ML20099G799

Annual Rept on Operation of Washington State Univ Triga Reactor for 910701-920630

ML20099G799
Person / Time
Site:	Washington State University
Issue date:	06/30/1992
From:	Tripard G WASHINGTON STATE UNIV., PULLMAN, WA
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9208170216
Download: ML20099G799 (8)

Text

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WWashing' ton State University ku _ -

num num naamocenm e mpyyy F /\x L L -- 14 ;3 August 12,1992 Document Control Desk

. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Re: Docket No. 50-27; Facility License R-76

Dear Sir:

In acconiance with the Technical Specifications for Facility License R-76 and the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, paragraph (6), the attached Annual Report prepared by Jerry A. Neidiger, Reactor Supervisor of the WSU facility,is hereby submitted. The repon covers the period July 1,1991 to June 30,1992.

Sincerely, k 4  ;-t14 c[

Gerald E. Tripard .

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Enclosure cc: NRC, Region V, Office of Regional Administrator J. A. Neidiger American NuclearInsurers.

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ANNUAL REFORT ONT'HE OPERATION OF THE WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TRIGA REACTOR Facility License R-76 for the Reporting Period of ,

- July 1,1991 to June 30, 1992

'A.- Farrati4e' Summary of the Year's Operatioa

1. Operating Experience-The Washington State University Reactor has accumulated 67 Megawatt hours ion' Core 32-A and 407 Megawatt hours on ' ore 32-B for a total of

-474 Megawatt hours during the reporting pericu. A total of 287 irradiations for a' total of 5098 samples were performed. In addition, 20 pulses greater than.$1.00 of reactivity addition were performed during this reporting period. The quarterly operations i summaries are shown in Table I, section B., on page 2.

A minorfcore change was performed 09/25/91 which consisted of interchanging a fuel.cluscer and a reflector element, removal of a pneumatic-transfer system (Flexo-rabbit) sample irradiation end and its replacement with a reflector element. Coro designation was from

. Core 32-A-to Core 32-B.

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Major modification item' performed included the installation of 3.5"

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diameter irradiation hole in 21" x-13.75" x 9.5" graphite loaded aluminum box. -The box was mounted externally to the south face of >

~the core grid box and will be used for Silicon ingot irradiation

-experiments, i.

2 There were no changes in design,. performance characteristics, or procedures-that-related to reactor safety during the reporting. U period.

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3. All surveillance tests and requirements were performed and completed within the prescribed-time period. -The results of all inspections revealed one abnormplity and is summarized below.

09/23/91 - During the reactor core change from core 32-A to Core 32-B

a damaged reflector element was discovered. Refleca r R-14 was not in the reactor core at the time, but in the process of being removed

.from storage to be placed in the reactor core. Damage to'the reflector consisted of' swelling and cracked aluminum cladding. As a result of the-discovery'of a damaged reflector element, selective

. reflectors currently in the reactor core were removed and inspected.

No other: abnormalities were discovered. The inspection results were documented and presented to the Reactor Safeguards committee for  !

their evaluation and recommendations.

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2 B. Digrev and Cumtlative Output The quarterly operations summaries are given in Table I below.

TABLE I Fiscal Year Summary of Reactor Operatior-JAS 0ND J-F M AMJ TOTALS Hours of Operation 87 167 137 152 543 Megawatt Hours 68 142 118 146 474 _-

No. of Irradiau ons 58 97 59 73 287 No. of Sernles Irradiated 1368 1153 1502 1075 5098 No. Pulse. > $1.00 0 13 5 2 20 The cami' n'.ve energy output since criticality of the TRICA core since 1967 is 681 Megasatt Days, The mixed core of FLIP and Standard fuels installed in 1976 has accumulated 420 Megawatt Days.

C. Emercency Shutdewns and Inadvertent Scrama There were no emergency shutdowns that occurred during the reporting period. The dates and causes of the 8 inadvertent SCRAMS are listed below.

11/15/91 - Loss of Reactor C3nsole power due to operator error.

11/26/91 - Safety Channel a2 switched to Trip Test Cperator Trainee error.

e 12/12/91 - Loss of building power due to high winds.

01/22/92 - Short startup rate period while at 100% power cause unknown. -

04/27/72 - Loss of Reactor Console power uue to oper-tor error.

05/07/92 - Safety Channel #2' loss of power due to opt rator error.

06/29/92 - High Power Trip Safety #1 power spike dur,'g pulsing onerations.

06/29/92 - High Power Trip safety #1 power spike during pulsing operations.

D. Maior MaintenaDat All major maintenance performed was routine planned maintenance items.

E. Chances. Tests and Exteriments Performed Under 10 CFR 50.59 Criteria There was one chan5e performed under 10 CFR 50.59 criteria during the reporting period and is described below.

06/16/92 - Modification to the Linear Power Channel was performed by installing a second isolated output to allow interfacing to a computer for data collection capab.".11ty.

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3 F. EpJioactive Effluent Discharres 1; Radioactive Liquid Releases A total of 24.84 microcuries was released in 1,7$4,649 liters of

' liquid during the reporting period. This yields an average release concentration of liquid waste of 1.42x10*8 microcuries per milliliter. The wonthly releases are listed in Table II below.

TABLE II '

Radioactive Liquid Releases Qt tc. *:ity , . Concentration, Volume, Month 991 uC1/mi Percent MPC 1 Liters Jul.(1991) 0.20 1.0$x10*8 10.5 18,549 Aug._ 0.66 1 92x10~8 19.1 34,068 Seo. 0.39- 2.11x10 8 21.1 18,507 m , ..- 3.4$ -1.10x10 8 11.0 311,899 $

Nov. 11.14- 2.61x10 8 26.1 426,765

-Dec. 3.21 1.0$x10 8 10.5 305,731 Jan.(1992) 2.43 8.04x10*9 8.0 303,009 Feb. NO RELEASE Mar. 1.08 7.67x10*9 7.7 141,939 Apr.(2) 0.30 1.61x10 8 16.1 18,560 0.43 8.53x10*9 8.5 51,361

'May; 0.57 7.48x10*9 7.5 76,449 Jun, ~0.98 2.06x10-8 20.6 47,812 1 Based on a release limit of 1.00x10*7 uCi/m1=for unknown mixture found in

-Technical Specifications 6.10, paragraph 5, pc3e 36

- 4 2 .' Radioactive Caseous Re12ase-During the reporting period, no significant quantity of any gaseous

.or particulate material with a half life greater that eight days was released, s

During-the reporting _ period, at no time did the Argon 41 release exceed 20% of MPC.

A total of 3.58 Curies af Argon 41 was released fn 5.88x1013'.ec of'

. air, whigh yields an 'avarage monthly concentrati in of Argon 41 of 6.09x10' - uCi/ce, . The monthly releases are sum rized in Table III on page'4

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TABLE III honthly Argon 41 Releases I

concentration Before Percent MPC I Quantity

-Month Dilution, uCi/:e Before Dilution mci I t

Jul.(1991) 4.73x10 8 1.89 236 >

Aug. .5.74x10 8 2.30 287 Sep. 5.45x10 8 2.18 264

'Oct. 5.13x10 8 2.05 256 Nov. 1.13x10*7 4.52 547 Dec. 5.83x10 8 2.33 291 Jan.(1992) 6.06x10-8 2.42 303 Feb . - 5.05x10*9 0.20 24 >

'u. 9.16x10 8 3.66 458 .

5.75x10 8 2.30- 278

. 6,66x10 8 2.66 333 Jun. 6.22x10 8 2.49 301 1 Based on 10 CTR 20 limit of 1.0x10-8 uCi/cc (Table 2 Col. 1), and factor of 4.0x10*3 (S.A.R. 6.4.2 for a before dilution limit of dilutiog'uci/ce.(20%oflimitis50x10'}uCi/cc) 2.5x10" . . ,

3. Radioactive Solid Vaste Disposal No solid waste generated by the Nuclear Radiation Center reactor was shipped off site during the reporting period.

G. Personnel and Visitor Radiation Extosures The average quarterly exposures of Nuclear Radiation Center reactor staff  !

, and. experimenters who routinely utilire the V.S.U. reactor are given in Table -IV on page 5. The maximum quarterly exposure of one individual . who 4

is a reactor-staff member and who routinely prepares irradiated samples for shipment and calibrates radiation ' survey meters, was. 50 milliretn, whole body.

A total of 2352 non Nuclear Radiation Center staff or routine facility user individuals visited the Center during the reporting. period, out of which 1043 enter posted Radiation Areas. As determined.by digital pocket dosimeter and an exposure recorded, the average individual exposure was

<1.0_ millirem with a maximum exposure of 2 millirem.

A total of127 group-tours, consisting of 439 individuals, visited the Center during the reporting period. As determined by digital pocket dosimeter and an exposure recorded, the average group exposure was <1.0 inillirem with a maximum of 2.0 millirem.

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. 5 TABLE IV Average Quarterly Reactor and Experimenter Staff Exposure (in millirem) i

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Jul Aug-Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Har Apr May-Jun 1

<10 23.0 <10 c.a

'l June's film badge results not available from the vendor at the time this report was prepared.

H. F.eactor Facility Radiation and Contamination Levels I

The rgutine area radiation surveys of the building in non reactor vital- -

l areas had an average dose level of 0.02 mR/Hr. , while routinely accessible l reactor vital areas.had an average dose-level of 0.14 mR/Hr. The highest '

average dose level in a routinely accessible reactor vital area was 1.95 mR/Hr., which occurrod in Room 101A, Purification Pump Pit. The lowest average dose in a routinely accessible reactor vital area was 0.03 mR/Hr.,

, which ocrurred Jn Room 201A, the Reactor-Shop area. The average de s in ,

the React-? Control Room was 0.04 mR/Hr. The average dose in the  !

radiochem. try sarple hoods was 0.33 mR/Hr. The highest average on site ,

dose level was 26 mR/Hr. which occurred in Room 2A, Cave-Room, which is a  ?

locked; storage area where radioactive material and radioactise sources are storede Routige building surveys ~ for removable gontamingtion in non reactor vital areas had an average level of_0.15x10' uct/cm , whi?,o 'he average level in the reactor vital areas was 4.10x10*7 uC1/c 2 value in the reactor vital-areas was 37.93x10*9 .uCi/ca" Ths h,wh.ch Oest was average found on the. platform-whereJexperimenters stand to_ insert and withdraw their samples; >

~from the reactor Theilowest average value in the reactor vital areas was

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A LO 05x10'7 uCi/cm which was in Room 2A..the Cave west floor. The average levelofremovab}econtamination~inLtheradiochemistrysamplehoodswas

-3.91x10'7 uCi/cm j

1 A'non reactor'Nital area is an area-in-the building where radioactive materials are used or stored but which is not a part of the Licensed

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6 I. Div.iroJKfDia_Lfa n i t o r i n n P r g g r a m The environmental monitoring program uses thermoluminescent desimeters (TLD's) at locations both near and at distances around the reactor building facility. The quartarly exposures in the vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation Center are listed in Table V below. The average ambient gamma radiation levels for this area (80 mile radius) is 65 mrem /yr, (178 uRem/ day) as reported in the 27th Annual Report of the Environmental Radiation Program, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

The values observed indicate there is no significant effect on the environment radiation levels due to reactor operation.

TABLE V _

Environmental Radiation Levels in the Vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation Center l (Exposure in uR/ day)

Jul-Aug Sep Oct-Nov-Dec Jan Feb-Mar Apr May Jun Median 208 203 162 172 186 1

For sampling stations located 25 meters or greater from the Nuclear Radiation Center.

Quarterly exposures at lo:ations at the reactor facility are listed in -

Table VI on page 7. No significant effect on the environmental radiation levels by reactor operation was noted.

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- 7 TABLE VI Environmental Radiation Levels Adj gcent to the Nuclear Radiation Center (Exposure in uR/ day)

Location Jul Aug-Sep Oct Nov bec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Median

-E. Loadinc Dock 278 185 194 212 217 Rad. Storage Shed 370 315 278 365 332 Cooline Tower Fence 278 204 181 200 216 Liouid Waste Tank 296 296 181 188 240 Pool Room W. Roof 287 204 181 176 212 i Buildinc V. side 324 7*: 208 212 256 '

Pool Room Exh. Vent 241 125 141 158 Pool' Room W. Vent 454  ?? 458 471 429 Pool Room E. Vent 426 e 264 306 328 Pool Room E. Roof-- 222 .si. 139 141 177 4 S. B1de. Entrance 259 241 181 176 214 1

For sampling stations-located less that 25 meters of the Nuclear Radiation Center.

.. i Underlined locations indicate areas that are readily accessible.

Technical Specifications ALARA effluent releases in 3,12(2) specify annual radiation exposures at the closest.off-site extended occupancy shall not, on an annual basis, exceed the average local off site background radiation level by more than-20%. For.the reporting period, the average total

. background radiation level for sampling points 400 meters or greater from the facility was 160 uR/ day, while the averaSe total-radiation level at the f

closest extended occupied area 380 meters away was 166 uR/ day. This yields '!

a--ratio of 3.7%, indicating no significant exposure level above natural background..

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