ML20128L212

Advises of Plan to Upgrade & Expand Reactor & Associated Experimental Facilities.New Fuel Element Design Being Completed to Increase Power by Factor of 2.5.Meeting to Discuss Plan Requested

ML20128L212
Person / Time
Site:	University of Missouri-Rolla, University of Missouri-Columbia
Issue date:	06/26/1985
From:	Alger D, Mckibben J MISSOURI, UNIV. OF, COLUMBIA, MO
To:	Thomas C NRC
References
NUDOCS 8507110272
Download: ML20128L212 (3)

Text

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Colurnbia, Missoun 65211 June 26, 1985 rer egnone (314) 882-4211 Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D..C. 20555 Attention: Cecil 0. Thomas

Dear Sir:

The University of Missouri Research Reactor has continually upgraded the reactor facility due to the demand for increased research and utilization to where the reactor is operated about 155 hours0.00179 days <br />0.0431 hours <br />2.562831e-4 weeks <br />5.89775e-5 months <br /> per week (about 91% of the total time since 1977), all neutron beamports are used with nost serving multiple instruments, and nearly all the irradiation space is used. Major upgrades of the reactor have been: first NRC licensed reactor to use uranium aluminide fuel (1973); increased power from SMW to 10MW (1974); and continu-ous operation (1977). The emphasis has been on upgrading research instrumen-tation since 1977. The Solid State Sciences committee of the National Academy of Sciences has recently studied the status of neutron scattering facilities and research in the United States. Two key conclusions of this study are that the demand for neutron scattering is growing rapidly and that the U.S. is currently suffering from a distinct lack of facilities for cold neutron re-search. For the University of Missouri to help meet the the need for in-creased research and for cold neutron facilities, the reactor needs to be upgraded. MURR is a significant national neutron and gamma research center but needs to advance to continue to provide this valuable contribution.

Therefore, we are planning an upgrade and expansion of the reactor and the associated experimental facilities to meet this need. A new fuel element design is being completed which will enable us to significantly increase our power by a factor of approximately 2.5 and a corresponding increase in neutron flux. Our goal is to start using the new fuel elements by late 1986 or early 1987 and to have a license to operate at a power level between 24 and 30 MW by 1989. Analysis to determine the power level will be completed in late 1985 and our intentions are to have all the license submittals in by the end of 1986 for increasing the power level.

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Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation June 26, 1985 Page 2 We would like to meet with you and other appropriate NRC staff to dis-cuss the steps to be accomplished in achieving tiese l goals. We realize we can not come away from a meeting like this\with a checklist of items to be completed to accomplish an upgrade, but see this as an opportunity for us to better define our intentions to you and to let us understand the requirements to be met in your reviewing and granting us an operating liciense. An out-line of what we want to accomplish and salient points of concern are given to provide a basis for the discussion.

A. New Fuel Element

1. Use of UA1x (x = 2 instead of 3) fuel.

2. Increase the burnup limit to 3.0E21 fissions per cubic centimeter.

3. bse burnable poison in some plates - may need to change the poison loading a little af ter test elements are run.

4. Load fuel up to 3.0 grams uranium per cubic centimeter.

5. Will look at steady state safety limit curves and reactivity transient analysis for the new fuel elements and mixed with the current elements.

B. Increase in Licensed Power

1. Research versus test license.

a. Of fference in review procedures.

b. Best method to retain research reactor license.

2. The analysis to be included in the safety analysis report.

3. Construction permit guidance for content and timing of submi ttal .

4. Environmental impact report.

a. Guidance - we plan to use NBS format and draw on original data (geology, hydrology, ecology, etc).

b. Timing of subnittal.

c. Basis for determining between assessment or statement for research reactor Itcense.

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Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation June 26, 1985 Page 3 C. Change to Reflector Configuration

1. Change in materials.

2. Addition of a cold moderator region.

A discussion of these items can result in more efficient use of your and our time by focusing our analysis on the real items of concern. We would like to meet with you on August 8,1985 in Washington, D.C. and could meet again on August 9 f f additional time is required. If this time is not con-venient, please let us know what dates are available. This opportunity to discuss what is the minimum amount of regulation to be imposed on MURR and still enable you to meet your obligations under the Atomic Energy Act will enable both the NRC and MURR to better serve their functions. An upgraded MURR will promote the health and safety of the public through widespread and diverse research and development.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerel ,

C J. C. McKibben Reactor Manager hh $ h Don M. Alger Associate Director xc: R. Brugger R. Carter (NRC)