ML20237H346

Requests Technical Assistance in Reviewing Encl 870810 Safety Analysis & Tech Spec Change Addressing Personnel Exposure Levels within Facility.Review Requested by 871023

ML20237H346
Person / Time
Site:	05000134
Issue date:	08/27/1987
From:	Michaels T Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	Liza Cunningham Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8709030218
Download: ML20237H346 (3)

Text

_

Docket No. 50-134 August 27, 1987 HEMORANDUM FOR:

Lemoine J. Cunningham, Acting Chief Radiation Protection Branch Division of Radiation and Emergency Preparedness FROM:

~ Theodore S. Michaels, Project Manager Standardization and Non-Power Reactor _ Project Directorate Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, V and Special Projects

SUBJECT:

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST - WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Your assistance is requested in reviewing the enclosed safety analysis and Technical Specification change, which address personnel exposure levels within the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Open Pool Reactor facility,' submitted by letter dated August 10, 1987.

In your evaluation please specify the regulations and the criteria against which this submittal was reviewed and determined to be acceptable.

The requested completion date for this review is October 23, 1987.

If you will be unable to meet this-date, please notify me at X28251, within 10 days of the date of this TAR. All time spent on this review should be charged to the docket number and PA number 1415.

Original signed by Theodore S. Michaels, Project Manager Standardization and Non-Power Reactor Project Directorate Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, V and Special Projects

Enclosure:

i As stated j

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l DISTRIBUTION

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,',j August 27, 1987 Docket No. 50-134 MEMORANDUM FOR:

Lemoine.J. Cunningham, Acting Chief Radiation Protection Branch Division of Radiation and Emergency j

Preparedness FROM:

Theodore S. Michaels,_ Project Manager Standardization and Non-Power

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Reactor Project Directorate l

Division of Reactor Projects III,.IV,

{

V and Special Projects

]

1

SUBJECT:

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REQUEST - WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC

{

l INSTITUTE 1

Your assistance is requested in reviewing the enclosed safety analysis and-Technical Specification change, which address personnel exposure levels within the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Open Pool Reactor facility, submitted by letter dated August 10, 1987.

In your evaluation please specify the regulations and.the criteria against which this submittal was reviewed and determined to be acceptable.

The requested completion date for this review is October 23, 1987.

If you will be unable to meet this date, please notify me at X28251, within 10 days of the date of this TAR. All time spent on this review should be charged to i

the docket number and PA number 1415.

Theodore S. Michaels, Project Manager Standardization and Non-Power

{

Reactor Project Directorate i

j Division of Reactor Projects III, IV, t

~

V and Special Projects

Enclosure:

As stated 1

REGULATORY INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM (REDS)

ACCESSION NBR: 87082OO317 DOC. DATE: 87/08/10 NOTARIZED: NO DOCKET #

FACIL: 50-134 Worc es ter Poly tec hnic Institute Research Reactor 05000134 l

AUTH.NAME AUTHOR AFFILIATION NEWTON,T.H.

Worcester Pulgtechnic Institute, Worcester, MA i

RECIP.NAME RECIPIENT AFFILIATION j

Document Contro' Branch (Document Control Desk) i

SUBJECT:

Forwards application for amend including safety analysis &

explanation of changes w/ request & Washburn floor plan which k

should replace Figures 3-5 in App B of safety analysis rept.

I DISTRIBUTION CODE: A020D COPIES RECEIVE 6: LTR _[ ENCL Ji SIZE: /1b)I TITLE: Critical / Test /Research Facility: General Distribution f

I NOTES:

RECIPIENT COPIES RECIPIENT COPIES i

ID CODE /NAME LTTR ENCL ID CODE /NAME LTTR ENCL l

SNPD LA 1

0 SNPD PD 1

1 CH 1

1 INTERNAL: ARM /DAF/LFMB 1

O OGC 1

1 REG FILE 01 1

1 EXTERNAL: NRC PDR 1

1 NSIC 1

1 1

TOTAL NUMBER OF COPIES REQUIRED: LTTR 8

ENCL 6

WORCESTER Worcester I

POLYTECHNIC Massachusetts 01609 j

J INSTITUTE (617)793 5000 j

1 August 10, 1987 1

Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation J

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington. DC 20555

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Re: Docket No. 50-134 License R61

]

Dear Sir:

l In 1985, the Washburn Building in which the WPI_ Reactor is located, was renovated. As a result of this renovation, laboratory activities in rooms directly above the Reactor have increased dramatically, necessitating a technical specification change to avoid unnecessary personnel exposure.

Enclosed please find one signed and notarized copy of our amendment application, plus nine additional copies.

Included is a brief safety l

analysis and explanation of the changes with the request.

Also, please find nine copies of Washburn floor plans, which should replace Figures 3-5 in Appendix B of our original Safety Analysis Report.

i If there are any questions concerning this request, please contact me.

Sincerely,

/

Thomas H. Newton, Jr.

Director Nuclear Reactor Facility THN/ns enes.

cc: Prof. D. N. Zwiep Prof. J. A. Mayer, Secretary, RHSC Prof. R. Goloskie, Chairman, RHSC Provost R. Gallagher n70sPoo3TFs7oeto 3 P' I

PDR ADOCK 05000134 II I P

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I WORCESTER Worcester POLYTECHNIC Massachusetts 01609 j

INSTITUTE.

(617)793 5000 l

)

August 12, 1987 J

l USNRC - Region I 631 Park Avenue King of Prussia, PA 19406 Attn: Chief, Reactor Projects Section 3C, 4

Amendment Request for Technical Specification Facility:

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Open Pool Reactor License:

R61 Docket Number:

50-134

-)

Please amend our Technical Specifications to confom with revised page 8, enclosed, dated 8/3/87.

Safety Analysis ~

In 1985, the Washburn Building was renovated as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5(a) - 5(d). Rooms 245 and 248 (Figure Sc) now house electron microscope laboratories which are. currently utilized as much as 10 hours1.157407e-4 days <br />0.00278 hours <br />1.653439e-5 weeks <br />3.805e-6 months <br /> / day.

Unoer our current *< ".?Ical =ccifications, these rooms, as well as rooms 249, 336, and 323 (a classroom), become restricted areas when the reactor is operated at levels in excess of 1 kW. Although activities are reduced in these areas when restricted, frequently workers choose to remain in these areas wearing dosimetry and continue working.

Surveys have shown the maximum radiation-level at 10kW to be about 10 mR/hr in room 248, with the other rooms significantly lower.

In order to reduce exposure to personnel, shielding would be placed above the reactor.to bring j

the maximum level to below 1 mR/hr.

The WPI Reactor, during maximum demand, is operated on.an average of less l

than 10 hours1.157407e-4 days <br />0.00278 hours <br />1.653439e-5 weeks <br />3.805e-6 months <br /> per week, with many operations below.1 kW.

In order to maintain compliance with 10 CFR 20.105B(2), a tabulation record of opera-tions above 1 kW will be kept on a weekly basis so that if increased

_i I

operations cause exposure levels' to approach 10 millirem in seven con-l secutive days, the rooms will become restricted areas as before.

l On average, the WPI Reactor operates a total of about 100 hours0.00116 days <br />0.0278 hours <br />1.653439e-4 weeks <br />3.805e-5 months <br /> per year j

and produces about 150 kW-brs during the year. Operations records will also be kept on a yearly basis so that in the case of increased operation, the 0.5 rem / year level of 10 CFR 20-105a will not be exceeded.

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Using current operating histories and assuming all operations to be at 10 kW with shielding in place, causing a maximum radiafion level of 1 mR/hr in room 248, the maximum weekly exposure would be 10 mk, and the yearly exposure would be 100 mR, both well below the limits of 10 CFR 20.105.

Upon installation of the shielding, a survey will be made at full power to verify that radiation levels' are at or below 1 mR/hr in all of the areas before they are designated unrestricted.

Periodic surveys will also be made for additional verification.

Sincerely, 3 NO b Thomas H. Newton, Jr.

Director Nuclear Reactor Facility THN/ns

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Mary $ Kelley,'Notarf Public My commission expires March 5, 1993 I

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4.'0 SITE AND DESIGN FEATURES 4.1 Site The reactor and associated equipment is hou',ed in the Washburn Laboratories located between West Street and Boynton 5. reet on the campus of Worcester t

Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.

4.2 Restricted Area and Exclusion Area The reactor roon shall constitute a restricted area as defined in 10 CFR 20 y

and shall be controlled by partitions and normally locked doors.

In addition, two small areas, one each on the second and third floors of Washburn Laboratories, directly above the reactor control drives, shall become restricted areas whenaver the reactor is operating at power levels

' /q' in excess in 1 kW and radiation levels in any of the rooms exceed those s)ecified in 10 CFR 20.105.

The exclusion areas, as defined in 10 CFR 100, d'y 1

s1all consist of the reactor room and the areas above the reactor.

i I

4.3 Reactor Building and Ventilation System i

The reactor shall be housed in a closed room that is designed to restrict leakage. The ventilation system shall provide at least two changes of air i

per hour in the reactor room whenever the reactor is operating, l

4.4 Reactor Core Fuel Elements:

Standard fuel elements shall be flat plate type consisting of uranium-aluminum alloy clad with aluminum. The width and depth of each I

fuel element shall be 3 in. x 3 in.

Each element shall have an active length of 24 in.

There shall De a maximum of 18 g of U-235 in each fuel plate and not more than 140 g or U-235 in any fuel element.

Standard fuel elements may be of two types:

(1) with 10 fuel plates, each plate 0.099 in, thick including a clad thickness of 0.030 in.; (2) with 18 fuel plates, each plate 0.060 in, thick with a clad thickaass of 0.016 in. on each side.

A maximum of 27 standard fuel elements may be installed in the core.

Not more than two experimental fuel elements with eight removable fuel plates similar to type (1) fuel plates and fitted with removable top end boxes may be installed in the core. These elements may be used as part of the core assembly either as complete elements or as partial assemblies, loaded with from 2 to a total of 10 fuel plates each.

4.5 Reactor Safety and Control Systems The safety system shall be designed so that no single electrical fault that partially or completely disables the automatic scram function can, in any mhnner, impair or disable the manual scram function, and vice versa. The safety system shall be fail safe with respect to loss of voltage.

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