ML20217Q570

Univ of Wi Nuclear Reactor Lab FY96-97 Annual Operating Rept

ML20217Q570
Person / Time
Site:	University of Wisconsin
Issue date:	06/30/1997
From:	Cashwell R, Jerome Murphy WISCONSIN, UNIV. OF, MADISON, WI
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9709030212
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University of Wisconsin -

NUCLEA LCTOR LAEIORATORY ADDR155-.

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U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington,-D. C. 20555 1

Dear Sir:

Enclosed herewith is a copy of the Annual Report for the fiscal year 1996-97 for the University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor Laboratory as required by our Technical Specifications.

Very truly yours i

/

. J. Cashwell Reactor Director 9

Enc. (Annual Report)

)Y XC: Region III Administrator

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THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY fiscL1 year 1996-97 ANNUAL OPERATING REPORT Prepared to meet reporting requirements ofa U. S. Department of Energy SPECIAL MASTER TASK RESEARCH SUBCONTRACT NO. C87-101251 and U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Docket 50-15(, License R-74) a Prepared by:

J. G. Murphy Department of Engineering Physics P

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(JLMN R THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY

)

fiscal year 1996-97 ANNUAL OPERATING REPORT Prepared to meet reporting requirements oft U. S. Department of Energy SPECIAL MASTER TASK RESEARCH SUBCCNTRACT NO. C87-101251 and U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Docket 50-156, License R-74)

Prepared by:

J. G. Murphy Department of Engineering Physics b

a UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 1 of-15 EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

OF REACTOR UTILIZATION

-Teaching: Teaching-usage of the reactor during the year included:

134 NEEP students in laboratory courses.

37 students in lecture courses which included demonstrations in the-reactor laboratory.

298 instructors and students from area school systems used the facilities as part of the USDOE Reactor.

Sharing Program.

Students =and staff from 3 additional college-level educational institutions used-the facilities for formal instruction or research.

Research: Neutrons from the reactor were used primarily for neutron activation and analysis.

747 samples were irradiated for departments at UW--

Madison.

625 samples were irradiated for other educational institution research programs.

Industrial Use:

NAA services were provided to Hazelton Laboratories.- ,

Irradiations were also performed for Green Park, Gems. A total of 231 sampleo were irradiated _for these industrial users.

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UWNR ANNUAL-REPORT- fiscal = year 1996-97 Page 2 of 15 JABLE OF C$, TENTS EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

OF REACTOR UTILIZATION .. . . . . . . . ., 1

1. INSTRUCTIONAL USE --UW-Madison Classes and Activities . . . . . . . . . . ., . . . . . . . . .-3

2. -REACTOR SHARING PROGRAM . . ., . . . . _ . . . _ . .= . . 4

3. SAMPLE IRRADIATIONS AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS SERVICES' . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 7

4. OTHER MAJOR RESEARCH USE , , . . . . . . . . .. . . 8-

5. CHANGES IN PERSONNEL, FACILITY AND PROCEDURES . . . .9-

6. RESULTS OF SURVEILLANCE TESTS . . . . . . .- .. . . . 9 B. OPERATING STATISTICS AND FUEL EXPOSURE , . . . - . - . . 10 C. EMERGENCY SHUTDOWNSAND INADVERTENT SCRAMS . . . . . . . 11 i

1 D- MAINTENANCE , . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .- 12-  !

E. CHANGES.IN THE FACILITY OR PROCEDURES REPORTABLE UNDER 10CFR 50.59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _12 F. RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL , . , . . , i ,. . . . . . . . 12

1. SOLID WASTE . . . .. . < . . . . . . . . . . - , . . . 12

2. LIQUID WASTE . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 13

3. PARTICULATE AND GASEOUS ~ ACTIVITY RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE , - . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

'G.

SUMMARY

OF RADIATION EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL , . ... , 13 H.- RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Table 1 LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISCHARGED TO SEWER . .. 14 TABLE 2-- EFFLUENT FROM STACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

' TABLE.3 ANNUAL DOSE DATA -- Environmental Monitors . . , . 16 l

1 I

UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 3 of.15

1. INSTRUCTIONAL USE --UW-Madison Classes and Activities 10 students enrolled in NEEP 231_ participated in a laboratory session introducing students to reactor behavior characteristics. 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> of reactor operating time.were devoted to this session.

NEEP 427 was of fered in the f all . ar.d spring semesters with a total enrollment of 7. Several NEEP 427 experiments use materials that are activated in the reactor, one experiment entitled " Radiation Survey" requires that students make measurements of radiation levels in and around the reactor laboratory. All of these reactor uses take placeJduring-normal isotope production runs, so no reactor time is specifically devoted to NEEP 427.

The enrollment in NEEP 428 was 14 as it was offered in

-both semesters. Three experiments in NEEP 428 require exclusive use of the reactor. Each of these experiments

(" Critical Experiment." " Control Element Calibration," and

" Pulsing") was repeated three' times during the year requiring a total of 27 hours3.125e-4 days <br />0.0075 hours <br />4.464286e-5 weeks <br />1.02735e-5 months <br /> of exclusive reactor use, other NEEP 428 laboratory sessions use material that has been irradiated in the rer.ctor (" Fast Neutron Flux Measurements by Threshold Foil Techniques" and " Resonance .

Absorption"). These two experiments were repeated 6 times during the year.

Ten NEEP-30d students used the ve:: Lor for an experiment to measure-the half-lives of the longer-lived delayed neutron emitters.

Three' students completed NEEP 234, " Principles and ,

Practice of Nuclear Reactor' Operation" during the spring semester. This course uues the reactor extensively, as each

. student performed at least 20 significant reactivity changes. Although an effort was made to use normal scheduled reactor runs for training the students in this course, approximately 100 hours0.00116 days <br />0.0278 hours <br />1.653439e-4 weeks <br />3.805e-5 months <br /> of exclusive reactor use.

specifically for training were required to provide this

= operating experience.- All three students applied for and received NRC Operator Licenses.

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4 UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 -Page 4 of 15=

Individual class sessions for Physics 208 were held in the= Reactor Laboratory,-with 27 students participating.

The. Reactor Laboratory continues!...to attract large--

numbers of; tours,__with groups from public schools,: scout

-troops, Kollege forLKids, trades apprentice programs, teacher groups, senior citizens, and service organizations visiting for tours and nuclear power information.

-2.- REACTOR SHARING PROGRAM User institutions participated in the program as; detailed below.

2 Participating _ Principal' Number of Faculty /

Institutiqn Inventicator

]

Students Involved- .

Edgewood3 College Madison, WI P. Weldy 1/36 LNAA demonstration / reactor tour for chemistry class.

Lakeshore Technical Institute D. Gossett 1/7-Reactor operation demonstration, neutron survey instrument:

use,cNAA demonstration. For Health Physics Technician;

. class-instruction. .

. Madison Area Technical college E. Powell . _

1/12 Reactor operation demonstration, power plant discussion ,

for steamfitters at area technical college.

Prairie View A&M University i P. Biney 1/0 l Reactor tour and information session. A discussion was held-

=about using the reactor _. facility as a tool for a two week  !

systems engineering course-for Dr. Biney's students at

. Prairie View. The course would-be taught over=the summer and is conditional upon graduate school support.

-Pre-College' Groups: - -

Boy Scouts of America -4/54 l

-UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 5.of 15 Reactor tour, potential nuclear power applications.

Discussion of shielding and neutron activation analysis.

Leopold School '

1/9 ReactorJtour, nuclear power-talk.. Discussion of shielding and neutron activation analysis.

Spring Harbor School 2/21 Reactor ~ tour, nuclear power discussion. Students used. tour to1 assist in an energy technology debate.in school. The Wisconsin State Journal mentioned that this school determined that nuclear power was the best way to go in the future based on their - search in class.

ASME Outreach 3/34 Reactor tour, nuclear power discussion.

ESTEAM -8/78-Reactor tour and nuclear power discussion ~for minority high school students. Part-of a program to interest minority.

students-in technical education.

Pewaukee Middle-School 2/31 l . Reactor tour and nuclear-power discussion.

Summer Enrichment Program 2/44 Reactor tour and nuclear power discussion.for minority high school students.-Summer program to interest minority

-students in technical education.

i Sun Prairie High School 1/5 High school physics students toured the lab and discussed nuclear power issues.

USER

SUMMARY

Educational Institutions: 12 Students: 331 Faculty / Instructors: 27 l

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s UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-9' Page 6 of 15

3. SANPLE IRRADIATIONS AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS SERVICES There were 1603 individual samples irradiated during the year. Of these aamples, 313 were irradiated for 15 minutes or less. Samples accumulated 295.75 irradiation space hours and 2946.43 sample hours. Many samples were irradiated and then counted at the Reactor Laboratory as part of our neutron activation analysis service. In the listing below the notation (NAA) indicates that the samples were processed by our neutron activation analysis service.

Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences Department (NAA) 459 samples, 873 sampie hours, 32 irradiation space hours.

Professors Albrecht, Darian, and Kruse-Elliott, two staff.

members and 1 graduate student used the NAA service to trace processes by colloidal gold transport in animal metabolism.

Green Park Gems, NY 4 samples, 96 sample hours and 96 irradiation space hours.

Irradiation of topaz to induce color change. Industrial support.

Hazelton Laboratories, Madison, WI (NAA) 227 samples, all less than 15 minute irradiations, 22.7 sample hours and 22.7 irradiation space hours. Determination of F content of oils: determination of leaching of impurities from food packaging materials. Industrial support.

Soil Science Department 62 samples, 1 less than 15 minutes, 51.6 sample hours and 4 irradiation hours. Professor Phil Helmke and graduate students used reactor-produced radioisotopes to study the behavior of materials in laboratory soil-water-plant systems.

Supported by Hatch Act and USDA.

Univer *ty of Minnesota-Duluth (NAA) (RSP) 616 samples, 1232 sample hours, 38 irradiation space _ hours.

Professor George Rapp, two additional staff members and three graduate students continue their use of NAA for characterization of copper artifacts and pottery samples,-

primarily to determine provenance. Supported by DOE Reactor Sharing Program.

UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 7 of 15 University-of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (NAA) 9 samples, 5 less than 15 minutes, 8.5 sample hours and 2.5 iyradiation space hours. Professor Naik from the Center for Byproduct Utilization used neutron activation analysis to investigate incorporation of waste materials into construction materials (primarily concretes) . Industrial support.

Engineering Physics, UW-Madison NEEP 427 and 428 Laboratory Courses 128 samples, 71 less than 15 minutes, 151.48 sample hours and 53 irradiation space hours. Irradiations in support of teaching laboratory classes.

NEEP 234 2 samples, both less than 15 minutes, .2 sample hours and .2 irradiation space hours. Irradiations in support of reactor operations class.

-Reactor Laboratory 8 samples, 4 less than 15 minutes, 4.65 sample hours and 3.05 .

irradiation space hours. Irradiations for instrument calibration, Lakeshore Tech NAA demonstration and lab sample NAA investigation.

Neutron Ra'diography 88 samples, 3 less than 15 minutes, 506.3 sample-hours and 44.3 irradiation space hours. Professor Corradini and one graduate student made flux measurements using activation foils, r

4. OTHER MAJOR RESEARCH USE Development of the neutron radiography facility was completed, with the imaging of two-phase flows the primary objective of the radiography runs performed. Graduate student, Robert Agasie, completed his degree requirements for a Masters of Science and submitted his thesis at the end of the spring semester (97). Approximately 44 hours5.092593e-4 days <br />0.0122 hours <br />7.275132e-5 weeks <br />1.6742e-5 months <br /> of exclusive 9

1

4 UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 8 of 15 reactor use were required to obtain sufficient data for the project. Information pertaining to the neutron beam characteristics-(i.e., ~ thermal neutron flux, epithermal--flux, cadmium ratiorand effective flat flux) can be found in last years annual report-(UWNR Annual' Operating Report, fiscal year 1995-96).

5. CHANGES IN PERSONNEL, FACILITY AND PPOCEDURES Any changes reportable under 10 CFR 50.59 are indicated in '

section E of this report.

No additional upgrading of the facility, not reportable under 10CRF 50.59, was completed during the year.

Personnel changes during the year were as follows:

The following individuals were appointed as Reactor Operators upon licensing by NRC.

Robert Chapman Jason Lloyd Athi Varuttamaseni The following-Senior Reactor Operator completed degree = .

I requirements and left the university. ,-

Joseph-Kettner The following operators were removed from licensed status due to inability to meet the requirements of the Operator Proficiency Maintenance Program of the facility.

Lonnie Kress William Wood

6. -RESULTS OF SURVEILLANCE TESTS '

The program of inspection-and testing of reactor components continues. Inspection of-underwater components showed no, deterioration or wear, t

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e UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 ~

Page-9 of 15

!E.--_ OPERATING STATISTICS-AND-FUEL-EXPOSURE Critical '3

' Operating-Period Mrs MW Hrs Runs Pulses fiscal. year _-1996-97 637.30 531.58 204 46 FLIP-Core _12223.04 10156.18 3452 770 TRIGA 19488.03 . 15144.-36 5442 2081

~ Core I23-R10 was operated throughout the year. The excess

. reactivity'of this core increased by 0.140 %p (to 4.195 %p) ,

during the year.

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UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 10 of 15

. C. ENERGENCY SHUTDOWNS AND INADVERTENT SCRANS 5 There were six automatic scrams or inadvertent shutdowns during the year. Each is described below in chronological sequence.

09/10/96 During a full power run, on a hot day, the pool water sufficiently expanded to cause a pool level SCRAM (SCRAM on high pool level is provided to assure shutdown on heat exchanger leakage). Since this happened near the scheduled end of a run the reacto.r was shut down for the day.

10/17/96 During a NEEP 428 experiment (control rod calibration), the operator-down-ranged picoammeter #2 one range too far, causing a' power level SCRAM. The reactor was recovered and the experiment-continued.

01/30/97 While at full. power, after calibration of the pulsing gamma chamber, an attempt was made to reconnect the gamma chamber signal cable. This generated a spurious signal in the LogN channel, resulting in a period SCRAM. Following shutdown, the signal lead was reconnected to the gamma

- chamber and the reactor then returned to full power.

04/05/97 During a reactor demonstration, control blades 2 and 3 fell into the core because of loss of magnet current (a partial electronic SCRAM). It is believed this was caused by an electronic -

noise spike,-resulting from the movement of the fission counter out. The drives were lowered and reattached, with the reactor demonstration continuing.

05/21/97 During control blade calibrations the operator pulled the transient rod too far and caused a period SCRAM. The reactor was recovered and the control blade calibrations continued.

UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year- 1996 Page 11 of 15 06/21/97 A startup for a pulsing demonstration was initiated by the operator too quickly following completion of the pulsing test in UWNR 110 (precritical checkout). The operator noticed insufficient LogN (instrument) response as the reactor was going critical. Correctly following procedures outlined in UWNR 111, the operator began running control blades in and called for the Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) on duty At this time the LogN recovered but in the process caused a period SCRAM. After a longer recovery time the startup was resumed.

D. MAINTENANCE Routine preventive maintenance continued to maintain equipment operability, with the exception noted below.

In the summer of 1996 a pool leak was repaired at the UWNR.

The majority of the work was completed in fiscal year 1995-96, with the final welding of the crack, pool refill and subsequent system testing completed in July of 1996. All detailed information pertaining to this action is contained in the MAINTENANCE section of UWNR's Annual Operating Report for fiscal year 1995-96.

E. CHANGES IN THE FACILITY OR PROCEDURES REPORTABLE UNDER 10CFR 50.59 There-were no changen in the facility or procedures reportable under 10CFR Part 50.59. '

-F. RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL

1. SOLID WASTE

,No solid waste was transferred from the facility during the year.  !

UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 13 of- 2. LIQUID WASTE Liquid waste discharges are-detailed in Table 1.

3. PARTICULATE AND GASEOUS ACTIVITY RELEASED TO THE ATMOSPHERE Table 2 presents information on stack discharges during the year.

G.

SUMMARY

OF RADIATION EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL (1 July 1996 - 30 June-1997)

No personnel received any significant radiation exposure for the above period. The highest doses recorded were 3.0 mrem to the

- whole body and 130 mrem to extremities.

H. RESULTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS The environmental monitoring program at Wisconsin uses Eberline

- TLD area monitors located in areas surrounding the reactor laboratory. Table 3 indicates the dose a person would have-received if continuously present in the indicated area for the full year.

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4 UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 13 of 15 Table 1 LIQUID RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISCHARGED TO SEWER Date *

~jotal Total pCl 537.98 40.03 578.01 Gallons .,, *' 2625 Isotope / MPC Co-57 +

6.00E 04 pCi 0.00E+00 pCi/mi 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 Fraction of MPC 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 Co-58 pCi .-

11.16 2.00E-04 pCl/ml 1.48E 06 8.21 E-07 1.12E 06 Fraction of MPC 7/1E-03 4.11E 03 5.62E 03 Co-60 pCl ,  ; 12.63 3.00E 05 pCl/ml 1.61 E-06 9.83E 07 1.27E 06 Fraction of MPC 5.38E-02 3.28E 02 4.24E 02 Cr-51 pCi . 40.55 5.00E-03 pCl/ml 8.93E-06 0.0CE+00 4.08E 06 Fraction of MPC 1.79E-03 0.00E+00 8.16E-04 K-40 pCl .

351.06 4.00E-05 pCl/ml 7.65E-05 d 51E-07 3.53E 05 Fraction o. MPC

• 91E+00 1.63E-02 8.83E-01 Mn 54 3.00E-04 pCi/ml pCl E *- . 24.18 .

2.5! i E-06 2.11 E-06 2.43E 06 Fraction of MPC 9.38E-03 7.05E-03 3.11 E-03 Ru-106 pCi .

58.61 3.00E-05 pCi/ml 9.61 E-06 2.77E-06 5.90E-06 Fraction of MPC 3.20E-01 9.23E-02 197E 01 Zn-65 pCl . 79.82 5.00E-05 pCl/mi 1.75E-05 9.91 E-08 8.03E 06 Fraction of MPC 3.49E-01 1.98E-03 1.61 E-01 No dilutionFraction of MPC 2.66 0.15 0.41 Daily dilutionFraction of MPC 0.13 0.01 0.01 Average concentration (pCi/ml) at point of release to sewer = 5.82E-05 Avg. fraction of release limit w/o dilution = 0.41 Max. fraction of release limit w/o dilution = 2.66 Average daily sewage flow for dilution (gallons) = 2.37E+04 Max. fraction of MONTHLY release limit with DAILY dilution = 0.13 Max. fraction of MONTHLY release limit with MONTHLY dilution = 0.01

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UWNR ANNUAL REPORT -fiscal-year 1996-97 Page 14 of 15

- TABLE 2 EFFLUENT FROM STACK

- l '. Particulate Activity inere was no discharge of particulate activity above background levels.

2. Gaseous Activity - All Argon-41 Maximum Average Activity Discharged Concentration Concentration Month (Curies) pCl/mi x 1E 6 pCl/mi x 1E 6 -

July 1996 0.03723 3.5 0.0208 August 0.05195 4.4 0.0290 Septernber 0.14768 0.0 0.0851 October 0.05973 3.9 0.0333 November 0.07267 7.3 ' O.0419 December 0.05584 2.2 - 0.0311 January 1997 0.06923 2.8 0.0393 February a13765 2.4 0.0850 March G.14087 2.4 0.0786 April 0.16438 31- 0.0947 May 0.16794 3.2 0,0937 June- 0.11690 3.2 0.0674 Total Maximum Average -

1y207 8 0.0583 The concentration rasulting in 1E-8 personnel exposure is 8E-6 at stack discharge.

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. UWNR ANNUAL REPORT- fiscal year 1996-97 Page 15 of 15 4

TABLE 3 ANNUAL DOSE DATA -- Environmental Monitors Annual Dose mrem Location 1996-1997 control- kept in lead shield except for shipment from and to processor 62.0 Inside Wall of Reactor Laborate , 463.2 Inside Reactor Laboratory Stack 112.0

-Highest Dose outside Reactor Laboratory (Reactor Lab roof ladders monitor adjacent to stone surface) 135.8 Highest Dose in Occupied Nonrestricted Area (second-floor classroom) Room 247 104.8 Average Dose in all Nonrestricted Areau (27 Monitor Points) 92.2

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