ML20206N509

Forwards RAI Re & Suppl ,requesting Amend for Amended FOL R-37 for Mit Research Reactor. Response Requested within 30 Days of Date of Ltr

ML20206N509
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	05/13/1999
From:	Alexander Adams NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned)
To:	Bernard J MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE
References
NUDOCS 9905170249
Download: ML20206N509 (6)

Text

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May 13, 1999 Dr'. J::hn A. BernIrd, Dirsct::r Nuclear Reactor Laboratory ,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 138 Albany Street ~

Cambridge, MA 02139-4296

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (TAC NO. M99844)

Dear Dr. Bernard:

We are continuing our review of your amendment request for Amended Facility Operating License No. R-37 for the Massachusetts institute of Technology Research Reactor which you submitted on October 3,1997, as supplemented on January 14,1999 During our review of your amendment request, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additionalinformation within 30 days of the date of this letter. In accordance with 10 CFR 50.30(b), your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. Following receipt of the additional information, we will continue our evaluation of your amendment request.

If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at (301) 415-1127.

Sincerely,

. ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Alexander Adams, Jr., Senior Project Manager Events Assessment, Generic Communications and Non-Power Reactors Branch

- Division of Regulatory improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50 20 .

Enclosure:

- As stated .

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%,***** May 13, 1999 Dr. John A. Bernard, Director Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology 138 Albany Street Cambridge, MA 02139-4296

SUBJECT:

REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (TAC NO. M99844)

Dear Dr. Bernard:

We are continuing our review of your amendment request for Amended Facility Operating License No. R-37 for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor which you submitted on October 3,1997, as supplemented on January 14,1999. During our review of your amendment request, questions have arisen for which we require additional information and clarification. Please provide responses to the enclosed request for additionalinformation within 30 days of the date of this letter. In accordance with 10 CFR 50.30(b), your response must be executed in a signed original under oath or affirmation. Following receipt of the additionalinformation, we will continue our evaluation of your amendment request.

If you have any questions regarding this review, please contact me at (301) 415-1127.

Sincerely, M -

1 Alexander Adams, Jr., Seni P ject Manager l Events Assessment, Generic ommunications and Non-Power Reactors Branch Division of Regulatory improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-20 1

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Enclosure:

As stated I cc w/ enclosure:

See next page l

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.c Massachusetts Institute of Docket No. 50-20

-Technology cc: 1 City Manager  !

City Hall l Cambridge, MA 02139 1

1 Assistant Secretary for Policy l Executive Office of Energy Resources i 100 Cambridge Street, Room 1500 Boston, MA 02202  ;

Department of Environmental j

Quality Engineering 1 100 Cambridge Street l Boston, MA 02108 )

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7, io ENCLOSURE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH REACTOR DOCKET NO. 50-20

1. Please review your answer to our question 28 of July 20,1998, and amend i Section E, if necessary, to be cornparable with the information in Sections A, B, C, and D.

2. In your answer to our question 36 of July 20,1998, you stated that there are no fission converter operations that require the presence of a senior reactor operator. i Does your taswer also apply to events such as fuel movement and initial testing and operation?

3. In your answer to our question 37 of July 20,1998, you stated that a jumper (or 7

equivalent) will be used to bypass the flow scram and CCS automatic closure for lower power (natural convection) operation. it is not clear why you would bypass the CCS automatic closure. Please explain.

4. Safety Analysis Report (SAR) section 4.1.1, Conversion Control Shutter (CCS).

Please discuss the cooling mechanisms of the CCS and the equilibrium temperature I it will reach when fully inserted with the MITR-il at fun power (in this case 10 MW).

Does having the CCS at this temperature have any impact on safety?

5. SAR section 4.1.2.2, Mechanical Shutter. Please discuss the operation of the mechanical shutter including manual operation.

6. SAR section 6.2, insertion of Excess Reactivity. Please discuss the impact of dropping a twelfth fuel element into the converter tank with 11 elements in the converter. If administrative controls will be in place to preclude this event from occurring, the impact of this event does not need to be discussed. However, please l discuss these administrative controls. l

7. SAR section 6.2, insertion of Excess Reactivity. Please confirm that the discussion of the impact of a step addition of reactivity into the MITR-il on the converter considers the maximum reactivity addition accident discussed in the MITR-il SAR. If this is not the case, please address.

8. SAR section 6.5, Loss of One of Two Primary Pumps. Please provide clarification of the lest paragraph on page 6-12 concerning the loss of one of the two primary pumps.

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n 9, SAR section 6.9, Experiment Malfunction. Section 6.9 states that the fission

. converter is not designed to accommodate experiments within the fission converter tank and therefore experiment malfunction is not considered a credible accident.

However, other sections of the SAR (e.g., Section 5.5) and your answer to our question 53 of July 20,1998, refer to the conduct of experiments in the converter core. Please address.

10. Technical Specification (TS) 6.6.1.2. Your limiting safety system setting (LSSS) for coolant height (H) for forced convection cooling is given as 2.1m above the top of the fuel elements. Please discuss the relationship between this LSSS and the converter safety limits given in figure 6.6.1.1-1. The LSSS for H for natural convection cooling of 2.4 m has the same value as the safety limit for H. Please )

explain. Appendix G to the answers of our questions of July 20,1998, discusses l the derivation of LSSSs for primary coolant flow for forced convection operation and I power for natural convection. Please provide similar information for each LSSS for both operational modes. '

11. TS Table 6.6.2.5-1. The second footnote on this table is confusing. Please explain, i

12. TS 3.10 basis. The basis of this TS does not refer to TS 3.e. Is this a typographical error? If so, please correct under separate amendment request. i

13. TS Section 6.5. Please provide justification for all proposed changes in this TS section except those changes directly due to having two treatment rooms and neutron beams. Change bars should only be used to indicate lines where changes have occurred.

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