ML20105B522
| ML20105B522 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington State University |
| Issue date: | 06/30/1992 |
| From: | Tripard G WASHINGTON UNIV., ST. LOUIS, MO |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9209210001 | |
| Download: ML20105B522 (8) | |
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REGION V W WashingtonStateUniversity Q
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August 12,1992 Regional Administrator U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region V 1450 Maria Lane, Suite 210 Walnut Creek, CA 945%
Re: Docket No. 50-27; Facility License R-76
Dear Sir:
In accordance with the Technical Specifications for Facility License R-76 and the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, p.
. ph (6), the attached Annual Report prepared by Jerry A. Neidiger, Reactor Super /ise, ne WSU facility,is hereby submitted. The report covers the period July 1,1991 to June 30,1992.
Sincerely,.
(CM.
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T Q t j k s,p ct-c'l
/..:
Gerald E. Tripard Director Enclosure l
cc: NRC, Region V, Office of Regional Administrator J. A. Neidiger American Nuclear Insurer l
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9209210001 920630 6'
f'DR ADOCK 05000027 PDR
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ANNUAL REPORT ON THE OPERATION OF THE VASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TRIGA REACTOR Facility Liccnse R-76 for the Reporting Period of July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1992 A.
Narrative Summary of the Year's Operation 1.
Operating Experience The Washington State University Reactor has accumulated 67 Megawatt hours on Core 32-A and 407 Megawatt hours on Core 32-B for a total of 474 Megawatt hours during the reporting period. 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 summaries are shown in Table I, section B., on page 2.
1 A minor core change was performed.09/25/91 which consisted of i
interchanging a fuel cluster and a reflector element, removal of a pneumatic transfer system (Flexo-rabbit) sample irradiation end and its replacement with a reflector element.
Core designation was from core 32-A to Core 32-B.
Major modification item
- performed included the installation of 3.5" l
diameter irradiation hole in 21" x 13.75" x 9.5" graphite loaded i
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.
2.
There were no changes in design, performance characteristics, or l
procedures that related to reactor safety during the reporting period.
l 3.
All surveillance tests and requirements were performed-and completed within the prescribed time period. The results of all inspections revealed one abnormality and is summarized below.
l 09/23/91 - During the reactor core bange from Core 32-A to Core 32-B a damaged reflector element was discovered. Reflector R-14 was not in the reactor core at the time, but in the process of being removed I
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.
I l
o-i B.
Eneriy and Cumulative Outout The. quarterly operations summaries are-given in Table I-below.
TABLE I Fiscal Year Summary of Reactor Operations J-A-S 0-N-D J-F-M A-M-J TOTALS Hours of Operation-87 167 137 152
-543 Megawatt Hours 68 142 118 146 474 No. of Irradiations 58 97 59-
'73 287 No. of Samples Irradiated 1368 1153
- 1502-1075 5098 No.- Pulses > $1.00 0
13 5-2 20 l
The cumulative energy output..nce. criticality of the TRICA core since 1967 is 681 Megawatt Days, The mixed core of FLIP and Standard fuels installed in 1976 has accumulated 420 Megawatt Days.
1 C.
Emergency Shutdowns and Inadvertent Serr i 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 Console power due to operator error, 11/26/91 -' Safety Channel #2 switched to Trip Test-Operator Trainee-error.
12/12/91 - Loss of building power _due to high winds,-
01/22/92 - Short startup rate period while at 100% power - cause unknown.
04/27/92 -- Loss of Reactor Console power due to operator error.
05/07/92 - Safety Channel #2 loss of power due to operator error.
06/29/92 - High Power Trip Safety #1-power spfke during pulsing operations.
l 06/29/92 - High Power Trip-Safety *l-power spike during pulsing operations.
D.
Maior Maintenance All major maintenance performed was routine planned maintenance items.
E.
Changes. Tests and Eroeriments Performed Under 10 CFR 50.59 Criteria There was one change 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 perfarmed.by installing a second isolated output to allcw interfacing to a computer for data' collection capability.
._.___,__.m__.m____.._
3 F;
, Radioactive Effluent Discharues 1.
Radioactive Liquid Releases A total'of 24.84 microcuries was released in 1,754,649 liters of liquid during the reporting period. This yields'an average release concentr.stion of liquid waste of 1.42x10-8 microcuries per milliliter. The monthly releases are listed in Table II below.
TABLE II Radioactive Liquid Releases
- Quantity, Concentration, Volume,-
1 Month-uCi uCi/ml Percent MPC '
-Liters Jul.(1991) 0.20 1.05x10-8 10.5 18,549 Aug.
0.66 1.92x10~8 19.1 34,068 Sep.
0.39 2.11x10-8 21.1 18,507-Oct.
3.45 1.10x10-8 11.0 311,899 Nov.
11.14 2.61x10-8 26.1 426,76:
Dec.
3.21 1.05x10'8 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)
O.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/ml for' unknown mixture found in Technical Specifications 6.10, paragraph 5, page.36.
2; Radioactive Caseous Release During the reporting period, ne, significant quantity of any gaseous or particulate material ulth-a half-life greater that eight days was-released.
During the reporting period, at no time did the Argon-41 release exceed 20% of MPC.
A total of 3.58 Curies of Argon-41 was released in 5.88x1013 Ice of air,'whigh yields an average monthly concentration of Argon-41 of 6.09x10' uC1/cc.
"he monthly releases are summarized in Table III-on page 4.
4 TABLE III Monthly Argon-41 Releases 1
Concentration Beforc Percent MPC Quantity Month Dilution, uCi/cc
-Before Dilution mci 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'O 2.33 291 Jan.(1992) 6.06x10-8 2.42 303-Feb.
5.05x10'9 0.20 24i Mar.
9.16x10-8 3.66 458 Apr.
5.75x10-8 2.30 278
- May, 6.66x10'8 2.66 233 Jun.
6.22x10-8 2.49 301 1 Based on 10 CFR 20 limit of 1.0x10'8 uCi/cc (Table 2, Col.'1), and dilutiogfactorof4,0x10-3(S.A.R.6.4.2}uCi/ce) for a before dilution limit ca.
2.5xt0' uC1/cc. (20% of limit is 5.0x10' 3.
Radioactive Solid Waste Disposal No solid waste generated by the Nuclear Radiation Center-reactor was shipped off-site during the reporting period.
G.
Personnel and Visitor Radiation Excesures Tha average quarterly exposures.of Nuclear Radiation Center reactor staff and experimenters who routinely utilize the W.S.U. reactor are given in Tatie IV on page 5.
The maximum qvsrterly exposure of one individual, who_
is a reactor staff member and who routinely prepares irradiated samples-for shipment and calibrates radiation survey ~ meters, was 50 millirem, whole body.
A total of 2352 non-Nuclear Radiation Center staff or routine. facility user individual's 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 of 27 group tours, consisting of'439 ind!viduals, visited the Center during the reporting period. As determined by digital pocket dosimeter and an exposure recorded, the average group exposure was <1.0 millirem with a maxim,
' 2.0 millirem.
__ _ _. -.___._ _._.~ _ _ _.
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TABLE IV Average Quarterly Reactor and Experimenter Staff Exposure t
j (in millirem) i e
I Jul-Aug-Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan /eb Mar Apr-May-Jun1 i
k
<10 23.0
<10
<10 1
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June's film badge results not available from the vendor at the time this l
l.
report was prepared.
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H.
Reactor-Facility Radiation and Contamination Levtis l
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Theryutinearearadiationsurveysofthebuildinginnon-reactorvital l
j areas had an average dose level'of 0.02 mR/Hr., while routinely secessible-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 occurred in Room 101A, Purification Pump Pit.
The lowest.
i average dose in a routinely access!ble reactor vital area was_0.03 mR/Hr.,
j which occurred in Room 201A, the Reactor Shop area.
The average dose in j
the Reactor Control Room was 0.04 mR/Hr.
The average dose in the-s radiochemistry sample 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 l
locked storage' area where radioactive material 'aud radioactive sources are j
- stored, 4
2 Routige building surveys for removable gontamingtion in non-reactor vital
~
i areas had an average level of 0.15x10' uC1/cm, while the average level l
in the reactor' vital areas was 4.10x10*7 uCi/c 2,
,.he highest average thereactorvital'areaswas37.93x10'yuC1/cm 2 l-value 1.1 which was found on l
the platform where experimenters stand to insert and withdraw their samples i
from the reactor The lovest average'value in the reactor. vital areas was A
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0.05x10'7 uC1/cm which as in-Room 2A, the Cave wast-floor.
The average level of_removab contamination in the radiochemistry sample hoods was l
3.91x10 uCi/cm l
1 A non reactor vital area is att arec i n the building-where radioactive
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materis is are used or_ stored but whic.; is not a part of'the Licensed-l-
reactor facility, i
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Environmental Monitorint Procram The environmental monitor..ig program uses thermoluminescent dosimeters
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-(TLD's) at locations both near and at distances around the reactor building i
facility.
The quarterly exposures.in the vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation i
Center are listed in Table V below.
The average ambient gamma radiation l
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, j
l Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, t
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The values observed indicate there is no significant effect on the l-environment radiation levels due to reactor operation.
j TABLE V Environmental Radiation Levels in the
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Vicinity of the Nuclear Radiation Center 1
l (Exposure in uR/ day) 1-4 i
l i
Jul-Aug Sep Oct-Nov-Dec Jan Feb-Mar
-Apr-May Jun Median i
i 208 203 162 172 186
)i 1 For sampling stations located 25 meters or greater from the Nuclear Radiation Center, j
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Quarterly exposures at locations at the reactor facility are listed in j
Table VI on page 7.
No.significant.effect on the environmental radiation j
levels by reactor operation was noted.
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7 TABLE VI Environmental Radiation Levels Adj eent to the Nuclear Radiation Center (Exposure in uR/ day)
Location Jul-Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb-Mar Apr-May Jun Median E. Loadine Dock 278 185 194 212 217 Rad. Storage Shed 370 315 278 365 332 Cooline Tower Fence 278 204 181 200 216 Licuid'Vaste Tank 296 296 181 188 240 Pool Room W. Roof 287 204 181 176 212 Buildinc U.
Side 324 278 208 212 256 Pool Room Exh. Vent 241 111 125 141 158 Pool Room W. Vent 454 333 458 471 429 Pool Room E. Vent 426 315 264 306 328 Pool Room E. Roof 222 204 139 141 177 S. Blde. Entrance 259 241 181 176 214 i
1 For samplin6 acations located less that 25 meters of_the Nuclear Radiation Center.
Underlined locations indicate areas that are readily accessible.
Technical Specifications ALARA effluent relear's in 3.12(2) specify annual radiation exposures at the closest off-site e.iendod 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 fucility was 160 uR/ day, while the average total radiation level at the 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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