ML20246A821
| ML20246A821 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Washington State University |
| Issue date: | 06/30/1989 |
| From: | Wilson W WASHINGTON STATE UNIV., PULLMAN, WA |
| To: | |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8908230156 | |
| Download: ML20246A821 (8) | |
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Washington StateUniversity Nuclear Radiation Center, Pullman, Washington 99164-1300 / 509-335 8641 August 15, 1989 Director, Division of Reactor Licensing
- U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission MS P1-137 Washington, DC 20555 Re: Docket No. 50-27; Facility License R-76
Dear Sir:
In accordance with the Technical Specifications for Facility License R-76 and the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, Paragraph (6), the attached annual
. report prepared by Jerry A. Neidiger, Reactor Supervisor of the WSU facility, is hereby submitted. The report covers the period from July 1,1988 to June 30, 1989.
Sincerely, b
W. E. Wilson Associate Director Enclosure-cc: NRC, Region V, Office of Inspection G Enforcement J. A. Neidiger American Nuclear Insurers KEW:cre l
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- ANNUAL REPOR'I ON THE OPERATION OF THE WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TRIGA REACTOR Facility License R-76 for the Reporting Period of July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989 A. Narrative Summary of the Year's Doeration l' . Operating Experience The Washington State University Reactor has accumulated 527 Megawatt hours on Core 32-A during the reporting period. A total of 4432 o
' irradiations for a total of.36,846 samples were performed. In addition, 26 pulses greater than $1.00 of reactivity addition were performed during this reporting period. The quarterly operations summaries are shown in Table I, section B.
- 2. There were no changes in design, performance characteristics, or operating procedures that related to reactor safety during the reporting period.
- 3. All surveillance tests and requirements were performed and completed within the prescribed time period. The results of all inspections revealed no abnormalities and were within expected values.
1 B. Enerry and Cumulative Outout The quarterly operations summaries are given in Table I below.
l TABLE I Fiscal Year Summary of Reactor Operations J-A-S 0-N-D J-F-M A-M-J TOTALS I
l Hours of Operation 187 149 138 72 546 Megawatt Hours 176 146 133 72 527
! No. of Irradiations 3417 763 120 132 4432 No. of Samples Irradiated 9402 21705 3508 2231 36846 No. Pulses > $1.00 0 3 4 19 26 The cumulative energy output since criticality of the TRIGA core since 1967 j is 627 Megawatt Days, The mixed core of FLIP and Standard fuels installed l in 1976 has accumulated 366 Megawatt Days.
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j'R, .; UCi .Emercenev Sh'tdowns'and u Inadvertent Scrams 4 ,
. During the reporting period, there were no' emergency shutdowns. The causes of the 2' inadvertent scrams that occurred during the reporting period are:
. given. in Table II: below.
TABLE II.
Inadvertent Scrams o DATE .CAUSE 08/15/88l Pulse rod SCRAM due to building power line spike.
11/20/88 . Pulse rod SCRAM - No apparent cause.
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[D. Maior Maintenance 05/31/88 ' Repaired, tested Flexo' Rabbit pneumatic sample transfer system.
10/12/88 : Installed electric lock mechanism on Reactor Shop / Control Room entrance door.
06/05/89 Installed CCTV camera at Reactor Shop entrance door and monitor.
at Reactor' Console.
E. Chances. Tests and Experiments Performed Under 10 CFR 50.59 Criteria OneLitem was. conducted and-documented under 10 CFR 50.59 criteria during the reporting period. .
A new Reuter-Stokes Compensated Ion Chamber was installed as a replacement-for the detector that failed in September, 1985. The detector supplies indication for Safety Channel #2.
- F. . Radioactive Effluent Discharces 1.- Radioactive Liquid Releases Duringthereportingperigd,theaveragereleaseconcentrationof liquid waste was 2.38x10~ microcuries per milliliter. This yielded a total of 8.30 microcuri..s released in-348,280 liters of liquid.
The monthly releases are listed in Table III on Page 3.
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3' TABLE III~
Radioactive Liquid' Releases Quantity, Concentration, Volume, Month uCi uCi/ml Percent MPC 1 Liters Jul. 0.22 1.20x10-8 12.0 18,210 Aug. 0.09 5.01x10'9 5.0 18,521 Sep. 0.17 9.50x10-9 9.5 17,898 Oct. 4.33 7.90x10-8 79.0 54,743 Nov. 0.30 1.55x10-8 15.5 19,314 Dec. 0.22' 4.00x10~9 4.0 54,941 Jan. 0.90 5.08x10-8 50.8 17,955 Feb. 1.59 8.34x10-8 83.4 19,002 Mar. 0.24 9 4.37x10 4.4 54,856 Apr. 0.08 2.20x10-9 2.2 36,420 May. 0.04 9 2.4 18,210 Jun. 0.12 2.43x10~9' 6.31x10' 6.3 18,210 1 Based on a release limit of 1.00x10~7 uCi/ml for unknown mixture found in Technical Specifications 6.10, paragraph 5, page 36.
- 2. Radioactive Gaseous Release During the reporting period, no significant quantity of any gaseous or particulate material with a half-life greater.that eight days was released.
During the reporting period, atino time did the release exceed 20% of MPC for Argon-41.
8 TheaveragemonthlyconcentrationofArgon-41releasedwas6.89x{cc uCi/cc. This yielded a total of 4.62 Curies released in 6.70x10 of air. The monthly releases are summari::ed in Table IV on Page 4.
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- [ r TAB E 'IVf g . Monthly Argon-41~ Releases LCconcentration'Before Percent MPC 1 Quantity l2 . Month. ; Dilution, uCi/cc . After Dilution ' mci:
l' w 1;) J, W Jul. 8.35x10-8 0.85 484l F;. Aug. 9.84x10.8. '
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- Sep .' 8.58x10-8 -O.86 .471 L J
'Oct. '
18.92x10-8 0.89 -506 DNov. .6.35x10-8 0.64 348 Dec. 4.56x10-8 0.6 - 259 a :-
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' Jan.- 8'80x10-8
. 0.88 499
'. Feb .' 5.66x10-8 0.57 290 lx : Mar. 't '5.04x10~8 0.50. 286
)Apr. 4.43x10-8 0.44 243 May. 4.78x10~8 0.48 271
,, :Jun. 7.20x10-8 0.72 395 L1f.Basedon10CFR'20 limit'gf4.0x10-8 uCi/cc (Table II, Col. I), and.a dilution factor ** '^* * ' ' # "" *# "'"
limit of-1.0x10~5 uCi/ce. (20t'of limit is 2.0x10~6"uC1/cc).
3.. Radioactive Solid Waste Disposal For waste generated by.the. Nuclear Radiation' Center during the reporting period, one shipment was made to'U.S. Ecology Company inf Richland, Washington.for disposal. An estimated'of 3.56 millicuries 11n.15, compacted' cubic feet was shipped in. two 55 gallon drums. The shipment 'is tabulated below in Table V below.
TABLE V W.S.U., N.R.C. Solid Radioactive Waste Disposal'
-Date Volume in Cubic Feet Activity in M1111 curies
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08/02/89 15 3.56
- G. Personnel and Visitor Radiation Exoosures The average quarterly exposures of Nuclear Radiation Center reactor staff
'and experimenters who routinely utilize the W.S.U. reactor are given in Table VI'on'Page 5. The maximum quarterly exposure of one individual, who
- is. a reactor staff member and who routinely prepares irradiated samples for shipment and calibrates radiation survey meters, was 90 millirem, whole
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A total of 1727' non-Nuclear Radiation Center staff or experimenter
, individuals visited:the Center during the' reporting period, out of which 914 enter posted Radiation, Areas. As determined by digital pocket dosimeter:and an exposure recorded,-the average individual exposure was
.<l.0 millirem with a maximum exposure of 2' millirem.
A total of 32 group. tours,. consisting of 427 individuals, visited the Center during the reporting' period. As determined by digital pocket dosimeter and an exposure recorded, the average group exposure was <0.1 millirem with a' maximum of 0.6 millirem.
TABLE VI Average Quarterly Reactor and Experimenter Staff Exposure e, (in millirem)
Jul-Aug-Sep' Oct-Nov-Dec Jan-Feb-Mar Apr-May-Jun 1 30 57 10 10 1 '
June's film badge results not available from the vendor at the time this. report was prepared.
H. ' Reactor Facility Radiation and Contamination Levels Thergutinearearadiationsurveysofthebuildinginnon-reactorvital areas had an average dose' level of 0.18 mR/Hr., while routinely accessible reactor vital areas; had an average dose level'of 1.12 mR/Hr. The highest
, average dose level'in a routinely accessible reactor vital area was 3.91 mR/Hr., which. occurred in Room 2, the Beam Port Room. The lowest average dose in a, routinely accessible reactor vital area was 0.04 mR/Hr., which occurred in Room 201A, the Reactor Shop area. The average dose in the Reactor Control Room was 0.08 mR/Hr. The average dose in the radiochemistry sample hoods was 0.16 mR/Hr. The highest average on site dose level was 6.73 mR/Hr. which occurred in Room 2A, Cave Room, which is a locked storage area where radioactive material and sources are stored.
Routigebuildingsurveysforremovablecontaminatigninnon-reactorvital areas had an average level of 1.3x10-5 uCi/
- levelin'thereactorvitalareaswas4.7x10"g00cm,-whigetheaverage uCi/100 *
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average'value in the reactor vital areas was 17.3x10'5 *Ci/100 u cm which was found on the sample shipment bench were samples are prepared and packaged'for off-site s vitalareaswas0.2x10gipment.. Thglowestaveragevalueinthereactor uCi/100 cm which was in Room 201A, the Reactor Shop floor. .The average level of remova radiochemistrysamplehoodswas11.7x10'glecontamingtioninthe uCi/100 cm 1
A non-reactor vital area is an area in the building where radioactive
' materials are used or stored but which is not a part of the Licensed reactor facility.
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- I, ~ Environmental'Monitorine Program
The environmental monitoring program uses' thermoluminescent dosimeters
'(TLD's)'at locations both near and at distancesfaround the reactor building.
facility'.The_ quarterly exposures in the vicinity of the Nuclear. Radiation Center 5are' listed in Table VII below. The average . ambient gamma radiation levelnsfor this area (80 mile radius) is_ 91 mrem /yr. , (249 uR/ day) as reporte'dlin the 24nd Annual Report of the_ Environmental Radiation Program, 1 Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
The values observed indicate there'is no significant effect on the' environment radiation levels due to reactor operation.
TABLE VII ~
Environmental Radiation Leve1s in the Vicinity of the. Nuclear Radiation-Centerl
, (Exposure in uR/ day)
Jul-Aug-Sep' ' Oct-Nov-Dec Jan-Feb-Mar Apr-May-Jun 2 Median 170 170 154 -
165 1
For. sampling stations. located 50 meters or greater from the' Nuclear Radiation Center.
2: Apr-May-Jun;TLD ~
data notJavailable from TLD vendor at the time this '
report was. prepared.
Quarterly' exposures at readily accessible locations at the. reactor facility are listed in Table.VIII on Page 7. No significant effect on the environmental radiation levels by reactor operation was noted.
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, .-,,= 7 TABLE VIII Environmental Radiation Levels Adj cent to the Nuclear Radiation Center (Exposure in uR/ day)
Location Jul-Aug-Sep Oct-Nov-Dec Jan-Feb-Mar Apr-May-Jun2 Median l'
S. Bldg. Entrance 197 197 213 -
202 E. Loading Dock 208 208 213 -
210 Pool Room E. Door 820 820 413 -
684 Storage Shed 601 601 -400 -
534 Building N. Side 197 197 227 -
207 Beam Room W. Door 208 208 200 -
205 Building W. Side 208 208 227 -
207 Building W. Roof 628 628 440 -
565 Building E. Roof 180 180 293 -
218 1
For sampling stations located less that 50 meters of the Nuclear Radiation Center.
2 Apr-May-Jun TLD data not available from TLD vendor at the time this report was prepared.
Technical Specifications ALARA effluent releases in 3.12(2) specify annual radiation exposures at the closest offsite extended occupancy shall not, on an annual basis, exceed the average local offsite background radiation level by more than 20%. For the 1st three quarters of the reporting period, the average background radiation level for sampling points 400 meters or greater from the facility was 153 uR/ day. The average radiation level at the closest extended occupied area 380 meters away was 149 uR/ day, which yields a ratio of -3,0%, indicating no significant exposure level above natural background. For the four quarters of calendar year 1988, the average background radiation level was 170 uR/ day, while the exposure to the same closest offsite area was 175 uR/ day. This yields a ratio of exposure to background of 3.0%, again indicating no significant exposure above natural background.
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