ML20150A764

USGS Triga Reactor Annual Rept,1987

ML20150A764
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1987
From:	Rusling D INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
NUDOCS 8803160031
Download: ML20150A764 (7)

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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BOX 25016 M .S - 424 DENVER FEDERAL CENTER DENVER, COLORADO 80225 U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor Annual Report January 1, 1987 - December 31, 1987 NRC License No. R-113 Docket No. 50-274 I. Administrative Changes No administrative changes II. Operating Experience The prime function of the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) for the year 1987 continued to be the provision of neutrons for the various research programs being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Irradiations were also perfomed for other government agencies and educational institutions.

A listing of irradiations performed during the year 1987 is given below:

Organization Number g Samples Geologic Division (Denver) 7130 Geologic Division (Reston) 1490 Geologic Division (Menlo Park) 30 University of Georgia 21 Rensselear Polytechnic Institute 9 Brigham Young University 3 Oregon State University 98 Louisiana State University 2 University of Southern California 1 University of Wyoming 24 State University of New York at Albany 1 Michigan Technological University 1 Total 8810 Corrosion damage to the aluminum tank liner was detected March 17, 1987. Routine operations were suspended, and the reactor water level was lowered for inspection and repair of penetrations. Notifi-cations of the tank penetrations were made to NRC Region IV and NRR Project Engineer on March 18, 1987. Penetrations in the tank were sealed using an epoxy, Concresive AEX1513. Routine operations were resumed June 5, 1987. New penetrations continued to occur, and reactor operations were suspended October 2,1987 until a new tank liner can be installed. De-fueling of the reactor was completed December 10, 1987. The fuel was transferred to floor storage wells. g7

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Other major activities are listed below:

A. Thermal power calibration was performed in June.

B. No Class II experiments were performed in 1987.

C. During the report period,121 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with Technical Specifi-cations requirements for surveillance of the reactor.

D. Tours of the reactor facility were provided during the year.

Some of the major groups were affiliated with:

National Research Council University of Wyoming Federal Center Fire Department MMI, Peoples Republic of China Bennett High School Lakewood Fire Department Colorado State University Namibia, S.W. Africa U.S. State Department Approximately 130 visitors were admitted to the facility during the year.

III. Tabulation of Energy Generated Megawatt Time Reactor Number Month Hours Was Critical of Pulses January 84.877 97 hours0.00112 days <br />0.0269 hours <br />1.603836e-4 weeks <br />3.69085e-5 months <br /> 24 minutes 0 Februa ry 88.384 91 hours0.00105 days <br />0.0253 hours <br />1.50463e-4 weeks <br />3.46255e-5 months <br /> 54 minutes 0 March 58.283 69 hours7.986111e-4 days <br />0.0192 hours <br />1.140873e-4 weeks <br />2.62545e-5 months <br /> 27 minutes 0

April 0 10 minutes 0 l May 0 07 minutes 0 l June 124.272 134 hours0.00155 days <br />0.0372 hours <br />2.215608e-4 weeks <br />5.0987e-5 months <br /> 14 minutes 0 July 98.254 104 hours0.0012 days <br />0.0289 hours <br />1.719577e-4 weeks <br />3.9572e-5 months <br /> 07 minutes 0 August 101.003 105 hours0.00122 days <br />0.0292 hours <br />1.736111e-4 weeks <br />3.99525e-5 months <br /> 02 minutes 0 September 99.775 106 hours0.00123 days <br />0.0294 hours <br />1.752645e-4 weeks <br />4.0333e-5 months <br /> 43 minutes 0 October 16.003 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br /> 47 minutes 0 November 0 05 minutes 0 December 0 09 minutes 0 l 670.851 726 hours0.0084 days <br />0.202 hours <br />0.0012 weeks <br />2.76243e-4 months <br /> 09 minutes 0 IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns l 1. AC power dip Serial #385 l 2. Period scram - AC power dip Serial #386

3. Linear scram - Loose cable connection Serial #387

4. Linear scram - Noise on channel Serial #388 l 5. Linear scram - AC power dip Serial #389 '

6. Linear scram - Physical shock to console Serial #390 i 7. Linear scram - AC power dip Serial #391

8. Linear Scram - AC power dip Serial #392

9. Manual scram - Building fire alarm Serial #393 2

10. Linear scram - Physical shock to console Serial #394

- 11. Linear scram - AC power dip Serial #395

12. Linear scram - Physical shock to console Serial #396

13. Linear scram - Physical shock to console Serial #397

14. Linear scram - Physical shock to console Serial #398

15. Manual scram 41A r spike on stack monitor Serial #399

16. Manual scram "Sample failed to i m ve reactor" signal from pneumatic system. Sample recovered. Serial #400

17. Manual scram "Sample failed to leave reactor" signal from pneumatic system. Sample recovered. Serial #401 V. Major Maintenance Operations

1. Sealed penetrations in reactor tank liner.

2. The demineralizer resin was changed in April and November VI. Summary of 10CFR 50.59 changes There were no 10CFR 50.59 changes or tests during this report period.

VII. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluents released to the environs beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

License (R-113) 10 CFR 20 Allowable Allowable Argon-41 Month (Curies) (Curies) Tritium (Curies) (HTO)5 X10- (Curies)

January 1987 0.25 5.8 0.25 February 1987 0.63 5.8 0.25 March 1987 0.58 5.8 0.25 April 1987 Shut Down 5.8 2.98 0.25 May 1987 Shut Down 5.8 3.24 0.25 June 1987 1.65 5.8 14.30 0.25 July 1987 1.39 5.8 13.10 0.25 August 1987 2.20 5.8 8.80 0.25 September 1987 2.70 5.8 5.80 0.25

October 1987 Shut Down 5.8 4.60 0.25 I

November 1987 Shut Down 5.8 11.40 0.25 December 1987 Shut Down 5.8 14.30 0.25

! Total 9.43 70.0 7.85 x 10-4 3.00 I  % of allowable 18.0% .03%

(Note #1: The argon activities reported are integrated values obtained from the facility's gaseous stack monitor. Calculated values have been substituted for measured values in the few instances when the monitoring system was down for maintenance or repair.)

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The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor times the concentration of tritium as HTO. Tritium water samples were taken as scheduled during 1987. However, due to the Survey's water quality lab shut-down tritium sample analysis are being performed by Colorado State University. Sample results are from April 1987 through December 1987.

B. No radioactive liquid effluents were released from the reactor facility during the year 1987.

C. Four 55 gallon drums of low level waste were shipped for burial in Nevada in 1987.

The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1987 is estimated to be approximately 7.0 mci.

(Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralizer resin--used resin with small quantities of rinse water is solidified with Portland cement prior to release i., 55-gallon drums.)

VIII. Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major elements below during the operating year 1987.

1. Eighteen area monitors (17 gammas,1 neutron) located throughout the Nuclear Science Building. To provide a background signal, a small check source is attached to the scintillation detector.

High alarm set points range from 2 mR/hr to 50 mR/hr. High l level alarms have been infrequent and are documented in the l Health Physics Daily Logbook.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) sampling the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of 3.0 x 10-8 Ci/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of 400 cpm above background. There are two alarm set points. A low level l

alarm is set at 3,000 cpm, and the high level alarm is set j at 10,000 cpm.

Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations.

The fixed particulate air filter is changed and counted daily I on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is changed l

j and counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MPC (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 11) concentrations for all isotopes in question in the reactor bay.

l 3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a certified 3-Curie Cs-137 source and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system.

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. Wipe surveys have shown the reactor area remains free of tactile

- contaminations except for intermittent low level activity on work table tops and sample storage caves. Instrument surveys indicate no fixed areas of contamination. Radiation leaking at outside wall surfaces have been less than 0.5 mR/hr at our maximum power level . The maximum count for a wipe (beta

+ gamma /100 cm2) was 6096 pCi on a work table. No alpha con-tamination was detected.

4. Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned to all permanent occupants of the Nuclear Science Building.

CaSO 4 :Dy dosimeters have been used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.

These monitoring results are categorized below:

Rem-1987 Gamma Beta Neutron Reactor Staff Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year (thru 12-21-87)

Highest 0.055 0.000 0.000 Hands Cumulative Shallow Dose for Calendar Year Highest '0.460 0.000 0.000 Reactor Experimenters Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.015 0.000 0.000 i

Hands Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year _

Highest 0.090 .0.000 0.000 Reactor Visitors l

l All readings were less than 1.0 mrem.

Environmental Stations Rem 1987 Exhaust Stack 0.0670 West 0.0048 Southwest 0.0050 Southeast 0.0000 5

IX. Environmental Monitoring Pursuant to reactor operating procedures, soil and water samples are collected every second year. Neither water nor soil samples were collected in 1987.

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^" United States Department of the Interior

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GEOLOGICAL Sig'EY HOX 25016 .\l.S DENVER FEDERAL. CENTER DENVER. COI.ORADO 80225 m airn neien m March 10, 1988 Administrator, RIV U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, Texas 76011 Gentlemen:

The enclosed annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA reactor is submitted in accordance with license conditions.

Sincerely,

!lb l [ l' Donald H. Rusling Reactor Supervisor l

Enclosure (2) l l cc: Document Control Desk (2) l l

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