ML20195G118

Proposed Tech Specs,Revising Sections 3.3,3.4,3.5,3.6,3.7, 6.0,6.2.c,6.4,6.5,6.7,revising Language to Eliminate Gender Specificity & Adding 1.27 to Permit Certain Surveillance Frequency Changes During Periods of Prolonged Reactor SD

ML20195G118
Person / Time
Site:	University of California - Irvine
Issue date:	11/13/1998
From:	CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, IRVINE, CA
To:
Shared Package
ML20195G109	List: ML20195G104 ML20195G118
References
NUDOCS 9811200197
Download: ML20195G118 (46)

Text

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE l

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,IRVINE TRIGA MARKI NUCLEAR REACTOR REVISED:

NOVEMBER 1998

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P UCI Technical Specifications

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TARI E OF CONTENTS -

P.agt.

1.0 DEFINITIONS 3

2.0 SAFETY LIMITS AND LIMITING SAFETY SYSTEM SETTINGS -

2.1 Safety Umit - Fuel Element Temperature 6

2.2 Limiting Safety System Setting -

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3.0 ' LIMITING CONDITIONS FOR OPERATION 3.1 Reactivity 7-3.2 Pulse Operation 8

3.3 ReactorInstrumentation 9

3.4 Reactor Safety System 10 3.5 Release of Argon 41 11 3.6 Ventilation System 11 3.7 Pool Water Level Channel 12 3.8 Limitations on Experiments 12

- 4.0 SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENTS 4.1 Fuel 13 4.2 Control Rods 14 4.3 Reactor Safety System 14 L

4.4 Pool WaterlevelChannel 15 4.5 Radiation Monitoring Equipment 15 l

4.6 Maintenance 16 5.0 DESIGN FEATURES 5.1 Reactor Fuel 16 5.2 Reactor Building 17 5.3 Fuel Storage 17 6.0 ADMINISTRATIVECONTROIS 6.1 Organization 18 l

6.2 Review 18 6.3 Operating Procedures 19 6.4 Action to be Taken in the Event a Safety Umit is Exceeded 19 l

6.5 Action to be Taken in the Event of an Abnormal Occurrence 20 6.6 Plant Operating Records 20 6.7 Reporting Requirements 20 6.8 Review of Experiments 22 2

j UCI Technical Specificationy K

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j 1.6 DERNITIONS i

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- The following frequently used tenns are defined to aid in the uniform interpretation of these specifications.- '

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-1.1' Raare~ ShutAnwn - The reactoris in a shutdown condition when sufficient contml rods are inserted so as to assure that it is suberitical by at least $1.00 of reactivity.

1.2 Raae*ar Secured - The reactor is secured when all. the following conditions are satisfied:

a. The reactoris shutdown; j~

b. Power to the control rod magnets and actuating solenoids is off, and the key removed;

c. No work is in progress involving fuel or in-core experiments or maintenance of the core structure, control rods, or control rod drive mechamsms.

1.3 paartor Ooeration - The reactor is in operation when it is not secured.

1,4 Standard Control Rod - A standard control rod is one having rack and pinion, electric motor drive, and scram capability.

1.S Transient Control Rod

a. Adjustable Transient Rod - an adjustable transient rod is one having both pneumatic and i

electro-mechanical drives and with scram capability,

b. Fast Transient Rod - A fast transient rod is one that is pneumatically operated and has scram i

capability.

1.6 Goerable - A system or device is operable when it is capable of performing its intended functions in a normal manner.

1$ Cold Critical - The reactor is in the cold critical condition when it is critical with the fuel and bulk water temperatures the same (=20*C).-

1.8 Standv-seat, Mode - The mactor is in the steady-state mode when the reactor mode selection switch is in the steady-state or automatic position. In this mode, reactor power is held constant or is changed on periods greater than three seconds.

1.9 Pulse Mode -The reactoris in the pulse mode when the reactor mode selection switch is in the pulse position. In this mode, reactor power is increased on periods less than one second by motion of the transient control rod (s).

1.10 Exneriment - An experiment is:

a. Any apparatus, device or material placed in the reactor core region, in an experimental facility, or in-line with a beam of radiation emanating from the reactor;

b. Any operation designed to measure reactor characteristics.

1.11 lintrieA Enerimant - An untried experiment is any experiment not previously performed in this reactor.

l 1.12 Exnerimental Facilities - Experimental facilities are the pneumatic transfer systems, central thimble, rotary specimen rack, and the in-core facilities (including single elernent positions, L

three-element positions, and the seven element position).

s l-1 UCITechnical Specifications 3

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l 1.13 Abnormal Occurrence - An abnormal occurrence is any of the following:

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a. Any actual safety system setting less conservative than specified in the Limiting Safety l

System Settings section of the Technical Specifications;

b. Operation in violation of a limiting condition for operation; l

c. An engineered safety system component failure which could render the system incapable of performing its intended function; j

d. Release of fission products from a fuel element;

e. An uncontrolled or unanticipated change in reactivity; l

f. An observed inadequacy in the implementation of either administrative or procedural controls, such that the inadequacy could have caused the existence or development of an j

unsafe condition in connection with the operation of the reactor.

l 1.14 Standard Thermocounle Fuel Element - A standard thermocouple fuel element is a standard fuel element containing three sheathed thermocouples imbedded near the axial and radial I

center of the fuel element.

l 1.15 Measmed Value - The measured value of a process variable is the value of the variable as it appears on the output of a channel.

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1.16 Measuring channel - A measuring channel is the combination of sensor, lines, amplifiers l

and output device which are connected for the purpose of measuring the value of a process variable.

1.17 Reactor Safety System - The reactor safety system is that combination of channels and associated circuitry which forms the automatic protective system for the reactor or provides l

information which requires manual protective action to be initiated.

1.18 Ooeratint-Operating means a component or system is performing its intended function in l

its normal manner.

i 1.19 Channel Check - A channel check is a qualitative verification of acceptable performance by observation of channel behavior. This verification shall include comparison of the channel i

with other independent channels or methods measuring the same variable.

1.20 Channel Test - A channel test is the introduction of a signal into the channel to verify that it is operable.

1.21 Channel Calibration - A channel calibration is an adjustment of the channel such that its output responds, with acceptable range and accuracy, to known values of the parameter which the channel measures.

1.22 Reference Core - A reference core is a core with a configuration similar to the core configuration existing at the initial start-up of the reactor.

1.23 Ring-A ring is one of the six concentric bands of fuel elements surrounding the central opening of the core. The rings are designated by the letters B through G, with the letter B used to designate the innermost band.

l 1.24 Three Element Positions - Two generally trianguiar-shaped sections cut out of the upper grid plate, one encompassing ring holes DS, E6 and E7 and the other D14, E18 and E19. When fuel elements are placed in these locations a special fixture provides lateral support. With the fixture and fuel removed, an experiment up to 2.4 in. in diameter may be inserted.

UCI Technical Specifications 4

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1.2S Seven FJement Position - A hexagonal section which can be removed from the upper grid plate for insertion of specimens up to 4.4 in. in diameter after relocation of the six B-nng l

clements and removal of the central thimble.

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1.26 Closed Packed AnaX - A closed packed array is a fuel loading pattem in which the fuel elements are arranged in the core by filling the inner rings first.

M Surveillance Activities - Activities reanimd at ore-defined intervals to assure nerformance of l

reactor and safety related comoonents. During prolonged neriods when the reactor remains i

shutanwn. Technical Snecification Surveil ance Reauirements 4.1 (fuel element

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dimensions). 4.2 (control rod inteeritv). and 4.3 (fuel temnerature safety limit) may be deferred. However. thev must be enmnieted orior to reactoritart-un excent for 4.2 (a). 4.3

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(d). and 4.3 (f) which reouire reactor coeration in order to be accomotinhed.

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4 UCI Technical Specifications 5

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2.0 SAFETY UMITS AND LIMITING SAFETY SYSTEM SETTINGS 2.1 Safety Iimit - Fuel Element Temnemture Anntienhility This specification applies to the fuel element temperature.

Obiective The objective is to defme the maximum fuel element temperature that can be permitted with confidence that no fuel element cladding damage will result.

Specification The temperatum in a stainless steel clad, high hydride fuel element shall not exceed 1000 C under any conditions of operation.

Hasta The safety limitations of the TRIGA fuel are described in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) for the UC Irvine TRIGA, Section 8. The important process variable for a TRIGA reactor is the fuel element temperature. This parameter is well suited as a single specification since it can be measured. A loss in the integrity of the fuel element cladding could arise from an excessive build-up of pressure between the fuel moderator and the cladding. The pressure is caused by the presence of fission product gases and the dissociation of the hydrogen and zirconium in the fuel moderator. The magnitude of this pressure is determined by the fuel moderator temperature.

The safety limit for the stainless steel clad, high hydride (ZrH.,) fuel element is based on t

data (SAR pages 838 through 8.40 and University of Illinois SAR pages III-56 through III-59) which indicate that the stress in the cladding (due to the hydrogen pressure from the dissociation of the zirconium hydride) will remain below the yield stress provided the temperatum of the fuel does not exceed 1000 C.

2.2 Ilmitino Safety System Settinen Annlicability This specification applies to the trip setting for the fuel element temperature channel.

Obiective The objective is to prevent the safety limit from being exceeded.

Specification For a core composed entinly of stainless steel clad, h'gb hydride fuel elements, limiting l

safety system settings apply according to the location of the standard thermocouple fuel element which shall be located in the B-or C-ring as indicated in the following table:

Location I imitina Saftig Svstem Setting L

B-ring 800*C L

C-ring 755 C Bassa Stainless steel clad, high hydride fuel element: The limiting safety system settings that are indicated represent values of the temperature, which if exceeded, shall cause the reactor safety system to initiate a reactor scram. Since the fuel element temperature is measured by a fuel element designed for this purpose, the limiting settings are given for different UCI Technical Specifications 6

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locations in the fuel array. Under these conditions, it is assumed that the core is loaded so that the' maximum fuel temperature is produced in the B-ring. If the fuel element temperature is measumd in the C-ring, the respective temperature is the limiting safety system setting.

3.0 LIMITING CONDITION (iEQROPFRATION 3.1 Reactivity Anolicability These specifications apply to the reactivity condition of the reactor, and the reactivity worths of control rods and experiments, and apply for all modes of reactor operation.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the reactor can be shut down at all times and to assure that the fuel temperature safety limit will not be exceeded.

%cincat' The mactor shall not b-operated unless the following conditions exist.

a. The shutdown marg!u referred to the cold, xenon-free condition, with the highest worth rod fully withdrawn, is greater than $0.50;

b. The total reactivity worth of the two transient control rods is less than $3.00;

c. Any experiment with a reactivity worth gmater than $1.00 is securely fastened so as to prevent unplanned removal from or insertion into the reactor,

d. The excess mactivity is less than $3.00;

c. The reactivity worth of an individual experiment is not more than $3.00;

f. The total reactivity worth of all experiments is limited so that the shutdown margin refermd to the cold xenon-free condition with all rods in is at least $0.50;

g. The total of the absolute values of the reactivity worth of all experiments in the reactor is less than $3.00;

h. The drop time of a standard contml rod from the fully withdrawn position to 90 percent of full reactivity insertion is less than one second; and

i. The neutron oower level indication ccua: ra: on the startup channel is greater than.LA 10 % of full oower.two connajar acecnd.

BAE1 The shutdown margin required by specification 3.la is necessary so that the reactor can be l

shut down from any operating condition and remain shutdown after cooldown and xenon decay even if one control rod (including a transient control rod) should stick in the fully withdrawn position.

Specification 3.lb is based on Section 8.5 of the SAR. The power level at which a pulse could be initiated in an accident may be as high as 100 C At 100 kw, the peak temperature of the fuel will be 115 C. The calculations indicate that a $3.00 pulse will result in a peak temperature of only 502*C, well below the safety limit.

4 UCI Technical Specifications 7

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Specification 3.1c is based on the same calculations. By restricting each experiment to-

$1.00, an additional margin is provided to allow for considerable uncertainty -in i

experiment worth.

- Specification 3.lc through 3.lg are intended to provide additional margins between those values of reactivity changes encountered dunng the course of operations involving experiments and those values of reactivity which, if exceeded, might cause a safety limit to be exceeded.

Specification 3.1 h is intended to assure prompt shutdown of the reactor in the event a j

scram signalis received.

Specification 3.1 iis intended to assure that sufficient' neutrons' are available in the core to pmvide a signal at the output of the starep channel during approaches to criticality.

3.2 Pulse Operation Apphcability These specifications apply to operation of the reactorin the pulse mode.

Objective The objective is to prevent the fuel temperature safety limit from being exceeded during pulse mode operation.

Specifications The reactor shall not be operated in the pulse mode unless, in addition to the requirements of Section 3.1, the following conditions exist:

a. The transient rods are set such that their reactivity worth upon withdrawal is less than

$3.00; and

b. The steady-state power level of the reactor is not greater than 1 kilowatt.

Hasta Specification 3.2a is based on Figure 7-4 of the SAR which shows that the temperature rise expected for a pulse insertion of $3.00 is less than 500*C.

Specification 3.2b is intended to prevent inadvertent pulsing from a high steady-state power level such that the final peak temperature might approach the safety limit.

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3.3 Reactor Instrumentation 4

Anolicability This specification applies to the information which must be available to the reactor operator during reactor operation.

Obiective The objective is to require that sufficient information is available to the operator to assure safe operation of the reactor.

UCI Technical Specifications 8

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Specification l

The reactor shall not be operated unless the measuring channels described in the following table are operable and the information is displayed in the control room:

1 Minimum Operating Mode Measuring Channel Number in which Operable Required Fuel ElementTemperature 1

All Modes Reactor Power level 2

Steady-State i

Reactor Power Level (high range) 1 Pulse Mode Startup Power 12vdCc=: Pec 1

During Reactor Startup

. Area Radiation Monitors 2

All Modes Continuous Air Radiation Monitor 1

All Modes Bassa The fuel temperature displayed at the control console gives continuous information on the process variable which has a specified safety limit.

The neutron detectors assure that measurements of the reactor power level are adequately covered at both low and high power ranges.

The radiation monitors pmvide information to operating personnel of any impending or existing danger from radiation so that there will be sufficient time to evacuate the facility and take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of radioactivity to the surroundings.

3.4 Reactor Safety System Apolicability This specification applies to the reactor safety system channels.

Obiective The objective is to require the minimum number of reactor safety system channels that must be operable in order to assure that the fuel temperature safety limit is not exceeded.

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1 UCI Technical Specifications 9

Specification i

The reactor shall not be operated unless the safety system channels described in the following table are operable.

f Measuring Minimum Operating Mode in

' Channel Number Function which Required Operable l

Fuel Element 1

Scram All Modes l

Temperature Reactor Power 1

Scram Steady-State Mode level M1 Reactor Power 1

. Prevent transient E Pulse Mode level firing when power is >l kw Manual Button 1

Scram All Modes Seismic Switch 1

Scram All Modes StartyEgEtt 1

Prevent control rod withdrawal Reactor Startup lunL;;t Rate when nower level indication is less

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than l x 10 Enc; tron ccunt r;;;c is-Icss can 2 g;*eend Standard Control 1

Prevent application of air to fast Steady-State Mode Rod Position transient rod when all other rods are not fully inserted Adjustable 1

Prevent application of air to Steady State Mode Transient adjustable transient rod unless Cylinder Position cylinderis fully down Bases The interlocks which prevent the firing of the transient rods in the steady-state mode or if the power level is greater than 1 kilowatt prevent inadvertent pulses. The interlock to prevent startup of the reactor with less than 1 x 10 % nower two aca:rcas gr acecad l indicated on the startup channel assure that sufficient neutrons are available to assure

- proper operation of the startup channel.

The fuel temperature scram provides the protection to assure that if a condition results in which the limiting safety system setting is exceeded, an immediate shutdown will occur to l

keep the fuel temperature below the safety limit. The power level scram is provided as added protection against abnormally high fuel temperature and to assure that reactor operation stays within the licensed limits. The manual scram allows the operator to shut down the system if an unsafe or abnormal condition occurs. The seismic switch will shut down the reactor if major earth movement (M.M. VI or above) occurs in case the operator is prevented from operating the manual scram at the time.

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. UCITechnical Specifications 10 L

3.5 Release of Arnon 41 t

Anolicability l

This specification applies to the release of radioactive argon 41 from the facility exhaust system.

Obiective The objective is to assure that exposures to the public resulting from the release of argon 41 generated by reactor operation, will not exceed the limits of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted areas.

Soecification Releases of argon 41 from the reactor room exhaust shall not be made in concentrations greater than 4 x 10# pc/ml averaged over a year.

BAsia It is shown in Section 8.4.4 of the SAR, pages 8-18 through 8-23 that the release of argon 41 will be diluted by a factor of at least 40 in reachino a notentint exoosure site even in the i

coorest disocrsion conditions. At a concentration level of I x 10d uCi/ml. for constant immersion. the maximum conceivable-annual exoosure will be 5 mrem to an individual and is well within accentable limits.at the abov; con;;n;;atien-will-nobresulFin croposurcs in unrenaetedereasinexcess of the limitaef40GFRfart-20r I

3.6 Ventilation Svstem Anolicability This specification applies to the operation of the reactor facility ventilation system.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the ventilation system is in operation to mitigate the conseguences of the possible release of radioactive materials resulting from reactor operation.

Soccification The reactor shall not be operated unless the facility and building ventilation system is in l

operation and the emergency exhaust shutdown system h9s been,ds of time no within the precedino 30 days. An exception may be made f or perio two days to permit repairs to the system. During such periods of rspair:

a. The reactor shall not be operated in the pulse mode; and

b. The reactor shall not be operated with experiments in place whose failure could result in the release of radioactive gases or aerosols.

EA3il it is shown in Section 8.7.5 of the SAR that operation of the emergency exhaust l

shutdown system reduces off-cite doses to below 10 CFR Part 20 limits in the event of a TRIGA fuel element failure, and in 8.4.4 and 8.4.5 that operation of the normal system adequately dilutes the argon 41 mieased even under unusual experimental operations. The specifications governing operation of the reactor while the ventilation system is undergoing repair preclude the likelihood of fuel elemt:nt failure during such times. It is shown in Section 8.6 that, if the reactor were to be operating at full steady-state power, fuel element failum will not occur even if all the reactor tank water were to be lost immediately.

UCI Technical Specifications 11 l

3.7 Pool Waterlevel Anolicability This specification applies to the pool water level.

Objective The objectives are to assure that an adequate level of water is maintained above the core and that prompt corrective action will be initiated in the unlikely event that pool-water leaks from the tank.

Specification The pool water level shall normally be maintained approximately 19 feet above the reactor top grid plate. A pool water level measuring channel shall sound an alarm ALin-the UCI Police Dicnatch Desk the itysicaH4 ant-Ccatrc! Cen:cr if the water level in the reactor-tank drops to 13 feet or less above the top grid plate. The measuring channel shall be operable except during periods of maintenance on the channel. If the measuring channel is inoperable, the level of the pool water shall be verified to be normal by visual observation at least every ten (10) hours. Whenever the duration of inoperability exceeds five (5) consecutive days, the reactor shall not be operated until repairs are completed and normal operation of the water level measuring channel has been verified. If either the alarm actuates or visual observation indicates that water level is not normal, prompt corrective action shall be taken.

Basia Section 8.6 of the SAR discusses the results of loss of pool water from the Irvine TRIGA reactor. Section 8.6.2 shows that fuel cladding rupture is unlikely even following operation at fulllicensed power. Calculations in Section 8.6.3 indicate that ten hours after a leak develops in the pool or five hours after the water level (13 ft) alarm sounds, the radiation levels in the room above the reactor facility would be 0.028 mr/hr with the reactor shutdown. Both instrument and visual monitoring at the intervals specified will provide adequate time for corrective action. Written procedures, appmved in accordance with Specification 6.3, shall define emergency actions to be taken.

3.8 Ijmitations gg Exoeriments Anolicabilitv_

This specification applies to experiments placed in the reactor and its experimental facility.

Objective The objective is to prevent damage to the reactor or excessive release of radioactive materials in the event of an experiment failure.

Specifications The reactor shall not be operated unless the following conditions exist:

a. Fueled experiments are limited such that the total inventory of iodine isotopes 131 i

thmugh 135 in the experimer.t is not greater than 0.3 curies and the Strontium 90 inventory is not greater than 1 micmeurie;

b. The quantity of known explosive materials to be irradiated is less than 25 milligrams and the pressure produced in the exxriment container upon accidental detonation of the explosive has been experimental y determined to be less than the design pressure of the container;and UCI Technical Specifications 12

Experiments containing materi:Is corrosive to re:ctor compontnts, compounds highly c.

reactive with water, potentially explosive materials or liquid fissionable materials are doubly encapsulated.

Haaia It is shown in the SAR p. 8.53, that a release of 0.024 cunes of iodine activity will result in a maximum dose to the thyroid of a person in an unrestricted area of less than 1/20 of the permissible dose. The limit on iodine inventory is set at 10 times this value. The limit for Stmntium 90 is that which corresponds to the iodine yield of 0.3 curies for a given number of fission events and would be no hazard.. Specifications 3.8b and 3.8c reduce the likelihood of damage to reactor components resulting from experiment failure.

4.0 SURVRII I ANCE REOUfREMENTS 4.1 Engl Armlicability This specification applies to the surveillance requirement for the fuel elements.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the dimensions of the fuel elements remain within acceptable limits.

Specifications

a. The standard fuel elements shall be measured for length and bend at intervals separated F

by not more than 500 pulses of magnitude greater than $1.00 of reactivity, but the intervals shall not exceed 36 months. Fuel follower control rods shall be measured for bend at the same timeinterval,

b. A fuel element indicating an elongation greater than 1/10 of an inch over its original length or a lateral bending greater than 1/16 of an inch over its origiral bending shall be considered to be damaged and shall not be used in the core for further operation.

A fuel follower control rod shall be considered to be damaged and shall not be used for further operation if it indicates a lateral bending greater than 1/16 of an inch over the fuel containing portion of the rod.

Fuel elements in the B-and C-ring shall be measured for possible distortion in tie c.

event that there is indication that fuel tempemtures greater than the limiting safety system setting on temperature may have been exceeded.

Bassa The most severe stresses induced in the fuel elements result from pulse operation of the reactor, during which differential expansion between the fuel and the cladding occurs and the pressure of the gases within the elements increases sharply. The above limits on the allowable distortion of a fuel element have been shown to correspond to strains that are considerably lower than the strain expected to cause ruptum of a fuel element and have been successfully ap lied at other TRIGA installations. The surveillance interval is selected based on the past history of more frequent, uneventful, inspections for over 20 years at this facility and experience at other TRIGA facilities with similar power levels, fuel type, and operational modes.

It is also designed to reduce the possibilities of mechanical failures as a result of handling elements, and to minimize potential radiation exposures to personnel.

UCI Technical Specifications 13 l

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l 4.2 Control Rods Anolicahility This specification applies to the surveillance requirements for the contml rods.

Obiective The objective is to assure the integrity of the control rods.

Specifications

a. The reactivity worth of each contml rod shall be determined annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteer months.

b. Control rod drop times shall be determined annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months.

c. The contml rods shall be visually inspected for deterioration at intervals not to exceed thme years.

d. On each day that pulse mode operation of the reactor is planned, a functional performance check of the transient (pulse) rod system shall be pedormed.

Annually, at intervals not to exceed eighteen months, the transient (pulse) rod drive cylinder and the associated air supply system shall be inspected, cleaned, and lubricated as necessary.

BAM The mactivity worth of the control rods is measured to assure that the required shutdown margin is available and to provide a means for determining the reactivity worths of experiments inserted in the core. The visual inspection of the control rods and measurement of their drop times are made to determine whether the control rods are capable of performing properly. The surveillance intervals are selected based on the past history of more frequent, uneventful, inspections for over 20 years at this facility and-experience at other TRIGA facilities with similar power levels, fuel type, and operational modes. They am also designed to reduce the possibilities of mechanical failures as a result of handling control rods, and to minimize radiation exposures to personnel.

4.3 Reactor safety System Anolicability This specification applies to the surveillance requirements for the measuring channels of the reactor safety system.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the safety system will remain operable and will prevent the fuel temperature safety limit from being exceeded.

Snecificatinne.

a. A charmel test of each of the reactor safety s,ystem channels shall be pedormed prior to each day's operation or prior to each operation extending more than one day.

b. A channel check of the fuel element temperatum measuring channel shall be performed daily whenever the reactor is in operation or when pulse operation is planned.

c. A channel check of the power level measuring channels shall be performed daily whenever the reactor is in operation.

UCITechnical Specificatious 14

d. ' A channel calibration by the calorimetric method shall be made of the power level monitoring channels annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months.

A calibration of the tem wrature measuring channels shall be performed annually, but e.

at intervals not to exceec eighteen months. This calibration shall consist of introducing electric potentials in place of the thermocouple input to the channels.

f. A verification of the original calibration of the temperature measuring channels shall be performed annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months. This vedfication shall consist of. comparing the measured temperature in a reference core at a known power level with the temperature measured in the reference core during the initial startup of the reactor.

Basia The daily tests and channel checks will assure that the safety channels are operable. The annual calibrations and verifications will permit any long-term drift of the channels to be corrected. The history of operations at this facility over the last 20 years has shown that annual checks will allow correction for the very small amounts of drift observed.

4.4 Pool Eater 1rvel dhannel Applicabilig This specification applies to the pool water level channel required by Section 3.7 of these specifications.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the channel is operable.

Noecifientions The pool water level measuring channel shall be verified to be operable at intervals not to exceed two months.

Basia This verification will assure that a continued warning system for a loss-of-coolant accident is maintained, j

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12ndintion MonitorinpIauinment Anolicability This specification applies to the radiation monitoring equipment required by Section 3.3 of these specifications.

l Obiective

. The objective is to assure that the radiation monitoring equipment is operating and to verify the appmpriate alarm settings.

Specification The alarm -set points for the radiation monitoring instrumentation shall be verified daily during periods when the reactor is in operation.

Basia Surveillance of' the equipment will assure that sufficient protection against radiation is available.

DCl~ Technical Specifications 13

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4.6 -

Maintenance Anolienhility This specification applies to the surveillance requirements following maintenance of l

control or safety system.

Obiective l

The objective is to assure that a system is operable before being used after maintenance has been performed.

l-Specification I

Following maintenance or modification of a control or safety system or component, it shall l

be verified that the system is operable prior to its return to service.

Basin This specification assures that work on the system or component has been properly carried l

out and that the system or component has been properly reinstalled or reconnected before reliance for safety is placed on it.

5.0 DBSidN FEATURFA 5.1 Reactor Fuel Anolienhility This specification applies to the fuel elements used in the reactor core.

Obiective The objective is to assure that the fuel elements air of such a design and fabricated in such a manner as to permit their use with a high degree of reliability with respect to their mechanicalintegrity.

Specifications

a. Standard Fuel Blement: The standard fuel element shall contain uranium-zirconium hydride, clad in 0.020 inch of 304 stainless steel. It shall contain a maximum of 9.0 weight perrent uranium which has a maximum enrichment of 20 percent. There shall be 1.55 to 1.80 hydrogen atoms to 1.0 zirconium atom.

b. Loading: The elements shall be placed in a closely packed array except for experimental facilities or for single positions occupied by control rods and a neutron start-up source.

Basin These types of fuel elements have a long history of successful use in TRIGA reactors.

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UCITechnical Specifications 16

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5.2 Ranctor Buildino Annlicability This specification applies to the building which houses the reactor facility.

Objective The objective is to assure that provisions are made to restrict the amount of release of radioactivity from the reactor facility.

Snecificatinna l

a. The reactor shall be housed in a closed room designed to restrict leakage when in operation, when the facility is unmanned, or when spent fuel is being handled exterior to a cast.

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b. The minimum free volume of the reactor room shall be 1,000 cubic feet.

c. The building shall be equipped with a ventilation system capable of exhausting air or other gases from the reactor room at a minimum of 70 feet above ground level.

Haali In order that the movement of air can be controlled, the reactor ama contains no windows l

that can be opened. The room air is exhausted through an independent exhaust and discharged at roof level with other exhausts to provide dilution.

5.3 Eus1Sorage.

Apolienhility l

This specification applies to the storage of reactor fuel at times when it is not in the reactor l

core.

1 Obiective The objective is to assure that fuel which is being stored will not become supercritical and will not reach unsafe temperatures.

Specifications

a. All fuel elements shall be stored in a geometrical array where the keff is less than 0.8 for all conditions of moderation.

b. Irradiated fuel elements and fuel devices shall be stored in an array which will permit sufficient natural convection cooling by water or air such that the fuel element or fueled device temperature will not exceed 800*C.

Basia New fuelis stored in their shipping containers. Hot fuel is stored in pits described in the submittal dated June 5,1%9. These pits are designed to hold 19 elements, an amount which cannot form a critical array. Very hot fuelis stored in racks in the main tank where cooling water is provided.

UCI Technical Specifications 17

i 6.0 ADMINISTRATIVECONTROLS

[

6.1 Oronnintion

a. The reactor facility shall be an integral part of the Cher.igrj Ocpana.ca: cf the School of Physical Sciences of the University of Califomia, Irvine. The reactor shall be related to the University structure as shown in Chart I.

b. The reactor facility shall be under the direction of the Reactor Administrator who shall i

be a tenure member of the 11CLChenurj %da.ca: faculty and supervised by athe l Reactor Supervisor who shall be a qualifieOncensed senior operator for the facility.

l l

The Randor SuoervisorHe shall be responsible for assuring that all operations are l conducted in a safe manner and within the limits prescribed by the facility license and the provisions of the Reactor Operations Committee.

c. There shall be a Radiation Safety Officer responsible for the safety of operations from the standpoint of radiation protection. The Radiation Safety OfHeerHe shall report to l the Office of Environmental Health and Safety which is an organization independent of the reactor operations organization as shown in Chart I.

CHARTl School of Physical SciencesPapadr.ca: cf Cachigrj i

Reactor Operations Committee l

Office of Environmental Health and Safety ReactorAdministrator I

I Radiation Safety Officer 4-------->

Reactor Supervisor

_3 Reactor Opemtions 6.2 Review

a. There shall be a Reactor Operations Committee which shall review reactor operations to assure that the facility is operated in a manner consistent with public safety and within the terms of the facility license,

b. The responsibilities of the Committee include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Review and approval of experiments utilizing the reactor facilities:

2. Review and approval of all proposed changes to the facility, procedures, and Technical Specifications;

3. Determination of whether a proposed change, test, or experiment would constitute an unreviewed safety question or a change in the Technical Specifications;

4. Review of the operation and operational records of the facility;

5. Review of abnormal performance of plant equipment and operating anomalies;

6. Review of unusual or abnormal occurrences and incidents which are reportable L

under 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 50; and

7. Approval ofindividuals for the supervision and operation of the reactor.

UCI Technical Specifications 18

c. The Committee shall be composed of at least five members, one of whom shall be a health physicist designated by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety of the University. The Committee shall be pmficient in all areas of reactor operation and reactor safety. The membership of the Committee shall include at least 9attwo mea.bem who innre not associated with the School of Physical Sciences 4.t;;;..; cf aemi*y.

d. The Committee shall have a written statement defining such matters as the authority of the Committee, the subjects within its purview, and other such administrative provisions as are required for effective functioning of the Committee. Minutes of all meetings of the Committee shall be kept.

e. A quorum of the Committee shall consist of not less than a majority of the full Committee and shall include the chairman or his designee.

f. The Committee shall meet at least semi-annually, at intervals not to exceed nine months.

6.3 Ooeratine Procedures Written procedures, reviewed and approved by the Reactor Operations Committee, shall be in effect and followed for the following items. The procedures shall be adequate to assure the safety of the reactor but should not preclude the use of independent judgment and action should the situation require such.

a. Startup, operation, and shutdown of the reactor.

b. Installation or removal of fuel elements, control rods, experiments, and experimental facilities.

c. Actions to be taken to correct specific and foreseen potential malfunctions of systems or i

components, includin responses to alarms, suspected primary coolant system leaks, and abnormal reactivi changes.

d. Emergency conditions involving potential or actual release of radioactivity, including provisions for evacuation, re-entry, recovery, and medical support.

e. Maintenance pmcedures which could have an effect on reactor safety.

f. Periodic surveillance of reactor instrumentation and safety systems, area monitors and continuous air monitors.

Substantive changes to the above procedures shall be made only with the approval of the Reactor Operations Committee. Temporary changes to the procedures that do not change their originalintent may be made by the Reactor Supervisor. All such temporary changes to procedures shall be documented and subsequently reviewed by the Reactor Operations Committee.

6.4 Action to be Taken in the Event a Safety Limit is Exceeded in the event a safety limit is exceeded, or thought to have been exceeded:

a. The reactor shall be shut down and reactor operation shall not be resumed until l

authorized by the MLCAEG.

b. An immediate report of the occurrence shall be made to the Chairman of the Reactor l

Operations Committee, and reports shall be made to the MLCAEG in accordance with Section 6.7 of these specifications.

c. A report shall be made which shall include an analysis of the causes and extent of possible resultant damage, efficacy of corrective action, and recommendations for measures to prevent or reduce the probability of reoccurrence. This report shall be submitted to the Reactor Operations Committee for review, and a suitable similar l

report submitted to the ERCAEG when authorization to resume operation of the reactor is sought.

UCI Technical Specifications 19

6.5 Action to be Taken in the Event of an Abnormal Occurrence

-In the event of an abnormal occurrence, as defined in Section 1.13 of the specifications, the following action shall be taken:

a. The Reactor Supervisor shall be notified and corrective action taken prior to resumption of the operation involved.

b. A report shall be made which shallinclude an analysis of the cause of the occurrence, efficacy of corrective action and recommendations for measures to prevent or reduce the probability of reoccurrence. This report shall be submitted to the Reactor Operations Committee for review.

c. Where appropriate, a report shall be submitted to the NRCAEG in accordance with Section 6.7 of these specifications.

6.6 Plant Ooerating Records

a. In addition to the requirements of applicable regulations, and in no way substituting therefor, records and logs shall be prepared and retained for a period of at least 5 years of the following items, as a minimum:

1. Normal plant operation; i

2. Principal maintenance activities;

3. Abnormaloccurrences;

4. Equipment and component surveillance activities;

5. Gaseous and liquid radioactive effluents released to the environs;

6. Off-site environmental monitoring surveys;

7. Fuelinventories and transfers;

8. Facility radiation and contamination surveys;

9. Radiation exposures for all personnel;

10. Experiments performed with the reactor.

b. Updated, corrected, and as-built drawings of the facility shall be retained for the facility life.

6.7 Reoorting Reauirements in addition to the requirements of aniicable regulations, and in no way substituting therefore, reports shall be made to the 3 RCAEG as follows:

a. An immediate report (by telephone and telegraph to the ERCAEG HendquartersRegion V Cow +haec Office) of:

1. Any accidental off-site release of radioactivity above permissible limits, whether or not the release resulted in property damage, personal injury or exposure; and

2. Any violation of a safety limit.

b.

A report within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> (by telephone or telegraph to the ERCAEG Headquarter:Regica V Camp ace Office)of:

1. Any significant variation of measured values from a corresponding predicted or UCI Technical Specifications 20

previously measured valus of safety-connected operating characteristics occurring during operation of the reactor,

' 2. Incidents or conditions relating to operation of the facility which prevented or could have prevented the perfomiance of engineered safety features as described in these speciucations;and

. 3. Any abnormal occurrences as dermed in Section 1.13 of these specifications.

c. A report within 10 days (in writing to the Document Control Deaknir;; tar, Divi 'on of R;;;;ct Ua..dag. USNECAEG, Washington, D. C. 205190545) of:

1. Any significant variation of measured values fmm a corresponding predicted or previously measured value of safety-connected operating characteristics occurring during operation of the reactor,

2. Incidents of conditions relating to operation of the facility which prevented or could have prevented the performance of engineered safety features as described in these specifications;and

3. Any abnormal occurrences as defined in Section 1.13 of these specifications.

d. A report within 30 days (in writing to the Document Control DenkN :::ct, Dividen of R;;;;;; U;;..d;;, USNRCAEG, Washington, D. C. 205190545) of:

1. Any substantial variance from performance specifications contained in these specifications or in the Safety Analysis Report;

2. Any significant change in the transient or accident analyses as described in the Safety Analysis Report;

3. Any changes in facility organization; and

4. Any observed inadequacies in the implementation of administrative or procedural controls.

e. A report within 60 days after criticality of the reactor (in writing to the Document

]

Control DenkN :::st, Dividen of Rm:ct Umd:g, USHRCAEG, Washington, D.

C. 205190545) upon receipt of a new facility license or an amendment to the license authorizing an increase in reactor power level or the installation of a new core, describing the measured values of the operating conditions or characteristics of the reactor under the new conditions, including:

1. Total control rod reactivity worth:

2. Reactivity worth of the single control rod of highest reactivity worth;

3. Total and individual reactivity worths of any experiments inserted in the reactor; and

4. Minimum shutdown margin both at room and operating temperatures.

f. A mutine report in writing to the Document Control DeskNice ct, Dividen of Re ::ct Umdag. USNRCAEG, Washington, D. C. 2051 9 0545) within 60 days after completion of the first six months of facility operation and at the end of each 12-month period thereafter, providing the following information:

1. A narrative summary of operating experience (including experiments performed) and of changes in facility design, performance characteristics and operating procedures related to reactor safety occurring during the reporting period;

2. A tabulation showing the energy generated by the reactor (in megawatt hours), the amount of pulse operation, the number of hours the reactor was critical;

3. The number of emergency shutdowns and inadvertent scrams, including the reasons therefoir; UCI Technical Specifications 21

-~ _

4. Discussion of the major maintenance operations performed during the period, l

including the effect,if any, on the safe operation of the reactor, and tie reasons for l

any corrective maintenance required;

5. A summary of each change to the facility or procedures, tests, and experiments t

l carried out under the conditions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50; l

l

6. A summary of the nature and amount of radioactive effluents released or discharged to the environs beyond the effective control of the licensee as measured at or prior to the point of such release or discharge; l

7. A description of any environmental surveys performed outside the facility; and

8. A summary of radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors, including the dates and time of significant exposures, and a summary of the results of radiation and contamination surveys performed within the facility.

6.8 Review of Exneriments 1

a. All proposed experiments utilizing the reactor shall be evaluated in writing by the expenmenter and the Reactor Supervisor (and the Radiation Safety Officer when appmpriate) to assure compliance with the provisions of the utilization license, theTechnical Specifications, and 10 CFR 20. If, in the judgment of the Reactor Supervisor, the experiment meets with the above provisions and is not an " untried experiment" hc id! adedde the experiment may be scheduled. Otherwise it will be he-sheH submitigd4 to another member of the Reactor Operations Committee for written evahiation and thence to the Reactor Operations Committee for final appmval as indicated in Section 6.2 above. When pertinent, the evaluation shall include:

1. The reactivity worth of the experiment;

2. The integrity of the experiment, including the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical composition;

3. Any physical or chemical interaction that could occur with the reactor components; and i

4. Any radiation hazard that may result from the activation of materials or from extemal beams.

b. Prior to the performing of an experiment not previously performed in the reactor, it shall be reviewed and approved in writing by the Reactor Operations Committee. Their review shall consider the following information:

1. The purpose of the experiment;

2. A procedure for the performance of the experiment; and

3. The written evaluations made as in Paragraph a. above.

c. A request for radioisotopes or the irradiation of materials shall be handled in the same manner as many other experiment except that a series of irradiations can be approved as one experiment. The expiration date for such approvals shall be one year or the expiration date of the applicant's appropriate radioactive materials license. For each irradiation, the applicant shall submit an " Irradiation Request" to the Reactor Supervisor. Thisd request shall contain information on the target material including l

the amount, chemical form, and packaging. For the purposes of Paragraph a. above, L

routine iiradiations, which do not contam nuclear fuel or known explosive materials and which do not constitute a significant threat to the integrity of the reauor or to the l

safety of individuals, may be classified as "tried experiments".

d. In evaluating experiments, the following assumptions shall be used for the purpose of determining whether failure of the experiment would cause the appropriate limits of UCI Technical Specifications 22 l

t

10 CFR 20 to be exceeded:

1. If the possibility exists that airborne concentrations of radioactive gases or aerosols

)

may be released within the facility,100 pement of the gases or aerosols will escape;

2. If the effluent exhausts through a filter installation designed for greater than 99 percent efficcincy for 0.3 micron particles, at least 10% of gases or aemsols will escape; and -

3. For a material whose boiling point is above 55 C and where vapors formed by j

boiling this material could escape only thmugh a column of water above the core, atleast 10% of these vapors will escape.

)

1

'I j

UCI Technical Specifications 23

.. -...... - ~. -.. - -. ~ ~...

?-I' 1

GV scch l-h 9

t TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,IRVINE TRIGA MARK INUCLEAR REACTOR i

REVISED:

f NOVEMBER 1998 I.

{:-

UCITechnical Specifications

)

TABLE OF CONTENTS '

Eage I1.0. DEFINITIONS 3

2.0 - SAFETY LIMITS AND LIMITING SAFETY SYSTEM SETTINGS

. 2.1 Safety Limit - Fuel Element Temperature '

6

--2.2 Lindting Safety System Setting 6

3.0 LIMITING CONDITIONS FOR OPERATION

~ 3.1 Reactivity 7

- 3.2 Pulse Operation 8-3.3 Reactor Instrumentation 9

3.4 Reactor Safety System 10 -

3.5 Release of Argon 41 -

11 3.6 Ventilation System 11 3.7 Pool Water Level Channel 12

' 3.8 Limitations on Exoeriments 12 4.0 SURVEILLANCE RLQUIREMENTS

~

4.1 Fuel-13 4.2 Control Rods 14 4.3 Reactor Safety Systen-14 4.4 Pool Water Level Channel 15 4.5 Radiation Monitoring Equipment 15 4.6 Maintenance 16

= 5.0 ' DESIGN FEATURES 5.1 Reactor Fuel 16 L

5.2 Reactor Building 17 5.3 Fuel Storage 17

. 6.0 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS 6.1 Organization 18

- 6.2 Review 18 6.3 Operating Procedures 19

- 6.4 Action to be Taken in the Event a Safety Limit is Exceeded 19 6.5 Action to be Taken in the Event of an Abnormal Occurrence 20

- 6.6 Plant Operating Records 20 6.7 Reporting Requirements 20 6.8 Review of Experiments 22 UCITechnical Specifications 2

_---m.____.a

1.0 DEFINITIONS The following frequently used terms are defined to aid in the uniform interpretation of these specifications.

1.1 Reactor Shutdown - The reactor is in a shutdown condition when sufficient control rods are inserted so as to assure that it is subcritical by at least $1.00 of reactivity.

1.2 Reactor Secured - The reactor is secured when all. the following conditions are satisfied:

a. The reactor is shutdown;

b. Power to the control rod magnets and actuating solenoids is off, and the key removed;

c. No work is in progress involving fuel or in-core experiments or maintenance of the core structure, control rods, or control rod drive mechanisms.

1.3 Reactor Ooeration - The reactor is in operation when it is not secured.

1.4 Standard Control Rod - A standard control rod is one having rack and pinion, electric motor drive, and scram capability.

1.5 Iransient Control Rod

a. Adjustable Transient Rod - an adjustable transient rod is one having both pneumatic and electro-mechanical drives and with scram capability,

b. Fast Transient Rod - A fast transient rod is one that is pneumatically opemted and has scram capability.

1.6 Operable - A system or device is operable when it is capable of performing its intended functions in a normal manner.

1.7 Cold Critical - The reactor is in the cold critical condition when it is critical with the fuel and bulk water temperatures the same (=20 C).

1.8 Steady-State Mode - The reactor is in the steady-state mode when the teactor mode selection switch is in the steady-state or automatic position. In this mode, reactor power is held constant or is changed on periods greater than three seconds.

1.9 Pulse Mode - The reactor is in the pulse mode when the reactor mode selection switch is in the pulse position. In this mode, reactor power is increased on periods less than one second by motion of the transient control rod (s).

1.10 Experiment - An experiment is:

a. Any apparatus, device or material placed in the reactor core region, in an experimental facility, or in-line with a beam of radiation emanating from the reactor;

b. Any operation designed to measure reactor characteristics.

1.11 Untried Experiment - An untried experiment is any experiment not previously performed in this reactor.

1.12 Exnerimental Facilities - Experimental facilities are the pneumatic transfer systems, central thimble, rotary specimen rack, and the in-core facilities (including single element positions, three-element positions, and the seven element position).

UCI Technical Specifications 3

l

m. _ _ _ _ _..... _. - -__ _ _..._.._

l.'13 Abnormal Occurrence - An abnomial occurrence is any of the following:

l

a. Any actual safety system setting less conservative than specified in the Limiting Safety

System Settings section of the Technical Specifications;

b. Operation in violation of a limiting condition for operation;

c. An engineered safety system component failure which could render the system incapable of l-perfomiing its intended function; o

d. Release of fission products from a fuel element;

e. An uncontrolled or unanticipated change in reactivity;

f. An observed inadequa,cy in the implementation of either tidministrative or procedural controls, such that the madequacy could have caused the existence or development of an unsafe condition in connection with the operation of the reactor.

I 1.14 Standard Thermocounle Fuel Element - A standard thermocouple fuel element is a standard fuel element containing three sheathed thermocouples imbedded near the axial and radial center of the fuel element.

1.15 Measured Value -The measured value of a process variable is the value of the variable as it appears on the output of a channel.

1.16 Measuring Channel - A measuring channel is the combination of sensor, lines, amplifiers and output device which are connected for the purpose of measuring the value of a process variable.

1 1.17 Reactor Safety System - The reactor safety system is that combination of channels and associated circuitry which forms the automatic protective system for the reactor or provides information which requires manual protective action to be initiated.

1.18 Operating - Operating means a component or system is performing its intended function in its normal manner.

1.19 Channel Check - A channel check is 'a qualitative verification of acceptable performance by observation of channel behavior. This verification shall include comparison of the channel with other independent channels or methods measuring the same variable.

1.20 Channel Test - A channel test is the introduction of a signal into the channel to verify that it is operable.

1.21 Channel Calibration - A channel calibration is an adjustment of the channel such that its output responds, with acceptable range and accuracy, to known values of the parameter wluch the channel measures.

l.22 Reference Core - A reference core is a core with a configuration similar to the core configuration existing at the initial start-up of the reactor.

1.23 Eing - A ring is one of the six concentric bands of fuel elements surrounding the central opening of the core. The rings are designated by the letters B through G, with the letter B used to designate the innermost band.

i 1.24 Three Element Positions - Two generally triangular-shaped sections cut out of the upper grid l

' plate, one encompassing ring holes D5, E6 and E7 and the other D14, E18 and E19. When fuel elements are placed in these locations a special fixture provides lateral support. With the fixtune and fuel removed, an experiment up to 2.4 in in diameter may be inserted.

UCI Technical Specifications 4

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'l.25 Seven Elem(nt Position - A hexagonal section which can be removed from the upper grid f

plate for insertion of specimens up to 4.4 in. in diameter after relocation of the six B-ring elements and removal of the central thimble.

i.'

i L

1.26 Closed Packed &tay - A closed packed array is a fuel loading pattem in which the fuel elements are arranged in the core by filling the inner rings first.

L 1.27 Surveillance Activities - Activities required at pre-defined intervals to assure performance of

(

reactor and safety related components. During prolonged periods when the reactor remains shutdown, Technical Specification Surveillance Requirements 4.1 (fuel element dimensions),4,2 (control rod integrity), and 4.3 (fuel temperature safety limit) may be deferred. However, they must be completed prior to reactor start-up except for 4.2 (a), 4.3

~ (d), and 4.3 (f) which require reactor operation in order to be accomplished.

i i

UCITechnical Specifications '

5 1

' 2.0 S AFETY LIMITS AND LIMITING SAFETY SYSTEM SETTINGS 2.1 Safety Limit - Fuel Element Temoerature Applicability This specification applies to the fuel element temperatum.

Obiective The objective is to define the maximum fuel element temperature that can be permitted with confidence that no fuel element cladding damage will result.

Specification The temperature in a stainless steel clad, high hydride fuel element shall not exceed 1000*C under any conditions of operation.

Bases The safety limitations of the TRIGA fuel are described in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) for the UC Irvine TRIGA, Section 8. The important process variable for a TRIGA reactor is the fuel element temperature. This parameter is well suited as a single specification since it can be measured. A loss in the integrity of the fuel element cladding could arise from an excessive build-up of pressure between the fuel moderator and the cladding. The pressure is caused by.the presence of fission product gases and the dissociation of the hydrogen and zirconium in the fuel moderator. The magnitude of this pressure is determined by the fuel moderator temperature.

The safety limit for the stainless steel clad, high hydride (ZrH ) fuel element is based on u

data (SAR pages 8.38 through 8.40 and University of Illinois SAR pages III-56 through III-59) which indicate that the stress in the cladding (due to the hydrogen pressure from the dissociation of the zirconium hydride) will remain below the yield stress provided the temperature of the fuel does not exceed 1000 C.

2,2 Limiting Safety System Settings Applicability This specification applies to the trip setting for the fuel element temperature channel.

Obiective The objective is to prevent the safety limit from being exceeded.

Specification For a core composed entirely of stainless steel clad, high hydride fuel elements, limiting safety system settings apply according to the location of the standard thermocouple fuel element which shall be located in the B-or C-ring as indicated in the following table:

Location Linuting Safety System Setting B-ring 800 C C-ring 755 C BAscs Stainless steel clad, high hydride fuel element: The limiting safety system settings that am indicated represent values of the temperature, which if exceeded, shall cause the reactor safety system to initiate a reactor scram. Since the fuel element temperature is measured by a fuel element designed for this purpose, the limiting settings am given for different UCI Technical Specifications 6

._ _._._ _ _ _ _-~. __ _ _

i locations in the fuel array. Under these conditions,it is assumed that the core is loaded so that the' maximum fuel temperature is produced in the B-ring. If the fuel element temperature is measured in the C-ring, the respective temperatum is the limiting safety system setting.

l 3.0 LIMITING CONDITIONS EOR OPERATION l

'3.1 Reactivily Applicability These specifications apply to the reactivity condition of the reactor, and the reactivity worths of control rods and experiments, and apply for all modes of reactor operation, t

Objective The objective is to assure that the reactor can be shut down at all times and to assure that

- the fuel temperature safety limit will not be exceeded.

Snecifications The reactor shall not be operated unless the following conditions exist:

a. The shutdown margin referred to the cold, xenon-free condition, with the highest worth rod fully withdrawn, is greater than $0.50;

b. The total reactivity worth of the two transient control rods is less than $3.00;

c. Any experiment with a reactivity worth greater than $1.00 is securely fastened so as to prevent unplanned removal from or insenion into the reactor;

d. The excess reactivity is less than $3.00;

e. The reactivity worth of an individual experiment is not more than $3.00;

f. The total reactivity worth of all experiments is limited so that the shutdown margin L

referred to the cold xenon-free concition with all rods in is at least $0.50;

g. The total of the absolute values of the reactivity worth of all experiments in the reactor is less than S3.00;

h. The drop time of a standard control rod from the fully withdrawn position to 90 percent of full reactivity insertion is less than one second; and

i. The neutron power levelindication on the startup channelis greater than 1 x 10 % of full power..

Bases

- The shutdown margin required by specification 3.1a is necessary so that the reactor can be shut down from any operating condition and remain shutdown after cooldown and xenon

' decay even if one control rod (including a transient control rod) should stick in the fully withdrawn position.

l Specification 3.lb is based on Section 8.5 of the SAR. The power level at which a pulse could be initiated in an accident may be a3 hi;;h as 100 C At 100 kw, the pak temperature l_

of the fuel will be 115 C. The calculations indicate that a $3.00 pulse wil.. result in a peak L

temperature of only 502 C, well below the safety limit.

UCITechnical Specifications 7

.. ~ -. - - -

t l

Specification 3.lc is based on the same calculations. By restricting each experiment to

$1,00, -an additional margin is provided to allow for considerable uncertainty in t

L experiment worth.

Specification 3.lc through 3.lg are intended to provide additional margins between those values of reactivity changes encountered durmg the course of operations involving experiments and those values of reactivity which, if exceeded, might cause a safety limit to be exceeded.

Specification 3.1 h is intended to assure prompt shutdown of the reactor in the event a

. scram signal is received.

. Specification 3.1iis intended to assure that sufficient neutrons are available in the core to J

provide a signal at the output of the stanup channel during approaches to criticality.

3.2 Pulse Ooeration Applicability l

These specifications apply to operation of the reactor in the pulse mode.

Obiective L

The objective is to prevent the fuel temperature safety limit from being exceeded during L

pulse mode operation.

Soecifications l

The reactor shall not be operated in the pulse mode unless, in addition to the requirements of Section 3.1, the followmg conditions exist:

a.The transient rods are set such that their reactivity worth upon withdrawal is less than -

l

$3.00; and

b. The steady-state power level of the reactor is not greater than 1 kilowatt.

I Bases Specification 3.2a is based on Figure 7-4 of the SAR which shows that the temperature rise expected for a pulse insertion of $3.00 is less than 500*C.

c Specification 3.2b is intended to prevent inadvertent pulsing from a high steady-state power level such that the final peak temperature might approach the safety limit, t

9 UCI Technical Specifications 8

i I

L-

r '

3.3 Reactor Instrumentation Applicability This specification applies to the information which must be available to the reactor operator during reactor operation.

Obiective The objective is to require that sufficient information is available to the operator to assure safe operation of the reactor.

' Soecification The reactor shall not be operated unless the measuring channels described in the following table are operable and the information is displayed in the control room:

Minimum Operating Mode Measuring Channel Number in which Operable Required Fuel Element Temperatun:

1 All Modes Reactor Power Level 2

Steady-State Reactor Power Level (high range) 1 Pulse Mode Startup Power Level 1

During Reactor Startup l

Area Radiation Monitors 2

All Modes ll' Continuous Air Radiation Monitor 1

All Modes Bases The fuel temperature displayed at the control console gives continuous information on the process variable which has a specified safety limit.

The neutron detectors assure that measurements of the n: actor power level are adequately covered at both low and high power ranges.

The radiation monitors provide information to operating personnel of any impending or existing danger from radiation so that there will be sufficient time to evacuate the facility and take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of radioactivity to the surroundings.

UCI Technical Specifications 9

g h

3.4 Reactor Safety System Applicability-This specification applies to the reactor safety system channels.

Obiective l

The objective is to require the minimum number of reactor safety system channels that must be operable in order to assure that the fuel temperature safety limit is not exceeded.

Specification The reactor shall not be operated unless the safety system channels described in the i

following table are operable.

l Measuring Minimum Operating Mode in Channel Number Function which Required l

Operable Fuel Element 1

Scram AllModes Temperature Reactor Power 1

Scram Steady-State Mode i

level Reactor Power 1

Prevent transient rods firing when Pulse Mode Level poweris >l kilowatt Manual Button 1

Scram All Modes Seismic Switch 1

Scram AllModes Startup Power 1

Prevent control rod withdrawal Reactor Startup level when power levelindication is less l

than 1 x 10 Standard Control 1

Prevent application of air to fast Steady-State Mode Rod Position transient rod when all other rods are i-not fully inserted Adjustable 1

Prevent application of air to Steady-State Mode Transient adjustable transient rod unless Cylinder Position cylinderis fully down Bases 1

The interlocks which prevent the firing of the transient rods in the steady-state mode or if l

_the power level is greater than 1 kilowatt prevent inadvertent pulses. The interlock to i

prevent startup of the reactor with less than 1 x 10 % power indicated on the startup channel assure that sufficient neutrons are available to assure proper operation of the startup channel.

I The fuel temperature scram provides the protection to assure that if a condition results in L

which the limiting safety system setting is exceeded, an immediate shutdown will occur to keep the fuel temperature below the safety limit. The power level scram is provided as added protection against abnormally high fuel temperatun: and to assure that reactor operation stays within the licensed hmits. The manual scram allows the operator to shut down the system if an unsafe or abnormal condition occurs. The seismic switch will shut down the reactor if major earth movement (M.M. VI or above) occurs in case the operator i

is prevented from operating the manual scram at the time.

I f

_ UCI Technical Specifications 10

.-l

i l

l 3.5 Release of Argon 41 Applicability This specification applies to the release of radioactive argon 41 from the facility exhaust system.

Objective l

The objective is to assure that exposures to the public resulting from the release of argon i

41 generated by reactor operation, will not exceed the limits of 10 CFR Pan 20 for unrestricted areas.

Specification Releases of argon 41 from the reactor room exhaust shall not be made in concentrations

-8 greater than 4 x 10 c/ml averaged over a year.

Basis It is shown in Section 8.4.4 of the SAR, pages 8-18 through 8-23 that the release of argon 41 will be diluted by a factor of at least 40 in reaching a potential expsure site even in the poorest dispersion conditions. At a concentration level of 1 x 10~ pCi/ml, for constant inunersion, the maximum conceivableannual exposure will be 5 mrem to an individual and is well within acceptable limits.

3.6 Ventilation System Applicability This specification applies to the operation of the reactor facility ventilation system.

Rhiecirs.

The objective is to assure that the ventilation system is in operation to mitigate the consequences of the possible release of radioactive materials resulting from reactor operation.

Snecification The reactor shall not be operated unless the facility and building ventilation system is in operation and the emergency exhaust shutdown _ system has been verified to be operable within the preceding 30 days. An exception may be made for periods of time not to exceed two days to permit repairs to the system. During such periods of repair:

a. The reactor shall not be operated in the pulse mode; and

b. The reactor shall not be operated with experiments in place whose failure could result in the release of radioactive gases or aerosols.

Basis It is shown in Section 8.7.5 of the SAR that operation of the emergency exhaust shutdown system reduces off-site doses to below 10 CFR Part 20 limits in the event of a TRIGA fuel element failure, and in 8.4.4 and 8.4.5 that operation of the normal system adequately dilutes the argon 41 released even under t'nusual ex?erimental operations. The specifications governing operation of the reactor while tie ventilation system is undergoing repair preclude the likelihood of fuel element failure during such times. It is shown in Section 8.6 that, if the reactor were to be operating at full steady-state power, fuel element failure will not occur even if all the reactor tank water were to be lost immediately.

UCI Technical Specifications 11

3.7 Pool Water Level Applicability This specification applies to the pool water level.

Objective The objectives are to assure that an adequate level of water is maintained above the core and that prompt corrective action will be initiated in the unlikely event that pool-water leaks from the tank.

Specification The pool water level shall normally be maintained approximately 19 feet above the reactor top grid plate. A pool water level measuring channel shall sound an alarm at the UCI Police Dispatch Desk if the water level in the reactor tank drops to 13 feet or less above the top grid plate. The measuring channel shall be operable except during periods of maintenance on the channel. If the measuring channel is inoperable, the level of the pool water shall be verified to be normal by visual observation at least every ten (10) hours.

Whenever the duration of inoperability exceeds five (5) consecutive days, the reactor shall not be operated until repairs are completed and normal operation of the water level measuring channel has been verified. If either the alarm actuates or visual observation indicates that water level is not normal, prompt corrective action shall be taken.

Basis Section 8.6 of the SAR discusses the results ofloss of pool water from the Irvine TRIGA reactor. Section 8.6.2 shows that fuel cladding rupture is unlikely even following operation at full licensed power. Calculations in Section 8.6.3 indicate that ten hours after a leak develops in the pool or five hours after the water level (13 ft) alarm sounds, the radiation levels in the room above the reactor facility would be 0.028 mr/hr with the reactor shutdown. Both instrument and visual monitoring at the intervals specified will provide adequate time for corrective action. Written procedures, approved in accordance with Specification 6.3, shall define emergency actions to be taken.

3.8 Limitations an Exoeriments Applicability This specification applies to experiments placed in the reactor and its experimental facility.

Obiective The objective is to prevent damage to the reactor or excessive release of radioactive materials in the event of an experiment failure.

Specifications The reactor shall not be operated unless the following conditions exist:

Fueled experiments are limited such that the total inventory of iodine isotopes 131 a.

through 135 in the experiment is not greater than 0.3 curies and the Strontium 90 inventory is not greater than 1 microcurie;

b. The quantity of known explosive materials to be irradiated is less than 25 milligrams and the pressure produced in the experiment container upon accidental detonation of the explosive has been experimentally determined to be less than the design pressure of the container; and i

I

c. Experiments containing materials corrosive to reactor components, compounds highly UCI Technical Specifications 12

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l reactive with water, potentially explosive materials or liquid fissionable materials am doubly encapsulated BANh It is shown in the SAR p. 8.53, that a release of 0.024 curies of iodine activity will result l

in a maximum dose to the thyroid of a person in an unrestricted area of less than 1/20 of -

the permissible dose. The limit on iodine inventory is set at 10 times this value. The limit l

for Strontium 90 is that which corresponds to the iodine yield of 0.3 curies for a given -

L number of fission events and would be no hazard. S cifications 3.8b and 3.8c reduce the likelihood of damage to reactor components resulti from experiment failure.

4.0 SURVEIILANCE REOUIREMENTS 4.1 End Aeolicability l

r This specification applies to the surveillance requirement for the fuel elements.

Obiective -

The objective is to assure that the dimensions of the fuel elements remain within acceptable limits.

Soecifications

a. The standard fuel elements shall be measured for length and bend at intervals se )arated by not more than 500 pulses of magnitude greater than $1.00 of mactivity, )ut the intervals shall not exceed 36 months. Fuel follower control rods shall be measured for

. bend at the same time interval,

b. A fuel element indicating an elongation greater than 1/10 of an inch over its original i

length or a lateral bending greater than 1/16 of an inch over its original bending shall-be considered to be damaged and shall not be used in the core for further operation.

A fuel follower control rod shall be' considered to be damaged and shall not be used for fmther operation if it indicates a lateral bending greater than 1/16 of an inch over the fuel containing portion of the rod,

c. Fuel elements in the B-and C-ring shall be measured for possible distortion in the event that them is indication that fuel temperatures greater than the limiting safety system setting on temperature may have been exceeded.

1 Bases The most severe stresses induced in the fuel elements result from pulse operation of the h

reactor, during which differential expansion between the fuel and the cladding occurs and the pressure of the gases within the elements increases sharply. The above limits on the allowable distortion of a fuel element have been shown to correspond to strains that am considerably lower than the strain expected to cause rupture of a fuel element and have been successfully applied at other TRIGA installations. The surveillance interval is selected based on the past history of more frequent, uneventful, inspections for over 20 l

years at this facility and experience at other TRIGA facilities with sunilar power levels, fuel type, and operational modes, it is also designed to reduce the possibilities of mechanical failures as a result of handling elements, and to minimize potential radiation exposures to personnel.

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- UCI Technical Specifications-13 L

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4.2 Control Rods Aoplicability This specification applies to the surveillance requirements for the control rods.

Objective The objective is to assure the integrity of the control rods.

Specifications

a. The reactivity worth of each control rod shall be detemlined annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months.

b. Control rod drop times shall be determined annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months.

c. The control rods shall be visually inspected for deterioration at intervals not to exceed three years.

d. On each day that pulse mode operation of the reactor is planned, a functional performance check of the transient (pulse) rod system shall be performed.

Annually, at intervals not to exceed eighteen months, the transient (pulse) rod drive cylinder and the associated air supply system shall be inspected, cleaned, and lubricated as necessary.

Bases The reactivity worth of the control rods is measured to assure that the required shutdown margin is available and to provide a means for determining the reactivity worths of experiments inserted in the core. The visual inspection of the control rods and measurement of their drop times are made to determine whether the control rods am capable of performing properly. The surveilkmce intervals are selected based on the past history of mom frequent, uneventful,. inspections for over 20 years at this facility and experience at other TRIGA facilities with similar power levels, fuel type, and operational modes. They am also designed to reduce the possibilities of mechanical failures as a result of handling control rods, and to minimize radiation exposures to personnel.

4.3 Reactor Safety System Anplicability This specification applies to the surveillance requirements for the measuring channels of the reactor safety system.

Objective The objective is to assure that the safety system will remain operable and will prevent the fuel temperature safety limit from being exc eded.

Snecifications A channel test of each of the reactor safety system channels shall be performed prior to a.

each day's operation or prior to each operation extending more than one day,

b. A channel check of the fuel element temperature measuring channel shall be performed daily whenever the reactor is in operation or when pulse operation is planned.

c. A channel check of the power level measuring channels shall be performed daily whenever the reactor is in operation.

UCI Technical Specifications 14

d. A channel calibration by the calorimetric method shall be made of the power level monitoring channels annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months.

i i

e. A calibration of the tem?crature measuring channels shall be performed annually, but at intervals not to exceet eighteen months. This calibration shall consist of introducmg electric potentials in place of the thermocouple input to the channels.

l

f. A verification of the original calibration of the temperature measuring channels shall be j

performed annually, but at intervals not to exceed eighteen months. This verification j

shall consist of, comparing the measured temperature in a reference core at a known power level with the temperature measured in the reference core during the initial t

l startup of the reactor.

l Hasis The daily tests and channel checks will assure that the safety channels are operable. The annual calibrations and verifications will permit any long-term drift of the channels to be corrected. The history of operations at this facility over the last 20 years has shown that annual checks will allow correction for the very small amounts of drift observed.

- 4.4 Pool Water Level Channel Applicability This specification applies to the pool water level channel required by Section 3.7 of these specifications.

Objective The objective is to assure that the channel is operable.

Specifications The pool water level measuring channel shall be verified to be operable at intervals not to -

exceed two months.

Basis This verification will assure that a continued warning system for a loss-of-coolant accident is maintained, 4.5 Radiation Monitoring Equipment

' Applicability This specification applies to the radiation monitoring equipment required by Section 3.3 of these specifications.

Objective The objective is to assure that the radiation monitoring equipment is operating and to verify the appropriate alarm settings.

Soecification The alarm -set points for the radiation monitoring instmmentation shall be verified daily during periods when the reactor is in operation.

Basis Surveillance of the equipment will assure that sufficient protection against radiation is available.

UCI Technical Specifications 15

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' 4.6 '

Maintenance

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Applicability This specification applies to the -surveillance. requirements following maintenance of control or safety system.-

~Obiective The objective is to assure that a system is operable before being used after maintenance has been performed.

Specification

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Following maintemmce or modification of a control or safety system c4 component. it shall 1

be verified that the system is operable prior to its return to service.

Basi This specification assures that work on the system or component has been properly carried out and that the system or component has been properly reinstalled or reconnected before reliance for safety is placed on it.

-5.0 ' DESIGN FEATURES :

- 5.1 Reactor Fuel Applicability This specification applies to the fuel elements used in the reactor core.

Obiective.

The objective h to assure that the fuel elements are of such a design and fabricated in such j

a manner as to permit their use with a high degree Lof n: liability with respect to their mechanicalintegrity.

Soecifications i

a. Standard Fuel Element: The nandard fuel element shall contain uranium-zltconium hydride, clad in 0.020 inch of 304 stainless steel. It shall contain a maximum of 9.0 weight percent uranium which has a maximum enrichment of 20 percent. There shall be 1.55 to 1.80 hydrogen atoms to 1.0 zirconium atom.

b. Loading: The elements shall be placed in a closely packed array except for experimental facilities or for single positions occupied by control rods and a neutron start-up source.

j Basis

' These types of fuel elements have a long history of successful use in TRIGA reactors.

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. UCITechnical Specifications 16 g

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5.2 Reactor Building Applicability This specification applies to the building which houses the reactor facility.

Ob,iectiyr The objective is to assure that provisions are made to restrict the amount of release of radioactivity from the reactor facility.

Snecifications

a. The reactor shall be housed in a closed room designed to restrict leakage when in operation, when the facility is unmanned, or when spent fuel is being handled exterior to a cast.

b. The minimum free volume of the reactor room shall be 1,000 cubic feet.

c. The building shall be equipped with a ventilation system capable of exhausting air or other gases from the reactor room at a minimum of 70 feet above ground level.

Ihsis In order that the movement of air can be controlled, the mactor ama contains no windows that can be opened. The room air is exhausted through an independent exhaust and discharged at roof level with other exhausts to provide dilution.

5.3 End Storage Applicability This specification applies to the storage of reactor fuel at times when it is not in the reactor core.

Objective The objective is to assure that fuel which is being stored will not become supercritical and will not reach unsafe temperatures.

Snecifications

a. All fuel elements shall be stored in a geometrical array where the keffis less than 0.8 for all conditions of moderation.

b. Irradiated fuel elements and fuel devices shall be stored in an array which will permit sufficient natural convection cooling by water or air such that the fuel element or fueled device temperatare will not exceed 800 C.

8051S New fuel is stored in their shipping containers. Hot fuel is stored in pits described in the submittal dated June 5,1969. These pits are designed to hold 19 elements, an amount which cannot form a critical array. Very hot fuelis stored in racks in the main tank where cooling wateris provided.

UCI Technical Specifications 17

1 6.0 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS 6.1 Organization

a. The reactor facihty shall be an integral part of the School of Physical Sciences of the University of C..!!fornia,Irvine. The reactor shall be related to the University stmeture as shown in Chart I.

b. The reactor facility shall be under the direction of the Reactor Administrator who shall be a tenure member of the UCIfaculty and supervised by a Reactor Supervisor who chall be a qualified licensed senior operator for the facility. The Reactor Supervisor shall be responsible for assuring that all operations are conducted in a safe manner and within the limits prescribed by the facility license and the provisions of the Reactor Operations Committee.

There shall be a Radiation Safety Of6cer responsible for the safety of operations from c.

the standpoin' of radiation protection. The Radiation Safety OfReer shall report to the Office of Env ronmental Health and Safety which is an organization independent of the reactor operations organization as shown in Chart 1.

CHART 1 School of Physical Sciences Reactor Operations Committee I

Office of Environmental Health and Safety Reactor Administrator I

I Radiation Safety OfHcer 4-------->

Reactor Supervisor 0

Reactor Operations 6.2 Review

a. There shall be a Reactor Operations Committee which shall review reactor operations to assure that the facility is operated in a manner consistent with public safety and within the terms of the facility license.

b. The responsibilities of the Committee include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Review and approval of experiments utilizing the reactor facilities;

2. Review and approval of all proposed changes to the facility, procedures, and Technical SpeciDeations:

3. Determination of whether a proposed change, test, or experiment would constitute an unreviewed safety question or a change in the Technical Specifications;

4. Review of the operation and operational records of the facility;

5. Review of abnormal performance of plant equipment and operating anomalies;

6. Review of unusual or abnormal occurrences and incidents which are reportable under 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 50; and

7. Approval ofindividuals for the supervision and operation of the reactor.

UCITechnical Specifications 18 l

l

c. The Committee shall be composed of at least five members, one of whom shall be a health physicist designated by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety of the University. The Conunittee shall be proficient in all arear of reactor operation and reactor safety. The membership of the Committee shall include at least one member who is not associated with the School of Physical Sciences..

d. The Committee shall have a written statement derming such maters as the authority of the Committee, the subjects within its purview, and othe r such administrative provisions as are required for effective functioning of the Co.nmittee. Minutes of all meetings of the Conunittee shall be kept.

A quorum of the Committee shall consist of not less than a majority of the full c.

Committee and shall include the chairman or his designee.

f. The Committee shall meet at least semi-annually, at intervals not to exceed cine months.

6.3 Operating l'rocedures Written procedures. reviewed and approved by the Reactor Operations Committee, shall be in effect and followed for the following items. The ?rocedures shall be adequate to assure the safety of the reactor but should not preclude tie use of independent judgment and action should the situation require such.

a. Startup, operation, and shutdown of the reactor,

b. Installation or removal of fuel elements, control rods, experiments, and experimental facilities.

c. Actions to be taken to correct specific and foreseen potential malfunctions of systems or components, including responses to alarms, suspected primary coolant system leaks, and abnormal reactivity changes.

d. Emergency conditions involving potential or actual release of radioactivity, including provisions for evacuation, re-entry, recovery, and medical support.

c. Maintenance procedures which could have an effect on reactor safety,

f. Periodic surveillance of reactor instmmentation and safety systems, area monitors and continuous air monitors.

Substantive changes to the above procedures shall be made only with the approval of the Reactor Operations Committee. Temporary changes to the procedures that do not change their originalintent may be made by the Reactor Supervisor. All such temporary changes to procedures shall be documented and subsequently reviewed by the Reactor Operations Committee.

6.4 Action to be Taken in the Event a Safety Limit is Exceeded in the event a safety limit is exceeded, or thought to have been exceeded:

a. The reactor shall be shut down and reactor operation shall not be resumed until authorized by the NRC.

b. An immediate repon of the occurreme hall be made to the Chairman :,f tne Aactor Operations Committee, and reports shall te mad: :a de NRC in accordance with Section 6.7 of these specifications.

c. A report shall be made which shall include an analysis of the causes and extent cf possible resultant damage, efficacy of corrective action, and recommendations for measures to prevent or reduce the probability of reoccurrence. This report shall be submitted to the Reactor Operations Committee for review, and a suitable similar report submitted to the NRC when authorization to resume operation of the reactor is sought.

UCITechnical Specifications 19 l

6.5 Action to be Taken in the Event of an Abnormal Occunence In the event of an abnormal occurrence, as defined in Section 1.13 of the specifications, the following action shall be taken:

a. The Reactor Supervisor shall be notified and corrective action taken prior to resumption of the operation involved,

b. A report shall be made which shallinclude an analysis of the cause of the occurrence, efficacy of corrective action and recommendations for measures to prevent or reduce the probability of reoccurrence. This report shall be submitted to the Reactor Operations Committee for review.

c. Where appropriate, a repon shall be submitted to the NRC in accordance with Section 6.7 of these specifications.

6.6 Plant Ooerating Records

a. In addition to the requirements of applicable regulations, and in no way substituting therefor, records and logs shall be prepared and retained for a period of at least 5 years of the following items, as a minimum:

1. Normal plant operation;

2. Principal maintenance activities;

3. Abnormaloccurrences;

4. Equipment and component surveillance activities;

5. Gaseous and liquid radioactive effluents released to the environs;

6. Off-site environmental monitoring surveys;

7. Fuel inventories and transfers;

8. Facility radiation and contamination surveys;

9. Radiation exposures for all personnel;

10. Experiments performed with the reactor.

b. Updated, corrected, and as-built drawings of the facility shall be retained for the facility life.

l 6.7 Reporting Requirements l

'In addition to the requirements of applicable regulations, and in no way substituting l

therefore, reports shall be made to the NRC as follows:

j

a. An immediate report (by telephone and telegraph to the NRC Headquarters Office) of:

1. Any accidental off-site release of radioactivity above permissible limits, whether or not the release resulted in property damage, personal injury or exposure; and

2. Any violation of a safety limit,

b. A report within 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> (by telephone or telegraph to the NRC Headquarters Office) of:

1. Any significant variation of measured values from a corresponding predicted or previously measured salue of safety-connected operating charac' eristics occurring UCI Technical Specifications 20

1 l

l during operation of the reactor;

2. Incidents or conditions relating to operation of the facility which prevented or could have prevented the performance of engineered safety features as described in these specifications; and

3. Any abnormal occurrences as defined in Section 1.13 of these specifications.

c.

A report within 10 days (in writing to the Document Control Desk, USNRC, Washington, D. C. 20555) of:

1. Any significant variation of measured values from a corresponding predicted or previously measured value of safety-connected operating characteristics occurring during operation of the reactor;

2. Incidents of conditions relating to operation of the facility which prevented or could have prevented the performance of engineered safety features as described in these specifications; and

3. Any abnonnal occurrences as defined in Section 1.13 of these specifications.

d. A report within 30 days (in writing to the Document Control Desk, USNRC, Washington, D. C. 20555) of:

1. Any substantial variance from performance specifications contained in these specifications or in the Safety Analysis Report;

2. Any significant change in the transient or accident analyses as described in the Safety Analysis Report;

3. Any changes in facility organization; and

4. Any observed inadequacies in the implementation of administrative or procedural controls.

c. A report within 60 days after criticality of the reactor (in writing to the Document Control Desk, USNRC, Washington, D. C. 20555) upon receipt of a new facility license or an amendment to the license authorizing an increase in reactor power level or the installation of a new core, describing the measured values of the operating conditions or characteristics of the reactor under the new conditions, including:

1. Total control rod reactivity worth:

2. Reactivity worth of the single control rod of highest reactivity worth:

3. Total and individual reactivity worths of any experiments inserted in the reactor; and

4. Minimum shutdown margin both at room and operating temperatures.

f. A routine report in writing to the Document Control Desk, USNRC, Washington, D.

C. 20555) within 60 days after completion of the first six months of facility operation and at the end of each 12-month period thereafter, providing the following infonnation:

1. A narrative summary of operating experience (including experiments performed) and of changes in facility design, performance characteristics and operating procedures related to reactor safety occurring during the reporting period;

2. A tabulation showing the energy generated by the reactor (in megawatt hours), the amount of pulse operation, the number of hours the reactor was critical:

3. The number of emergency shutdowns and inadvertent scrams, including the reasons therefore; I

4. Discussion of the major maintenance operations performed during the period, UCITechnical Specifications 21

including the effect,if any, on the safe operation of the reactor, and the reasons for l

any corrective maintenance required;

5. A summary of each change to the facility or procedures, tests, and experiments l'

carried out under the condhions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50; l

6. A summary of the nature and amount of radioactive effluents released or discharged to the environs beyond the effective control of the licensee as measured at or prior to the point of such release or discharge;

7. A description of any environmental surveys performed outside the facility; and

8. A summary of radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors, including the dates and time of significant exposures, and a summary of the results of radiation and contamination surveys performed within the facility.

6.8 Rgyiew of Exneriments

a. All proposed experiments utilizing the reactor shall be evaluated in writing by the experimenter and the Reactor Supervisor (and the Radiation Safety Officer when appropriate) to assure compliance with the provisions of the utilization license, theTechnical Specifications, and 10 CFR 20. If in the judgment of the Reactor Supervisor, the experiment meets with the above provisions and is not an " untried i

experiment" the experiment may be schedt. led. Otherwise it will be submitted to another member of the Reactor Operations Committee for written evaluation and thence to the Reactor Operations Committee for final approval as indicated in Section 6.2 above. When pertinent, the evaluation shall include:

1. The reactivity worth of the experiment;

2. The integrity of the experiment, including the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical composition;

3. Any physical or chemical interaction that could occur with the reactor components; and

4. Any radiation hazard that may result from the activation of materials or from external beams.

b. Prior to the performing of an experiment not previously performed in the reactor, it shall be reviewed and approved in writing by the Reactor Operations Committee. Their review shall consider the following information:

1. The purpose of the experiment;

2. A procedure for the performance of the experiment; and

3. The written evaluations made as in Paragraph a. above.

c. A request for radioisotopes or the irradiation of materials shall be handled in the same manner as many other experiment except that a series of irradiations can be approved as one experiment. The expiration date for such approvals shall be one year or the expiration date of the applicant's appropriate radioactive materials license. For each irradiation, the applicant shall submit an " Irradiation Request" to the Reactor Supervisor. Thisd request shall contain information on the target material including the amount, chemical form, and packaging. For the purposes of Paragraph a. above, routine irradiations, which do not contain nuclear fuel or known explosive materials i

and which do not constitute a significant threat to the integrity of the reactor or to the safety ofindividuals, may be classified as "tried experiments".

d. In evaluating experiments, the following assumptions shall be used for the purpose of determining whether failure of the experiment would cause the appropriate limits of 10 CFR 20 to be exceeded:

UCI Technical Specifications 22

~.

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l-l. ' If the possibility exists that airborne concentrations of radioactive gases or aerosols may be released within the facility,100 percent of the gases or aerosols will L

escape; l-

2. If the effluent exhausts through a filter installation designed for greater.than 99 L

percent efficeincy for 0.3 micron particles, at least 10% of gases or~ aerosols will l

escape; and.

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3. For a material whose boiling point is above 55 C and where vapors formed by p

boiling this material could escape only through a column of water above the core, at least 10% of these vapors will escape.

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I UCITechnical Specifications 23 i