ML20206K703

Revised Us Geological Survey Triga Reactor Annual Rept,Jan- Dec 1998

ML20206K703
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Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1998
From:	INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
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ML20206K697	List: ML20206K694 ML20206K703
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NUDOCS 9905130251
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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TRIGA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT

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JANUARY 1,1998 - DECEMBER 31,1998 i

NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 - DOCKET NO. 50-274 j

l.

Personnel Changes : None i

11.

Operating Experience The Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) was in normal operation for the year 1998. No major facility changes were made during the year.

A synopsis of irradiations performed during the year is given below, listed by the organization submitting the samples to the reactor staff; Oraanization Number of Samples Geologic Division -INAA 4995 Geologic Division - Geochronology 739 Geologic Division - U/Th DN 785 Non-USGS affiliated 173 i

Total 6,692 A. Thermal power calibrations were performed in February, March, and August, with minor adjustments required.

B. One new Class I experiment (neutron activation experiment) was approved during this period.

C. During the report period,141 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

D. Tours were provided to individuals and groups during the year for a total visitor count of approximately 267.

E. Ten fuel movements were performed during the year for the purposes of maintenance, increasing ~ core reactivity, and performing experiments. One fuel movement was for the purpose of adding 12 wt% fuel elements to the core, as allowed by facility license amendment number 8.

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9905130251 990505 PDR ADOCK 05000274-R PDR 1

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Tabulation'of Energy' Generated -

Megawatt

' Time Reactorr L Number of--

Month Hours was Critical-Pulses January 49.715 53 hours6.134259e-4 days <br />0.0147 hours <br />8.763227e-5 weeks <br />2.01665e-5 months <br /> 9 minutes -

_0 -

February 58.619 66 hours7.638889e-4 days <br />0.0183 hours <br />1.09127e-4 weeks <br />2.5113e-5 months <br /> 50 minutes O

March 51.936-73 hours' 46 minutes.

0-April 70.248-74 hours. 7 minutes 0-May 56.000.

56 hours6.481481e-4 days <br />0.0156 hours <br />9.259259e-5 weeks <br />2.1308e-5 months <br /> 36 minutes.

0-

. June 58.167 58 hours6.712963e-4 days <br />0.0161 hours <br />9.589947e-5 weeks <br />2.2069e-5 months <br /> 51 minutes 0,

July 86.282 95 hours0.0011 days <br />0.0264 hours <br />1.570767e-4 weeks <br />3.61475e-5 months <br /> 9 minutes -

0~

August 58.930 59 hours6.828704e-4 days <br />0.0164 hours <br />9.755291e-5 weeks <br />2.24495e-5 months <br /> 45 minutes 0,

September 68.013 69 hours7.986111e-4 days <br />0.0192 hours <br />1.140873e-4 weeks <br />2.62545e-5 months <br /> 12 minutes 0

October 68.000 68 hours7.87037e-4 days <br />0.0189 hours <br />1.124339e-4 weeks <br />2.5874e-5 months <br /> 43 minutes 0

November 49.113 51 hours5.902778e-4 days <br />0.0142 hours <br />8.43254e-5 weeks <br />1.94055e-5 months <br /> 2 minutes 0

December 54.833 56 hours6.481481e-4 days <br />0.0156 hours <br />9.259259e-5 weeks <br />2.1308e-5 months <br /> O minutes 0

Totals 729.856 MWh 783 hours0.00906 days <br />0.218 hours <br />0.00129 weeks <br />2.979315e-4 months <br /> 10 minutes 0

IV.

Unscheduled Shutdowns Number Data Cause 800 1/14 CSC Watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

801 1/21 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

802 1/21 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

803 1/28 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

804 1/30 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.'

805 2/5-CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

806 2/18 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

807. 2/25 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

808 2/25 Scram due to AC power transient.

809 2/26 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

810 3/4 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

811 3/4 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

.812 3/13 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

813 3/23 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

814 3/24 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

815 4/2 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

816 4/15 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

817-4/23 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

818 4/29

- CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

819-4/30 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

.820 4/30

! CSC watchdog' scram due to computer lockup..

822 5/8

' CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

~

821-- l 5/8 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

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823 '. 5/14 '

CSC ~ watchdog scram'due to computer lockup.

824 5/21-CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

825 5/21 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

826 5/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

827-5/27 CSC watchdog scram'due to computer lockup.

828 ' 5/27 -

CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

829 5/27 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

830 5/27

.CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

831 5/27 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

832 5/27 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.-

833 5/28 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

834 6/4 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

835 6/4 NPP1000 power channel noise.

836 6/10 NPP1000 power channel noise.

837 6/10 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

838 7/1 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

839 7/2 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

840 7/8 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

841 7/14 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

842 7/15 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

843 7/17 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

844 7/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

845 7/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

846 7/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

847 7/23 CSC watchdog scra.m due to computer lockup.

848 7/30 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

849 7/30 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

850 7/31 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

851 8/5 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

852 8/6 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

853 8/19 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

854 8/27 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

855 9/2 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

856 9/3 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

l 857 9/10 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

858 9/10 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

859 9/17 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

860. 9/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

861 9/22 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

862 9/23 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

863

-10/1 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

864 10/7 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

-865 10/8_~

CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

_866.10/15 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

867 10/21-CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

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868.

10/28 CSC watchdog scram due to' computer lockup.

869 10/28-CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

870 11/10-CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

871 11/23 NPP1000 high power scram.

872-11/25 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

873 12/3 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

874 12/9 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

875 12/10' CSC watchdog scram due to computer _ lockup.

876 12/16 CSC watchdog scram due to computer lockup.

V.

Major Maintenance Operations The primary coolant ion exchange resin was replaced once during the year, in June.

VI.

Summary of 10 CFR 50.59 changes There were no 50.59 changes at the facility during this report period.

Vll.

Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below is the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluent released to the -

environment beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

Table 1. Gaseous Effluents Released to the Environment Month Argon 41 License Tritium (HTO) 10CFR20 (Ci)

Allowable Ci (mCl)

• Allowable mci January 0.166 5.833 0.090 124 February 0.268 5.833 0.159 124 March 0.155 5.833 0.086 124 April 0.185 5.833 0.209 124 May 0.277 5.833 0.100 124 June 0.203 5.833 0.095 124 July 0.362 5.833 0.205 124 August 0.290 5.833 0.135 124 September 0.466 5.833 0.088 124 October 0.590 5.833 0.195 124 November 0.391 5.633 0.084 124 December 0.346 5.833 0.159 124-Total 3.699 70.00 1.605 1488

% of Allowable 5.28%

0.11 %

-

• Note:

The tritium concentrations are estimates based on the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor multiplied by the concentration of tritium as HTO.. Tritium sample analyses are being performed by Barringer Labs.

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B. One 55-gallon drum of low-level radioactive solid waste was shipped for burial in Washington State during the year.

Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the j

demineralizer resin - used resin with small quantities of rinse water was de-watered by evaporation and placed in a 55-gallon drum.

Vill. Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major :

elements below during the operating year.

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1. Fifteen gamma-sensitive area monitors are located throughout the Nuclear Science Building. A remote readout panel is located in the reactor health physics office. High alarm set points range from 2 mr/hr to 50 mr/hr. High level alarms are very infrequent and due to activated sample movements.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) sampling the air in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of about 1 x 104 Ci/mi present for two minutes will J

result in an increase of 400 cpm above background. There are two alarms setpoints. A low-level alarm is set at 3000 cpm and the high level alarm is set at 10,000 cpm. Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The

.l fixed particulate air filter is changed each week and counted on a HPGE gamma spectrometer counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is also changed and counted weekly. In all instances, sample data were less than airbome concentration value (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 2) for all particulate radioisotopes produced by the reactor, i

3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments were performed at least once a month. All portable instruments were calibrated with a 3-Curie (initial activity) Cs-137 source traceable to NBS, and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G4020 low level counting system. One contaminated area was noted during routine wipe surveys with a beta activity of 59 pCi/100 cm. Soap and water were used to remove this 2

contamination. All other areas were less than 30 pCi/100 cm beta and 15 I

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pCi/100 cm alpha. The roof area over the reactor tank is roped off and posted as a radiation area (averaging 2.5 mr/hr) during 1 MW operations.

4. Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutrun film badges were assigned to all permanent occupants of the Nuclear Science Building. LiF TLD dosimeters were used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors were issued self-reading dosimeters. Reactor staff personnel were issued albedo neutron badges.

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l Table 2. Personnel Monitoring ' esults (1/1/98-- 12/31/98)

R Deep Dose Shallow Dose Equivalent Equivalent Name Whole Body (Rem)

Whole Body (Rem)

Extremity (Rem)

DeBey,T 0.000 0.000 0.030 Helfer, P 0.040 0.040 0.060-Liles, D 0.110 0.110 0.340 Perryman, R 0.070 0.070 l0.130 Reactor Visitors and Occasional Experimenters No individual reading was greater than three (3) mrem.

Table 3. Environmental Dose Results Location Dose Dose Dose Dose Total Jan-Mar Apr-June July-Sept.

Oct.- Dec.

(REM)

(REM)

(REM)

(REM)

(REM)

Exhaust 0.0762 0.0457 0.0553 0.0756 0.2528 Stack Cooling 0.0410 0.0075 0.0380 0.0313 0.1178 Tower Fence West Vehicle 0.0400 0.0109 0.0239 0.0230 0.0978 Gate West Room 0.0571 0.0168 0.0257 0.0454 0.145 151 Gate Southwest 0.0385 0.0057 0.0030 0.0124 0.0596 Light Pole Southeast 0.0219 0.0034 0.0057 0.0219 0.0529 Light Pole Control-0.0227 0.0219 0.0270 0.0288 0.1004

Background

Note: Above totals have the background subtracted (see control).

LX. Environmental Monitorina There have been no uncontrolled radioactivity releases from the reactor during this report period. Thus, the data on file from past years to the present are considered to be background information.

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