from initiation of scram signal to scram breaker opening was measured for all scram circuits. The manual scram response was 0.25 seconds. The minimum automatic response time was 0.102 seconds and the m uimum was 0.278 seconds.

On August 20th and 21st drop times were measured for the control rods with the main coolant at nernal operating conditions. The minimum drop time recorded was 0.854 seconds and the maximum was 0.913 seconds.

The radiation monitoring system circuits were tested on August 26th.

5 KAINTENANCE The principal items of mechanical maintenance during the month included installing three new stuffing boxes and three cermaloy coated plungers on charging pump No.1; repairing the EdDF building exhaust filter housing; rewelding the charging system accumulator in place after replacing the bladder and gas assembly; replacing the carbon vanes in a vacuum pump in a particulate monitoring channel of the radiation monitoring system; installing c new seat in the regenerative heat exchanger relief valve and resetting the valve; cleaning the secondary system sample coolers; acid cleaning the power water strainers on the boiler feed pumps; replacing the mechanical seals on two plungers of No. 2 charging pump with stuffing boxes and ring packing; replacing the seal rings in the mechanical seal on the third plunger of the No. 2 charging pump; repairing the chain drive on the tool for handling the removable rods in fuel subassemblies; installing new desiccant in the instrument air dryers; installing a new seat, plug and stem in the letdown flow control valve in the

, purification s35 tem; installing new cartridges in the purification system pre-post I filter; cutting to fit and installing new insulation on the reactor vessel head ports;

! processing eleven drums of evaporator bottoms; installing new teflon gaskets on the low pressure side of the charging pump relief valves; lapping the seats of the remote operated valves HIC-23, HIC-24 and HIC-27 in the charging and purification systems; repairing three high pressure main coolant sample valves in the sample panel; removing

( fuel subassembly Nos. 503-9-1, 503-4-25 and 503-4-27 from the reactor vessel; removing i a materials irradiation ccpsule assembly from the reactor vessel head port N-6 and shearing the eupport tube from it; loading fuel subassembly No. 503-9-1, subassembly No. 503-4-24, 'four removable rods from subassembly No. 503-4-26, two-renovable rods No.123 and No.1 from subassembly 503-4-25, and the materials irradiation capsule into the spent fuel shipping cask; preparing the spent fuel shipping cask for shipment; changing-the removable rods in fuel subassemblies Nos.

503-4-25 and 503-4-27; installing subassemblies Nos. 503-4-25, 503-4-27 and 503-4-2 in the reactor vessel; and restoring the' reactor vessel head to o erating conditions.

5 V

S!TEC Operatlans Report for Aurust 1% . ...e .rki The major itens of electrical and instrument maintenance for the month included calibrating the boiler feed pump pressure gages; setting the boiler feed pump low oil pressure alam; calibrating the lio, 2 generator electric output recorder; replacing the paging system phone in the contairnent vessel primary compartment; installing a new detector cable for nuclear instrumentation source channel B; repairing the low voltage power supply for nuclear instrumentation source channel A; performing the scram circuit response time tests; repairing an M.I. cable connector in the power feeder to Ho.1 storage well pump; repairing the roller bar for the variable frequency motor-generator set air circuit breaker; replacint, the filter paper in site particulate monitor RIC-9; calibrating and aligning the variable frequency motor generator set output voltage, frequency and scram setting; replacing the bruthes on the powerstat for group No. 3 pressurizer heaters; checking the resistance on the stator windings of the sample pump; cleaning the electrical contacts in the controller for the RWDF gas release control valve; replacing the sclenoid valve in the control air system for clearing system renote operated shut-off valve HIC-24; installing new chart drive mechanisms on the nuclear instrumentation system power range and start-up rance recorders; repairing the pressure gage on the discharge header of the storage well pumps; replacing the photomultiplier tube in the IMDF liquid release monitor, channel RIC 6, of the radiation monitoring system; repairing and adjusting the hi'gh power-low pressure scram circuits; and installing a new air regulator on the steam generator level controller.

6. C E ISTRY The main coolant system was in a cold shutdown condition during the first seventeen days of the month. On August 18th,127 grams of hydrazine was added in preparation for system heat-up. The main coolant system was successfully leak tested at operating temperature on August 19th and hydrogen was added in preparation for power operation. Power operation was begun on August 23rd.

A summary of the analyses made on the main coolant samples taken during the month is contained in the following table:

Main Coolant System Minimum Maximum i pH at 25 C 5 41 6.42 Conductivity, umhos 4.96 24.8 Boron, ppm 781 2057

  • lithium,. ppn <,.01 0.135 0xygen, p;n ( .005 <. 100
  • 42.0 Crud, ppb (one detemination) 35.2 35.2 Gross Beta-Gamma (15 Min, degassed) ue/cc 0.0426 2.96 Tritium ue/cc 4.51x10-4 4.50x10-2
  • Reactor in cold shutdown condition Except for a short period after startup on August 23rd the secondary system chlorides were maintained at less than 0.150 ppm. The average activity of -the steam I generator during the month was less than 1 x 10-8 uc/cc.

1

SNEC Operations Report for Aunust 1066 . . . . a , r/5

7. RADI ATION At:D WASTE DISPOSAL Radiation surveying consisted of routine plant surveys, C.V. dur$ng shutdown and materials shiprnents. The following maximum radiation readings were takent location Raddetion Readinn Cfd Buildinn Waste Drum (baling machine) 1.4 mrem /hr beta-camma Charging Pump (contact with chamber) 60 mran/hr beta-gama Sample Rocan (door of sample panel) 6 mrem /hr beta-gamma Chaaical lab Hot Sink (l" from drain) 20 mrem /hr beta-gama RWDF Evaporator (under bottom) 20 mrem /hr beta-gamma Evaporator (contact outside upper level) 6 mrem /hr beta-gama Drum Storage Area (at HRA fence) 3.5 mrem /hr beta-gamma C.V.

Primary Compartment (general lower level) 344 5 hrs. after shutdown 25 mrem /hr beta-gamma Primary Compartment (regenerative H.X.)

344.5 hrs, after shutdown 130 mrm/hr beta-gama Reactor Deck (water level at grating) 530 hre. after shutdown 20 mrem /hr beta-gama Ret ; tor Deck (waist level) 530 hrs, after shutdown 25 mran/hr beta-gama Reactor Deck (instrument ports) 530 hrs.

after shutdown 300 mrem /hr beta-ga .'na Reactor Deck (storage well railing) 530 hrs, after shutdown 15 mram/hr beta-gamma Filter Vault (at doorway) 315.5 hrs.

after shutdown 250 mrem /hr beta-gamma Miscellaneous Fuel Transfer #9, Radioactive Materials Shipment #125 (at contact with shipping cask 7 mrem /nr beta-gama Contamination surveying consisted of routine plant site surveys, surveys of materials shipped, tools, equipnent and C.V. during shutdown. The clean areas

were within the " Clean Area" limits. The controlled areae wer* generally within the " Clean Area" limits. The controlled areas were cleaned frequently to keep and/or to return it to the " Clean Area" limits. The exclusion areas were cleaned periodically to minimize the amount of smearable contamination. The following I contamination levels were observed; i

_ . - . - _ . - . . - - .. . . - . ., ,e., .- , , , . , - , - - . - , - -.

. - - - - - . - _ _ . . - - . - ~ . . - _ - - . - -- . . . . . - . _...-. - .- - -

SNEC Operations Report for Aurutt 1966 . . . . . . #6 loention Cont'unination Readinn C&A Ebildinn Charging Pump Chamber 1.64x105 d/m/ smear beta-gamma Charging Room Floor 3300 d/m/ smear beta-gamma Sampic Room Sink 3720 d/m/ smear beta-. gamma Sample Roca Floor 230 d/m/ smear beta-gamma Chemical lab Hot Sink 9700 d/m/ smear beta-gamma RVDF Pump Room Floor 650 d/m/ smear beta-gamma Shipping Room Floor < 100 d/m/ smear beta-gamma C.V.

Reactor Deck (head) 11750 d/m/ smear bete-gamma Riscellaneous (V) Fuel Cask Less than ICC limits New fuel rods and irrartiation specimens No detectable contamination Liquid and gaseous effluents from the SNEC site for the month of August 1966 were as follows:

(Curie) (Curie) (Curie)

Effluent Activity Activity Activity Type This Month Year to Date Inst Twelve Months Tritium 0.000000 12,659266 20.144713 Liquid 0.000206 0.009414 0.012236 Air, Xe 0.925035 83.076451 83.193907 Air, I-131 0.000125 0.0495L4 0.055522 Air, M.F.P. 0.009250 0.830764 0.831940 Ten barrels of waste were drummed for temporary storage. No drums were shipped from the site.

Radiation exposure for all SNEC personnel as measured by film badges for the month of July 1966 were a maximum of 220 mrem with an averaEe of 29.8 mrem, f

F-SAXTON NUCIE.AR EXPERIME!!TAL CORPORATION OPERATING STATISTICS MONTH AUGUST YEAR 1966 N!!CIEAR UNIT @ NTH YEAR TO DATE THES CRITICAL NO. 4 21 476 HOURS CRITICAL HRS. 222.7 4,239.48 17,120.61 TIMES SCRtJMED (MANUAL) NO. 3 20 282

  • TDIES QCRAMMED (INADVERTANT) NO. 0 1 30 THERMAL P0kIER GENERATION MWH 4,801.95 91,426.14 300,675 96 AVERAGE WRNUP (Pu Region) WD/MTU 391 97 7,462.84 7,524.56 CONTROL ROD PCSITIONS AT DID OF MONTil AT SUILIBRIUM POWER OF 23.32 MWt MAIN 0001 ANT BORON 781 PlH RODS OUT - INCL 2 NO. 1 40 NO. 2 18 HO. 3 40 NO. 4 40 NO. 5 40 No. 6 40 ELECTRICAL UNIT MONTH YEAR TO DATE GROSS GENERATION MWH 836.00 15,952.00 50,234.00 STATION SERVICE MWH 172.84 1,706.27 9,908.56 STATION SERVICE  % 20.67 10.70 19.72 AVG. PIANT EFFICIENCY - MWH(e)/KdH(t)  % 17.41 17 45 16.71 AVG. GENERATION RUNNING ( 207.3 IIRS) KW 4,032.80 3,938.08 3,250.56 PIANT IDAD FACTOR -

(AVG. GEN. FOR MONTH / MAX. IDAD)  % 25.42 61.88 29.58 AUXILIARY STEAM SUPPLY - NUCLEAR STEtJi SUPPLIED BY REACTOR HRS. 208.7 4,098.28 13,797.25 RWDF EVAPORATOR OPERATION HRS. 13.25 1,161.52 3,222.77

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