ML20149J452
| ML20149J452 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Idaho State University |
| Issue date: | 07/23/1997 |
| From: | Kunze J IDAHO STATE UNIV., POCATELLO, ID |
| To: | NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9707280222 | |
| Download: ML20149J452 (4) | |
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July 23,1997 U.S. Nuclear Regulatoiy Commission !
Document Control Desk -1 8r1,Ar13E washington, D.C. 20555 UNIVERSITY
Subject:
Request to amend Facility License R-110, Docket No. 50-284.
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Dear Madam / Sir:
Omce orths Dean The Idaho State University requests that Facility License ;R-110, Docket No. 50-284, <
college of _ be amended to increase the possession limit for fissile material that may be used in Ed""*8 connection with the operation of the ISU AGN-201 reactor. Enclosed please Gnd the
("Q$,$*j 8* application for license amendment. We request that the review of this application for 83mso60 license amendment be completed as expeditiously as possible to enable the facility to resume operations.
a Please feel free to contact me at (208) 236-2902 or the Reactor Administrator, Dr. John Dennion, at (208) 236-3351 regarding any questions you may have concerning this matter.
Res tfully, f ,c ( *')p c ,
^ (Jay unze, Ph.D., P'E., CHP Dea and Profes';or i/
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Enclosure:
Request for License Amendment
,hhD cc: .Mr. Marvin M. Mendonca, Project Manager 9707280222 970723 1tillHlulillumIIIII133mg. s PDR ADOCK 05000284 lisibilHi.llillilll.llil!.!agl,ld E
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c PhoneiGOR) 236 2902 UUUUi FAX:COS) 2364538 ISU is An Equal Opportunity Employer
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REQUEST FOR -LICENSE AMENDMENT FACILITY LICENSE NO. R-110 The Idaho State University (ISU) College of Engineering requests the U.S. Nuclear i Regulatory Commission to amend the Facility License No. R-110 for the AGN-201 nuclear ;
reactor, Docket No. 50-284, to increase the possession limit of fissile material used in l connection with the operation of the reactor from 700 grams to 995 grams of uraniume235 1 contained in the AGN fuel. Specifically,it is requested that condition 2.B. found on page 2 of the Facility License R-110 issued October 11,1967, be amended to read as appropriate:
- 2. B. Pursuant to the Act and Title 10, CFR, Chapter 1, Part 70, "Special Nuclear !
Material," to receive, possess and use up to 995 grams of contained uramum- l 235 in connection with operation of the reactor; and...
Justification Three spare control elements, with the contained uranium-, are being requested from a decommissioned training reactor.
On June 25,1997, the ISU reactor facility experienced the failure of the aluminum capsule that !
serves as cladding for Safety Rod No. 2 (SR-2), one of the reactor control elements. Control ,
elements in the AGN reactor contain fael material in the form of UO2 homogeneously '
dispersed in a polyethylene matrix; reactivity is increased by inserting the control elements into 4
the reactor core. The cladding failure is believed to have been caused by the failure of a i pneumatic dashpot designed to decelerate SR-2 following ejection from the core during normal ;
scramming action. The damage to the capsule resulted from the catastrophic fracture of the ;
- weld joining the end cap to the capsule tube thus exposing the contained fuel material.
This event has shut down the facility pending replacementi of the control element fuel capsule and dashpot and completion of surveillances to assure that the reactor is operable within the requirements of the facility license and technical specifications. The facility expects to resume operations following complete review of the event by the ISU Reactor Safety Committee and their granting approval to recommence reactor operations in accordance with applicable regulations of the NRC.
- We have learned that such replacement capsules are still available from Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU po?sesses the three AGN control elements from an AGN reactor that was operated from 1959 to 1975 under U.S. NRC License No. R-51, Docket No. 50106. This reactor was decommissioned. between 1978 to 1980. The operating license was terminated by the NRC November 10,1981. OSU has retained all of the AGN fuel, including the complete core and the three fueled control elements, having L transferred the fuel material to OSU's TRIGA NRC license. Discussions for transferring these control elements to ISU have been initiated with Dr. Brian Dodd, Director of the OSU Radiation Cemer, and with representatives of ti.e U.S. Department of Energy, which owns the
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, fuel. Dr. Dodd fully supports the transfer of the three intact control elements and the DOE has indicated that they will provide financial assistance and transfer casks fer transporting the
- . controll e ements to ISU.
h ISU desims to transfer all three control elements because: (1) the transfer will allow the facility l
1 e ISU College of EngineerinJ 7/24/97 4
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to immediately replace the failed SR-2, ('2) the additional two rods will provide spare ;
components should another control element capsule fail. and (3) the transfer will allow OSU to remove these materials from their TRIGA license. OSU wishes to transfer all three contro) elements at the same time and as integral units to minimize the time and effort that must be . .
L devoted during the transfer process. However, transfer of the three control elements cannot
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occur until the ISU license is amended to allow for the possession of the additional fuel, j
! Discussion Each major control element contains approximately 14.4 grams of contained uranium-235 for a total of 43.2 grams of uranium-235 in the three major elements A fourth control element,
- the Fine Control Rod, is smaller in diameter and contains about one-fourth of the fuel loadirg of the three major fuel elements. The remainder of the reactor core contains approximately 626 grams of uranium 235. -Some additional fuel scraps are stored outside of the reactor in 1 accordance with the facility Physical Security Plan. Although the current possession limit of
- ~ 700 grams must be increased by only about 20 grams of contained U-235 to perrnit transfer of all of the OSU control elements, upen recommendation of the ISU Reactor Safety Committee,
a higher limit is desired to provide latitude for possible future contingencies that might require j replacement or transfer of additional fuel for the continued operation of the reactor. The !
higher limit would facilitate transfer of one or two core fuel disks without having to seek l
, another license amendment . !
4 An increase in the amount of uranium-235 contained in the fuel up to 995 grams will not affect ,
the classification of special nuclear material possessed by the facility. Sirce ACN fuel {
enrichment is less than 20% in the isotope uranium 235, the facility can possess quantities containing less than 1000 grams of uranium-235 and still be below a Category-III quantity of
- mater
- al, designated as "special nuclear material of low strategic significance."i j The additional fuel material will be stored in conformance with all requiremems of the existing l facility technical s pecifications and of the NRC-approved Physical Security Plan. Increasing l the amount of fue in storage will present no unreviewed safety questione and no neutronic i coupling between the reactor and stored fuel mnerial can occur. The uranium disks from the i 3 damaged control element have been sealed in plastic and transferred to the appmved storage )
' ' container, 1
CODdusian Replacement of the damaged SR-2 capsule is necessary before the facility can resume !
operations Since AON reactor components have not been available for several years because l
' the manufacturer went out of business, such repla.xment can most effectively and easily be l accomplished by installing an undamaged capsule obtained from a decom.missioned AGN '
reactorc Rephicement capsulcs are available in the form of three entire fuelled contrel elements j fro m O S U.
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Approwd of this amendment to the facility license will enable the licensee to transfer the OSU 1 crmtrol elements to ISU to complete the repair and subsequently resume ep rations. TM l
- i. amendment will not alter the strategic category associated with the quantity of fuel posse..;ed by the licensee. Possession and storage of the additional fuel will be accommodated in accordance with existing stipulations and requirements of the facility physical security plan and technical specifications. Moreover, the transfer of the OS~C control elements will not have any adverse impact on the health and safety of the public or environment.
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. ISU College of Engineering 7/2407
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.. . l Noter i Three alternatives are available for replacing the capsule. First, the facility couM endeavor to repair the I
cristing capsule. This option would first require that the interior surface of the capsule that had been in direct 1
. contact with the fuel material be decontaminated, after which an attempt would be made to reattach the end cap !
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to the capsule. 'Uds repair would require expert welding of the de!iccte capsule components followed by l pressure testing to ensure the capsule is air-tight. It is uncertain whether such a repair would be successful. i Second, a new capsule could be fabricated, a process that would be expected to be difficult at best. Third, a l replacement capsule from a decomrnissioned AGN-201 reactor could be located and transferred to ISU for installation in the ISU reactor.
- 2 10 CFR 73.2.
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ISU College of Engiueering 7/24/97
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