ML20217N780

1997 Annual Rept for Univ of Tx at Austin

ML20217N780
Person / Time
Site:	University of Texas at Austin
Issue date:	12/31/1997
From:	Bauer T, Pickle J TEXAS, UNIV. OF, AUSTIN, TX
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9804090204
Download: ML20217N780 (66)

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jf DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEF.NG

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' THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN l

z v NuclearEngineering Teachinglaboratory (512)471-5787 FAX (512)471-4589 April 1,1998 Nudear Regulatory Commission

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Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 t

Subject:

Docket 50-602 Annual Report 1997

Dear Sir:

A report is endosed for the R-129 license activities of The University of Texas at Austin. The report covers the activities during the 1997 calendar year.

Sincerely,

~~M 7, ibe-Thomas L. Bauer Assistant Director, Nudear Engineering Teaching Laboratory L

enclosure: 1997 Annual Report l

l cc: Region IV w/endosureI copy A. Adams w/endosure1 copy

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9804090204 971231 PDR ADOCK 05000602 R PDR Street Address: 10100 Burnet Road Austin, Texas 78758 MailAddress:JJ Pickle Researrh Campus Bldg.159 Austin, Texas 78712

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a Annual Report 1997 NuclearEngineeringTeaching laboratory JJ. Pickle Research Campus The University of Texas at Austin a

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i Table of Contents Tables of Contents ii Executive Summary iii L0 Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory 1-1 1.1 Intmduction 1-1 Purpose of the Report Availability of the Facility

. O wrating Regulations .

N ETL History

, 1.2 NETL Building 1-3 JJ. Pickle Research Campus NETL Building Description Laboratories, Equipment 1.3 UT-TRIGA MarkII Resemh Reactor 1-7 Reactor Description Experiment Facilities Beam Port Facilities 1.4 Nuclear Engineering Academic Program 1-13 1.5 NETL Divisions 1-13 Operations and Maintenance Division Nuclear Analytical Services Division Neutmn Beam Projects Division Health Physics Group 2.0 AnnualProgress Report 2-1 2.1 Faculty, Staff, and Students 21 2.2 Education and Training Activities 2-6 2.3 Service and Cw..mial Activities 2-7 2.4 Research and Development Pmjects 2-9 2.5 Significant Modifications 2-16

. 2.6 Publications, Reports, and Papers 2-18 3.0 Facility Operating Summaries 3-1 3.1 Operating Experience 3-1 3.2 Reactor Shutdowns 3-1 l 3.3 Utilization 3-4 l 3.4 Maintenance 3-7 3.5 Facility Changes 3-8 3.6 Laboratory Inspections 3-10  ;

3.7 Radiation Exposures 3-12  :

3.8 Radiation Surveys 3-18 3.9 Radioactive Effluents, Radioactive Waste 3-19  !

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FORWARD

'Ihe miemian of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching I.aboratory at 'Ihe University of Texas at Austinis to:

1. preserve, dieseminate and create knowledge,

- 2.' help educate those who will serve in the rebirth of nuclear power and in the expanding use of nuclear technology in industry and medicine, and

3. provide p H=d nuclear resources for educadonal, industrial, madical, and government organizations.

'Ihe above objectives are achieved by carrying out a well-balanced program of educarian, research, and servia. The focus of all of these activities is the new TRIGA research reactor, the first new U.S. university reactor in 20 years.

The UT 'IRIGA research reactor supports hande-on education in reactor physics and nuclear science. In addition, the reactor c n be used in labcgiumy course work by students in non-nuclear fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology. It may also be used in education programs for nuclear power plant personnel, secondary schools students and teachers, and the general public.

'Ibe UT-TRIGA research reactor provides pionities to do research in nuclear science and engineering. It can also contribute to amitidisiplinary studies in medicine, epidemialogy, environmental sciences, geology, archeology, paleontology, etc. Research reactors, one megawatt and larger, constitute unique and essential research tools for examinirig the structure of crystals, magnetic materials, polymers, biological molecules, etc.

The UT-TRIGA research reactor benefits a wide range of on-campus and off campus clientele, including academic, medical, industrial, and government

.. organizations. The prirdy.1 services offered by our reactor involve material irradiation, trace element detection, material analysis, and radiographic analysis

,- of objects and processes. Such services establish beneficial links to off-campus users, expose faculty and students to multidisiplinary research and commercial applications of nuclear science, and cam ievenues to help support Nuclear Engineering activities.

Bernard W. Wehring, Director Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory iii

i 1997 Annual Repon l

l 1.0 NUCLEAR ENGINEERING TEACHING LABORATORY 1.1 Introduction Puronse of the Reoort The Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL) at 'Ihe University of Texas at Austin prepares an annual report of program activities. Information in this repon provides an introduction to the ulucation, research, and service programs of the NETL. A TRIGA nuc1 car reactor is the major experimental facility at the Laboratory. The reactor operates at power levels up to 1100 kilowatts or with pulse reactivity insenions up to 2.2% Ak/k.

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The annual reports also satisfy requirements of the University Fuel Assistance Pmgram, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) [ contract number DE-AC07-ER03919, v

Amendment A015; C85-110742 Task Order 2, Mod.1), and the licensing agency, the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) [ docket number 50-602]. This annual repon covers the period from January 1,1997 to December 31,1997.

AynHability of the Facility The NETL facility serves a multipurpose mle. The use of NETL by faculty, staff, and students in the College of Engineering is the Laboratory's primary function. In addition, the l

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1997 AnnualReport development and application of nuclear methods are done to assist researchers from other universities, industry, and government. NETL provides services to industry, govemment and other laboratories for the testing and evaluation of materials. Public education through tours and demonstrations is also a mutine function of the laboratory operation.

Operating ReFulations Licensing of activities at NETL involve both Federal and State agencies. The nuclear reactor is subject to the terms and =paMcations of Nuclear Regulatory C==i==i= (NRC)

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I i-=> R-129, a class 104c research reactor license. Another NRC license, SNM-180, for special nuclear material, provides for the use of a suberitical assembly with neutron sources.

Both licenses are responsibilities of the NETL. For general use of radioisotopes the university maintains a broad license with the State of Texas, L00485. Functions of the broad license are the responsibility of the University Office of Envimnmental Health and Safety.

NETL History Development of the nuclear engineering program was an effort of both physics and engineering faculty during the late 1950's and early 1960's. 'Ihe program became part of the Mechanical Engineering Department where it remains to this day. The program installed, operated, and dismantled a *IRIGA nuclear reactor at a site on the main campus in the -

engineering building Taylor Hall. Reactor initial criticality was August 1%3 with the final operation in April 1988. Power at startup was 10 kilowatts (1%3) with one power upgrade to 250 kilowatts (1968). The total burnup during a 25 year period from 1%3 to 1988 was 26.1 megawatt-days. Pulse capability of the reactor was 1.4% Ak/k with a total of 476 pulses during the operating history. Dismantlement and dem.Jssioning of the facility were completedin December 1992.

Planning for a new facility, which led to the shutdown of the campus facility, began in

. October 1983, with construction commencing in December 1986 and condnuing until May 1989. 'Ihe final license was issued in January 1992, and inidal criticality occ=wd on March

. 12,1992. The new facility, including support laboratories, administrative offices, and the reactor is the central location for all NETL activities.

Land use in the area of the NE'IL site began as an industrial site during the 1940's.

Following the 1950's, lease agreements between the University and the Federal government led to the creation of the Balcones Research Center. In the 1990's, the University became owner of the site, and in 1994 the site name was changed to the JJ. Pickle Research Campus.

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1997 Annual Report 1.2 NETL Building l

J.J. Pickle Recemh Onmnus The J.J. Pickle Research Campus (PRC) is a multidiscipline research campus with a site area of 1.87 square kilometers. Areas of the site consist of two approximately equal cast and west tracts of land. An area of about 9000 square meters on the east tract is the location of the NETL building. Sixteen separate research units and at least five other academic research programs, including the NETL facility, have research efforts with locations at the research campus. Adjacent to the NETL site is the Center for Resea'ch in Water Resources and Bureau of Economic Geology, which are examples of the diverse research activities on l

the campus. A Cnmmans Building provides cafeteria service, recreation areas, meeting 1<

! rooms, and conference facilities. Access to the NETL site is shown in Figure 1-2.

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1997 Annual Repon NETL Bnihiine Descrintion

'Ihe NEIL building is a 1950 sq meter (21,000 sq ft),' facility with laboratory and office spaces. Building areas consist of two primary laboratories of 330 sq m (3600 sq ft) and 80 sq m (900 sq ft), eight support laboratories (217 sq m,2340 sq ft), and six supplemental areas (130 sq m,1430 sq ft). Conference and office space is allocated to 12 rooms totaling 244 sq m (2570 sq ft). One of the primary laboratories contains the TRIGA reactor pool, biological shield structure, and the neutron beam experiment areas. A second primary laboratory consists of 1.3 meter (4.25 ft) thick walls for use as a general purpose radiation experiment facility. Other areas of the building include suppon shops, instrument laboratories, measurement laboratories, and material ha:ulling laboratories. Figure 1-3 and 1-4 show the building and floor layouts for office and laboratory areas.

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1997 AnnualReport laboratoriet Equipment The NETL facility makes available several types of radiation facilities and an array of radiarian detection equipment. In addidon to the reactor, facilides include a suberitical assembly, a gamma irradiator, various radioisotope sources, and several radiation producing machines.

The gamma irradinene is a muldcurie cobalt-60 source with a design activity of 10,000 curies. Radioisotopes of cobalt-60, cesium-137, and radium-226 are available in millicurie quantides.

Neutmn sources of plutonium-beryllium and californium-252 are available. A suberitical manembly of 20% enriched uranium in a polyethylene moderated cylinder pmvides an experimental device for laboratory demonstrations of neutmn multiplication and neutron flux mammrements.

Radiation producing equipment such as x-ray units for radiography and density mammrements are available as both fixed and portable equipment. Laboratories provide locations to setup radiation experiments, test instrurrentation, pieper materials for irradiadon, process radioactive samples and experiment with radiochemical reactions.

A Texas Nuclear 14 MeV neutron generator is funcdonal. It can create a deutron beam of up to one milliamn in steady-state and can also operate in a pulsed mode. Neutron source strength is approximately 10" neutmns per second.

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1997 Annual Report 1.3 UT-TRIGA MARK II Rescarch Reactor The TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory of The University of Texas at Austin is an above-ground, fixed-core research reactor. The nuclear core, containing uranium fuel, is located at the bottom of an 8.2 meter deep water-filled tank surrounded by a concrete shield structure. The highly purified water in the tank serves as the reactor coolant, neutron moderator, and a transparent radiation shield. Visual and physical access to the core is possible at all times. The TRIGA Mark II reactor is a versatile and inherently safe research reactor conceived and developed by General Atomics to meet the requirements of education and research. The UT-TRIGA research reactor provides sufficient power and neutron flux for comprehensive and productive work in many fields

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including physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine, and metallurgy. The word TRIGA stands for Training, Research, Isotope production, General Atomics. Figure 1-5 is a picture of

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the reactor core structure.

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1997 Annual Report Reactor Description Reactor Ooeration. The UT-TRIGA research reactor can operate continuously at nominal powers up to 1 MW, or in the pulsing mode where typical peak powers of 1500 MW can be achieved for durations of about 10 msec. The UT-TRIGA with its new digital control system pmvides a unique facility for performing reactor physics experiments as well as reactor operator training. He pulsing operation is particularly useful in the study of reactor kinetics and control. Neutrons produced in the reactor core can be used in a wide variety of research applications including nuclear reaction studies, neutron scattering experiments, and nuclear analytical and irradiation services.

Special neutron facilities include a rotary specimen rack, which is located in the reactor graphite reflector, a pneumatically operated " rabbit" transfer system, which penetrates the reactor core, and a central thimble, which allows samples to be inserted into the peak flux region of the core. Cylindrical voids in the concrete shield structure, called neutron beam ports, allow neutrons to stream out away from the core. Experiments may be done inside the beam ports or outside the concrete shield in the neutron beams.

Nuclear Core. The reactor core is an assembly of about 90 fuel elements surrounded by an annular graphite neutron reflector. Each element consists of a fuel region capped at top and bottom with a graphite section, all contained within a thin-walled stainless steel tube. He fuel region is a metallic alloy of low-enriched uranium evenly distributed in zirconium hydride (UZrH). The physical pivyerties of the TRIGA fuel provide an inherendy safe operation. Rapid power transients to high powers are automatically suppressed without using mechanical control; the reactor quickly retums to normal power levels. Pulse operation which is a~ normal mode of operation, is a practical demonstration of this inherent safety feature.

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1997 AnnualReport Reactor Contml. The instrumentation for the UT-TRIGA research reactor is contained in a compact microprocessor-driven control system. This advanced system provides for flexible and efficient operation with precise power and flux control. It also allows permanent retention of all pertinent data. The power level of the UT-TRIGA is controlled by four control rods. Three of these rods, one regulating and two shim, are sealed stainless steel tubes containing powdered boren carbide followed by UZrH. As these rods are withdrawn, boron (a neutron absorber) leaves the core and UZrH Wuel) enters the core, increasing power. The fourth control rod, the transient rod, is a solid cylinder of borated graphite followed by air, clad in aluminum, and operated by pneumatic pressure to permit pulse opemtion. 'Ihe sudden ejection of the transient rod produces an immediate burst of power.

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1997 AnnualReport Experiment Facilities

• Ihe experimental and irradiation facilities of the TRIGA Mark II reactor are extensive and versatile. Experimental tubes can easily be installed in the core region to provide facilities for high-level irradiations or small in-core experiments. Areas outside the core and reflector are available for large experiment equipment or facilities. Table 1-1 lists the workable experiment volumes available in the standard experiment facilides.

Table 1-1 PhysicalDimensions of Standard Experiment Systems Center Tube length: 15.0 in. 38.1 cm Tube OD: 1.5 in. 3.81 cm Tube ID: 1.33 in. 3.38 cm Rotary Rack length: 10.8 in. 27.4 cm Diameter: 1.23 in. 3.18 cm Pneumatic Tube length: 4.5 in. 11.4 cm Diameter: 0.68 in. 1.7 cm The reactor is equipped with a central thimble for access to the point of maximum flux in the core. 'Ihe central thimble consists of an aluminum tube that fits through the center hole of the top and bottom grid plates. Experiments with the central thimble include irradiation of l small samples and the exposure of materials to a collimated beam of neutrons or gamma rays.  ;

A rotary multiple-position specimen rack located in a wellin the top of the graphite reflector provides for batch production of radioisotopes and for the activation and irradiation l of multiple samples. When rotated, all forty positions in the rack are exposed to neutron

. fluxes of the same intensity. Samples are loaded from the top of the reactor through a tube into the rotary rack using a specimen lifting device. A rack design feature provides pneumatic

. pressure for insertion and removal of samples from the sample rack positions.

A pneumatic transfer system permits applications with short-lived radioisotopes. 'Ihe in-core terminus of the system is normally located in the outer ring of fuel element positions, i a n:gion of high neutron flux. 'Ihe sample capsule (rabbit) is conveyed to a sender-receiver station via pressure differences in the tubing system. An optional transfer box permits the sample to be sent and received from one to three different sender-receiver stations.

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1997 AnnualReport Beam Port Facilities Five neutron beam ports penetrate the concrete biological shield and reactor water tank at core level. These beam ports were designed with different characteristics to acm-; ' data a wide variety of experiments. SW=aas may be placed inside a beam port or outside the beam port in a neutron beam from the beam port. When a beam port is not in use, special shielding reduces the radiation levels outside the concrete biological shield to safe values.

This shielding consists of an inner shield plug, outer shield plug, lead-filled shutter, and circular steelcover plate.

Beam Port (BP) #1 is r==d o BP t #5, end to end, to form a through beam port.

The through beam port penetrates the graphite reflector tangential to the reactor core, as seen in Figme 1-6. 'Ihis configuration allows introduction of spmans adjacent to the reactor core to gain access to a high neutron flux, allows access from either side of the concrete biological shield, and can provide beams of thannal neutrons with relatively low fast-neutron and gamma-ray contamination.

Beam Port #2 is a tangential beam port, terminating at the outer edge of the reflector.

However, a void in the graphite reflector extends the effective source of neutrons into the reflector to provide a diermal neutron beam with minimum fast-neutron and gamma-ray backgrounds.

Beam Port #3 is a radial beam port. The beam port pierces the graphite reflector and terminates at the inner edge of the reflector. This beam port permits access to a position adjacent to the reactor core, and can provide a neutron beam with relatively high fast-neutron and gamma-ray fluxes.

Beam Port #4 is a radial beam port which also terrninntes at the outer edge of the reflector. A void in the graphite reflector extends the effective source of neutrons to the reactor core. This configuration is useful for neutron-beam experiments which require neutron energies higher than thermal energies. {

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, A neutron beam coming from a beam port may be modified by using collimators, maderators and neutron filters. Co11imatars are used to limit beam size and beam divergence. ,

l Moderators are used to change the energy of neutron beams (e.g., cold moderator). Filters allow neutrons in selected energy intervals to pass thmugh while attenuating neutrons with other energies.

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1997 AnnualReport Table 1-2 Physical Dimensions of Standard Beam Pons Beam Port Port Diameter BP#1, BP#2, BP#4 At Core: 6 in. 15.24 cm

. At Exit: 8 in. 20.32 cm BP #3, BP#5

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1997 AnnualReport 1.4 Nuclear Engineering Academic Program The Nuclear Engineering Program (NE) at The University of Tem at Austin is located within the Mechanical Engineering Department. The Program's undergraduate degree l

is the Bachelor of Sdence in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering Option. It is best described as a major in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Nuclear Engineering. As such, all Mechanical Engineering degree requirements must be met.

The Fisy. 's graduate degrees are completely autonomous; they am Master of We in Engineering (Concentration in Nuclear Engineering) and Doctor of Philosophy (Concentradon in Nuclear Engineering). Course requirements for these degrees and the qualifying ernminarian for the Ph.D. are separate and distinct fmm other areas of Mechanical Engineering. A Dissertation Proposal and Defense of Dissertadon are also required for the

Ph.D. degree and are acted on by an NE dissertation committee.

j Of the five undergraduate Nuclear Engineering courses and the dozer graduate Nuclear Engineering courses, five courses make extensive use of the reactor facility. Table 1-l 3 lists the courses that use the reactor and its experiment facilides.

Table 1-3 NuclearEngineering Courses Undergraduate l ME 361F Instrumentadca and Methods i ME 361G Reactor Operations and Control Candualt ME 388R.3 Kinetics and Dynamics of Nuclear Systems ME 389R.1 Nuclear Engineering I.aboratory ME 389R.2 Nuclear Analydcal ; deasurement Techniques i

1.5 NETLDivisions The Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory operates as a unit of the Department of

• Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas. Figure 1-8 shows the staff organization of the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory. It is based on three divisions, each with a manager and workers. The remaining staffincluding the Health Physics group is called the administration, and supports the three divisions.

The Operadon and Maintenance Division (OMD) is responsible for the safe and effective operadons of the TRIGA nuclear reactor. Other duties include maintenance of the 14-MeV neutron facility, the gamma irradiation facility, industrial x-ray units, and the NETL 1-13

1997 AnnualReport computer system. Acdvities of OMD include neutron andFamma irradiation service, opemtor/ engineering training courses, and giving reactor short courses.

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l Maintenance Projects Services Figure 1-8 NETL Staff Or==aira' ion The Nuclear Analytical Services Division (NAS) is responsible for providing, in a safe l and effective manner, analytical services such as Neutron Activadon Analysis (NAA), low l level radiation counting, and isotope production. Other service activities of NAS include l teaching NAA short courses.

The Neutron Beam Projects Division (NBP) is responsible for the development and I operation of experimental projects associated with neunon beam tubes. One permanent facility, a cold neutmn source / neutron guide tube facility, is a unique facility for experimenting with low energy neutrons.

l Oneratinn and Maintenance Divician The primary purpose of the Operation and Maintenance Division (OMD) is the routine maintenance and safe operation of the TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor. This division performs most of the work necessary to meet the Technical Specificadons of the reactor license. Division personnel implement modifications to reactor systems and furnish design assistance for new experiment systems. 'Ihe division operates standard reactor i

experiment facilities.

l Other activities of the division include operation and maintenance of radioisotope irradiators, such as the cobalt-60 irradiator, and radiation producing equipment. Radiation producing equipment consists of a' 14-MeV neutron generator, and industrial x-ray machines.

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1997 Annual Report Services provided to other divisions at the laboratory include assistance in the areas of initial experunent design, fabrication, and setup. Maintenance, repair support, and inventory control of computer, electronic, and mechanical equipment is also provided. Buikling systems maintenance is also coordinated by the Operation and Maintenance Division. Other activities include scheduling and coordination of facility tours.

Nuclear Analytical Service Division l The principal objectives of the Nuclear Analytical Services Division (NAS) involve

, support of the re< earch and educational missions of the university at large. Elemental 1

l mammwements using instrumental neutron activation analysis provide nuclear analytical support for individual projects ranging from student project support for classes to mammwements for faculty research projects. Project support is in the areas of engineering,

chemistry, physics, geology, biology, zoology, and other areas. Research project support includes elemental mammwements for routine environmental and innovative research projects.

j Y 1 the area of education, the division, with available state-of-the-art equipment, helps anmidata the interest of students to consider studies in the areas of science and engineering.

FAncadon in the irradiation and measurement of radioactivity is presented to college, high school and other student groups in class demonstrations or on a one-on-one basis. The

! neutmn activation analysis technique is made available to different state agencies to assist with quality control of sample measurements. Ans!ysis of samples for the presence of various l

elements and measurements of environmental'.:ffects assists detection of toxic elements.

Radiation measurement systems avulable include several high purity germanium detectors with relative efficiencies ranging from 20 to 40%. 'Ihe detectors are coupled to a Vaxstation 3100. Two of the detectors are equipped with an automatic sample changer for full-time (i.e.,24 hrs a day) unhadon of the counting equipment. 'Ihe Vaxstation is s=+3ej to a campus wide network. 'Ihis data acquisition and analysis system can be l_ , accessible from any terminal on campus and to any user with proper authorization, a modem I and the necessary communication software. Safeguards by special yiviecols guard against unauthorized data access. One detector operates in a Compton Gamma Ray Suppression System that provides improved low background measurements. APC based acquisition and analysis system supports the analysis of Compton Suppression spectra and short half-life nuclear reaction.

Neutron Beam Pmjects Division The Neutron Beam Projects Division (NBP) manages the use of the five beam ports.

Experiments at the beam ports may be permanent systems which function for periods in 1-15 l

1997 Annual Report excess of one or two years or kmyvi.iy systems. Tempui y systems function once or for a few months, and generally require removal and repLa~maat as part of the setup and shutdown process. He reactor bay contains floor space for each of the beam ports. Available beam paths range from 6 meters (20 ft) to 12 meters (40 ft).

The main objective of the Neutron Beam Projects division is to develop and operate experimental research projects associated with neutmn beams. He objectives of the research function are to apply nuclear methods at the forefront of modern technology and to investigate finviamental issues related to nuclear physics and candansed matter. Another mission of the division is to obtain new, funded research programs to promote the capabilities of the neutron beam projects division for academic, government and industrial organi = dons and/or groups.

ne Neutmn Beam Projects manager is responsible for all phases of a project, beginning with the pmposal and design, preaading to the fabrication and testing, and concluding with the operation, evaluation and dismantlement. Projects available at NETL are the Texas Cold Neutmn Source, Neutron Depth Profiling, Neutmn Guide and Focusing System, Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis, Gadolinium Neutron Capture Therapy studies and Texas Intense Positron Source.

Health Physics Group The Health Physics (HP) group is responsible for radiation safety and protection of personnel at the NETL as well as the piut& tion of the general public. The laws marviated by Federal and State government agencies are enforced at the facility through various measures. i Health physics procedures have been developed that are facility-specific to ensure that all operations comply with the regulations. Periodic monitoring for radiation and contamination assures that the use of the stactor and radioactive nuclides is candmad safely with no hazard ,

to personnel outside of the facility. Personnel exposures are always maintained ALARA ("as low as is reasonably achievable"). His practice is consistent with the mission of the 1ETL.

- Collateral duties of the Health Physics group include the inventory and monitoring of hazardous materials, and environmental health.

, The Health Physics group consists of one full time Health Physicist. He Health Physicist is functionally responsible to the Director of the NETL, but maintains a reporting relationship to the University Radiation Safety Office. This arrangement allows the Health Physicist to operate independant of NETL operations constraints to insure that safety is not compromised. A part-time Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) may assist the Health Physicist. The URA reports to the Heahh Physicist and assists with technical tasks including periodic surveys, equipment maintenance, equipment calibration, and record keeping.

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1997 Annual Report The equipment currently used by the Health Physics group is presented in Table 1-4.

Supplementing the health physics equipment are supplies such as plastic bags, rubber gloves, radiation control signs / ropes for routine and emergency use.

Table 1-4 Health Physics Equipment

. Equipment Radiadon Number High and low range self-l >10 i o reading pocket dosimeters gamma Thin window friskers alpha / beta / gamma >8 l i

! Scintilladon micro

remmeter low level gamma 1 High range portable ion chamber beta / gamma 2 l

BF3 proportional counter neutron 2  :

Hand and Foot monitor beta / gamma 1 Lowlevel gas-flow proportionalcounter alpha / beta / gamma 1 l

Continuous air particulate monitor alpha / beta / gamma 1

, Gaseous Ar-41 effluent l monitor beta 1 1

The Health Physics Group provides radiation monitoring, personnel exposure monitoring, and educational activities. Personnel for whom permanent dosimeters are

- required must attend an eight hour course given by the Health Physicist. This course covers basic radiation principles including general safety practices, and facility-specific procedures

- and rules. Each trainee is given a guided tour of the facility to familiarize him with ,

emergency equipment and to reinforce safety / emergency procedures. 'Ihe group supports University educational activities through assistance to student experimenters in their projects by demonstration of the proper radiation work techniques and controls. The Health Physics group participates in emergency planning between NETL and the City of Austin to provide basic response requirements and conducts off-site radiation safety trairdng to emergency response personnel such as the Hazardous Materials Division of the Fire Department, and Emergency Medical Services crews.

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1997 Annual Report 2.0 ANNUALPROGRESS REPORT l

2.1 Facadty,Stan,and Students Organizadon. 'Ibe University administrative structure overseeing the NETL prograin

! is presented in Figure 2-1. A description follows, including titles and names of personnel, of the adminipration and committees that set policy impor-nt to NETL.

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! President l University ofTexas

!- at Austin Radiannn Safety Cornmittee Executive Vice President and Provost I

Dean College of Engineering i

Nuc car Reactor ]

l Committee '

Chairman Department of MechamcalEngineering I

Duector i NuclearEngineering l Teaching Laboratory Figure 2 University Administrative Structure over NETL J

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! Administration. The University of Texas at Austin is one campus of 15 campuses of l l: the University of Texas System. As the flagship campus, UT Austin consists of 16 separate j l . colleges and schools. 'Ihe College of Eng ineeri ng consi sts ofis x engi neeri ngdepartments

' with separate degree programs. NETL is one of several education and research functions within the college.

i

, 2-1

I l 1997 AnnualReport j ' Table 2-1 and Table 2-2 list The University of Texas System Board of Regents which l

1s the governing organization and the pertinent administrative officials of The University of l Texas at Austin. j b \

l I

Table 2-1 The University of Texas System Board of Regents .

)

l Chairman D.L. Evans Vice Chairman T. Loeffler o Vice Chairman R.C. Clements Executive Secretary A.H. Dilly i

Chancellor William Cunningham Member 1997 Member 1999 Member 2001 Z,W. Holmes, Jr. T.O. Hicks L.F. Deily l

B. Rapaport L.H. Lebermann T. Inffler E.C. Temple M.E. Smiley D.L. Evans l

l Thble 2-2 The University of Texas at Austin Administration President ad interim Peter T.Flawn Executive Vice President and Provost ad intenm Stephen A.Monti Dean of College of Engineering Ben Streetman (1/1/97) l Chairman of Dep-uuent of Mechanical Engineering ParkerLamb(1/16/96) l l

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l 1997 AnnualReport i Radiatinn Saferv C1... Mee The Radiation Safety Committee convenes to review radiological safety practices at the University during each academic term. The committee l composition is shown in Table 2-3. Committee general' responsibilities are review of l activities of University research programs that utilize radiation source materials.

Table 2-3 Radiation Safety Committee Chairea D. Klein Vic>N J.M. Sanchez Member G. Hoffmann Member S.A. Monti ,

I Member J. Robertus  !

Member B.G. Sanders Member B.W. Wehring Ex officio member J.C. White Ex officio member L.S. Smith Nuclear Reactor Committee. The Nuclear Reactor Committee convenes to review the activities related to facility operation during each quarter of the calendar year. The committee l composition is shown in Table 2-4. Committee general responsibilities are review of reactor opemtion and associated activities.  !

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Table 2-4 Nuclear Reactor Committec Chairman S. I mad %er Member N. Abdurrahman Member K. Ball l Member R. Corsi  !

Member R.T. Johns 1 Student Member H.R. Radulescu Member B.W. Wehring Member J.C. White

- Ex officio member T L. Bauer Ex officio member J.R. Howell Ex officio member J.P. Lanb 2-3

1997 AnnualReport Personnel. NETL state funding supports full-time positions for a Reactor Supervisor / Assistant Director, three managers, a Health Physicist, and a Senior Administrative Associate. External funding by research grants and service activities support student assistantships. The personnel involved in the NETL program during the year are s ...amized in Table 2-5.

Table 2-5 NETL Personnel

- NETL Facility Staff Director B.W. Wehring Reactor Supervisor / Assist. Dir. T.L. Bauer Manager NAS(Research Sciendst) F.Y. Iskander Manager NBP(Research Scientist) K. Unlu Manager O&M(Research Associate) M.G. Krause Health Physicist (Research Associate) A.J. Teachout Administrative Associate S.L Biggs faralltX N. Abdurrahman B.V. Koen D.E. Klein B.W. Wehring S.12r *t+iser Student Assistants Graduate Level:

M. Abdelrahman H.R. Radulescu M.D. Bush M. Saglam S.Goktepeli K. Schwartz Y.Jo X. Yang T. Kanokrat L.Zhao S.Z. Mujtaba Ur '.e.m Anata 12 vel:

M. Dhalla N. Pande N. Khawaja L. Staller K. Mahmood M.D. Syed Eunding, NETL funding is provided by state syyivyriations, research grants, and service activities. Research funding supplements the base budget provided by the State and is obtained mostly through the process of competitive project proposals. Funds from service activities supplement the base funds to allow the facility to provide quality data acquisition and analysis capabilities. Both sources of supplemental funds, research projects and service activities, contribute to the education and research environment for students. Table 2-6 lists the current supplemental funds.

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1997 AnnualReport Table 2-6 SupplementalFurids.

Project Title Funding Period Funding Source Amount Development of Nondestrutive #165-1/15S8 ANRCP 407,508 Assay Methods for Weapons Plutonium and MOX Fuel Safeguards Water Reactor Options for #1SS-1/15S9 ANRCP 376,167 l i

Disposition of Weapons Plutonium Cyclic Activation Analysis with 3/16SS-3/15S8 Alcoa 10,490 i Neutron Sources Applied to Bayer Liquor I Devck,yst of Environmental 3/1S7-2/2940 ANL 162,000 Management Science Program at UT-Austin Investigations of Plutonium &lS7-1/15S9 ANRCP 166,899 Waste Streams in a MOX Facility ,

I Development of LEU Targets and &l5S7-1/1588 ANL 17,846 Processing for Mo-99 Production Literature Review of Corrosion 9/IS7-1/15S9 ANRCP 114,186 Properties of Beryllium and Stainless Steel Reactor BasedIntense Positron 1/IS6-8/31S8 TATP 172,925 Beam for Materials

! Characterizations Gallium Interactions with &lS6-1/15S8 ANRCP 197,700

Zircalloy naming .

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Radiation Damage and &lSS-1/15S9 ANRCP 344,036 l

Micic,sr cimal Changes of Stainless SteelDue to Long Term Irradiation by Alpha Particles University Reactor Sharing 9/1S6-8/31S8 DOE 10,000 Program Neutron Imaging System for 9/15SS-8/31S8 NSF 75,000 Materials Characterization Research at The University of Texas Reactor 2-5

I 1997 Annual Report 2.2 Educadon and Training Activides Tours and special projects are available to promote public awareness of nuclear energy issues. Tours of the NETL facility are routine activities of NETL staff and students. A typical tour is a general presentation for high school and civic organizations. Other tours given special consideration are demonstrations for interest groups such as physics, chemistry and science groups.

A total of 1554 visitors were given access to the facility during the reporting period.

The total includes tour groups, official visitors, and facility maintenance personnel. Tours for 25 groups with an average 15 persons / group were taken through the facility during the  ;

reporting period.

1 Table 2-7 Public Access l

l TourGrou s 347 l Individua s 765 i

Workers .ill Total 1554  :

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( Presentations by NETL staff, including demonstrations with laboratory equipment, were given to several high school organizations. These presentations were done as part of l

school wide programs sponsored by the high schools. j i

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1997 AnnualReport i

l 2.3 Service and Commercial Activities PROJECT: Determinadon of Selenium and Other Toxic Elements SPONSOR: Texas Parks And Wildlife Department Tissue from muscle and liver of fish samples from several Texas lakes are analyzed for selenium, mercury, arsenic, chromium and zinc. These measurements are part of an envimamental project for the State of Texas to examine the conditions of waters subjected to certain types of power plant or industrial effluent releases.

PROJECT: Determination of Toxic and Other Elements in Mexican Cigarettes SPONSOR: NETL

- The concentration of 27 elements was determined in wrapping paper and cigarette

'h in several Mexican cigarette brands. The results were compared to the concentration of these elements in the American and other national cigarette brands. In a closed environment, the accumulation of cigarette ash may represent a source of potentially toxic elements in particular to children. 'Iherefore, the concentration of the same elements were also measuredin the cigarette ash. .

l PROJECT: Elemental Analyses of Savannah River Site Subsurface Sediments and Representative Surface Soils SPONSOR Dr. David S. Kosson (Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering) Dan Berler (PG)

Elemental +g-Mtions of selected Savannah River Site surface soils and borehole sediments were determined using Neutron activation and x-ray fluorescence te6niques.

Analysis of the data is expedted to provide the following information:

1. Baseline data for remediation and risk assessment studies of site surface soils

2. Unique (marker data for each soild to be used for the identification of unknowns and correlations to subsurface sediments

3. Stratigraphic correlations between boreholes

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' PROJECT: Chemical Profile in K/r Boundary Section in Central Eastern Desert, Egypt SPONSOR Department of Geology, The University of Texas at Austin

?latinum group element Ir that is abundant in meteorites and in the earth's mantle but rare in the crust was found in above normal concentrations in Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary (ETB) samples from Italy, Denmark, and New Zealand. Osmium in the KTB indicates an extrakuwtrial source. Uranium and thorium isotope anomalies have also been reported in KTB sites. In this study neutron activation analysis is used to measure the elements of interest at trace and ultra-trace concentration.

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f 1997 Annual Report PROJECT: Measurement of Se in Fish Tissue SPONSOR PMT Jones and Neuse,Inc., Austin, Texas Selenium concentradon in a refinery discharge was assessed by analyzing biological tissue and suliment samples. This study is a part of a project to study the environmental effect of plant effluent discharge. Neutron activadon analysis was used to determine the concentration of selenium is the samples investigated.

PROJECT: Measurements of Ultra-trace Concentration of Several Elements in

, Silicon Wafer SPONSOR: Dr. Tun Hossian, Advanced Micro Devices.

The concentradon of Na, K, Cr and Cu was menwed in silicon wafer samples. INAA was the technique of choice due to its high sensidvity and minimum handling of the very high j purity material (silicon wafer). INAA minimim the possibility of sample contamination.

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1997 Annual Report 2.4 E***=vch and Develo ment Projects PROJECT: Neutron Dep h Profiling SPONSOR: NETL The University of Texas (UT) NDP instrument utilizes thennal neutrons from the tangential beam port (BP#2) of the reactor. The NDP technique is not normally available to the research community due to the limited number of appropriate neutron sources.

Neutron depth profiling is an isotope specific nondestructive technique used to

, measure the near-surface depth distributions of several technologically important elements in various substrates. NDP is based on neutron induced reacdons to determine concentration

., versus depth profiles. Because of the potential for materials research, particularly for semiconductor resc 4, the UT-NDP facility has been developed and is available for scientific rnessurements.

The UT-NDP facility consists of a collimated thermal neutron beam, a target chamber, a beam catcher, and necessary data acquisition and process electronics. A collimator system was designed to achieve a high quality thermal neutron beam with good intensity and minimum contamination of neutrons above thermal energies.

A target vacuum chamber for NDP was constructed from 40.6 cm diameter aluminum tubing. The chamber can a w- u **a several small samples or a single large sample with a diameter up to 30 cm. The other degrees of freedom for an NDP measurement, location of charged particle detecor and angle between sample and neutron beam, are set with the top cover of the chamberremoved.

Depth profiles of various borophosphosilicate glass from Intel Corporation and Advanced Micro Devices,Inc. have been measured. Measurements were repeated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) NDP facility using the same samples.

The NETL results showed good agreement with the NIST depth profiles.

Baron-10 implanted silicon wafers from Advanced Micro Devices have been used for NDP measurements for the comparison of reported implant dose and profile. Also several  !

4 measurements of Helium-3 implanted in stainless steel samples were carried out in order to j

- examine helium behavior on metals and alloys.

Other possible applications of the UT-NDP facility include study of nitrogen in metals )

l as it affects wear resistance, hardness, and corrosion.

1 2-9

1997 AnnualReport PROJECT: Texas Cold Neutron Source SPONSOR: Advanced Technology Program and the Staa of Texas A cold neutmn source has been designed, constructed, and tested by NETL personnel.

The Texas Cold Neutron Source (TCNS) is located in one of the radial beam po ts FP #3) and consists of a cold source system and a neutron guide system.

The cold source system includes a cooled moderator, a heat pipe, a cryogenic l' refrigerator, a vacuum jacket, and connecting lines. Eighty milliliters of mesitylene l moderator is maintsined by the cold source system at ~36 K in a chamber widdn the reactor graphite reflector. Mesitylene,1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, was selected for the cold moderator l ha- it has been shown to be an effective and safe cold moderator. The moderator j~ chamber fo'r the mesitylene is a 7.5 cm diameter right-circular cylinder 2.0 cm thick. The l neon heat pipe (properly called thermosyphon) is a 3-m long aluminum tube which is used for cooling the Miidui chamber. The heat pipe contains neon as the working fluid that l evaporates at the moderator chamber and condenses at the cold head.

Cold neutrons coming from the moderator chamber are traispuid by a 2-m-long neutron guide inside the beam port and a 4-m-long neutron guide (two 2-m sections) outside l

the beam port. Both the internal neutron guide and the extemal neutron guide are curved with a radius of curvature equal to 300 m. To block line-of-sight radiation streaming in the guides, the cross-sectional area of the guides is separated into three channels by 1-mm-thick vertical walls. All reflecting surfaces are coated with Ni-58.

(

l The TCNS system provides a low background subthermal neutron beam for neutron j reaction and scattering research. Installation and tesdng of the extemal curved neutron guides, the shielding structure, neutron focusing and a Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis i facility are completed. He only other operating reactor cold neutron sources in the United States are at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and  !

Technology, and Cornell University. At least four major centers for cold neutron research exist in Europe, with another two in Japan.

I PROJECT: Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis SPONSOR:- DOE and the State of Texas A Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) facility has been designed, constructed, and tested. De UT-PGAA facility utilizes the focused cold-neutron beam from the Texas Cold Neutron Source. The PGAA sample is located at the focal point of the converging guide focusing system. The use of a guided focused cold-neutron beam provides a higher capture reaction rate and a lower background at the sample-detector area as compared to other facilities using filtered thermal neutron beams.

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1997 AnnualRepon

! The UT-PGAA facility has been designed taking in:o account the advantage of the low background. The following criteria have been used during the design: a) The stmeture and shielding materials for the UT-PGAA facility were chosen to minimize the background l contribution for elements to be detected in the samples to be studied. b) The sample handling j system was designed to be versatile to permit the study of a wide range of samples with quick l and reproducible sample positioning with a minimum of material close to the samples.

A 25% efficient gamma-ray detector in a configuration with an offset-port dewar was i ,, purchased to be used at the UT-PGAA facility. The detector was selected in order to i-yecetc a Compton suppression system at a later date. A gamma-spectrum analysis i

system with 16,000 channels is used for data acquisition and processing.

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The applications of the UT-PGAA will include: i) determination of B and Gd concentration in biological samples which are used for Neutron Capture 'Iherapy studies, ii) huanation of H and B impurity levels in metals, alloys, and semiconductor, iii) multielemental analysis of geological, archeological, and environmental samples for ,

detennination of major components such as A1, S, K. Ca, 'n, and Fe, and minor or trace l clements such as H, B, V, Mn, Co, Cd, Nd, Sm, and Gd, and iv) multielemental analysis of biological samples for the major and minor elements H, C, N, Na, P, S, Cl, and K, and trace elements like B and Cd. l i

t PROJECT: Alpha Radiation Damage in Plutonium Facap=dadag Materials SPONSOR: Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium (ANRCP)

This ANRCP sponsored project is a study to determine radiation damage and microstructural changes in stainless steel and beryllium samples by helium (alpha panicle) irradiation using a near surface nuclear technique called Neutron Depth Profiling, along with Transmission Electron Microscopy measurements, and Rutherford Backscattering and Channeling Analysis. The long term effects of high dose alpha particle irradiation to the stainless steel and beryllium cover which surrounds the weapons grade Pu will be  !

investigated. Alpha particles with an energy spectrum up to 5 MeV will be implanted into the stainless steel and beryllium samples up to a depth of about 9 mm. The implanted dose rate is expected to be greater than 1015 alphas /cm2. year which contsponds to a dose of greater than 10 17 alpha /cm2 in 100 years. Such a high dose may cause degradation of mechanical strength in the surface layer of these materials, but more importantly, if the He diffuses to defects and forms lacaN bubbles of He gas, the intemal pressure may cause exfoliation and/or could lead to the formation of cracks in the stainless steel or beryllium. These cracks could propagate and lead to failure of the encapsulating materials.

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1997 AnnualReport PROJECT: Collimaw Design for Neutron Radiography SPONSOR: Department of Mechanical Engineering A collimator design is being developed for beam port #5 of the TRIGA reactor. The collimmenr will provide neutrons for imaging various objects for analysis by neutmn radiography. An image intensifier, display and acquisition system and analysis software are being acquired. De system will provide standard neutron radiography and provide for researchinto neutron tomography.

PROJECT: Cyclic Activation for Detection of Aluminum and Sodium.

SPONSOR: Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA)

A gift of funds from ALCOA is being used to study the application of neutron isotopic sources for the measurement ofindustrial process solutions. Neutron activation analysis detects and measures the concentrations of short-lived radio-nuclides. The work examines the measurement requirements, irradiation cell design, and effects of neutron source including use of fast or thermal neutrons. Analysis methods including simple activation and cyclic activation are being applied. Models of the irradiation and measurement process and the facility design have been developed for general application.

PROJECT: Texas Intense Positron Source SPONSOR: Advanced Technology Program and the State of Texas A reactor-based slow positron beam facility is being developed at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory (NETL). This is ajoint effort between UT-Austin and UT-Arlington researchers. The facility (Texas Intense Posinon Source -TIPS) will be one of the few reactor-based slow positron beams in the world when completed. Texas Intense Positron Source consists of a copper source, a source transport system, a combined positron moderator /remoderator assembly, a positron beam line and a sample chamber. High energy positrons fmm the source will be slowed down to a few eV by a solid Kr moderator that also acts as a remoderator to reduce the beam size to enable beam

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i e transport to a target for experime.ntation. The beam will be electrostatically guided and will deliver about 10 8positrons /sec in tie. energy range of 0 - 50 kev.

- Reactor-based positron beams utilizing a copper source have been implemented at Brookhaven National I.aboratory (BNL) and at Delft University of Technology, The  :

Netherlands. Here are several differences between TIPS and these reactor based positron beams. The somce/ moderator array of the Delft positron beam is located inside one of the neutron beam ports of their reactor and the positron beam is transported out of the reactor and then remoderated before it enters into an experimental chamber. For the BNL positron beam, I4 2 a 200 mg copper pellet is irradiated in the High Flux Beam Reactor (8.3x10 n/cm sec)and then transported to their positron beam facility at a different location where the copper is l 2-12

1997 AnnualReport

' evaporated onto a source holder. He BNL positron beam uses solid Kr to moderate the fast positrons while at Delft a tungsten moderator is applied. The TIPS will have a joint .

moderatorhe=~i~mtor stage using solid Kr, an approach that is similar in concept to that suggested for a magnetically guided positron beam. A major advantage is that our moderatorhemoderator stage is operated in a magnetic field free environment such that electric fields can be established to increase its overall efficiency.

Based on general experience on reactor based positron sources, we have decided that the moderator /.d.ici assembly and the positron beam optics should be entirely outside the reactor biological shield. A source transport system will be placed in a 4 meter long vacuumjacket that will be inserted into one of the neutron beam ports of the NETL l-MW TRIGA Mark 11 research reactor. The vacuum jacket will be eve *~i to high vacuum and will have a rectangular section to allow for some shielding materials inside the beam port.

The transport system will be used to move the source to the irradiation location and out of the biological shield. De source will be moved away from the neutron beam line to an ultra high vacuum (at around 10-10 orr)t chamber, where the moderator /mmederator assembly is located. The high vacuum and ultra high vacuum systems will be separated by a gate valve.

The copper source of TIPS will be irradiated across from the core in the graphite reflector, in the middle section of the through port. The isotope 64Cu formed by neutron capture in 63Cu (69 % in natural copper) has a halflife of 12.7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br />, and the branching ratio for b + emission is 19 %. Our current source design consists of 400 copper cylinders with I 2

cm height and 0.5 cm diameter mounted on a 10x10 cm ,,pp,, pg ,,, f,,,;,, , ,q,,,,

lattice. The source activity will be around 100 Ci of which 14 Ci or more is available for positron beam production. De combined efficiency of the moderatorbemoderator assembly is approximately 10-3 and, therefore, TIPS should deliver about 10 8positrons /sec at the sample chamber.

Praliminney designs and construction of the source transport system and the vacuum jacket are completed. De designs and construction of the copper source, moderatorhemoderator assembly, and the position beam optics are completed and testing of these Eq+:-mts are currently in progress. He high-intensity low-energy positron beam of TIPS will be applied to defect characterization of metals, semiconductors, and polymers.

PROJECT: Gallium Interactions with Zirealloy naming SPONSOR: DOE and Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium This ANRCP sponsored project is a join effort between The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University researchers. The effort is aimed toward determining a bound on Ga concentration in MOX pellets such that the Ga does not produce unacceptable damage to the cladding 1

2-13 l l

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1997 AnnualReport Although the real test will be the fuel qualification work, we should be able to experimentally simulate and examine some aspects of the Ga-cladding interaction. The Ga that is released from the pellet will be incident on the cladding while the cladding is also being irradiated with fission fragments, neutrons, betas, and gammmm. Clearly, the Ga i

interaction will not be under thermal equilibrium conditions. The irradiation of the cladding, epally by the fission fragments, will probably lead to enhanced diffusion and possibly to enhanced chemical reactions. We do not know the Ga release rate from the pellet nor whether the Ga will be monatomic or in chemical fortn,i.e., possibly in an oxide of Ga. In the molecular case the irradiation conditions will probably lead to breakup of the molecule so that in both cases the Ga will probably diffuse into the cinMmg.

Each ppm of Ga in the fuel corresponds to about SE16 Ga atoms /cm3. Smce a pellet is about I cm3 surrounded by about 3 cm2 of cladc'ing, if all the Ga were released from the i fuel, the cladding would be imamad by roughly IE16 Ga atoms /cm3. For example,100 ppm

! would give roughly 1E18 Ga atoms /cm2 ,

To approximate the situation, we are implanting Ga ions into Zircaloy to a shallow depth of about 400 A (100 kev ions). Fluences are in the IE17 to IE18 range while maintaining the target at typical cladding temperatures. If there were no diffusion nor i

sputtering, a IE17 fluence would give a peak concentration of 40% in Zr (corre=panding to a standard deviation in projected range of 229 A). The Ga depth profile can then be measured approximately using Rutherford backscattering (RBS) of energetic He ions. Unfortunately, since the mass of Ga is less than that of Zr, the sensitivity will only be in the percent range. l l Even so, major effects may be observable. Perhaps, the Ga totally indiffuses or totally outdiffuses or forms a well-defined compound layer.

The depth profile measurements will be supplemented with scanning electron .;

microscopy for morphology, transmission electron microscopy for structure measurements, and electron microprobe measurements of especially the lateral distribution of Ga as well as the identification of possible compounds. Laterally, it may be possible to determine whether Ga diffuses to grain boundaries.

PROJECT: - Water-Reactor O stions for Disposition of Weapons Plutonium SPONSOR: DOE and Amaril o National Resource Center for Plutonium Benchmarking efforts in support of the US/RFjoint study on water reactors were carried out this year by the UT group of this project. A large body of results, the content of which we had agreed upon via discussions with ORNL, was delivered to ORNL in January for inclusion in the Feb.1 report that was sent to Russia. These results included: evaluations (himentation and interpretation) of three sets of experimental benchmarks ("PNL",

"Saxton-65", and part of "Saxton-67"); MCNP results of all possible variants of one of the RF 2-14

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1997 AnnualReport VVER-style computational benchmarks; and CASMO results of the entire set of US PWR-style computational benchmarks. Also, MCNP criticality calculations of many of the Saxton-65 experiments were completed early in the quarter, and a draft report was delivered to ORNL in November. Work began on the MOXDAR Virtual Library.

Progress continued on the Mixed Oxide Data Repository (MOXDAR). He server was upgraded to Windows NT 4.0 and a Variety search engine was installed. More documents were raad indexed, and placed on the MOXDAR Virtual Library. ,

PROJECT: Development of Non Destructive Assay Methods for Weapons

- Plutonium and MOX Fuel Safeguards SPONSOR: DOE and Amarillo National Resource Center for Plutonium The focus of this pmject is to develop and eventually aid in the implementation of practical nondestructive fissile assay techniques to promote the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. Our activities during this year covered both computational and experimental related work. We continued our computational effort focusing on the neutronics of a new nondestructive assay concept that uses graphite slowing down time spm ho sy. We have developed a computational model of a cylindrical graphite slowir t down time spectmmeter, and performed a number of assay simulations using a detailed BWR fuel assembly model. In addition, we investigated the isotopic resolvirg power and self shielding effect in the fuel assembly for the graphite spectrometer.

On the experunentally related part, the pulsed neutron generator, transferred from he University of Michigan, has been set up at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Lat=.iory and is operated routinely. Measurements using a 101 X 105 X 122 cm hectangular parallelepipet graphite pile have been initiated.

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1997 Annual Report 2.5 Significant Modifications No significant modifications have been made to the NETL building,'IRIGA reactor or experiment facilities. A summary of the types of modifications that did occur during the year folicws. A significant effort from the previous year continues in progress during this year to test a cold neutron source for the reactor.

Building. Routine repair and maintenance of budding equipment were the only activities. No changes to the building systems effect the safety of operation of the reacter.

Esaslag. No changes were made to the reactor core or basic instrumentation systems during the year. Funds have been obtained to upgrade two control rod drives taken from the Taylor Hall facility. He two drives will be replaced with stepper motor drives. An amendment to the Technical Specificadons will be necessary to conect language regarding simultaneous motion of two or more control rods during automatic operation. His work remains in pmgress from the previous year.

Experiment Facilities. Standard experiment facilities for the reactor are the center tube, pnenmade tube, rotary specimen rack and beam ports. No significant modifications were made to the original instalianon for any of the standard experiment facilities.

The pneumatic tube (PNT), including support equipment is not currently part of the installation. In<tallation of the pneumatic system was a low priority during this year, although planning and installation was in progress. He installation is 85% complete. An experiment authorization for the PNT was completed. Finalinstalladon and test of the irradiation terminal should occur during 1997. Modifications to the system are in the planning stage.

Testing of components of the neutron cold source has been in progress at various reactor power levels up to full power. He cold neutron source system insertion into the beam

, port #3, takes advantage of the reflector penetrating port and 16 inch (40.6 cm) diameter j access at the reactor shield exit. Operating tests of the cold source at 250 kw,500 kw, and

{

950 kw were completed in 1994. No unusual operating conditions that relate to safety of the experiment system have been found. A review of pressure and temperature data from the TCNS is still in progress, however, to improve the understanding of the power performance.

A series of tests in 1995 demonstrated the advantage of an improvement in refrigeration capacity. A moderate gain in refrigeration capacity was sufficient to extend indefinitely the  ;

stable operating time for the cold neutron source. An upgrade of the refrigerator was made in I 1997.

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1997 Annual Report Other changes to the Texas Cold Neutron Source were the installation of a focusing element in the facility beam line. A number of experiments arr, still in progress to determine the alignment and focusing properties of the new element. A prompt gamma analysis system was installed on the TCNS beam line. Initial use of the pron;pt gamma analysis system has been with the cold neutrons from the wave guide but 'vithout the additional cooling or presence of the mesitylene moderator.

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1997 AnnualRepon 2.6 Publications, Repons, and Papers Repons, publications, and presentations on reser tch done at NETL are produced each year by NETL personnel. The following list documents research done by NETL faculty, staff, and students during the reporting period.

M.S. Thesis /Reoorts

- 1. Georgeta Radulescu,"MCNP Critical Benchmarks for Mixed Oxide Lattices of the Saxton Plutonium Program", MS Thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, August 1997.

2. Edward J. Reott," Mixed Oxide Fuel Data Repository", MS Thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, May 1997.

3. William J. Spiesman,"A Thermal Neutron Tomogmphy Data Acquisition System, MS Thesis", The University of Texas at Austin, August 1997.

Publications Summaries:

1. F. Y. Iskander, S. Landsberger, " Neutron Activation Analysis at the University of Texas or Austin," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 5 8 (1997).

2. M. A. Elsawi, N. M. Abdurrahman, B. W. Wehring, A. L Hawari,"Use of Graphitefor Slowing-Down-Time Spectrometry," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. h 139 (1997).

3. A. I. Hawari, N. M. Abdurrahman, B. W. Wehring, " Compact New-Technology Neutron Generatorsfor Nondestructive Assay ofNuclear Materials Using Slowing-Down-Time Spectrometry," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 5143 (1997).

4. M. Yavuz, N. M. Abdurrahman, " Inverse Simplified Sn Methodfor Multi-group Eigenvalues ofSlab Geometry Transport Problems," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 5 216 (1997).

e

5. G. Radulescu, N. M. Abdurrahman, "MCNP Critically Benchmark Calculations of the l

Saxton Plutonium Program Experiments," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.16,231 (1997).

(' .-

l 6. M. Yavuz, N. M. Abdurrahman," Analysis ofPNL Critical Experiments Using Rectangular Parallelepipeds Containing MOX Fuels," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.16,247 (1997).

7. S. Landsberger, M. Kaminski, " Extent ofIndustrial Heavy-Metal Contamination ofSoil in East St. Louis, Illinois," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 21,16 (1997).

8. S. Landshctger, S. R. Biegalski, " Evaluation ofDetection Limits and Analytical Blanks

, for Trace Element Determination ofAirborne Particles by NAA," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.

12, 34 (1997).

2-18

1997 AnnualReport

9. K. Schwartz, S. Landskerger, " Geometric Consideradons in Neutron Activation Analysis," Trans. Am. Nuct Soc. 22,36 (1997).

10. S.1 andnberger, E. S. Kirstein, " Neutron Absorpdon SeV-Shielding Factors in Activation Analysis," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 22,40 (1997).

11. N. M. Abdurrahman, Y. G. Jo, W. J. Spiesman, T. L. Bauer, "Ver#ication ofthe MCNP Modelfor the University of Texas TRIGA Reactor," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 22,132 (1997).

12. N. M. Abdurrahman, M. A. Elsawi, " Resolution Funcdon in Slowing-Down Time Spectroueters," N. M. Abdurrahman, M. A. Elsawi, R. Harris, Trans. Am, Nucl. Soc.

22,188 (1997).

13. N. M. Abdurtshman, M. Yavuz, "Congparison ofEnergy Spectrum with and Without S{af) Treaanentfor PNL MOX Fuel Split-Table Critical Emeriments," Trans. Am.

Nuct Soc.22,211 (1997).

14. N. M. Abdurrahman, M. Yavuz, G. Radula' n, "MCNP Analysis ofPNL Split-Table Cridcol Emerimentr Containing Mixed-Odde Fuels," Trans. Am. NucL Soc. 22,213 (1997).

15. N. M. Abdutrahman, H. Akkurt, " Criticality Benchmark Calculations of the ESADA Plutonium Program Experiments with MCNP," Trans. Am. NucL Soc. 22368 (1997).-

16. K. Onlu, M. Saslam, R. R. Hart, J. D. Shipp, " Efect ofLong-Term Alpha Radiation on Stainless Steel Used in Plutonium Encqpsulation," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 26,142 (1997).

17. K. Onlu, S. G5ktepeli, B. W. Wehring, A. R. K5ymen, F. M. Jacobsen, A. H. Weiss,

" Design Features of theTexas Intense Positron Source " Tans. Am. Nucl. Soc.16,115 (1997).

18. S. G5ktepeli, K. Onlu, T. L. Bauer, B. W. Wehring, " Analysis of TRIGA Mark II Reseacrh Reactor Beam Forar with MCNP," Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 25,113 (1997).

19. B. W. Wehring, C. Rios-Martinez, K. Onlu, " Testing of the University of Texas Fronqpt Gamma Activation Analysis Facility,"Trans. Am. Nuct Soc.26,118 (1997).

20. K. Onlu, M. saglam, B. W. Wehring, " Neutron Depth Profiling Measurementsfor Ingplanted iloron-10 Characterization in Semiconductor Materials," Trans. Am. Nucl.

Soc. 22,21 (1997).

21. K. Onlu, M. Saslam, C. Rios-Martinez, Ron R. Hart, J. D. Shipp, " Alpha Radiation Damage in Plutonium Encapsulating Materials," Plutonium Future-The Science, Topical Conference on Plutomum and Actinides, LA-13338-C,123, August 1997.

22. Ron R. Hart, J. Rennie, K. Onlu, C. Rios-Martinez " Gallium Interactions with Zircalloy Cladding," Plutonium Future-The Science, Topical Conference on Plutonium and Actinides, LA-13338-C,105, August 1997.

2-19

i 1997 AnnualReport

23. K. Onlu, B. W. Wehring, T. Z. Hossain, J. K. Iowell, " Concentration and Depth Measurements ofBoron in Semiconductor Materials using Neutron Depth Profiling, )

• Ihe Elecnochemical Society,191st Meeting, Diagnostics Techniques for Semiconductor Materials and Devices Symposium, Vol 97-1,627 (1997). I ERDCEE

1. K. Onlu, B. W. Wehring, " Neutron Depth Profillng Applicadons at The University of Texas Research Ren.mr," J. of Radionnal. Nucl. Chem. Vol22, No. 2, (1997).

2. K. Onlu, M. Saslam, B. W. Wehrins, T. Z. Hossain, E. Custodio, J. K. Iowell,

" Nondestructive Determination ofBoron Doses in Semiconductor Materials using

,. Neutron Depth Profiling," IEEE Proceedings of the XI Intemational Conference on Ion Implantadon Technology, Austin, TX, YgL1, Issue 1,575 (1997).

3. B. W. Wehring, and K. Onlu, "Applicadons ofCold-Neutron Frongpt Gamma Aedvadon Analysis at the University ofTexas Reactor," Applied 9adiation and Isotope, YnLAR, No.10 12, pp.1343-1348, (1997).

4. C. Rios-Maninez, K. Onlu, and B. W. Wehring," Performance of the University of Texas Cold-Neutron Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis Facility," (in print) J. of Radinanal Nucl. Chem.(1997).

5. F. M. Jacobsen, A. K6ymen, A. H. Weiss, S. Ovunc. E. Srinivasan, S. Gnbaali, K.

Onlu, B. W. Wehring, "An Intense Positron Beam Using a large Area "Cu' Source,"

CP392, Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Edited by J. L. Duggan and L L. Morgan,459, AIP Press, New York (1997).

6. K. Onta, B. W. Wehring, T. Z. Hossain, J. K. Iowell, " Concentration and Depth Measurements ofBoron in Semiconductor Materials using Neutron Depth ProfIllng, Diagnostics Techniques for hminnnancenr Materials and Devices, Edited by P. Rai-Choudhury, J. L. Benton, D. K. Schroder, and T. J. Shaffner, SPIE Vol 33'M 458 (1997).

7. K. Onlu, C. Rios-Maninez, and B. W. Wehring, "Pronqpt Gamma Activation Analysis using a Focused Cold Neutron Beam," (in print) 9th International Symposium on  !

Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy and Related Topics.  !

l

+

8. K. Onlu, M. Saslam, B. W. Wehring, T. Z. Hossain, E. Custodio, and J. K. Lowell, l

" Nondestructive Determination of Baron Domes in Swk(+4uctor Materials usmg

'. Neutrun Depth Profiling," IEEE Pea ~ iia s, XIInternational Conference on Ion Implantation Technology, Vol.1,575 (1997).

1

9. N. E. Hertel, H. R. Vega-Carrillo, B. W. Wehring, A. J. Teachout, and P. A. Jerabek,

" Neutron Field Characterization in the Vicinity of a PET Cyclotron," Pea ~iings of the 13th Midyear Topical Meeting of the Health Physics Society: Health Physics of Radiation Generating Machines, January 5-8,1997, San Jose, CA, pp. 461-69.

10. T. Z. Hossain, K. Onlu, C. Rios-Martinez, B. W. Wehring, and J. K. Lowell, Hydrogen Measurements in b k(+4uctor'Ihin Films using Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis, Founh Intemational WudiJep on the Measurement, Characterization and Modeling of 2-20

i 1997 AnnualReport Ultra-Shallow Do zing Profiles in Semiconductors, April 6-9,1997, Research Triangle Park, North Carolna.

11. kkander, F. Y., Vega-Carrilo, H. R. and Manzanres-Acuna, E. (1997). An environmental study of air dust from 7mentec== City, Mexico. Envimn Int. 23:497-506.

12. Vega-Carrillo, H. R., Iskander, F. Y., and Manzantes-Acuna, E. (1997). Elemental distribution in =~Iida=1 plants used in folklore medicine in Mexico. Intern, J. Envimn.

Anal. Chem. 66:95-105.

i I

, Presentations (speaker uaAlined) j

1. T. Z. Hossain. K. OnlG, Carlos Rios-Maninez, B. W. Wehring, and J. E I owell, Hydrogen Measurements in Semiconductor Thin Films using Prompt Gar,. .z Activation Analysis, Fourth Intemational Worksho 2 on the Measurement, Characterization and Modeling of Ultra-Shallow Doping Profales in Semiconductors, Research Triangle Park,  ;

North Carolina, April 6-9,1997.  !

2. C.Rios-Martinez,K Cain and B. W. Wehring, "Perfonnance of the University of ,

Texas Cold-Neutron Prongpt Gamma Activatwn Analysis Facility," Fourth Internanonal Conference on Methods and Applications of Radionnaltical Chemistry, Kailua-Kona, ,

Hawai, April 6-11,1997.

3. L Oakl B. W. Wehring, T. Z. Hommain, J. K.1.awell, "Concentrados and Depth Measurements ef, Boron in Semiconductor Materials using Neutron Depth Profiling,"

'Ibe Electrochenncal Society,191st Meeting, Diagnostics Techniques for Semiconductor Materials and Devices Symposium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 4-9,1997.

4. K. Catn "Use ofResearch Reactors in Mulddisciplinary Ressarch and Educadon,"

Cornell University, Ward Center for Nuclear Sciences, Ithea, New York, July 24,1997.

5. K. Oain. M. Saglam, C. Rios-Martinez, Ron R. Hart, J. D. Shipp, " Alpha Radiation  ;

Damage in Plutonium Encqpsulating Materials," Plutonium Future-The Science, l cal Conference on Plutonium and Adalda, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 25-27, j

6. Ron R. Hart. J. Rennie, K. On10, C. Rios-MAaez " Gallium Interactions with Zircalloy l Cladding," Plutonium Future-The Science, To)ical Conference on Plutonium and AMaidae, Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 25-27,1997.

I

7. F. Y.1chader. S. Landsberger," Neutron Activation Analysis at the University ofTexas at Austin," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, June 1-5,1997.

8. S. Gaktepeli. K. Onlu, T. L. Bauer, B. W. Wehring, " Analysis of TRIGA Mark II ,

Reseacrh Reactor Beam Ports with MCNf, 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual t l

Meeting, Orlando, Florida, June 1-5,1997.

, i

9. K. On1H. S. G5ktepeli, B. W. Wehring, A. R. K5ymen, F. M. Jacobsen, A. H. Weiss,

" Design Features of the Texas Intense Positron Source," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, June 1-5,1997.

l l

2-21

1997 AnnualReport

10. B. W. Wehrine. C. Rios-Martinez, K. Onlu, " Testing of the University of Texas Prompt Genma Activation Analysis Facility," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Morida, June 1-5,1997.

11. M. A. Elsawi, N. M. Abdurrahman, B. W. Wehring, A. I. Hawari. "Use of Graphitefor Slowing-Down-Time Spectrometry," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Morida, June 1-5,1997.

12. K. On1n M. Saglam, R. R. Hart, J. D. Shi , " Ffect ofLong-Term Alpha Radiation on Stainless Steel Usedin Plutontwn Encqps n,"1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meetag, Orlando, Morida, June 1-5,1997.

13. A. I. Hawari, N. M. Abdurrahman, B. W. Wehring. "C New-TechnologyNeutron Generatorsfor Nondestructive Assay ofNuclear Mater' Using Slowing-Down-Time

. Spectrometry," 1997 As.&.s Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Morida, June 1-5,1997.

14. M. Yavuz. N. M. Abdurrahman, " inverse Simplyled Sn Methodfor Multi-groyp Eigenvalues ofSlab Geometry Transport Problems 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Mo.ida, June 1-5,1997.

15. G. Radulescu, N. M. Abdurrnhman. "MCNP Critically Benchmark Calculations of the Saxton Plutonium Program Experimensr," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Morida, June 1-5,1997.

16. M. Ynvuz. N. M. Abdurrahmnn, " Analysis of PNL Critical Experiments Using Rectangular Parallelepi;wh Containing MOX Fuels," 1997 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, Moridt. June 1-5,1997.

17. S. Indsberper. M. Kaminski, " Extent ofIndustria! Heavy-Metal Contamination ofSoil in East St. leuls, Illinois," 1997 American Nuclear Society Wm' ter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

18. K Onlu, MJiaglam, B. W. Wehring, " Neutron Depth Profiling Measurementrfor implanted Boron-10 Characterization in Semiconductor Materials 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

19. S. Indsberger. S. R. Biegalski, " Evaluation ofDetection limits and Analytical Blanks for Trace Element Determination ofAirborne Particles by NAA," 1997 American

, Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

20. K. Schwartz, S. Landskerper. " Geometric Considerations in Neutron Activation

, Analysis 1997 Amerx:an Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

21. S. Indnberper. E. S. Kirstein, " Neutron Absorption SeV-Shielding Factors in Activaticn Analysis," 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

22. N. M. Abdurrahman, Y. G. Jo. W. J. Spiesman, T. L Bauer, "Veryication of the MCNP Modelfor the University of Texas TRIGA Reactor," 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

2-22

1997 Annual Report

23. N. M. Abdurrnhman. M. A. Elsawi, R. Harris,"Resoludon Function in Slowing-Down

! Time Spectrometers," 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquentue, l New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

24. N. M. Abdurrahman, M. Yavuz. " Comparison ofEnergy Spectrum with and Without S(ap) Treannentfor PNL MOX Fuel Split-Table Critical Emeriments," 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

25. N. M. Abdurrahmart, M. Yavuz. G. Radulescu, "MCNP Analysis of PNL Split-Table CrldcolEq;erimener ContainiM Mixed-Oxide Fuels," 1997 Amencan Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

26. N. M. Abduttnkmnn. H. Akkurt, " Criticality Benchmark Calculations of the ESADA Plutonium Program Experiments with MCNP," 1997 American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16-20,1997.

l l

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2-23  !

1

1997 AnnualReport 3.0 FACILITY OPERATIFC '"MMARIES l l

3.1 Operating Experience l The UT-TRIGA reactor at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus became operational during 1992. Operating times remain about the same for each of the first six years of operadon.

Total energy production condnues to increase by approximatley the same amount each year.

The total burnup after six years of operadon is 14.2 MW-days. A total of 65.4 MW-hours were generated in the sixth year of operation. The reactor was critical for approximately 154 hours0.00178 days <br />0.0428 hours <br />2.546296e-4 weeks <br />5.8597e-5 months <br />. A summary of the burnup history is shown in Figure 3-1.

i FuelBumupHistory l MW Hrs

. g...

Year Figure 3-1 Operadng History 3.2 ReactorShutdowns The reactor safety system classifies protective action trips as one of three types, a limiting safety system (LSSS) trip, a limiting condition for operation (LCO) trip or a trip of the SCRAM manual switch. In the event the switch is used for a normal reactor shutdown, the operation is not considered a protective action shutdown. The following definitions in Table 3-1 classify the types of protective actions recorded.

I s 3-1

1 1997 Annual Report Table 3-1 Protective Action Definitions l Protective Action Descripdon l

Safety System Setting Wat m.npeeds to detection of limiting i LSSS safety system setting.

l . Examples: -

fuel temperature mnt power i

Condition for Operation li ardware action detects inoperable conditions l*

LCO-(analog detection) within a safety channel or the instrument control

- and safety system.

Examples:

! pool waterlevel detector high voltage l external circuit trips Condition for Operanon Software action detects inoperable conditions

! LCO -(digitaldetection) within a program function of the instrument consol and safety system.

l Franples:

l wate @g dmers I

yzusians database errors Manual Switch Operator emergency shutdown (protective action)

! Manual Switch Operator routine shutdown (intentionaloperation)

Scrams are further categorized according to the technical specification requirement given in Table 3-2. External scrams which provide protection for experiment systems are system operable conditions.

i5 i The total number of safety system protective actions during 1997 was five. Of the total protective action shutdowns one was an action of a safety system setting, and four were an action of a system operable condition (see Table 3-3).

l l 3-2 l

1

1997 AnnualReport Table 3-2 Instrumentation, Control and Safety System Protective Action Events (1)

Technical Specification Requirement Its Na l

I l SCRAM Type '

l* Safety System Setpoint (LSSS) 1 0 System Operable Condition (LCO)

l. Analog detecdon (hardware) 2 0 i Digita detection (software) 0 2  !

Manual Switch l

! Pimdve action 0 0 l Intentional operation (2) . .

)

l Total Safety System Events 3 2 (1) Toms of the SCRAM circuits ase not recorded (2)latennonal SCRAMS (non-protective action) are not reconied A review is always done to determine if routine corrective actions are sufficient to prevent the recurrence of a particular reactor safety system shutdown.

l Table 3-3 l Shm..sy of Safety System l Protective Actions 1

o l Trin Action Number of Occurrences l l

l t l Safety System Setpoint 1 System Operable Condition 4 Total 5 l 1 3-3 I

(

l 1997 Annual Report

! PreviousSCRAMHistory l

n m

\

8 8 Ie8 $n8 Year l Figure 3-2 Summary of All SCRAM Events 3.3 Utilization Primary utilization of the reactor during the year was by NETL staff. Neutron l activation analysis represents roughly half the utilization of reactor time and MW-hours with beam port projects representing the other half of reactor use. Development testing of the l Texas Cold Neutron Source (TCNS) was completed during the year. The basic testing phase of the TCNS was complete in 1994. Analysis continued to understand the full power and I

operating characteristics. Final evaluation of the initial design was completed during the 1997 year. The TCNS facility is available for use as a routine experiment with or without the j 1

operation of the refrigerator.

A 9 mmary of the reactor utilization for 1997 is presented in Table 3-4 with the monthly distribution shown in Figure 3-3. Table 3-5 summarizes the sample irradiations and experiments. Figure 3-4 records the historical trend of sample irradiations. l i

i e  !

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3-4 l

1997 AnnualReport  !

Table 3-4  :

Summary of 1996 UT-TRIGA Operation Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total

~

1. of " Kev On" Hours Operator #1 0.0 0.6 7.5 9.0 17.1 Operator #2 9.3 16.8 11.9 54.4 92.4 testing / maintenance 5.0 8.9 30.7 0.0 44.6 Total hours 14.3 26.3 50.1 63.5 154.1 MW-Hours Energy Operator #1 0.0 <0.1 3.7 5.2 8.9 Operator #2 8.0 11.3 7.6 28.5 55.4 testing / maintenance <0.1 <0.1 1.1 0.0 1.1 l

Total 8.0 11.3 12.4 33.7 65.4 l MonthlyFuelBumup 20.0-

.- E

. 15.0-MW Hrs 10.0- '  ;.

as em ? E 5.0 - m 0.0 E

aE 1

5 a

1 I

Figure 3-3 Operating Data 1997 l l

I 3-5

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l l 1997 AnnualReport l

Table 3-5 Summary of Utilization 1997 UT-TRIGA Experiments Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total No. of Samnles In-core 10 86 189 597 882 Ex-core 2 11 4 3 17 l*

No. of Exneriments j i Type A 6 6 8 7 27 Type B 1 5 14 31 51 Other 0 - 1 0 1 Total 7 11 23 38 79 Number of Sample irradiations -1997 400 '

E 300- '

Number of 200- '

• Samples g, i

O'

,E Sa sN <hY s ,E M <E wE oD zo o8 Figure 3-4 Operating Data 1997 3-6 1

1997 Annual Report 3.4 Maintenance Maintenance in 1997 was routine. A major upgrade to the control rod drive system was made during the year. Replacements were made to several digital components of the reactor control system. The most significant digital system repair for the year was replacement of an analog to digital interface board following a short of the low voltage DC circuit to the high voltage AC circuit of the control rod drives. All changes were made to meet or exceed original manufacturer's specifications. No significant safety considerations were detected during the maintenance activities. The control rod drive upgrade made changes to the transient drive circuit and replaced the two sidm rod drives with stepper motor drives and the appropriate control and safety circuits.

During 1997 one noteable abnormal maintenance event ocw.mi. A pool filling with makeup water led to an overfill of the reactor pool. Although the pool design allows for overfills, the consequences of such an event are not negligible. Persons in the facility noted the occurrence immediately. Since steps to prevent such an event were aheady in place, a review was necessary to avoid a repeat of the incident.

A design flaw in the argon-41 monitoring system was found in 1994. 'Ibe manufacturer of the argon counting system provided a replacement circuit. A test of the replacement circuit was n====ful and the circuit was rejected. Final resolution of the l design enor was done by the manufacturer during 1997. 'Ihis system now operates as l

designed.

Upgrade of &c control rod drive system with replacement of AC power rod drives with DC power rod drives was done as a facility change.

Upgrade of the two shim rod drives was done to iisionize the control rod drives.

'Ibe motors on the drives were a retro fit to handle the torque demands of the fuel follower

, control rods installed as part of the reactor startup program. A major benefit of the upgrade was the removal of 110 VAC circuits that are a source of electronic noise to the digital control

, system and a short hazard to the digital circuits. Accidental shorts to the 110 VAC circuits

! have been the cause of at least two major (cost) repairs to other parts of the Instrument Control and Safety System. All changes to the three control rod drives were donc as a L 10CFR50.59 review. Equivalent control circuits are in use at other research reactor sites.

3-7

r 3

1997 AnnualReport 3.5 Facility Changes

[

One significant experiment authorization begun during 1993 W- complete during the 1997 year. The experiment authorization was for the installation, test and operation of the Texas Cold Neutron Source (TCNS). No unreviewed safety question was found during review of the Safety Analysis Report for the Texas Cold Neutron Source. Several tests of the system were done during 1994 to determine heat removal capabilities of the system. The other facility change for the 1997 year was the upgrade of the reactor control rod drive system. ,

I Tests durin5 1994 and 1995 determined the effect of nuclear heating on the TCNS heat removal capability. Changes have been made to improve the system. Work, including installation and tests, on the neutron-wave guide system were done throughout 1994 and 1995. A prompt gamma analysis facility was designed and installed on the neutron wave guide during 1996 and 1997. Use of cool neutrons from the wave guide or colder neutrons from the cold mesitylene source is possible for Prompt Gamma Activiation Analysis. Test results and a test analysis report for the TCNS is complete.

The main components of the TCNS are a cold source cryostat system and a neutron guide tube system. Components of the cold source cryostat system are a vacuum system, 1 neon gas handling system, and mesitylene moderator. He TCNS was designed to shift the energy of thermal neut'ons available at the reactor to subthermal neutrons at an experiment.

De process is done by moderating the neutrons at low temperature and transporting the cold neutrons to the experiment. Mesitylene, a room temperature liquid, is frozen to solid form in a chamber to act as the cooling moderator. A neon liquid-gas heat pipe provides cooling of the mesitylene moderator. Both moderator chamber and neon heat pipe are contained in a vacuum system with insulation from thermal heat sources.

The upgrade of the rod drives made the following changes to the control rod drives:

(1) Regulating rod drive, already a stepper motor drive, was upgraded to the same type stepper motor that was to be installed in the two shim rod drives. Changes to the regulating rod drive replaced the rod drive motor and the drive translator.

Control and safety circuits for the regulating rod were not changed.

(2) ne two shim rod drive upgrades were done by physical modifications to the drive mounting components, replacement of the drive motor, addition of a motor translator, and changes to the control circuits. High voltage 110 VAC control circuits were replaced with low voltage DC circuits. Inspection and test of the system war done prior to routine operational use. l

0) One corrective action was necessary after discovery of undesirable electrical  !

interference between the remaining high voltage 110 VAC circuits with the 3-8 i

i 1997 Annual Report control circuits of the three stepper motor drive control systems. Evaluation of the transient rod drive circuit 110 VAC control lines found snubbing filters with j inadequate noise isolation for the more sensitive low voltage DC circuits.

l Modifications were made to the transient rod drive circuit to remove the

., electrical noise. Plans are to replace the transient drive motor that operates at 110 VAC with the stepper motor taken from the regulating rod drive. This change, to be done in the future, will remove the last remaining rod control system high voltage circuits from the reactor rod drives.

[}'

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3-9

1997 AnnualReport 3.6 Laboratory Inspections Inspections oflaboratory operations are conducted by university and licensing agency personnel.. Two committees, a Radiation Safety Committee and a Nuclear Reactor Committee, review operations of the NETL facility. These committees convened at the times listed in Table 3-6.

Table 3-6 Committee Meetings

(

l Radiation Safety Committee

- Spriug Tenn April 30,1997 FallTerm November 5,1997 Nuclear Reactor Committee First Quarter January 22,1997 Second Quarter June 25,1997 Third Quarter September 25,1997 Fourth Quarter November 3,1997 Inspectiosis by liming agencies include federal license acdvities by the U. S.

Nuclear Regulatory Comaicion (NRC), Nuclear Reactor Regulation Branch (NRR), and i state license activities by the Texas Department of Health (TDH) Bureau of Radiation Control l (BRC). NRC and TDH inspections were held at the times presented in Table 3-7.

Table 3-7 Dates of License Inspections License Dalca 9 R-129 Sept. 29-Oct. 3 SNM-180 Nonc l, LOO 485(48) None l

(1) Site visit by the Office for Evaluauon and Analysis of Performance Data.

3-10

1997 Annual Report  !

l NRC made one inspection during the year. The routine site inspection has been one l I

every two years. The previous routine inspection was during 1995. New NRC policy will change the routine site inspections to one each year.

An inspection of the R-129 activities the week of Sept. 29 determined by selective j examination of records that the licensee was maintaining and operating the reactor as required by the license and applicable regulations. Collective actions for a previous violation (50-602 9501-01-01) were confirmed and the violation closed.

A certificate from the State of Texas for operation of the neutron generator facility in O room 3.102 of the building was received during 1997.

Routine inspections by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) for j

~

compliance with university safety rules and pmcedures are <= dam at varying intervals throughout the year. In response to safety concerns at other sites on the main campus, several additional OEHS inspections have been made. YaWaas cover fire, chemical, and  !

radiological hazards. No significant safety problems were found at NETL, which reflects favorably on the positive safety cultme for all hazard classes at the NETL. Safety concerns  !

included such items as storage of combustibles, compressed gases, and fire extinguisher access.

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3-11 i

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1997 Annual Report

! 3.7 Radiation Exposures A radiation protection program for the NETL facility provides monitoring for personnel radiation exposure, surveys of radiation areas and contamination areas, and l measurements of radioactive effluents. Radiation exposures for personnel, building work areas and areas of the NETL site are shown in the following tables. Site area measurements include exterior points adjacent to the building and exterior points away from the building.

I Table 3-8 summarizes NETL personnel dose exposure data for the calendar year.

l Figure 3-5 locates the building intemal and external dosinstry sites. Dots locate fixed I Il- monitoring points within the building. Numbers identify the immediate. site area radiadon measurement points exterior to the building. These measurements do not indicate any

~

measurable dose from work within the NETL building. Table 3-9 and Table 3-10 summarize l

doses recorded in facility work areas and the' site areas. Table 3-11 contains a list of the basic l Requirements and Frequencies of rneasurements.

Additional measurement data is available from the State of Texas Dei--.est of Health. The state agency records environmental radiological exposures at five sites in the vicinity of the research reactor site. Samples are also taken for analysis of soil, vegetation, l

and sanitary waste effluents.

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1997 Annual Report  !

i 1

l Table 3-8 I AnnualSi ayofPersonnelRMintion Doses Received Within the NETL Reactor Facility Average AnnualDose"(mrem)

Personnel Students Visitors')

Whole Body,DDES 0 ( 0.0002 0 (M)

<I Exnemities,SDgE 0.002 0.0002 N/A (M)

,. Lens of eye,LDEM 0 2.0 N/A (M)

Greatest Individual Dose (mrem)

Personnel Students Visitors

• Whole Body,DDE 15 0.003 0 (M)

Extremities,SDE 80 30 N/A (M)

Lens of eye,LDE .

0.003 30 N/A (M)

Total Person-mrem for Group Personnel Students Visitors

• Whole Body,DDE O (M) 0.003 0 (M)

Extremities,SDE 150 30.003 N/A (M)

Lens of eye,LDE O (M) 0.003 N/A (M)

Notes to Table 3-9 (1) "M" inchcates that each of the beta-gamma or neutron damima*rs durmg the reportmg period was lq less than the vendor's minimum measurable quantity of 10 mrem for x- and gamma rays and i

! thermal neocons,40 mrem for energene botas,20 mrem for fast neutrons. "N/A" indicame that i there was no extremity monitoring conducted or required for the group. J (2) DDE apphes to external whole-body exposure and is the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of I cm l

' i l- (1000mg/cm2),

(3) SDE apphes to skin or extremity external exposure, and is the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.007 cm (7 mg/cm2) averaged over an area of I cm2, (4) LDE applies to the external exposure of the eye has and is taken as the dose equivalent at a tissue  !

depth of 0.3 cm (300 mg/cm2), [

(5) i Pocket nnimeian chambers (PICS) are issued to persons who enter radw=ctive masenalshesencted j areas for periods of short duration, i.e., a few hours or days annually. A total of 273 ia== ace  !

cards were filled out, and none recorded a postive dose value.

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1997 AnnualReport 1

ACCESS ROAD l

J L I

PARKIN[i

)

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• 2 1 E o l 6 i e e e  !

'L e g i

5 PARKDG 4

1 Sidewalk, ETL facility front entrance 2 Reactor bay exterior wall, east 3 Reactor hay exterior wall, vest 4 E TL power transformer 5 E TL service door E ETL roof stack

'1

• Indicates location of dosimetry within the building Figure 3-5 Environmental TLD Locations 3-14 i

l

1997 Annual Report Table 3-9 Total Dose Equivalent Recorded on Area Dosimeters L~a'~I Within the NETL Reactor Facility I watinn in Rena-tor Facility Monitor TotalDose"# (mrem)

'y IQ

%eep D ) Shallow

• n

- Reactor Bay, North Wall 00167 M M M Reactor Bay, East Wall 00168 M M M Reactor Bay, West Wall 00169 2120 2130 M WaterTitatment Room 00170 950 950 M Reactor Pool Area, Roof 00171 M M M Shield Area, Room 1.102 00172 M M M Sample Processing, Room 3.102 00173 M M N/A Gamma Spwhoscopy Lab,3.112 00174 10 10 N/A Rndiarion Experiment Lab,3.106 00175 M M N/A Reception Area,2.102 00176 M M N/A (1) The total recorded dose equivalent values reponed in mrom do no include natural background contribution and soflect the summataan of the results of 12 monthly beta, x- and gamma ray or neuten dosimeters for each locanon. A total dose equivalent of "M" iaamm that each of the dosuneters durmg the penod was below the vendor's minimum measurable quantity of 10 mrem j for x- and gamma mys,40 mrom for energene betas,20 mrom for fast neutrons, and 10 mrem for {

thennat neumons. "N/A" l*maan that there was no neutron monitor at that lamhan j (2) . These dose equivalent values do not represet ra& melan exposure through an extenor wall duectlyinto an unressricted area.

(3) Deep inamnas deep dose equivalent, wluch apphes to external whole-body exposse and is the dose equivalent at a tinue depth of I cm (1,000 mg/cm2),

(4) Shallow indicates shallow dose equivalent, and applies to the external exposure of the skin or an extremity, and is taken as the dose equivalent at a tissue depth of 0.007 cm (7 mg/cm2 ) sveraged over an area of one square cenameter, o

J 3-15

i 1997 Annutd Report Table 3-10 l Total Dose Equivalent Recorded on TLD Environmental Monitors Around the NETL Reactor Facility 1

J Location in Reactor Facility Monitor ID Doseg(mrem) -

- Sidewalk, NETL front entrance 00156 M

! NETL power transformer 00157 M NETL Roof stack 00158 M

- Reactor bay exterior wall, east 00159 M l

Reactor bay exteriorwall, west 00160 M NETL service door 00161 M (1) The total secorded dose equivalent values do not include natural background contribunos and reflect the summation of the results of four quanerly TLD dosimeters for each lacerinne Atotal dose equivalent of "M" Indentes that each of the da= news dunng the penod was below the vendor's muumum measurable quantity of 10 mrem for x- and gamma rays,40 nuem for energetic beta particles. j l

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1997 AnnualReport l

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l l Table 3-11 i Radiation Protection Program Requirements and Frequencies l

l Frequency Radiation Protection Requirement Weekly Gamma survey of all Restricted Areas.

Swipe survey of all Restricted Areas.

l Swipe survey of Radioactive Materials Areas.

l Response check of the continuous airmonitor.

Response checks of the area radiadon monitors.

Neutron survey of the reactor bay (dudng reactor o jeration).

Monthly Gamma, neutron and swipe surveys of extenor wal s and roof.

Erchmana personnel dosimeters and interior area monitoring dosimeters.

Review dosimetry reports.

Response check emergency locker portable radiadon

! measurmg equipment.

Review Radiadon Work Permits.

Response check of the monitor.

Response checkband foot monitor.

Conduct background checks oflow background alpha / beta eaanting system.

! Collect and analyze 'IRIGA primary water.

As Required Process and record solid wastes and liquid emuent disct .

Prepare and record radioactive matedal shipments.

l Survey and record incoming radioactive matedals.

I Perform and record special radiadon surveys.

l Issue radiarian work permits and provide health physics coverage for maintenance operations.

Conduct orientatims and training.

Quarterly Fuehenap 'II D mh - - : - ;*' monitors.

Gamma and swipe surveys of all non restdcted areas.

. Swipe survey of buildm' g exterior areas.

Calibrate area monitors in neutron generator room.

Perform Chi-square test, and determine HV and detection emciencies on thelow back alpha / beta coundng system.

I Semi-Annual Inventory emergency locker.

? Calibrate portable radiation monitoring instruments.

Calibrate condnuous air monitor, argon monitor, and area

radiation monitors.

l, Calibrate W.u ..el pocket dosimeters.

12ak test and inventory sealed sources Annual Conduct ALARA Committee meetmg.

l Conduct personnel refresher training.

Calibrate emergency locker portable radiadon detection equipment I

3-17

1997 AnnualReport 3.8 ' Radiation Surveys Radiation surveys of NETL work areas are shown in Table 3-12. Surveys with portable instruments and measurements of radioactive contamination are routine.

Supplemental measurements are also made any time unusual conditions occur. Values in the table represent the result of routine measurements. Environmental snonitoring at sample sites exterior to the building are generally done at random times or as a case by case evaluation.

3 '

Table 3-12 l Annual Summary of Radiation Levels and Contamination Levels Within the Reactor Area and NETL Facility Accessible Location Whole Body Contamination Ratharionlevels Levels (mrem /hr)" (dpm/100cm2) l Average Maximum Average Manmum l TRIGA Reactor Facihty Reactor Bay North 0.01 0.16 MDAS 2.9 Reactor Bay South 0.01 0.13 MDA* 2.3 Reactor Bay East 0.76 6 MDAm 5.7 Reactm&y West 0.12 0.4 MDAS 1.2 l Um Pool Deck (third 0.05 1.2 MDA* 8.8 l 'h)

!- NETL Facihtv NAA Sample Processing 0.09 3.3 16.3 892.3 m l

(Rm 3.102) l NAA Sample Counting 0.03 0.8 MDA* 2.3

! (Rm 3.112) l Health PhysicsLaboratory 0.01 0.19 MDAS 3.9 Neutron Generator l (Rm 1.102) 0.2 70 59.0 4532 m

'r 9 (1) Meassements made with Victoreen 450 and/or 190 or Bicron Microsers 'mrtable survey meter in areas readdy act-ihte to W d (2) MDA for the G-5000 low level alpha-beta radia: ion counting system is 2.49 i,,m/100 cm2 beta, and 0.58 dpm/100 cm2alpha. Calculation of MDA based on NCRP Report No. 58.

j (3) 'Ibe contaminanon shown for this location assumes 100% smearing efficiewy, and was immedately

}

removed. As result, the average contamination level at this location duri g the reportmg penod was, for all practical poposes.<500 dpm per 100 cm2 ,

3-18

1 1997 Annual Report 3.9 Radioactive Emuents, Radioactive Waste Radioactive effluents are releases to the air and to the sanitary sewer system. 'Ihe most significant effluent is an airborne radionuclide, argon-41. Two other airborne  !

radionuclides, nitrogen-16 and oxygen-19, decay rapidly and do not contribute to effluent releases. Argon-41, with a half-life of 109 minutes is the only airborne radionuclide emitted by the facility. A summary of the argon-41 releases are shown in Table 3-13.

Table 3-13

• /

Monthly Summary of Argon-41 Effluent Releases (I)

Date of Discharge Total Quantity of Average Fraction of Technical (Month,1997) Argon-41 Release Concentration at Specifications *(W>)

(nuerocunes) Point of Release (microcurie /cm3)

January 2.01E+2 1.20E-10 0.006 February 3.77E+4 2.26E-08 1.13 March 3.30E+4 1.98E-08 0.99 April 2.49E+2 1.49E-10 0.007 May 1.14E+5 6.85E-08 3.43 June 7.50E+1 4.49E-11 0.002

July 1.79E+4 1.07E-08 0.54 )

i August 3.91E+4 2.34E-08 1.17 September 1.80E+5 1.08E-07 5.4 October 2.66E+5 1.59E-07 7.95 November 8.43E+5 5.04E-07 25.2 Damni- 4.06E+5 2.43E-07 12.15 ANNUAL VALUE 1.94E+6 5.60E-09 0.28 1

1 (1) Poire of release is the roof exhaust stack. Concentranon includes dilution factor of 0.2 for mixing witt main enhanar (2) Techacal Specifwion limit for continuous release is 2.00E.6 irdcrocurWcm3, 3-19

1997 AnnualRepon Releases to the sanitary sewer are done fmm waste hold up tanks at irregular intervals.

To date, no releases have been made. 'Ihe liquid radioactive waste tanks allow for segregation ofliquids for decay of the activity. Liquids may also be processed on-site to concentrate the radionuclides into other forms prior to disposal. Liquid disposals am infmquent.

. Table 3-14 ei Monthly Summary of Liquid Effluent Releases to the Sanitary Sewer Fmm the NETL P.cactor Facility Date of Release Total Quantity Discharge Volume ofRadioactivity (Month,1997) (m3) (Curies)

January No Releases February No Releases March No Releases April No Releases May No Releases June No Releases July No Releases August No Releases September No Releases j October No Releases November No Releases December No Releases v

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3-20  ;

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j

! l l

1997 AnnualReport Radioactive waste disposal of solids are shown in Table 3-15. The inventory of nr.terial in Table 3-15 represents the disposal of radioactive material as follows: October 1997, sealed sources (Na-22, Fe-55, Cd-109) and an old vacuum pump which was internally contaminated with tritium. The total activity sent to disposal was 3.123 millicuries. All l transfers of material were made to the University Office of Environmental Health and Safety for disposal.  ;

i i

i t, Table 3-15

, Monthly Suunuary of Solid Waste Transfers for Disposal Date of Release Total Quantity l Disposal Volume ofRadioactivity (Month,1997) (m3) (millicuries) i January None l February None March None l April None  ;

! May None June None July None  ;

August None tember None

.0.14 3.123 November None Dacamhar None l

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