ML20086T129
| ML20086T129 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | University of Missouri-Rolla |
| Issue date: | 07/26/1995 |
| From: | Freeman D MISSOURI, UNIV. OF, ROLLA, MO |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9508020250 | |
| Download: ML20086T129 (2) | |
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I Nuclear Reactor Reector Facility
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UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ROLLA Rolia. MO 654010249 Missoutfs Technological University Telephone (314) 341-4236 l
i FAX (314) 341-4237 l
l July 26,1995 GV Document Control Room U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission MS 10-D-21 Washington, D.C. 20555
Dear Sirs:
The management of the UMR Reactor Facility respectfully requests another one-year waiver of our Technical Specifications requirement to perform annual control rod visual inspections (Technical Specification 4.2.l(5)). Due to the LEU fuel conversion, our fuel storage pit is now holding the entire inventory (28 elements) of HEU fuel elements. By procedure, we are required to ofiload several fuel elements (over half of the critical mass) from the core prior to disassembling and removing control rods from the core for visual inspection. As our fuel pit is nearly full with the old HEU fuel, we currently have no place to ofiload our core.
This situation will be remedied when the old HEU fuel is shipped offsite. This issue is one of many inconveniences we have had to deal with associated with the LEU Conversion. We definitely plan to complete the HEU offsite shipment within the next year and have no intentions of asking for any extension beyond this one. Control rod visual inspections were last performed on July 16,1992.
The present control rods have been visually inspected every yeath " pitting and cracking" as required by Technical Specifications. No pitting or cracking has ever been detected, and we have every reason to believe that this trend will continue. Furthermore, our reactor typically runs only about 10 megawatt-hours per year. Consequently, the neutron fluence to the control rods is relatively low - most cenainly below that required to produce significant neutron damage to the rods.
Control rod drop times are performed semiannually. I have reviewed rod drop times for each rod over the past several years and have seen absolutely no degradation in drop times. We believe the rod drop times to be the crucial indicator of rod performance. Furthermore, as far as corrosion is concerned, we have maintained and are required to maintain strict water quality control. Our Technical Specifications require we maintain our pool water at a resistivity greater than 0.2 0
Megaohm-cm. The water quality is checked on a weekly basis.
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The control rod visual inspections.will be late as of October 17, 1995; therefore,'we ask for 1
reclution of this issue before that date.
e; Sincerely, 3,,
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avid W. Freeman -
UMR Reactor Manager DWF/lp 3
copy to: Dr. Albert E. Bolon, UMR Reactor Director Dr. Lee W. Saperstein, Dean, School of Mines & Metallurgy Marvin Mendonca, Project Manager, USNRC Jack Martin, Regional Administrator, Region III, USNRC i
Signed before me this $7 dayof O&
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- Notary Public SUE HURIAM NJTARY PUBLIC STATE OF MISSOURI PHELPS COLNTY hfYCOMMISSKW EXP. AUG.30,1996 t
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