ML20217R190

Univ of UT Triga Reactor Annual Operating Rept for Period 960701-970630

ML20217R190
Person / Time
Site:	University of Utah
Issue date:	06/30/1997
From:	Slaughter D UTAH, UNIV. OF, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
To:	NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 9709040326
Download: ML20217R190 (7)

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Center for Excellence in Nuc! car Technology, Engluering. andResearch '

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,26 August 1997.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Conunission <

Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555

- To Whom it May Concern:

Enclosed is the Annual Operating Report for the University if Utah TRIGA Nuclear -

- Reactor, License No, R 126, Docket No.50-047, for the xriod of 1 July 1996 through 30 June 1997. This report fulfills the requirements of the TR: GA Technical Specifications (TTS) 6.10(5.) '

,i if there are any questions or concerns reganling this report, please contact me at (801) 581--

.8499,

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' Respectfully, ..

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David Ml Slau hter, Ph. D. .

. Reactor Admi strator and Supervisor

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CEh7ER-l206 htEB Univtsity of Utah fy 00.. Salt 'LaLe City, Utah 64112 9709040326 970630 (801)3814499 -

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The University of Utah TRIGA Reactor Annual Operating Report for the period 1 July 1996 through 30 June 1997 A. NARRATIVE.

1. Operating Experience.

The University of Utah Center for Excellence in Nuclear Technology, Enpincering, and Research (CENTER) TRIGA Reactor, License No. R-126, Docket ho. 50 407, was critical 54.76 hours8.796296e-4 days <br />0.0211 hours <br />1.256614e-4 weeks <br />2.8918e-5 months <br /> and energy during this reporting year. generated 3562.695 kilowatt hours of thermal The reactor was used for educational demonstrations, laboratory experiments, systems tests, power measurements and sample irradiations.

2. Changes in Facility Design.

The CEN'IT:R is currently up-grading the facility to house a radiochemistty laboratory within its regulatory boundary. Concunently, the emergency plan and security addition, plans are being up-dated to reflect the increased function of the facility. In the documents are being prepaired for submission to the NRC to support a forthcoming application to upgrade licensed power fmm 100 kW to 1.1 MW.

3. Surveillance Tests.

(Documentation of all surveillance activities is retained and stored by the facility.

a. Control R(x! Worths Coir Configuration 9KW6 1/23N7 1/28S 7 3/2167

1. 22b Dollars ($) Dollars ($) Dollars ($) Dollars ($)

Safety Rod 2.06 1.92 2.12 2.15 Shim-Safety Rod 1.62 1.75 1.63 1.51 Regulating Rod 0.27 0.25 0.26 0.21 Excess Reactivity 0.70 0.58 0.63 0.56 Shutdown Margin 1.19 1,42 1.26 1.16

b. Control Rod Inspection.

The Biennial Control Rod Inspection was performed during December 1995.

The control mds were sequentially removed from the tractor core for visual inspection. Each control rod was found to be in good condition with no nonceable deterioration or corrosion havirig occuned since the last inspection.

Rod drop times were measured on 9KW6,1/23S7,1/28, and 3/2167. All rod drop times were less than 1.0 seconds.

c. Reactor Power level Instrumentation.

Calorimetric power calibrations wem perfonned on 9/18S6,11/4S6,1/10S7, and 2/4S7 with the following results:

Date Measund % Power Caletitated Power Level 9/18S 6 90.0 kW 86.8 11/4S 6 90.3 kW 98.7 1/10S 7 89.9 kW 93.5 2/4S7 90.4 kW 93.94

d. Fuel Inspection.

The Biennial Fuel Inspection was perfonned during December 1995. Each fuel element was visually mspected while keeping it submerged for shielding. No detenoration or excessive cormsion ofin core fuel elements was observed since the 3revious inspection. Pool wateris sampled and analyzed periodically for evic ence of fission product activity indicative of defective or deteriorating fuel.

Analyses of pool water following full power reactor operations lasting several hours have not shown any indication of fission product leakage,

c. FuelTemperature Calibration.

Fuel temperatun: circuits wem calibrated on 8/3166 and 3/3S7. The circuits were calibrated to less than a 5'C crror over the range 20 C to 400*C.

f. Reactor Safety Committee Audits.

K. Langely audited radiation safety and ALARA practices at the facility for the period 1 Jan.1996 through 30 June 1996.

K. Langely audited the maintenance and operational activities of the facility for the penod 1 Jan.1996 through 30 June 1996.

K. Langely audited radiation safety and ALARA practices of the facility for the period 1 July 1996 through 31 Dec.1996.

K. Langely audited the maintenance and operational activities of the facility for the penod 1 July 1996 through 31 Dec.1996.

No signincant deviations from nonnat operating practices wen: identified by these audits.

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g. Environmental Surveys.

K. Langely reponed to the RSC a maximum total exposure of 38.0 millirem per quarter to environmental dosimeters located at various positions surrounding CENTER for the pericd 1 July 1996 through 30 June 1997. The average quanerly exposure for the six envimamental monitoring stations was 28.0 millirem.

D. ENERGY OUTPUT.

The reactor was critical for 54.76 hours8.796296e-4 days <br />0.0211 hours <br />1.256614e-4 weeks <br />2.8918e-5 months <br /> and produced 0.1493 megawatt days (3582.061 kilowatt hours) of energy during this reponing period. Since initial criticality, the reactor has been operated for a total of 2668.178 hours0.00206 days <br />0.0494 hours <br />2.943122e-4 weeks <br />6.7729e-5 months <br /> with an accumulated total energy output of 6.42 megawatt days (154112.759 kilowatt hours).

C. EhtERGENCY SliUTDOWNS AND INADVERTENT SCRAhtS.

There were no emergency (manually induced) shutdowns of the reactor during operations this reporting period.

There were no inadvenent (instumental) scrams of the reactor while it was critical during operations this reponing period.

l D. hiAJOR h1AINTENNANCE.

No major maintenance activity was conducted for the period of 7/1/96 to 6/30/97.

E. CllANGES, TESTS AND EXPERlh1ENTS PURSUANT TO 10 CFR 50.59.

As of the end of the reponing period, the cunent membership of the Reactor Safety Committee (RSC) as designated by the Licensee is as follows*

JoAnn Lighty, Chair I Gary hl Sandquist, Secretary i David bl. Slaughter, Reactor Administrator and Supervisor James Thompson, RSO of University of Utah hielinda P. Krahenbuhl 1

James hi. Byrne Karen Langely The RSC has reviewed and approved several CENTER procedures which were modified to update and correct perteived deficiencle:.. The CENTER staff continues to review and update facility dcx umentation to assure compliance with all applicable regulations.

F. RADIOACrlVE EITLUENTS.

1.1.iquid Waste - Total Activity Released: None.

A total volume of approximately 5 ;;allons ofilquid effluent was released to the sanitary sewage system. The liquk effluent consisted of mop water fmm routine maintenance operations. Prior to micase, analysis confinned that the effluent contained no radioactivity in excess of naturally occurring radionuclides normally present in the potable water supply of this area.

2. Gaseous Waste - Total Estimated Activity Released: 44.35 pCi.

The TRIGA Reactor was operated for 54.76 hours8.796296e-4 days <br />0.0211 hours <br />1.256614e-4 weeks <br />2.8918e-5 months <br /> at power levels up to ap iroximately 95 kW. At this power level argon-41 production is substantially be .ow h1PC values for unrestricted arras. The minimum detectable concentration of Ar-41 for the stack monitor has been found to be one third of 10 CFR 20 appendix B limits for release to unrestricted areas. The average annual calculated concentration of Ar-41 generated during operations is estimated at 1.9810-10 pCi/ml which is less than 1.0 % of the MPC for this radionuclide. The total amount of Ar 41 released was estimated at 44.35 pCi. No phosphorus 32 was released from CENTER during this period. The total amount of all gaseous radioactivity irleased was estimated at 44.35 pCi. A monthly summary of gaseous releases is given in Table I.

Table 1.

Summary of Monthly Gaseous Radioactive Effluent 1 July 1996 through 30 June 1997 Month Ar 41 (pCl) Estimated Release Total (pCi)

P-32 and all others July 2.5 0 2.5 August 6.89 0 6.89 September 3.86 0 3.86 October 4.49 0 4.49 November 0 0 0 December 0.03 0 0.03 Januaiy 11.17 0 11.17 February 4.00 0 4.00 Marth 1.76 0 1.76 April 1.3 0 1.3 May 1.86 0 1.86 June. 2.95 0 2.95 Total Activity of gaseous effluent (pCi): 44.35

3. Solid Waste - Total Activity: none Approximately 1.5 cubic meter of low level decontamination materials were generated by the University of Utah facility. The types of decontamination materials generated include the following: debris removed from the reactor tank

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during clening, and irradiated samples disposed of thmugh Radiologicalllealth Department.

O. RADIATION EXIOSURES. j Personnel with duties in the reactor laboratory on either a regular or occasional basis have been issued a film-badge dosimeter by the University of Utah l Radiological llealth Department. The duty category and monitoring period of l personnel are summarized below: '

Name Monitoring Period Duty Category David M. Slaughter 7/IS6 6/30S7 mgular Gary M. Sandquist 7/IS66SOM)7 regular Ross Schmidtlein 7/lf>6-6 SOS 7 mgular l

Kevan Weaver 7/1666/30S7 regular i Cindy IIenderson 7/IS6-6/30S7 mgular Melinda Krahenbuhl 7/1S6-6/30S7 regular Dong-ok Choe 7/IN6-6/3037 regular Justin Wilde 7/IS6-6/30S7 regular Christy Selger Webster 7/1S6 6/30S7 regular Brenda Newton 7/IS6-6/3037 regular Stephannie Mecham 7/IS66 SOS 7 regular Byron Lawrence 7/1S6-6S037 regular Tom Cantrell 7/IS6-6/30S7 regular Adam Rodgers 7/IS6-6 SOS 7 regular Bob llenderson 7/IS6-6/30S7 occasional llenry Moeller 7/IS6-6 SOS 7 regular Rian Smith 7/IS6-3 SIS 7 regular / terminated James Parry 7/IS6-3 SIS 7 regular / terminated Susheela Narasimham 7/IS6-10/31S6 mgular/temiinated Tony Zhou 7/IS6-2/28S7 occasional /tenninated l Measmed Doses 7/IS6-6/30S7 Doses: <10 mrem average: 10 mrem highest measured, i Dose Eauivalent Limit

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l Maximum Permissible Dose Equivalent = 5000 nurnVyear (1250/ quarter).

Minimum Detectable Dose per Monthly Badge = 10 mrem.

Of the 735 visitors to the facility under the DOE Reactor Sharing Pmgram for the l

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reporting year, no visitor received a measurable dose. Therefore, the average maximum does are all within NRC guidelines. A summary of whole body exposures is presented in Table 11.

! Table 11 Summary of Whole Body Exposures 1 July 1996 through 30 June 1997 Estimated whole body exposure range Number ofindividuals in each range:

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l No Measurable Dose Less than 0.10 20 0.10 to 0.25 0.25 to 0.50 0.50 to 0.75 0.75 to 1.00 1.00 to 2.00 2.00 to 3.00 3.00 to 4.00 4.00 to 5.00 Greater than 5 rem

11. LABORATORY SURVEYS Monthly surveys of the facility were conducted by the University of Utah Radiological llealth Department during the trporting period. Some of these surveys have identified minor localized removable contamination sources which were immediately cleaned. The suneys have not indicated an unusual radiation levels over previous years. Records of surveys are retained b the facility.

I. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES The Air Monitoring Station, operated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and located outside the reactor building, has indicated no unusual changes in radiation or radioactive material concentrations during the reporting period.

Environmental monitoring conducted by the University of Utah Radiological IIcalth Department indicated no unusual dose rates in the areas surrounding the Merrill Engineering Building, which houses the reactor facility.

Prepared by S N_ Date: k!23N 7 Submitted b> '

Reactor Supervisor Date: [/27/k7

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Approved by:

Reactor Administrator Date: ) 27

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