ML20210E426

USGS Triga Reactor Annual Rept for 1986

ML20210E426
Person / Time
Site:	U.S. Geological Survey
Issue date:	12/31/1986
From:	Rusling D INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION IV)
References
NUDOCS 8702100303
Download: ML20210E426 (8)

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United States Department of the Interior

, GEOI.OGICAI, SURVEY llOX 25016 M.S 424 DENVER FEDERAL. CENTER DENVER, COI.ORADO 80225 n uirn =>ii n n -

U.S. GE0 LOGICAL SURVEY TR:GA REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 1,1986 - DECEMER 31, 1986 NRC LICENSE NO. R-113 - DOCKET NO. 50-274 I. Administrative Changes Effective October 1,1986, the administration of the reactor facility was transferred from the Chief Geologist to the Branch of Geochemistry, Geologic Division. The new organization chart for the GSTR is shown in Figure 1

II. Operating Experience The prime function of the Geological Survey TRIGA Reactor (GSTR) for the year 1986 continued to be the provision of neutrons for the various research programs being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Irradiations were also performed for other government agencies and educational institutions.

A listing of irradiations performed during the year 1986 is given below:

Organization Samples 1986 Geologic Division (Denver) 14,511 Geologic Division (Reston) 2,761 Geologic Division (Menlo Park) 253 University of Georgia 28 Rensselear Polytechnic Institute 17 Brigham Young University 7

(. Oregon State University 84 I University of Southern California 1 l Colorado School of Mines 3 l Michigan Technological University 2 l

University of Wyoming 18 University of Colorado 2 Total 17,687 l

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The operation of the reactor has been normal . The primary activities are listed below:

A. Thermal power calibrations at 50 KW were performed in May, July, September, and October.

B. No Class II experiments were performed during 1986 C. During the report period,187 daily checklists and 12 monthly checklists were completed in compliance with technical specifications requirements for surveillance of the reactor facility.

D. Tours of the reactor facility were provided to groups during the year. Some of the major groups visiting the facility were affiliated with:

Colorado School of Mines Highland High School Bennett High School Solar Energy Research Institute Colorado State University Colorado College Green Mountain High School Lakewood High School Approximately 200 visitors were admitted to the facility during the year.

A television news segment on the reactor was filmed by CBS affiliate KMGH in May.

III. Tabulation of Energy Generated Megawatt Time Reactor Nudier of Month Hours Was Critical Pul ses January 1986 99.319 108 hours0.00125 days <br />0.03 hours <br />1.785714e-4 weeks <br />4.1094e-5 months <br /> 09 minutes 0 February 1986 96.887 104 hours0.0012 days <br />0.0289 hours <br />1.719577e-4 weeks <br />3.9572e-5 months <br /> 28 minutes 0 March 1986 76.013 85 hours9.837963e-4 days <br />0.0236 hours <br />1.405423e-4 weeks <br />3.23425e-5 months <br /> 03 minutes 0 April 1986 87.871 92 hours0.00106 days <br />0.0256 hours <br />1.521164e-4 weeks <br />3.5006e-5 months <br /> 55 minutes 0 May 1986 114.578 129 hours0.00149 days <br />0.0358 hours <br />2.132936e-4 weeks <br />4.90845e-5 months <br /> 55 minutes 0 June 1986 122.600 127 hours0.00147 days <br />0.0353 hours <br />2.099868e-4 weeks <br />4.83235e-5 months <br /> 29 minutes 0 July 1986 108.501 115 hours0.00133 days <br />0.0319 hours <br />1.901455e-4 weeks <br />4.37575e-5 months <br /> 53 minutes 0 August 1986 92.632 102 hours0.00118 days <br />0.0283 hours <br />1.686508e-4 weeks <br />3.8811e-5 months <br /> 25 minutes 0 September 1986 65.814 73 hours8.449074e-4 days <br />0.0203 hours <br />1.207011e-4 weeks <br />2.77765e-5 months <br /> 26 minutes 0 October 1986 106.592 112 hours0.0013 days <br />0.0311 hours <br />1.851852e-4 weeks <br />4.2616e-5 months <br /> 54 minutes 0 November 1986 61.274 67 hours7.75463e-4 days <br />0.0186 hours <br />1.107804e-4 weeks <br />2.54935e-5 months <br /> 45 minutes 0 December 1986 77.036 82 hours9.490741e-4 days <br />0.0228 hours <br />1.35582e-4 weeks <br />3.1201e-5 months <br /> 05 minutes O_

1109.117 1202 hours0.0139 days <br />0.334 hours <br />0.00199 weeks <br />4.57361e-4 months <br /> 27 minutes 0

IV. Unscheduled Shutdowns

1. Manual Scram " Sample failed to leave reactor" signal from pneumatic system.

Sample returned. Missed " window" Serial #358

2. Manual Scram - Area monitor #1 set off while unloading central thimble Serial #359

3. Manual Scram - CTD stopped running Serial #360 4 Linear Scram - Resetting bulk water alarm for monthly checklist Serial #361

5. Manual Scram - Th standard set off area monitor

1. 2 during pneumatic system operation. New standard obtained Serial #362 6 Period Scram - AC power dip Serial #363

7. Manual Scram - Low level alarm on CAM Serial #364 8 Manual Scram - Building evacuation alarm setoff by i fire dept. during test of sprinkler system Serial #365

9. Manual Scram - Lost CTD program Serial - #366 10 Loss of magnet current - Safety rod drive ON light burned out Serial #367

11. Manual Scram - Test sample unaccounted for in pneumatic system. Sample Serial #368 recovered i

12. AC power dip Serial #369

13. AC power dip Serial #370 i 14. Linear Scram - Operator's error while adjusting rod bank Serial #371 l 15. Linear Scram - Momentary AC power loss Serial #372 1 16 Manual Scram " Rabbit failed to leave reactor" signal from pneumatic system Serial #373

17. AC power loss Serial #374 l

18. Manual Scram - Loss of program on CTD Serial #375

19. Linear Scram - Physical shock to range sw. Serial #376

20. Linear Scram - Physical shock to range sw. Serial #377

21. AC power dip Serial #378

22. Loss of power - Relay K-16 burned out. Serial #379

23. Linear Scram - Transient while banking T.R. Serial #380 24 Linear Scram - Physical shock to range sw. Serial #381

25. Manual Scram " Rabbit failed to leave reactor" signal on pneumatic svstem Serial #382 Sample recovered 26 Period Scram - noise on log channel Serial #383 27 Manual Scram - CTD program stopped running.

Pneumatic system Serial #384 V. Major Maintenance Operations

1. CIC serial #853101 was installed in the linear channel in July.

2. The demineralizer resin was changed in May and November.

VI . Sunnary of 10 CFR 50.59 changes There were no 10 CFR 50.59 changes or tests during this report period.

V11. Radioactivity Releases A. Listed below are the total amounts of radioactive gaseous effluents released to the environs beyond the effective control of the reactor facility.

License (R-113) 10 CFR 20 Argon-41 A110wd)1e Tritium (HTO) Allowdble Month (Curies) (Curies) (Curies) (Curies)

January 1986 0.84 5.8 See Note #2 0.25 February 1986 1.35 5.8 Below 0.25 March 1986 0.69 5.8 0.25 April 1986 0.98 5.8 0.25 May 1986 0.89 5 .8 0.25 June 1986 0.81 5.8 0.25 July 1986 0.67 5.8 0.25 August 1986 1.03 5.8 0.25 September 1986 0.43 5.8 0.25 October 1986 0.77 5.8 0.25 November 1986 0.67 5.8 0.25 Deced)er 1986 0.50 5.8 0.25 Total 9.63 70.0 3.00

% of allowable 13.75%

< = . .

(Note #1: The argon activities reported are integrated values obtained from the facility's gaseous stack monitor. Calculated values have been substituted for measured values in the few instances when the monitoring system was down for maintenance or repair).

(Note #2: The tritium concentrations are estimates based on' the amount of water lost by evaporation from the reactor times the concentration of tritium as HTO). Tritium water samples were taken .as scheduled during_1986 However, due to the Survey's water quality lab shutdown and a new contractor schedule (for H analysis), no results have been received from April through Decenber 1986. 3 B. No radioactive liquid effluents were released from the reactor facility during the year 1986 C. Four 55 gal drums of low level solidified resin was shipped for burial in . Nevada in 1986 The total amount of radioactive waste released from the reactor facility during 1986 is estimated to be approximately 29.0 mci.

(Note: The principal radioactive waste generated at the reactor facility is the demineralizer resin - used resin with small quantities of rinse water is solidified with Portland cement prior to release in 55-gallon drums.

- V111. _ Radiation Monitoring A. Our program to monitor and control radiation exposures included the four major _ elements below during the operating year 1986,

1. Eighteen area monitors (17 gammas,1 neutron) located throughout the Nuclear Science Building. To provide a background signal, a small check source is attached to the scintillation detector.

High alarm set points range from 2 mR/hr to 50 mR/hr. High level alarms have been infrequent and are documented in appropriate Log Books.

2. One Continuous Air Monitor (CAM) sampling the afr in the reactor bay. An equilibrium concentration of 3.0 x 10- Ci/ml present for two minutes will result in an increase of cpm above background. There are two alarm set points. A low-level alarm is set at 3.000 cpm, and the high level alarm is set at 10,000 cpm.

Reactor bay air is sampled during all reactor operations. The fixed particulate air filter is-changed and counted daily on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system. The charcoal filter, fitted behind the air filter, is changed and counted weekly. In all instances, final sample calculations show less than MPC (10 CFR Part 20, Appendix B, Table 11) concentrations for all isotopes in question in the reactor bay.

3. Contamination wipe surveys and radiation surveys with portable survey instruments are performed at least once a month. All portable instruments are calibrated with a certified 3-Curie Cs-137 source and wipes are counted on a Gamma Products G4020 Low Level counting system.

Wipe surveys have shown the reactor area remains free of tactile contaminations except for intermittent low level activity on work table tops and sample storage caves. Instrument surveys indicate no fixed areas of contamination and radiation leaking at outside wall level.surfaces have count The maximum been forless than(beta a wipe 0.5 mR/hr

+ gammaat our

/100maximug) cm was power 2464 pCi on the floor near the demineralizer pump. No alpha contamination was detected.

4 Personnel, X and gamma, beta and neutron film badges are assigned to all permament occupants of the Nuclear Science Building.

CaSO 4 :Dy dosimeters have been used at four outdoor environmental stations. Reactor facility visitors are issued L-49 self-reading dosimeters.

These monitoring results are categorized below:

Rem-1986 Gamma Beta Neutron Reactor Staff Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year (thru 11-19-86)

Highest 0.160 0.000 0.000 Hands Cumulative Shallow Dose for Calendar Year Highest 1.280 0.000 0.000 Reactor Experimenters Whole Body Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.000 0.000 0.000 Hands Cumulative Dose for Calendar Year Highest 0.000 0.000 0.000 Reactor Visitors All readings were less than 1.0 mrem.

k Environmental Stations Rem 1986 Exhaust Stack 0.1114 West 0.0097 Southwest 0.0011 Southeast 0.0002 IX. Environmental Monitoring Pursuant to reactor operating procedures, soil and water samples are collected every second year. Both water and soil samples were collected in 1986.

A. Water Sample results are as follows:

Result Sampie No. Location aCi/ml alpha mci /ml Beta W-1 on the Federal Center 0.0 1 1.3 0.8 1 1.4 3rd & Center Ave.

W-2 Federal Center Duck Pond 5.4 i 2.2 4.3 1 1.7 W-3 Ward Reservoir #1 69 1 6 29 1 2 W-4 Sloans Lake 0.0 2.8 8.8 i 1.9 W-5 Clear Creek 1.2 t 1.9 2.8 i 1.6 W-7 Kendrick Reservoir 4.6 t 2.4 6.8 i 1.7 B. Soil Samples Soil samples have been prepared and are being counted by Colorado State University Environmental Surveillance program laboratory. Results will be forthcoming.

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7 United States Department of the Interior

• I GEOLOGICAL SUgVEY 4

HOX 25016 M.S DENVER FEDERAL CENTER DENVER, COI.ORADO 80225 a meritneien n>

January 28, 1987

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Administrator, RIV

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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 1000 Arlington, TX 76011 Gentlemen:

The enclosed annual report of the U.S. Geological Survey TRIGA reactor is submitted in accordance with license conditions.

Sincerely, A

Donald H. Rusling Reactor Supervisor Enclosure (2) cc: Document Control Desk (2) l Lsat -

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