ML20207R869
| ML20207R869 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Berkeley Research Reactor |
| Issue date: | 12/31/1986 |
| From: | Lim T, Pigford T CALIFORNIA, UNIV. OF, BERKELEY, CA |
| To: | Thomas C Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8703180232 | |
| Download: ML20207R869 (13) | |
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NUCLEAR ENGINEERING REACTOR LABORATORY TRIGA MARK III FACILITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA BERKELEY RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORI 0F OPERATIONS January 1,1986 through December 31, 19 86 (BRR Technical Specifications 6.7.2.)
Tek 11. Lim Reactor Supervisor G703100232 861231 _.
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1 BERKELEY RESEARDI REACTOR OPERATIONS.1986 Reactor Use The Berkeley Research Reactor (BRR) is a TRIGA Mark III facility capable of producing 1 N steady state and of pulsing to 1300 W peak power. The Berkeley Research Reactor is a research and educational tool of the University of California. It is located on the Berkeley Campus and operated by the Department of Nuclear Engineering.
Besides being used by the Department of Nuclear Engineering, the reactor is also used by other departments and campuses within the University, the Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore laboratories, and is available to other universities and colleges in the area.
In addition, the Berkeley Research Reactor is used as an irradiation source for service to industry contracts and provides a stimulant to touring and interested high school and college students.
Experiments Performed Table 1 lists the experiments which were performed at the Berkeley Research Reactor during the year 1986. A total of 31 different experiments were performed. Six new experiments were approved between January 1 and December 31, 1986. The last colunn in Table 1 illustrates the number of times each experiment was performed.
2 Table 1. Experiments Performed at the Berkeley Research Reactor in 1986 Experiment Title Facility Dept./
Class Experimenter in Charge No. of
- Obj ective Company Runs.
13 A Staff operation of reactor, calibrations, Any, all Lim NE 108 demonstrations, etc.
196 A A short term activation analysis study on Central Thinble Asaro, Michel DOE 48 archaeological artifacts 210 C Neutron Radiography facility development Beamport S-2 Lim NE 22 221 A Determination of nickel impurity in Fe203 Central Thimble Prussin, Cann NE 6 by activation analysis 273 A Origin of pottery Central Thimble Asaro, Michel 3
. DOE 2 75 B Electronic components test Exposure Room Lim LNSC 45 280 A Production of 60mCo and 60Co F1 Rabbit Prussin NE/memistry 2 281 A Production of 198Au F1 Rabbit Prussin, Lim NE/menistry l' 282 A Production of 32 p Lazy Susan and Prussin, Lim NE/memistry 1 Central Thimble 283 A Irradiation of household aluminum foil Lazy Susan Prussin, Cann NE 6 284 A Reactor power calibration and Xenon buildup Pool Lim, Ruby NE 2 303 A Magnitude and shape of Central Thimble flux Central Thimble Lim NE 5 304 A Reactor checkout, approach to critical and Pool Ruby, Lim NE 4 pulsing 305 A Reactivity worth of control rods All Lim NE 2 306 B Graphite prism and thermal coluut experiment Thermal Coltaan Ruby, Lim NE 4
3 Table 1. Experiments Performed at the Berkeley Research Reactor in 1986 Exp:riment Title Facility Dept./ No.'of Experimenter in Charge
- Class Objective Company Runs 315 A Activation analysis of geological Lazy Susan Lim NE/Sonoma State 1 materials 351 B Neutron Tracks Studies in LEXAN Hohlraum Lim, Wollenberg DOE 2 352 A Deuterium-tritium micro balloons Central Thinble Lim, Lane DOE 5 irradiation 35 3 A Doping of Germanium Central Thimble Lim, Hansen DOE 1 365 A Production of SteCu in solution for Hohlraum-LS Lim, Derenzo DOE 2 positron camera testing 367 A Irradiation of Tungsten foil Lazy Susan Lim NE 1 369 A Activation analysis of geological Central Thirble Denton, Lim NE/ Plant 7 materials Pathology 370 A Production of 2Na Central Thimble Lim Chevron 1 371 A Production of activity tracers ,169Er, 170 Tm, 169,175Yb Central Thinble Lim, Seaborg NE/ DOE 7 372 B Radiation Effect on electronic Exposure Room Lim TIM 119 components Hughes Motorola Ford 373 B Radiation effect on electronic Exposure Room Lim NE 6 Componefats 374 A Production of 56 Mn and 198 Au sources- Lazy Susan Lim. Norman NE/ DOE 7 376 B Dateemination of Evaporated 1102 Lazy Susan Lim, Olander NE 28 377 A Production of Bromophenanthrens Lazy Susan Lim thevron 2 a
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- , _M Table 1. 2eeriets Performed at the Berkeley-Researkh Reactor in 1986 s, - ,-
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Exp3riment Titleg # 4 " ,;- ~ 3~ T Facility" #
Experimenter.in Charge . Dept./ No. of -
.# Class Objective -
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3 a 3 79 A Ne r;on irradiation of terrestrial rocks Lazy Susan Lim, Erwin NF/ Physics . l' /h
,m_ -p81N [ ,qRadiation of amorphous silicon Exposure Room Lim, Kaplan NE ,, 1 y-Ch:mistry: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.
. Chevron: Chevron Research Company .
DOE: Department of Energy (Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories).
LMSC: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
NE: Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley.
TRW: TRW, Inc.
Hughes: Hughes Aircraf t, Inc.
Motorola: Motorola, Inc.
Ford: Ford Aerospace & Communications, Inc.
Soncma State: Department of Physics, Sonoma State University Physics: Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley Pltnt Pathology: Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Berkeley
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5 Reactor Maintenance Routine maintenance, minor repair and modification, testing and inspection as required by the Tech Specs were performed during 1986.
No major maintenance was conducted.
10CFR 50.59 Changes I l J There were no changes in 1986 that required review under paragraph 10 CFR 50.59.
Routine Tests and Calibrations Thermal power calibrations were performed in August, and the constant Air Monitor was calibrated in Decernber 1986.
The Reactor Pool Water Radiation Monitor was calibrated in April, and the Stack Gas Argon-41 Monitor w'sa calibrated in October 1986.
Operating Schedule The Berkeley Research Reactor normally opera' es on a single 8-hour shift, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. , Monday through Friday. One day every two weeks is set aside for routine checks and maintenance. Extended reactor runs and overtime operation are allowed if required by the experimental program.
Fuel Addition and Fuel Inventory The annual fuel inventory was performed in June. There were no fuel additions in 1986.
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'6 Energy Production and Fuel Burn-Up The Berkeley Research Reactor produced 93,000 kW-hours or 3.875 W-days of energy during 1986. As there were 190 operating days in 1986, this corresponds to an average daily energy production of 490 kW-hours per operating day. In 1986 the Berkeley Research Reactor was critical approxi-mately 159 hours0.00184 days <br />0.0442 hours <br />2.628968e-4 weeks <br />6.04995e-5 months <br /> and was operated at full power (1 W) for approximately 72 hours8.333333e-4 days <br />0.02 hours <br />1.190476e-4 weeks <br />2.7396e-5 months <br />.
The total burn-up was 4.2 grams elemental and 4.9 grams of the isotope U-235.
The total cumulative energy production since initial criticality is approximately 282 W-days.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspection There was no NRC inspection in 1986.
Emergency Shutdowns and Inadvertent Scrams Date Scram Circuit Reasons 6-2-86 Period Scram Operator Error 7-2 8-86 Linear Power Scram Operator Error 8-14-86 Period Scram Operator Error 9-2-86 Linear Power Scram Operator Error i
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. 7 Operator's Training ,
In August 1986, one reactor operator passed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reactor Operator's Examination.
Requalification Training Program In accordance with regulations, a successful requalification written examination was given to licensed operators and senior operators in July and December 1986.
Exercise A routine emergency and security evacuation exercise involving the Reactor staff, and the Campus Police Department was conducted in January and July 1986.
Radioactive Effluent Released or Shipped Liquid Waste:
No liquid radioactive waste generated by the reactor facility was Pi cked up by Campus Environmental Health and Safety Personnel in 1986.
No liquid radioactive waste was discharged to the sewer, storm drain or other location in the environment from this facility in 1985.
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Gaseous Waste:
All gaseous radioactive waste discharged was _ calculated as Ar-41, since studies in the past have shown no other =ignificant radionuclides occur from normal operations.
i The total released was 4.39 Ci as Ar-41, which was 0.16% of the maximum
, annual allowable release of 2,785 C1. Maximum concentration at one particular period at stack discharge was 1.85 x 10-6 pCi/ml. This concentration is 59%
of the allowable maximem concentration for this facility of 3.12 x 106 pCi/ml.
No average concentration was calculated due to intermittent periods when the reactor was not operating.
Filter paper air samples showed that no particulate radioactivity above natut:01y occurring levels could be detected in- the exhaust stream.
, on May 9,1986 fission fragments from the Reactor Accident at Chernobyl, the Ukraine, USSR on April 26 were detected on a filter paper sampler on the roof of Etcheverry Hall. The sampler, normally changed and counted weekly, was being changed and the filter counted daily in anticipation of detecting the radioactive debris from Chernobyl. Subsequently, other filter paper particulate samplers inside the reactor lab also showed debris from Chernobyl.
Filters in the main reactor exhaust stream down-stream from the filtration systems exhibited no radioactive debris.
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- Solid (Dry) Waste:
Twelve cubic feet of dry radioactive waste was released for disposal with _an estimated 1 millicurie of activity.
Personnel Radiation Exposure Recorded radiation exposure for the year to personnel included:
- a. Facility personnel (routine users of dosimeters):
- -4== total whole body exposure to an individual - 70 mrem
- maximum total extremity exposure to an individual -
1140 mrem
- minimum total whole body exposure to an individual - O mrem
- minimum total extremity exposure to an individual -
O mrem Note: At year end, 35 individuals were assigned whole body dosi eters, and i
six were assigned extremity dosimeters. Four individuals showed an exposure.
Exposures were both whole body and extremity.
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- b. Visitors (non-routine dosimeter users);
Approximately eight hundred and seventy-five entries were made by visitors.
Less than 5% had any reading. None was significant. The highest was 6 arem.
No average exposure was calculated,
- c. There were no exposures in excess of 10 CFR 20 limits.
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. 10 Radiation and Contamination Levels
- a. Routine monthly meter surveys generated 294 individual. radiation readings.
- marhunn reading observed - 100 mrem /hr (gamma)
- minimum reading observed -
O mrem /hr-Average of readings was not meaningful due to abnormal influence of a few high dose rate areas out of 26 locations -routinely surveyed.
- b. ' Routine area quarterly film dosimeters at 22 locations generated 88 readings; routine monthly dosimeters at 5 locations generated 60 readings.
Maximum readings observed:
- monthly location - 930 mrem (870 neutron and 60 gamma). This was at the neutron source storage pit.
- quarterly location - 600 mrem (gamma)
. Minimum readings observed - (0)
Maximum annual accumulated:
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- - monthly location - 1095 mrem (980 neutron and 115 gamma). This was at the neutron source storage pit. -
- quarterly location - 1980 mrem (all gamma)
, Average dose is meaningless due to excessive influence of a few positions.
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- c. Routine quarterly area TLD dosimeter readings totalled 50 at 13 locations.
l Two dosimeters were not recovered due to apparent theft.
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- maximum total dose at any location for the year - 86 mrem i
- minimum total dose at any location for the year -
O mrem i
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Note that the period reported for quarterly film and TLD is 2/1/85 through 1/31/86.
- d. Routine weekly swipe program generated. 2080 swipes of which 52 showed contamination above normally expected level.
- maximum swipe activities recorded was 2.7 x 10~4 pCi/100 cm2 from normally contaminated surfaces. This was due to tritium not associated with reactor operations.
- minimum activities for both categories was zero.
Averages were not determined due to excessive influence of a few swipes.
Environmental Surveys Environmental TLD measurements at 9 locations outside the facility generated 34 radiation readings. Two dosimeters were not recovered due to apparent theft.
- maximum total recorded exposure at any outside location for the year was 86 mrem.
- minimum total recorded exposure at any location for the year was O mrem.
Averages were not determined because the majority of locations had very l low or no exposure, and only a few locations had significant readings.
Note that the period reported was 2/1/85 through 1/31/86.
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Average dose is meaningless due to excessive influence of a few positicus. -
Note that the period reported for quarterly film and TLD is 2/1/85 through 1/31/86.
- d. Routine weekly swipe program generated 2080 swipes of which 52 showed contamination above normally expected level.
- maximum swipe activities recorded was 2.7 x 10~4 pCi/100 cm2 from normally contaminated surfaces. This was due to tritium not associated with reactor operations.
- minimum activities for both categories was zero.
Averages were not determined due to excessive influence of a few swipes.
Environmental Surveys Environmental TLD measurements at 9 locations outside the facility generated 34 radiation readings. Two dosimeters were not recovered due
-to apparent thef t.
- maximum total recorded exposure at any outside location for the year was 86 mrem.
- minimum total recorded exposure at any location for the year was O mrem.
Averages were not determined because the majority of locations had very low or no exposure, and only a few locations had significant readings.
Note that the period reported was 2/1/85 through 1/31/86.
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~ UNIVE'RSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY BERKELEY
- DAVIS
- IRVINE
- 148 ANCELES
- RIVER $IDE
- SAN DIECO
- SAN FRANCIS V SANTA BARBARA
- SANTA CRUZ COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING BERKI . LEY, CALIFORNIA 94720 DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING Docket No. 50-224 License No. R-101 Mr. Cecil O. Thomas, Chief Standardization and Special Projects Branch Division of Licensing U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555
Dear Mr. Thomas:
For your information, enclosed is a copy of the Berkeley Research Reactor's Annual Report for the year 1986.
The report is prepared for the ' Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as required by our Technical Specifications.
Sincerely, m]
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Cf :h[y+9 Thomas H. Pigford Reactor Administrator THP/jmh Enclosure g\