ML20141H907
| ML20141H907 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Pennsylvania State University |
| Issue date: | 04/10/1986 |
| From: | Hosler C PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION (ADM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8604250236 | |
| Download: ML20141H907 (4) | |
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THE P E N N S Y LVA N I A STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA 16802 College of Engineering Area Code 814 ;
Penn State Breazeale Reactor '
April 10, 1986 l
4 Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 Attention: Document Control Desk
Subject:
Request for amendments to The Pennsylvania State University Penn State Breazeale Reactor R-2 License License R-2 Docket 50-5
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l A February 19, 1986, letter was mailed to you to request an amendment to our license regarding a 3 curie sealed americium-beryllium source. This letter supercedes that letter and requests an additional amendment to our license.
The Pennsylvania State University respectfully requests you to amend its R-2 facility license to allow the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) to " receive, possess, and use a 3 curie sealed americium-beryllium source in connection with the operation of the TRIGA reactor" and to remove the requirement for possessing 0.900 kilograms of contained uranium-235 in MTR type fuel elements pursuant to title 10, CFR, Chapter 1, Part 50. The latter amendment is requested because all MTR type fuel elements containing highly enriched uranium have been removed from The Pennsylvania State University storage facility and transferred to a Department of Energy (DOE) facilit . Also, we 4
wish the license to allow the university to continue to use the {52;r and Sb-Be neutron sources.
The americium-beryllium source is no. 930-AM-155 (P-843) manufactured by Numec.
The source is currently possessed by Northrup Corporation and was previously licensed for use in connection with the use of their TRIGA reactor.- The source is doubly encapsulated in type 304L stainless steel with the following j specifications:
wall thickness: inner capsule - 0.040 inch outer capsule - 0.040 inch I
thickness of end inner capsule - 0.050 inch opposite weld: outer capsule - o.050 inch thickness of inner capsule - 0.075 inch welded end: outer capsule - 0.050 inch A drawing of the neutron source is attached.
8604250236 860410 .O PDR ADOCK 05000005 "
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! AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY UNIVERSITY
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations page 2 April 10, 1986 The Northrup Corporation has a license to use a 5 curie americium-beryllium source; however, they purchased a 3 curie source to allow them to position the source conveniently in the core. A 5 curie source was too large to place in their core.
The University already possesses several neutron sources under both the R-2 license and the by-product material license. One of the sources covered under the by-product license is a 3-curie Am-Be source, so the personnel are already familiar with proper handling procedures. Instrurrentation is available for radiation surveys.
A calculation was made to determine the maximum heat that could be generated in the source when in the reactor during reactor operation. Calculations show that the fission rate in the source, when the reactor is operating at one megawatt, will produce a power of less than 10 watts (See Appendix A for details of the calculation). Thus the source temperature will not rise significantly above ambient temperatures while in the TRIGA core because the heat will be transferred directly to the pool water.
Additional information, if required, may be obtained from Dr. Samuel H.
Levine, Director of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor, University Park, PA 16802, 814/865-3110.
Sincerely, f '
Charles L. Hosler Vice Fresident for Research ,
and Dean of the Graduate School )
CLH/pka Attachment ec: S. H. Levine I. B. McMaster G. J. McMurtry W. F. Witzig R. W. Granlund R. E. Totenbier l
_ ff & N $N mAtY A. f4RIllAMLR, NOfARY PU3UC WrevifMY PAM, CENT #l CO, PA.
MY COMM45lON EXhRt3 MAY 8a 1989
APPENDIX A The maximum flux in the Breazeale TRIGA reactor when operating at IMW is 3x101 3n/cm2 -sec. Reference 1 gives the fission cross section for 241Am as 3.2 barns whereas Reference 2 assigns 3.3 barns.
- 1. Calculation of the 241Am content in the 3 Ci source.
10 d
- - 3 Cix3 7x10 c Ci' - 1.11x10 dis /sec.
j N = total number of 241 Am nuclei in the source.
3 H
-AN where A = yy b3 0.693 -1 -ll -I A- 3,c = 5.07x10 sec 7
433x3.154x10 N= /A = = 2.187x10 nuclei
)
5.07x10 N = 2.187x1021 nuclei
- 2. Calculation of Power Generated in the Am-Be source.
P = Power - G Nort where G = 200 Mey produced per fission P = G(2.187x1021)(3.3x10-24)(3x1013)
= 200 x 2.16x10ll Mev/sec
= 4.33x1013 Mev/see x 1.6x10-13 watts /geyf3ec P - 6.93 watts which is less than 10 wctts.
l References
- 1. D. J. Hughes, " Pile Neutron Research," Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.,
Inc., Cambridge 42, Mass (1953) see page 365.
- 2. Chart of the Nuclides, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (1972).
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