ML20150D741
| ML20150D741 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07000734 |
| Issue date: | 03/09/1988 |
| From: | Asmussen K GENERAL ATOMICS (FORMERLY GA TECHNOLOGIES, INC./GENER |
| To: | Mccaughey D, Rouse L NRC, NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| 29128, NUDOCS 8803250116 | |
| Download: ML20150D741 (6) | |
Text
,
RETURN IQ 3 W4)
...<.1 %.,
- r. ~ # - # %- --*.-
n - m G A 'echnologies + * " - --'* - " ~ ~** * ' " "'C' ^ " '
~ " " ' " "
.W. (
G A 1echnologies Inc.
PO BOX 65608 S AN 0 EGO. CAL 4 OAN A 92138
, h, (619) 455-3000
?
V
- Q p
k March 9, 1988
.~ - k
'9U fj
{,4e he'g 696-1187 Q' 'r%
(...
E, p.,LA Mr. Ieland C. Rouse, Chief Fuel Cycle Safety Branch g
4 Division of Fuel Cycle, Medical, Academic
& Cmmercial Use Safety Office of Nuclear Material Safety & Safeguards
[
- g
)
j Washington, D.C. 20555 r
[
s!. t b
'2 Attention: Mr. Dave McCaughey q{G, J
S
Subject:
Docket No. 70-734:
ShM-696, Supplemental 7nformation Regarding Request to Exempt Reactor Operators and Senior
/' H I Reactor Operators frca Retraining Requir ments of ShM-696 Referenm Amussen, K. E., letter 696-1159 to LelanC C. Rouse dated December 21, 1987
Dear Mr. Rouse:
In the referenced letter, General Atmics* (GA) requested that NRC licensed reactor operators (ROs) and senior reactors operators (SRos) be exempted frcn the annual retraining rquirewnte of our ShM-696 license.
In a subsequent conversation regarding this request, Mr.
Dave n:Caughey requested supplemental information describing the criticality related training the Ros and SRos receive as part of their continuous requalification program.
In response to Mr. McCaughey's rquest, Dr. W. L. Whittemore, the Physicist-In-Charge responsible for GA's 'IRIGA facility, prepared the following summary:
Examinations The NRC TRIGA license rquires that written examinations be administered every two years for all licensed reactor oEarator (RO) and senior reactor operator (SRO) staff mmbers. Note that everyone except the secretary has a valid NRC RO or SRO licenae at our facility.
Exhibit A contains a listing of the nine examination areas that are required.
Note also that the rqualification program r': quires an annual lecture that covers
- GA 'Itchnologies Inc. recently changed its name to Gemral Atcmics.
The change is in name cnly.
g 8803260116 080309 l
PDR ADOCK 07000734 i
C PDR 10955 JCm W HONNS DR. SAN DiEGO CAUFOFM 92121
. all changes to and up-to-date treatment of nuclear safety and operational safety.
Aspects of crituality, storage of fuel outside the reactor, handling of fuel, transport.atim of fuel between facilities, and special requirments on fuel handling during a facility fire are covered in exam sections (a), (b), (f), (g), and (h).
Exhibit B is a listing of all the sections that relate in one way or another tc considerations of fuel facilities.
Specific sections will be denoted in the discussions to follow.
Training Material on criticality and Out-of-Core Puel Chapter III of the Training Manual (see Exhibit B) contains many administrative requirments detailing who can perform fuel manipulations and under what circumstances.
Section 3.8 (especially sections 3.8.1 and 3.8.2) contains general informa-tion on safe storage of fuel outside the reactor, particularly in the storage locFers.
his section was very valuable when kilograms of fuel could be stored in such lockers. Now only 35n grams of U-235 can be stored.
Nevertheless, training still is conducted on these safety requirments.
Chapter IV (Exhibit B) contains specific OIerating conditicos under which fuel (including HW 'IRIGA fuel) can be manipulated.
Sections 4.1 and 4.2 contain specific instructions for fuel handling.
Performing the tests and operations described herein gives every operator experience in the details of approach to critical, behavior of a reactor an a critical facility, etc.
Chapter V (Exhibit B) contains material (5.4.1) on the radiological safety aspects of a research reactor.
This material deals directly with the hazards of unshielded reactor fuel and the resulting radiological effects on personnel.
Chapter VI (Exhibit B) covers in cmplete detail the mathmatical aspects of fissicn reactor operatim.
We mathmatical formulaticn of several aspects of the approach to critical (6.2.7, 6.3.1) are covered as are many important aspects of reflector, moderator and poisons (6.1.7, 6.1.11, 6.1.12, 6.1.13, 6.3.7-6.3.8).
he performance under prmpt critical conditicns is covered in noch greater detail than in normal criticality safety courses because the TRIGA reactors are routinely pulsed (6.5.1, 6.5.2).
The safe storage of fud M-of-core is covered specifically in the Technical Specifications, such as 6.1 and 6.3 of the R-38 license (see Exhibit B).
l
l,
.. We trust you will find this supplemental information responsive to j
your request and supportive of our conclusion that the training of Ros and Saos receive from the regular and continuing requalificatico program required by 10 CPR 55 more than satisfies the retraining requirenent imposed by our materials license.
If you should have any further questions, please contact me at (619) 455-2823.
Very truly yours, Keith E. Asmussen, Manager Licensing, Safety and Nuclear Capliance KEA/mk Attachnents:
Exhibit A, Biennial Requalification Program at '!RIGA Facility Exhibit B, Secticus Related to Considerations of Fuel Facilities 0
1 l
I 3/9/88 DQiIBIT A I
BIENNIAL REQUALIFICATION PROGRAM AT TRIGA FACILITY
'Ite rcqualification progra approved by the NRC for the CA TRIGA Facility requires that every two years the licensed operators pass a written examination on the following nine sections:
(a) 'Iheory and Principle of Operation Including Approach to Critical (b) General and Specific Facility Operating Characteri'3 tics (c) Facility Instrumentation and Control system i
(d) Facility Protection System (e) Engineered Safety System (f)
Normal, Abnormal, Dnergency Operating Procedures (9) Padiation Control and Safety l
(h) Technical Specifications (i) Application Portions of 10 CFR i
i l
l t
i m.-
3/9/88 EXHIBIT B SECTIONS RELATED 'IO CONSIDEFATIONS OF FUEL FACILITIES r
Chapter III.
A&ninistrative Requirenents 3.1 Requirenents for safety.
3.3.1 Classes of experiments, including criticality; review i
procedure.
3.4.2.2 Licensing and nuclear compliance.
3.4.6 aeactor operations staff.
3.5.3 Physical security at TRIGA including all sections.
3.6 Procedural and adninistrative limitations for the 'IRIGA Reactors Facility.
3.7.3 Fire inside the reactor building; procedure related to fuel element loading.
3.8 Handling of special nuclear material.
3.8.1 Storage of enriched uranium.
diapter IV.
Operating Procedures, t
4.1 Part 11 - Maintenance of control rods and movement of fuel.
Part 17 - Periodic inspection of fuel.
A.2 Part 7 - Changes of core configuration.
Part 8 - Log Book entries for fuel changes.
\\
diapter V.
Radiological Safety.
4 1
5.4.1 Fuel elenents, fission p10 ducts, han:! ling, etc.
Chapter VI.
6.1 Reactor physics.
6.1.3 Lifetime, nultiplication factor.
6.1.4 thru Multiplication factors.
6.1.7 i
)
- e s
Exhibit B (continued) 6.1.11 Moderators.
6.1.12 Reflectors, 6.1.13 Control rods.-
6.1.14 Fuel depletion burn-up and poisons.
6.2.1 Reactivity, definition.
6.2.2 Delayed neutrons.
6.2.5 Reactor kinetic behavior.
6.2.7 Neutron source nultiplication and approach to critical.
6.3.1 Critical mass.
^
6.3.3
'nsuperature coefficients.
l 6.3.6 Reactivity perturbations..
6.3.7 &
I 6.3.8 6.5
'IRIGA pulsing performance.
6.5.1 Considerations of pulsing characteristics.
6.5.2 Transient (pulsing) experiments.
'mchnical Specifications 6.1 All fuel elenents or fueled devices shall be stored in a safe geonetry (ke.ff less 0.8 under all conditions of moderation).
Note: All fuel storage racks provide keff < 0.8.
6.3 Not more than 19 standard fuel elenents or equivalent shall be stored in any one storage well.
7 c'.-
e 8
%,.&c O D
O Q,N<&n c
g 3
Ye-- %
N Y
Y
<,P f(lC O9
/ /
Co R
\\
fp&
n9
+
/
d 4
96 e
o,#
%+
\\
Na
.._ _ _ _ ~-_,______._.._,_. __. _ _..... _.._,