ML20117N361
| ML20117N361 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Berkeley Research Reactor |
| Issue date: | 12/31/1984 |
| From: | Lim T, Pigford T CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, BERKELEY, CA |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION V) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8505170496 | |
| Download: ML20117N361 (11) | |
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,.'r NUCLEAR liNGINiilillING llliACIUR 1AHORNIORY TRICu\ .\L\RK III I:ACII.I'iY l_ ;5 UA3 2 0 ~> p~ '7--
UNIVERSITY OF Call 1:0RNIA BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
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BERKELEY RESEARCil RiiACTOR ANNUAL REPORT OF OPERATIONS January 1, 1984 through December 31, 1984 (BRR Technical Specifications 6.7.2)
Tek II. Lim Reactor Supervisor
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W BERKELEY RESEARQ1 REACTOR OPERATIONS, 1984 Reactor Use The Berkeley Research Reactor (BRR) is a TRIGA Flark III facility capabic of producing 1 FM steady state and of pulsing to 1300 bM peak po-
- wer.' .The Berkeley Research Reactor is a research'and educational tool of the. University of California, is located on the Berkeley Campus and is operated by the Department of Nuclear Engineering.
Besides being used by the Department of Nuc1 car Engineering, it is
- used by other departments and campuses of the University, by the lawrence Berkeley laboratory and is available to Universities and Colleges in the area. The Inwrence Berkeley laboratory is operated by the University of
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California under contract from the Ibpartment of Energy.
In addition, the Berkeley Research Reactor is used as an irradiation source for service to industry contracts and provides a stimulant to touring and interested high school and college students.
Egeriments Performed Table I. lists the emeriments which were performed in the Ibrkeley Research Reactor during the year 1984. A total of 27 different experiments
' were performed. Five new experiments were approved between January 1 and Ibcember 31, 1984. The last column in Table I illustrates the number of times each experiment was perfonned I
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. . i Table I. Experiments Performed at the Berkeley Research Reactor in 1984 Experiment Tit 1? Facility Principal Investigator, Dept /- No. of 8 Class Objective -
Experimenter Company Runs 13 A Staff operation of reactor, calibrations, any, all Lim NE 69 l demonstrations, etc.
188 B Determination of fission yield Lazy Susan Prussin NE 2 196 A A short term activation analysis study on Central H imble Asaro, Michel DOE 113 archaeological artifacts 199 A Study of the characteristics of compensated Pool Lim NT 3 Ion chamber 210 C Neutron Radiography facility development Lazy Susan Kaplan, Lim NE 25
" 221 A Determination of nickel impurity in Fe2O 3 Central Thimble Prussin, Cann NE 2 by activation analysis 273 A origin of pottery Central Rimble Asaro, Michel DOE 10 274 A Irradiation of ethylene dibromide La y Susan Somorjai, Angeles Chemistry 2 275 B Electronic components test Exposure Room Young, et al DISC 30 283 A Irradiation of household aluminum foil Lazy Susan Prussin, Cann NE 9 284 A Reactor power calibration and Xenon buildup Pool Lim NE 10 293 A Production of 8 source Lazy Susan Kaplan, Lim NE 7 303 A Magnitude and shape of Central Thimble flux Central nimble Lim NE 5 304 A Reactor checkout, approach to critical and Pool Ruby, Lim NE 9 pulsing f
Table'I.. Experiments Performed at the Berkeley Research Reactor.in 1984 _
Experiment- Title p"Cly;*Y
- Principal Investigator, Dept /.3 No.' of
- - Class Objective Experimenter _ ' Company. Runs.
30S A Reactivity worth of control rods All Lim NE 2-306 B Graphite prism and themal column experiment -Thermal Column Ruby, Lim NE. 2:
327 A Determination of Calcium in L ~ .>1ogical matter Rabbit Cann NASA /A\fES 1 .t 352 A Deuterium-tritium micro balloons irradiation Central Thimble Lane, Lim DOE 2 ;
3S3 A Doping of Gemanium Cantral Thimble llansen DOE :4 354 A Irradiation of environmental- samples Central Thimble Heft, Lim DOE 10 u 301 B Irradiation of Natural or depleted uranium Lazy Susan Prussin NE 4 in ceramic form 305 B Irradiation of Copper containing phanton All Lim, Deren:o 'NE/ DOE 3 307 A Irradiation of Tungsten foil lazy Susan Lim' NE 2 ,
Analysis of glass and quart: Prussin 368 A Lazy Susan NE 7L 369 A Activation analysis of geologic materials -Central Thimble Denton/ Lim NE 5 370 A Production of 2*Na Central Thimble Lim Chevron 2.
371 A Production of activity tracers 36SEr, 37'Tm, Central Thimble Lim, Seaborg NE/ DOE 1 169,175yb e
1 Chemistry: Department of Chemistry, University of California, . Berkeley Chevron: Chevron Research Company DOE: Department of Energy, U. S. A.
DISC: .Inckheed Missiles 6 Space Company, Inc.
NE: - Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
. Reactor Maintenance Routine maintenance, minor repair and modification, testing and inspec-tion as required by the Tech Specs were perfonned during 1984.
10 CFR 50.59 Changes Lines 28, 29, and 31 of page 60a of the limergency Plan, rewritten July 25, 1977 and revised August 15, 1977, were changed on April 25, 1984. The changes were reviewed by the Reactor llazards Committee, IJifS, i Reactor Super-visor, Reactor Administrator, and the Reactor Staff.
Adminii;trative Changes In April 1984, Gordon Little, Reactor llealth Physicist, resigned to take a position at Oregon State University. Ile was replaced in August of 1984 by Peter Vernig.
Routine Tests and Calibrations ,
Thermal power calibrations were perfonned in April 1984. 'Ihe constant Air Monitor was calibrated during the month of November 1984.
'Ihe Reactor Pool Water Radiation Monitor was calibrated in April 1984, and the Stack Gas Argon-41 Monitor was calibrated in September 1984.
Operating Schedule The Berkeley Research Reactor normally operates on a single 8 hour9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> shift between 8 N1 and 5131, Monday through Friday. One day every two weeks is set aside for routine monthly checks and maintenance. Extended reactor runs and overtime operation are allowed if required by the experi-mental program.
Fuel Addition and Fuel Inventory There were no fuel additions in 1984. 'lhe annual fuel element inven-tory was performed in June 1984.
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- Energy Production' and Fuel lkirn-up The Berkeley Research Reactor produced 138,521 kW-hours or 5.77 FM-days of energy during 1984. As there were 161 operating days in 1984, this cor-responds to an average daily energy production of 860 kW-hours per operating day. In 1984, the Berkeley Research Reactor was critical approximately 205 hours0.00237 days <br />0.0569 hours <br />3.38955e-4 weeks <br />7.80025e-5 months <br /> and was operated at full power (1 MW) for approximately 120 hours0.00139 days <br />0.0333 hours <br />1.984127e-4 weeks <br />4.566e-5 months <br />.
The total b'irn-up in 1984 was 6.2 grams elemental and 7.2 grams of isotope ll-235.
The total ctanulative energy production since initial criticality is approximately 272.1 MW-days. ,
Nuclear latory Coninission Inspection Inspections of the Berkeley Research Reactor operations and safety were performed by the Nuclear Regulatory Connission Region V office in Decem-ber of 1984. No items of noncompliance to the Technical Specifications and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations were found during the inspections.
Dnergency Plan The revise <l upgraded Berkeley Research Reactor Dnergency Response Plan was approved by the NRC on November 17, 1984.
Duergency Shutdowns and Inadvertent Scrams Date Scram Circuit Reason 5-14-84 Period Scram Operator lirror 9-16-84 Linear Power Scram Operator lirror Operator's Training in August 1984, one senior operator passed the Nuclear Regulatory Com-mission Reactor Operator's Examination.
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Requalification Training Program
-In accordance with regulations, a successful requalification written
. examination was given to licensed operators and senior operators in Septem-ber and November 1984.
Exercise Routine security and emergency evacuation exercises were performed during the months of June and December 1984. Ibth the reactor staff and campus police participated in the drills.
Radioactive Effluent Released or Shipped 1.iquid Waste No liquid waste from the reactor facility was picked up by Campus- Envi-ronmental llcalth and Safety personnel.
No liquid waste was discharged to the sewer, storm drain or other loca-tion-in the environment from this facility in 1984.
Gaseous Waste All gaseous waste discharged was calculated as Ar-41, since studies in the past have shown no other significant radionuclides.
Total curies released was 4.04 Ci as Ar-41 of a maximum permitted re-lease of 2,785 Ci or 0.14% of the allowable release. Maximum concentration at stack discharge was 1.56 x IO-' pCi/ml. 1his concentration is 50% of the allow-able maximum concentration for this facility of 3.12 x 10 ' pCi/ml. - That max-imum concentration is believed due to erroncus data. The actual maximum con-centration'is believed to have been 1.31 x 10-' pCi/ml or 42% of allowabic maximum concentration. No average concentration was calculated due to fre-quent periods of time where the reactor was idle more than 50% of normal oper-ational time (8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> per day, 5 days per week excluding legal and university holidays).
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. Filter paper air samples showed no particulate radioactivity was re-Icased via exhaust stream. ' No particulate radioactivity concentrations-above naturally occurring values were detected.
Solid (Dry) Waste All solid (dry) waste was picked up by Campus Environmental'Ilealth and
' Safety personnel for disposal in accordance with their regulations. Mater ial shipped included:
July 1984 - 16 cubic feet and .15 mci miscellaneous activation products.
No solid waste was released to the environment.
Personnel Radiation Exposure Recorded radiation exposures to personncI included:
- a. Facility personnel (routine users of dosimeters) -
o Maximum total exposure to an individual - 125 mrem Minimum total exposure to an individual - O mrem Note: at year end 38 individuals were assigned dosimeters and only one showed an exposure.
- b. ! Visitors (non-routine dosimeter users) -
Approximatelyone-thousandeightycittriesweremadebyvisitors.
less than five percent had any reading. None were significant, the highest being 3 mrem. No average exposure was calculated.
- c. There were no exposures 'in excess of 10 CFR 20 limits.
Radiation and Contamination invels: .
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- a. Routine monthly meter surveys generated individual radiation readinga.
Maximum reading observed was 110 mrem /hr (ganina).
Minimtun reading observed was O mrem /hr.
l Average of readings is not meaningful due to abnormal influence of a l few high dose rate areas out of -26 locat ions routinely surveyed.
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- b. Routine area quarterly- film dosimeters at 24 locations generated 96 -
I readings, routine area monthly dosimeters at 3 locations generated 36 L. readings.
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. blaximum' readings observed:
blonthly location - 450 mrem (120y + 330 neutron)
Quarterly location .- 900 mrem blinimum readings observed:
'blonthly location - O mrem
. Quarterly location - O mrem blaximum annual accumulated:
-Monthly ' location - 1150 mrem _(all ganina exposure)
Quarterly location 2770 mrem L Average dose -is meaningless due to excessive influence of a few posi-
'tions.
- c. -Routine quarterly area TLD dosimeter readings totalled'14.
blaximum total dose at any location for the year was 442 mrem. -
blinimum total dose at any location for the year was O mrem.
Note that the period reported for film and TID is 2-1-84 through
( 1-31-85.
- d. Routine weekly. swipe program generated 2040 swipes, of which '24 showed contamination above nonnally expected IcVel.
Maximum swipe activities recorded was 5.5 x 10-2 pC1/100 cm 2 from nor-mally contaminated surfaces,1.4 x 10-3 pCi/100 cm2 from not-normally L
contaminated surfaces. This was due to tritium not associated with j reactor operations.
blinimum activities for lx)th categories was zero.
, Averages were not determined due to excessive influence of a few swipes.
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Environmental surveys Environmental TID measurements at 7 locations outside the facility generated 28 radiation readings.
Maximum total recorded exposure at any location for the year was 442 mrem.
Minimum total recorded exposure'at any location for the year was O mrem.
Averages were not determined because the majority of locations had very low or no exposure 'and only a few locations had significant readings.
Note that the period reported was 2-1-84 through 1-31-85.
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, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY n, ....
..m BERKELEY
- DAVIS
- IRVINE
- I.OS ANGELES
- RIVERSIDE
- SAN DIECO
- SAN FRANCISCO i .
SANTA BARBARA
- SANTA CRUZ l
$ '['4 } 2U . . I ' ' n
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING BEREELEY, CALIFOILNIA 94720 DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING Alarch 14, 1985 Docket No. 50-224 License No. R-101 Director U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region V Office of Inspection S Enforcement 1450 h! aria Lane, Suite 210 h'alnut Creek, California 94596
Dear Sir:
Enclosed is a copy of the Berkeley Research Reactor Annual Report for the calendar year 1984.
The Report is prepared for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as required by our Technical Specifications.
Sincerely, ,
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Thomas II. Pigford Reactor Administrator 111P:sf Enc.
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