ML20217A634

Rept on Reactor Operations for Period Jan-Dec 1997. W/

ML20217A634
Person / Time
Site:	Purdue University
Issue date:	12/31/1997
From:	Merritt E PURDUE UNIV., WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9803250142
Download: ML20217A634 (13)

Text

.

~

e Punous UNIVERSITY

[h)

SCHOOL OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING March 17,1998 U.S. N.R.C.

. ATTEN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555-(001 Docket No. 50-182 Enclosed please find two copies of the 1997 Annual Report for the Purdue University Reactor ( PUR-1 ).

$0 f'/.s E.C. Merritt Reactor Supervisor 9903250142 971231 \l PDR ADOCK 05000182 '

R pop p

.s, 3p p sorj W

v ,

.. ?

2I8890 h4UCLEAR ENolNr.ERING SUILDING .* WEST 1 AFAYETTE, IN 479071290

• FAX (765) 494-9570

,s<' A

SCHOOL OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

~

t

.f

, a* ..

T a

Pardue University West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 "D

4 o.@sP~~%

g2 DY

\ a

...........i,

, , ,, , t ,, g

[.

e e

REPORT ON REACTOR OPERATIONS For the Period January 1,1997 to December 31,1997 PURDUE UNIVERSITY REACTOR 1 PURDUE UNIVERSITY West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 March 1998 Prepared by E. C. Merritt Reactor Supervisor (1997) t t

-s

e

[$

1. INTRODUCTION

. This re* port is submitted to meet the requirements set forth in 10 CFR 50.59 and the technical specifications of the Purdue University Reactor (PUR-1) for the period January 1, 1997 to December 31,1997.

..During the reporting period of 1997 a total of 968 people visited the reactor facility. Those people included 171 different groups, of which 71 groups were for the purpose of maintenance or surveillance testing,31 groups were for class purposes,65 groups were pre-scheduled tours, and 4 groups were participants in our reactor sharing program.

- e

2. PLANT DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES 2.1 Facility Desien Channes There were no design changes to the facility in 1997.

2.2 Performance Characteristica The operation of the PUR-1 facility continued satisfactorily during the reporting  !

period. During the visualinspection of the surfaces of two representative fuel plates, i no changes wem identified. This inspection included any defects that might compromise the integrity of the cladding including any evidence of corrosion.

Satisfactory performance of the fuel continued during the year.

2.3 Channes in Ooeratinn Procedures Concernine Safety of Facility O_nerations No changes in the operating procedures of the facility were made during 1997.

2.4 Results of Surveillance Tests and Insocctions 2.4.1 Reactivity Limits The reactivity worths of the control rods were determined to be as follows:

Shim-safety #1 - 4.%%

Shim-safety #2 - 2.61% j' Regulating Rod - 0.26%

.The worth curves of the control rods were checked after the inspection and the excess was determined to be 0.40%. The shutdown margin was determined to

' be 7.42% based on these values.  !

['Ihe inspection of the control rods was completed on ' August 20,1997 with no evidence of change or deterioration observed.

i

.)

i i

),

.. . . . ,. .... . . ,. . . . . . . ........4 . . . . . . . . . . .. .

'j

r No experiment was placed in the reactor pool dudng the year that would requim the determination ofits reactivity during the initial criticality following its installation.

2.4.2 Reactor Safety Systems Each pre-startup check included a channel test for each safety system, provided the shutdown exceeded 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> or if the system was repaired or de-energized.

With the exception of one run on August 20,1997 during which the reactor was in a suberitical mode, each reactor safety system had a channel check performed at time intervals of 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> during operation.

. On August 6,1997,'the electronic calibration of all safety channels was completed.

The irradiation of gold foils for a power calibration was done on October 9,1997.

The calibration indicated that the actual power was 1.2% above the indicated power

~

level at 100 watts and that the system was nonlinear in the last decade but in a conservative direction (i.e. the actual power being 436.5 watts when the indicated power level was at 500 watts).

During the pre-startup which precedes each run, the radiation area monitors and the -

continuous air monitor were checked for normal operation. During 1997 the calibration of the radiation area monitors and the continuous air monitor was completed on April 8 and September 18.

Following the control rod inspections, the rod drop times were measured on August 20,1997. The rod drop times fell between 540 and 615 milliseconds. These values are consistent with past measurements and are well within the specification limit of J

one second.

' 2.4.3 Primary Coolant System The weekly measurements of the pH of the primary coolant fell between 4.9 and 5.4 during 1997. These values are within the specification limits of 5.5 i 1.0. During 1 the weekly checks and . the pre-startup check which precedes each. run, the conductivity of the primary coolant was measured and the values never exceeded l 1.46 micromhos-cm. This represents a resistivity of more than 685,000 ' ohm /cm which exceeds the lower limit of 330,000 ohm /cm as given in the specifications. ,

1

- The specification of 13 feet'of water was always either met or exceeded, according - l to the pre-startup check list that was completed prior to each reactor run.

Monthly samples of the primary coolant were collected and analyzed by personnel fro'm Radiological and Environmental Management for gross alpha and beta activity.  !

i 1 . .

E l No activity was identified in the samples which would indicate failure of the fuel plates.

2.4.4 f.aatainment Readings between 0.20 and 0.75 inches of water were recorded weekly for the negative pressum in the reactor room.

i The semi-annual checks made in 1997 for the proper operation of the inlet and outlet dampers and the air conditioner were completed on June 10 and December 12. All worked satisfactorily.

Selected fuel plates were visually inspected on August 20, 1997. The surface

. condition of fuel plate #4-3-73 indicated no change from the last inspection, and the cladding of the other inspected plates identified no changes.

2.4.5 Experimertts The mass of the sir, gly encapsulated samples and the flux of the reactor are such that the complete release of all gaseous, particulate, and volatile components of the samples would not result in doses in excess of 10% of the equivalem annual doses as stated in 10 CFR 20. >

1 No samples of unknown composition or that required double encapsulation were j submitted for irradiation. l l

2.5 Chances. Tests and Exneriments Recuirine Commission Authorization l During 1997 no changes, or experiments which required authorization from the

, Commission pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59 (a) were performed.

2.6[h;wees in Facility Staff l

i On December 31,1996, Dr. F. M. Clikeman went on partial retirement. He intends to l maintain his operating license. Mr. E. C. Merritt has assumed the duties of reactor supervisor. Mr. R. Bean has assumed the duties of laboratory director.

3. POWER GENERATION Operation of the PUR-1 during 1997 consisted of 30 runs which generated 178,677 watt-mir.utes of energy and covered an integrated rtmning time of 70.8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br />.

i

)

[l '

4. UNSCHEDULED SHUTDOWNS One unscheduled shutdown occurred during 1997. On October 9,1997 one magnet current drifted low over a long run dropping one rod (SSI).

5. MAINTENANCE Ordy routine maintenance was required during the reponing period.

6. CHANGES. TESTS AND EXPERIMENTS

' No changes, tests or experiments were carried out witheut prior Commission approval

. pursuant to the requirements of 10 CFR 50.59 (b).

7. RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENT RELEASES No measurable amount of radioactive effluents were released to the environs beyond our effective control, as measured at or prior to the point of such release.

I

?

I i.