ML20117J499

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Ro:On 850503,during Annual Fuel insp,12 Weight % Triga Fuel Element in Ring B of Core Found Swollen & Unable to Be Removed from Grid.Integrity of Fuel Element Intact.Element to Be Stored & No Longer Used at Facility
ML20117J499
Person / Time
Site: Pennsylvania State University
Issue date: 05/07/1985
From: Levine S
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
To: Thomas C
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8505150126
Download: ML20117J499 (1)


Text

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THE PENNSYLVANI A STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA 16802 College of Engineering Area Cale 818 Breazeale Nuclear Reactor 865-6351 7 May 1985 Mr. Cecil R. Thomas, Chief Standardization and Special-Projects Branch

-Division of Licensing Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 License:

R-2 Docket No.: 50-5 Gentlemen:

On Friday, May 3, during our. annual fuel inspection, we discovered that a 12 wt.5 TRIGA fuel element in the B-ring of our core had swollen to where we could not remove it from the grid.

Subsequent visual inspection of this fuel element did not show any damage or obvious swelling of the fuel element. The swelling of the fuel element occurs approximately five inches above the bottom of the fuel rod. The fuel element could be raised up through the top grid plate to this position on the fuel element or lowered to this point into our fuel inspection tool. The integrity of the fuel element remains intact and there is no chance of fission product leakage from this fuel element. However, because of its inability to move through the grid plate, this fuel element will be stored and no longer used used at this facility.

This fuel-element swelling has no safety significance and therefore does not require any official notification. We report this for information purposes only since it may be useful to other TRIGA users.

If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact me at (814) 865-3110.

Sincerely your

/

Samuel H. Levine Professor, Nuclear Engineering Director, Penn State Breazeale Reactor SHLimb cc:

R. E. Bland W. F. Witzig

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AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNIVERSITY

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