ML20247G835

Univ of Virginia Reactor Facility Annual Rept 1988

ML20247G835
Person / Time
Site:	University of Virginia
Issue date:	12/31/1988
From:	Farrar J VIRGINIA, UNIV. OF, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
To:	Alexander Adams NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM), Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8904040329
Download: ML20247G835 (37)

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i 1988 ANNUAL REPORT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA REACTOR FACILITY Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION page A. Reactor Facility Reporting Requirements 1

1) Reporting Period 1

2) Basis for Reporting 1

B. Reactor Facility Description 1

1) 2 MW UVAR Reactor 1

2) 100 Watt CAVALIER Reactor 3

3) Past Operating History 3

4) Summary of 1988 Reactor Utilization 5

i) UVAR Reactor ii) CAVALIER Reactor

5) Special Facilities 6

C. Reactor Staff Organization 7

1) Operations Staff 7

2) Health Physics Staff 7

3) Reactor Safety Committee 7

II. REACTOR OPERATIONS A. UVAR Reactor 9

1) Core Configurations 9

2) Standard Operating Procedures 9

3) Surveillance Requirements 9

4) Maintenance 15

5) Unplanned Shutdowns 17

6) Pool Water Make-up 18

7) Fuel Shipments 18 i)

Fresh Fuel

11) Spent Fuel t

8) Operator Training 18 i)

Reactor Facility Staff

11) Summer Course for High School Teachers lii) Disadvantaged American Operator Training Program

9) Reactor Tours 19 I

B. CAVALIER Reactor 20 l

1) Core Configuration 20

2) Operation 20 l

ii III. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE pace A. Reactor Safety Committee 22

1) Meetings 22

2) Audits 22

3) Approvals 22

4) 10 CFR 50.59 Reviews 22 B.

Changes to Reactor Facility 23

1) LEU Conversion Plans 23 C.

NRC Inspections 23 D. Licensing Action 23 IV. HEALTH PHYSICS A. Personnel Dosimetry 24

1) Visitor Exposure Data 24

2) Reactor Facility Personnel 24

3) Dosimetry for Specific Activities 25 B.

Effluent Releases 25

1) Gaseous Effluents 25

2) Liquid Effluents 25

3) Solid Waste 27 C.

Environmental Monitoring 27

1) Air Samples 27

2) Water Samples 27 D. Radiation and Contamination Levels 27 E.

Summary 27 V. RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND REACTOR SERVICES A. Irradiation & Research Facilities Available 28 B. Research Activities 28 C. Service Projects 29 D. Reactor Sharing Program 30 8 E. Reactor Facility Supported Cc':rses & Labs 30 F. Degrees Granted by the Department of Nuclear 31 Engineering and Engineering Physics l VI. FINANCES I A. Expenditures 32 B. State Support and Service Income 32

1 1988 ANNUAL REPORT l University of Virginia Reactor Facility I. INTRODUCTION A. Reactor Facility Reporting Requirements 1) Reporting Period This report on Reactor Facility activities during 1988 covers the period January 1, 1988 through December 31, 1988. 2) Basis for Reporting An annual report of reactor operations is required by the UVAR and CAVALIER Technical Specifications, section 6.6.2. Additionally, it is the desire of the facility management to document and publicize the most important results derived from reactor operations. B. Reactor Facility Description The Reactor Facility is located on the grounds of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Virginia and is operated by the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics. The Facility houses the UVAR 2 MW pool type research reactor and CAVALIER 100 watt training reactor. The Facility also has a 13,000 curie cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility, a hot cell facility with remote manipulators, several radiochemistry laboratories with fume hoods, radiation detectors, counters and laboratory counting equipment, computerized data acquisition-analysis systems, and a fully equipped machine shop and electronic shop. 1) 2 MW UVAR Reactor The UVAR reactor is a light water cooled, moderated and shielded " swimming pool" type reactor that first went into operation at a licensed power level of one megawatt in June 1960, under facility license No. R-66. In 1971, the authorized power level was increased to two megawatts. In September of 1982, the operating license for the UVAR was extended for 20 years. Figure 1 shows a layout of the reactor and the various experimental facilities associated with it.

2 UVAR Experimental Facilities TANGENTIAL BEAM PORT 3: 1, TARGET box ~ p-- --- COR E r -4v-FUEL ELEMENT TANGENTIAL ~BE AM TUBE \\ A / ( o ww NEUTRON BEAM N SOUTHEAST PORTS l ACCESS l FACILIT Y o SOUTH ACCESS FACILIT Y RESEARCH FACILITIES Two Neutron Beam Ports, one currently utilized Other short or long term irradiation facilities for Neutron Radiography with temperature and environmental control Two Access Ports (6'x4'), one currently con-8,000 Ci Cobalt 60 Camma irradiation Facility e figured for a High Energy Camma Photon Beam Hot Cell, with remote manipulators Hydraulic Rabbit, for activation analysis e Machine Shop, fully equipped (sample size < 0.69" diameter,6" length) Electronic Shop, well equipped Pneumatic Rabbit, for activation analysis Several Radiochemistry Labs provided with fume I e (sample size 1" diameter and < 2.3" length) hoods, counters and laboratory equipment Heated Epithermal Neutron irradiation Facility, e Computerized data acquisition / analysis system for trace element analysis Figure 1 a

3 2) 100 W CAVALIER Reactor The CAVALIER (Cooperatively Assembled Virginia Low Intensity Educational Reactor) first went in to operation in October 1974, under facility license R-123, at a licensed power of 100 watts. The reactor was built to accommodate reactor operator training and perform experiments for undergraduate laboratory courses. The operating license was renewed in May 1985, for a period of 20 years. Figure 2 shows a layout of this reactor and its control room. 3) Past Operating History i) UVAR Reactor The UVAR reactor operating history is aa follows: Year (s) MWhours Hours Onerated 1960-1965 1218 1500 1966-1970 2742 3000 1971-1975 1654 1800 1976-1978 1769 1480 1979 4426 2764 1980 4610 2863 1981 4988 3568 1982 5507 3024 1983 6079 3556 1984 5687 3166 1985 927 718 1986 1330 891 1987 1220 801 1988 910 621 During the years 1979 through 1984, the UVAR reactor was operated ~110 hours per week to irradiate metal specimens for radiation damage studies on pressure vessel steels. Since that time, the reactor staff has been on an 8 hour, 5 day per week schedule. The intent of the reactor management is to perform various on-going small and diverse irradiation projects, rather than a single large irradiation project. The areas where irradiations have been or are being sought are I mineral irradiations, semiconductor transmutation l doping, isotope production for industry or medicine, and NAA or ENAA on large numbers of similar samples.

+ r MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT ROOM 4 i l %N \\ N L,, - MACHINE SHOP STAIRS TO L MEZZANINE d OPERATING AREA CONCRETE SHIELD 4. 'aN 6 ' a' A 4 ^ 9 H0DERATOR d a mmR PIT TANK 8A 64 2 s .s a a n -7 L Plan View of CAVALIER Operating Area SCALE: 1/8" = 1' CONCRETE SHIELD 2Y s w "a ^ .j 'k'a GROUND FLOOR a'., a , i' d, z.EVEt, 4 4 FgT MODERATOR ^dM TM ,4, , :r l a 6a 4' 4' 11e ,a EARTH 6 DEIONIZER 6 a FILL 3 / gg s / f EARTH 6 6 FILL CORE 'a a [/ DRAIN \\ a a, TO 6 A ~ 3 PCND 6 A h _u _-- - - 's ,s .,-.. _ a_. a nho ,1

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Vertical Section Through Ranctor Pit SCALE: 1/4" = 1' Figure 2 l

5

11) CAVALIER Reactor The. CAVALIER reactor operating history is as follows:

Years Watt-Hours Hours Onerated 1974-1980 2128 758 1981-1985 1278 '388 1986 147 37 1987 28 29 1988 0 0 The CAVALIER reactor has been used primarily for reactor operator training and undergraduate lab experiments, although it has been utilized very little over the past two years. A dismantlement . plan was submitted to the NRC in November, 1987 and no action has been taken as yet. The CAVALIER was unloaded on March 3, 1988.

4) Summary of 1988 Reactor Utilization 1)

UVAR Reactor During 1988, the UVAR was operated for 621 hours and a total integrated power of 910 Megawatt-hours. The following experiments were performed utilizing the UVAR reactor: 1268 NAA samples were run in the pneumatic rabbit system 28 NAA samples were run in the hydraulic rabbit system 220 NAA samples were irradiated in the radiation basket two sets of samples were irradiated for electrophoresis experiments one set of samples were run in the mineral irradiation facility -25 hours of reactor operations were dedicated to neutron radiography l ii) CAVALIER Reactor The CAVALIER reactor was not operated during i i 1988. / _-._-._-_--_-_.-.a_--_..__._..._.___-_

a 1 1 J 6 l 5) Special Facilities The following facilities are operated in connection with the UVAR: Two neutron beam ports, of eight inch diameter, are available. One beam port is currently { dedicated to neutron radiography. Two access ports (6 ft x 4 ft). One port is currently configured for a high energy photon beam. Hydraulic rabbit, for activation analysis, permitting samples with dimensions of less than 0.69 inch diameter and six inch length. Pneumatic rabbit, for activation analysis, i permitting sample diameters of one inch and length not exceeding 2.3 inches, accessing either a thermal or an epithermal irradiation facility. Epithermal neutron irradiation facility, for trace clement analysis with reduced thermal neutron flux. Solid gel irradiator for electrophoresis. Epithermal neutron mineral irradiation facility. Irradiation facilities with environmental control. Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation facility with 13,000 Ci permitting exposures at rates up to 230,000 R/h. Small hot cell, with remote manipulators. Machine and Electronic Shops, well equipped. Several radiochemistry labs with fume hoods, counters and standard lab equipment. Low-background counting room with shielded solid state detectors and computerized data acquisition / analysis system. b

7 C. Roactor Staff Organization 1) Operations Staff A Reactor Facility organization chart is shown in Figure 3. Personnel on the reactor staff as of the end of 1988 were: R.U. Mulder - Reactor Director J.P. Farrar - Reactor Administrator P.E. Benneche - Servicer Supervisor B. Hosticka - Research Scientist

• D.W.

Freeman - Senior Reactor Operator T.L. Nguyen - Senior Reactor Operator L.L. Scheid - Reactor Operator V.G. Hampton - Electronic Shop Supervicor J.S. Baber - Machine Shop Supervisor V.E. Thomas - Reactor Facility Secretary Paid from reactor services income account 2) Health Physics Staff at the Facility O.T. Hale - Reactor Health Physicist The Health Physicist is assisted by a Health Physics technician. Other health physicists and technicians employed by the University are on call with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. 3) Reactor Safety Committee The Reactor Safety Committee is composed of the following individuals: ~ J.L. Meem - Professor Emeritus - Chairman J.S. Brenizer - Assoc. Professor - Nuclear Engr. B.G. Copcutt - U.Va. Radiation Safety Officer R.U. Mulder - Director, Reactor Facility A.B. Reynolds - Professor, Nuclear Engineering R.A. Rydin - Assoc. Professor, Nuclear Engr. K.R. Lawless - Professor, Material Science (

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9 II. REACTOR OPERATIONS A. UVAR Reactor 1) Core Configurations A typical UVAR core configuration is shown in Figure 4. The reactor employs three boron-stainless steel safety rods and one stainless-steel regulating rod for fine power control. The fuel elements are of the MTR plate-type elements, utilizing a U-AL alloy. The fuel is approximately 93% enriched. Two kinds of fuel elements can be used: older flat plate fuel elements that have 12 fuel plates per element, with a U-235 loading of approximately 165 gm/ element; and newer curved plate elements that have 18 fuel plates per element, with a loading of approximately 195 grams / element. A plan view of these elements is shown in Figure 5. 2) Standard Operating Procedures Seven sections of the UVAR standard operating procedures were changed during 1988 in the areas of personnel responsibilities, checklists, operating procedures, material irradiation and post irradiation handling, system calibration and maintenance, radiation control procedures, and abnormal conditions. The Reactor Safety Committee reviewed and approved these changes. 3) Surveillance Requirements The following surveillance itelas were completed during the year as required by section 4.0 of the Technical Specifications: i) Rod Drop Tests and Visual Inspection a) Technical Specification Requirements Rod drop times are measured at least semi-annually, or whenever rods are moved or maintenance is performed. Magnet release time should be less than 50 milliseconds and free drop time less than 700 milliseconds. Rods are visually inspected at least annually.

FIGURE 4 10 UVAR REACTOR LOADING CHART v Date __________ Shutdown Margin ___,______ % celta-k/x Excess Reactivity ________ % delta-k/k U-235________gr. Secured Exp. Worth _____ % delta-k/k F= Fuel Element CR= Control Rod MIF= Mineral Irradiation Facility G= Graphite ER= Epithermal Rabbit Pneumatic Tube TR= Thermal Rabbit Pneumatic Tube P= Plug HR= Hydraulic Rabbit Tube as S= Source Element RDs Radiatic.; Basket G F F F F F D D ,2 i3 i4 i-is i7 ie F F F F D D ^ J 3 2, 22 23 24 5 M 27 0 c ~ F F F a F a J 2 g 3, 32 33 3. 35 36 37 M j ^ F F F F 3 ^ .g 2 F F F F Qg ^ 3 J G 51 52 53 54 55 57 M m m ^ D -R a R3 a 1 A A e, e, .3 e4 C_R) a a (y,, a a a J ze re 77 re o G (F Rh a a a a J J .3 ,es e7 = Core Loading Approved by: .....u_,. __,,,,,__,_____. Date!........,,,,,, - " - ' - - ~

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i 12 Rod drop times were measured on the UVAR reactor as follows: i January 26, 1988 j Magnet Rod Magnet Free Total Current Position Release Drop Drop Rod (ma) (inch) (msec) (ms) (ms) i 1 157 26 19.6 492 511.6 2 157 26 37.6 457.4 495 3 65 26 18 450 468 ( After visual inspection of rods on Feb. 2, 1988) 1 157 26 26 568 594 2 157 26 46 456 502 l 3 70 26 44 449 493 i August 4, 1988 1 157 26 4.9 495 499.9 2 157 26 36 594 630 3 70 26 28.9 458 486.9 December 20, 1988 (After visual inspection of rods on December 19, 1988) 1 150 26 14.9 564.5 579.4 2 154 26 34 532.5 5G6.5 3 70 26 37 591 628 The rod drop times continue to be within the limits required by Technical Specifications (see page 9). The UVAR control rods were visually inspected on February 2, 1988. The following is abstracted from the reactor log book and the surveillance files: Rod #1 - Inspection of rod was under approximately 5 feet of water. Rod passed 0.95 inch gage easily. Visual inspection revealed no evidence of cracking. Rod #2 - Inspection of rod was under approximately 5 feet of water. No rub marks or evidence of cracking was seen. Rod passed 0.95 inch gage test easily.

13 Rod #3 - Inspection of rod was under approximately 5 feet of water. No evidence of cracking was observed, however a previously observed rub mark was seen on the south edge of the rod about halfway down. Rod passed 0.95 inch gage test easily. Rec. Rod - The rod was inspected under approximately G feet of water. Rod was judged to be in good shape and passed the 1.00 inch gage easily. The shim rods were visually inspected again on December 19, 1988 during a core configuration change. The following is abstracted from the reactor log book and the surveillance files. Rod #1 - Rod was inspected under approximately 3.5 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water -5 mr/hr. Passes 0.95" gage easily. No evidence of cracking or rub marks. Rod #2 - Rod was inspected under approximately 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water was -11 mr/hr. Passes 0.95" gage easily. No evidence of cracking or rub marks. Rod #3 - Rod was inspected under approximately 3 feet of water. Dose rate at surface of water was - 10 mr/hr. Passes 0.95" gage easily. No evidence of cracking or rub marks. ii) Tests and Calibrations a) Monthly Operational checks of the ventilation duct, l personnel door, truck door and emergency exit cover were performed as required. b) Semi-Annually Visual inspection of gaskets on personnel door, ventilation duct and truck door was completed. Calibration checks of source range channel, linear power channel, core gamma monitor, bridge radiation monitor, reactor face monitor, duct argon monitor, constant air monitor, pool level monitors, pool temperature monitors, core differential pool temperature monitors, and primary flow were done.

14 c) Annually The emergency cooling system was tested during the month of September 1988. The results were as follows: S.E. Tank S.W. Tank (cal / min) (cal / min) minimum required flow 11.0 11.5 i 9-27-88 actual flow 11.3 12.7 l d) Daily Checklist The daily checklist, which is completed when the reactor is to be operated, provided for l I checks on all of the automatic shutdown l systems associated with the reactor. ) i e) Technical Specifications The Technical Specifications require that the pH and conductivity of the pool water be measured at least once every two weeks. These measurements were actually made on a daily basis when the reactor was operating and at least once each week. These measurements have indicated that the water quality was maintained well within the Technical Specification Limits of pH between 5.0 and 7.5 with conductivity < 5 micromhos/cm. f) Core Configuration Changes The core configuration for the UVAR reactor was changed during the month of December,1988 to gain more excess reactivity for operation. g) Communication Checks The security system and emergency communication with the University Police were checked on a weekly basis throughout the year. h) Alarm System Checks The fire alarm system was checked during the month of December for proper alarm functions, both in the Facility and at the University Pclice Department. Data on all of these tests and calibrations are on file at the facility.

15 4. Maintenance The following maintenance was performed on the UVAR reactor system during the calendar year 1988: 1/27/88 Hot Cell area monitor: Problem with instrument spiking. Corrective action: Cleaned dirty connector pins at detector and cleaned plug-in leads. 1/28/88 Demineralized area monitor: Reading consistently high although actual radiation levels as measured with portable instruments was not high. Corrective action: Found defective detector board. Replaced board and calibrated instrument. Instrument back to normal readings. 2/19/88 Source Range Instrument: High signal in instrument. Corrective action: Found low battery voltage. Replaced battery and checked out system. 2/25/88 Pneumatic Transfer System: Added second detector for hold-up station so that both the thermal and epi-thermal rabbits can be utilized at the same time. 3/22/88 Source Range Instrument: 6 volt power supply (battery) failed to preamp. Corrective action: Replaced battery with standard modular power supply. Mounted on bridge junction box. 6/2/88 Cooling Tower: Drained and cleaned cooling tower. 6/21/88 Secondary Pump: Pump tripped while running. Corrective action: Found and replaced blown fuse. 7/11/88 Duct Argon Monitor: No response, ringing in pre - amp. Corrective action: Found impedance mismatch between preamp and detector. Bypassed choke in defective 2nd stage of preamp. Replaced inverter with emitter follower. 8/1/88 Small (-1 cm) hole developed in liquid waste tank

1. 2.

Corrective action: Patched hole with two gaskets, each of silicone rubber bonded to steel with silicone adhesive. Bolted gaskets, one on inside and one on outside of tank wall, with steel bolt. Monitored tank level for several days. No indication of further leak.

i 16 l 8/12/88 Secondary Pump: Pump tripped while reactor at 2 Mw. Reactor power lowered to -1 Kw. Entered heat exchanger room with portable monitor and dosimeters. Dose rate -3 mr/hr. Found 2 blown fuses. Corrective action: Replaced fuses, restarted pump l and took reactor back to power. 8/15/88 Header Mechanism for Primary System: Filter housing and moisture collector cracked and leaking air. l Corrective action: Replaced entire unit. l 8/18/88 Secondary Cooling System: Cooling tower makeup valve I I intermittent. Incomplete shutoff when water level l fully up. Corrective action: Float on makeup valve appeared water-logged. Added flotation (styrofoam) 1 to float assembly. l l \\ 9/30/88 North Beamport Neutron Detector: False "on" signals when beamport is filled. Found ground loop with detector touching lead shield. Incompatibility between amplifier / pre-amplifier, microphonic in detector cable run. Corrective action: Installed I plastic sleeve around detector. Installed ortec linear amplifier to feed signal to Bailey discri-minator and differential amplifier to discriminate microphonic. Calibrated and source checked with Pu-Be source. 1 10/19/88 Demineralized Pump: Pump motor very noisy. Corrective action: Replaced defective bearings. 11/2/88 Secondary Pump: Would not start after building power failure. Corrective action: Found and replaced blown fuse. 11/17/88 Waste Tanks: Filters in waste tank system clogged and stuck in receptacles. Corrective action: Removed filters and cleaned receptacles. Also replaced one filter housing. Filters had clogged because suction line in each tank extended all the way to bottom of tank, thereby drawing solids into filters. Installed second suction line in each tank that extends only halfway into tank, allowing circulation but minimizing the collection of solids in the filters.

1 17 5. Unplanned bH4lowns The following unplanned shutdowns occurred on the UVAR reactor during the calendar year 1988: 1/18/88 2 scrams due to noise in Intermediate Period Channel, scram: Experimenter dropped electric cord in front of electric eye in neutron beamport blockhouse. 4/1/88 scram: noise in power range #1. 6/14/88 scram: noise in neutron beamport detector. 6/15/88 scram: Fluctuation in line voltage caused electric i eye in neutron beamport blockhouse to trip. 6/28/88 scram: Spurious scram from power range #2. Reactor at -60 Kw. scram: Noise in power range #2. Reactor at - 200 Kw. 7/6/88 scram: Noise in Intermediate Period Channel. 7/14/88 scram: Manual scram by operator when capsule malfunctioned in rabbit facility. 7/20/88 scram: Loss of building power during thunderstorm. 7/21/88 scram: Noise in reactor face monitor. 7/22/88 scram: Noise in reactor face monitor. 8/18/88 scram: Loss of building power. 8/19/88 scram: Reactor bridge monitor, caused by a sample in a rabbit tube being somewhat more radioactive f than anticipated. 9/7/88 scrams: three scrams due to noise in Intermediate Period Channel. 9/13/88 scram: Noise in console. scram: Fluctuation in Power Range #2. 10/5/88 scram: Noise in electric eye at neutron beamport. 10/7/88 scram: Pool level #2 prior to criticality. Pool j level was near set point. Made up pool prior to restart of reactor. 12/7/88 scram: Building power failure. 12/13/88 scram: Malfunctioning thermocouple on MIF experiment.

18 12/14/88 scram: Bad thermocouple on MIF, replaced thermocouple. 12/15/88 scram: Building power failure. 12/20/88 scram: During core loading, accidentally disconnected lead to Intermediate Channel. The frequency of unplanned shutdowns in 1988 was similar to that in recent years which has averaged about 30 shutdowns per year and 0.04 per hour of operation. 6) Pool Water Make-up During the calendar year 1988, make-up water to the UVAR pool averaged approximately 16 gallons per day. Over the past 11 years, the pool water make-up has varied from a minimum of 16 gallons per day to a maximum of 85 gallons per day, depending on reactor operation. The loss of water is mostly due to evaporation from the pool while operating at full power. 7) Fuel Shipments i) Fresh Fuel No fresh fuel was received at the facility during 1988.

11) Spent Fuel j

No spent fuel was shipped from the facility during 1988. 8) operator Training i) Reactor Facility Staff At the end of 1988 the staff had five senior reactor operators and one regular operator. All licensed operators participated in the Facility's operator requalification program, which was carried out during the year. The program consisted of periodic lectures, participation in the daily operation of the facility (including performing check-lists and start-ups of the UVAR reactor) and taking an annual written examination i administered by the Facility management.

19

11) Summer Course for High School Teachers During the month of June, 1988, 48 High School Teachers from within the state of Virginia attended a one week special course at the reactor facility entitled: " Science of Nuclear Energy:

Environmental Issues and Safety". The course consisted of formal lectures, laboratory experiments with the UVAR reactor in the areas of sub-critical multiplication, rod calibration, measurement of temperature coefficient and power calibration. j lii) Disadvantaged American Reactor Operator Training ( U.Va. has, since 1984, administered a reactor f operator training program for disadvantaged { i americans. The program involved four other i Universities, but at the beginning of 1988 only three remained active: U.Va., Ohio State and the State University of New York at Buffalo. The trainee at Buffalo, a female, dropped out of the program in June, 1988 due to weaknesses in mathematics, which she could not overcome. The trainee at Ohio State, also a female, dropped out of the program in August, 1988. She had successfully passed the NRC examination for reactor operator and accepted employment in the nuclear field. The trainee at U.Va., also a female, began her training program in February, 1988 and took and successfully passed the NRC exam for reactor operator in November, 1988. U.Va. requested, and was granted, a one-year, no cost extension for the program so that the trainee could complete the second year of the program. ) 9. Reactor Tours During the calendar year 1988, the staff guided 36 groups on tours of the Facility, for a total of 780 visitors. I e

20 ) B. CAVALIER Reactor 1) Core Configuration A typical CAVALIER core configuration is shown in Figure 6. The reactor employs 4 boron-stainless steel control rods. The control rods are positioned at the four corners of the reactor in order to minimize relative rod worth and excess reactivity. An " experimental" fuel element (grid position 43).is used to adjust excess reactivity by either interting or removing individual fuel plates from this element (12 of 18 plates being removable). The fuel elements used in the CAVALIER reactor are identical to those used in the UVAR reactor. 2) Operation The CAVALIER reactor was not operated during 1988. The reactor was completely unloaded during the first week of March, 1988. As of this time there are no plans to operate the reactor again. 4 1 l

Figure 6 j CAVALIER REACTOR LOADING CHART Loading No. _ Date Total Mass Eram U-235 F - Normal Fuel Element Excess Reactivity P - Partial Fuel Element C - Control Rod Fuel Element E - Removable Plate Fuel Element Shutdown Margin AL Wire Mesh A n. i, 31 12 33 11 11 F E / 4,i i s, mi i F F F F / a s s, F F ,F F .i,, m,, e F F ai mi i A // 4

22 III. REGULATORY COMPLT.ANCE A. Reactor Safety Committee 1) Meetings During 1988, the Reactor Safety Committee met ten times, on the following dates: February 24, 1988 September 23, 1988 March 1, 1988 September 30, 1988 March 24, 1988 October 3, 1988 April 26, 1988 October 24, 1988 June 7, 1988 November 21, 1988 2) Audits Sub-committees of the Reactor Safety Committee performed three audits of the Facility's operation during the year, in the areas of: Radiological Protection Program, Security and Emergency Procedures, and UVAR and CAVALIER Operational Records. 3) Approval The Reactor Safety Committee approved seven changes to the Standard Operating Procedures during 1988 in the areas of: personnel responsibilities, checklists, operating procedures, material irradiation and post irradiation handling, system calibration and maintenance, radiation control procedures, and abnormal conditions. 4) 10 CFR 50.59 Reviews The following 10 CFR 50.59 analyses were performed during the year and were reviewed by the Reactor Safety Committee: 2/16/88 Neutron detection system for neutron beamports. 8/01/88 Repair small leak in liquid waste tank. 8/10/88 New experiment involving transformer exposure to shutdown gamma rays from UVAR. 10/14/88 Modifications to South Tangential Beamport. 11/20/88 Add new suction lines to Liquid Waste Tanks.

23 B. Changes to the Reactor Facility 1) LEU Conversion Plans The NRC mandated in 1986 a change from High Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel, with the date of conversion to depend on several factors. The U.Va. Facility will be among the initial group of research reactor facilities to convert to LEU fuel. A study funded by DOE was begun in the spring of 1986 to accomplish this. A management decision has been made to shut down the CAVALIER reactor. The present plans call for the conversion of the UVAR reactor in early 1990, but will depend on the availability of new LEU fuel. C. NRC Inspections During 1988 the Facility underwent four NRC compliance inspections, at the following times and in the areas of: 4/05/88 Health Physics 8/09/88 Emergency Preparedness 8/22/88 Health Physics 8/22/88 Reactor Operations D. Licensing Action During 1988 the following Licensing changes were initiated: 4/25/88 Amendment 16 to UVAR License R-66 adding CO-60 facility to UVAR Tech. Specs. 11/22/88 Submitted proposed amendment to CAVALIER Tech. Specs. regarding surveillance requirements when CAVALIER is not operating. 12/16/88 Amendment 17 to UVAR License R-66 changing shutdown margin requirements in Tech. Specs. to exclude regulating rod.

24 l IV. HEALTH PHYSICS A. Personnel Dosimetry j i 1) Visitor Exposure Data for 1988 During 1988, there were 2843 visitor entries into the Reactor Facility. Exposure received by visitors is measured with self-reading dosimeters. No visitor received more than five mR of total exposure. l l 2) Reactor Facility Personnel Dosimetry Data for 1988 In June, a new dosimetry contract was initiated with a different NAVLAP-certified vendor, replacing silver-halide film badges with thermo-luminescent dosimeters. TLD's are now used to measure deep and shallow beta-gamma doses received by Reactor Facility personnel. This dosimetry data becomes the permanent record of dose received for Facility personnel. Information listed below is derived from whole-body gamma, beta, x-ray and neutron radiation dose data (deep dose only) from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 1988. The dose distribution for Reactor Facility personnel is as follows: Dose Received Occurrences in 1988 (mrem) Less than 10 79 10 - 20 13 20 - 30 3 30 - 40 1 40 - 50 0 50 - 60 0 60 - 70 0 70 - 80 0 80 - 90 1 Greater than 90 0 Total Number 97 of Badged Personnel During 1988, a total of 0.411 man-rem was received by badged reactor facility personnel.

25 I 3) Dosimetry Information for Specific Activities ) Self-reading dosimeters are worn when handling irradiated material that produces exposure rates greater than 100 mR per hour, measured one foot from the source. These exposures are recorded in a log j book kept in the control room. This exposure information is helpful in assessing the amount of i exposure received during specific operations. A 1 review of the control room log book revealed no task-related exposures greater than 0.010 man-R during 1988. B. Effluents Released During 1988 1) Gaseous Effluents Argon-41 gaseous release concentrations are calculated using a methodology described in a June, 1977, memorandum entitled: " Memo to Senior Operators-Argon 41 production in UVAR". The methodology described in this memorandum assumes: (a) a maximum production rate for Ar-41 (given the present UVAR core loading), (b) immediate evolution of Ar-41 from the pool water into the UVAR confinement atmosphere, (c) no decay and (d) air saturating the UVAR pool water at 68 F. Based on this method, and using the known amount of time the reactor was at power during 1988, a total release of 1.31 Curies of Ar-41 has been calculated. 2) Liquid Effluents Liquid radioactive waste is released off-site after having been sampled for gross beta activity and diluted (if necessary). During 1988 there were 23 releases (see following graph, Figure 7) of liquid effluent to the environment. The average concentration per release was 2.09 x 10-8 p Ci/ ml. The total gross beta activity released was 397 pCi. The total liquid volume released was 4,920,000 gallons. Tritium release activity is calculated by first taking a discharge tank sample and analyzing it for tritium using a liquid scintillation counter. Release values for tritium are then calculated using a known pond water dilution ratio. Pond samples are also regularly analyzed for tritium and this activity (if detectable) is included in the total release calculation. The total tritium activity released during 1988 was 9.69 x 104 pCi.

Uoo5$QsZv# 2_;m 2 5Eem dI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 O 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 n 1 2 i E 3 a 1 4 i E M 9 ax 8 5 i a i m 8 um 6 i 0 P L e 7 i a r I Q m G i R 8 E s O U s S i b S I D 9 i E l e B R E 1 T E i 0 C L 0 A E o E n V F A 1 O c S S 1 E F e n 1 t R L N i 0 U 2 r E m0 L U a M t E B i PP A 1 E oo S E i 3 nn o E R dd n N 1 i N 4 +re U T ( 1 Tl ae 0 M 1 i E 5 na C B R ks F E e R R r 1 i eo 2 6 E l n 0 L el ay 2 1 i E E s 7 0 e 1 A ) 1 i O 8 S E 1 a 9 S 2 i O 0 2 1 i O 22 i O 2 i 3 Eao ~ l

27 3) Solid Waste Shipments j During 1988, no solid waste was shipped off-grounds for burial or disposal. I C. Environmental Monitoring Program Results 1) Environmental Air Samples Environmental air samples are taken monthly outside of the Reactor building and within the owner controlled area. All air sample values measured below the lower limit of detection of the instrument used (4.15 x 10-11 pCi/ ml. ). 2) Environmental Water Samples Four environmental water samples are taken monthly at the following locations: l l a. The University water filtration plant. 1 b. The creek adjacent to the Barracks Road Shopping Center. This location is downstream of the main University water discharge point; two samples are taken at this point. c. The creek that feeds the Reactor Facility pond, used as a source of dilution water. All 1988 concentration were below instrument LLD values of 5.6 x 10-9 pCi/ml. D. Radiation and Contamination Level Summary l Loose surface contamination is expected in only one radioactive material storage area. The levels of contamination found there are low (below the procedural 2 definition of " contaminated area" of 1000 dpm/100 cm ), Access is controlled to this area. Normally, if a contamination survey detects loose surface contamination ~ 2 greater than or equal to 50 dpm/100 cm, that area is decontaminated immediately. Required health physics radiation level surveys were performed during 1988. There was no overall increase in background or systems-related radiation levels. E. Summary During 1988 no State or Federal limits for exposure to personnel or the public were exceeded.

28 V. Research. Education and Service Activities A. Irradiation and Other Research Facilities Available An overall description of the experimental facilities available at the UVA reactor are listed in section I.B.5. During 1988, no new facilities were added and no major modifications were made to existing facilities. Plans were begun on rosearch projects utilizing tangential beam ports through both the south and southeast access facilities of the UVAR. Both of these projects will require extensive modifications of the existing equipment which should be completed in 1989. Additionally, design work on a iridium seed irradiator was started with hopes of beginning irradiations in early 1989. B. Research Activities 1. A continuing program of research was pursued on behalf of a major tab eco company. This work was supervised by Dr. Jack Brenizer and conducted primarily l by graduate students with Reactor Facility staff assistance. The major projects were neutron radiographic examinations of burning cigarettes, neutron activation analysis of various tobacco products and other substances used in the tobacco industry and the analysis of the distribution of smoke from a smoked cigarette through spiking of tobacco with radioactive isotopes. 2. Staff assistance was provided for two major projectc and several minor projects utilizing the cobalt-60 irradiation facility. The major projects are on behalf of sponsors related to the nuclear power industry and involve the gamma irradiation of radiation sensitive components from nuclear power plants and the corrosion of steel samples in different environments. Drs. Albert Reynolds, W. Reed Johnson and Jam 0s Kelly are the principle investigators for these projects. 3. Staff, faculty and students have been and are continuing to be involved in the safety analysis of the low enriched uranium fuel proposed for use in the UVAR Reactor. This scudy is being funded by the Department of Energy. The principle faculty members involved are Drs. Roger Rydin and Robert Mulder.

29 C. Service Proiects 1. Iodine determination by epithermal neutron 1 activation analysis (ENAA) was performed on behalf of several sponsors. The substances analyzed were infant formula, liquid diet supplements, surgical diets, pet foods and various chemical compounds. 2. Rhodium determinations by neutron activation analysis (NAA) were performed on a number of chemical mixtures for one major chemical manufacturer. 3. High purity silicon was analyzed for trace contaminants for a Japanese firm. 4. A project involving the color enhancement of various gemstone grade minerals by fast neutron irradiation was pursued by the reactor staff on behalf l on one commercial sponsor. l 5. Several reactor irradiations on electrophoresis gels were performed for a researcher from the National I Bureau of Standards. These were done in a facility I specially designed and built by the reactor staff for I this purpose. 6. Water samples were analyzed for Zirconium for the local electric power company's nearby nuclear power plant. 7. A project was completed for a researcher from an electric utility who was investigating the measurement of the amount of uranium trapped on the outside of the zirconium cladding when nuclear reactor fuel is manufactured. 8. A commercial vendor of equipment used by the ( nuclear power industry contracted with the department ) to have tested a number of solid state neutron monitors. 9. A number of small gold pellets were irradiated for the Department of Radiological Physics at the University of Virginia Hospital for use in treating inoperable cancerous tumors. 10. A pharmaceutical manufacturing company began a research project investigating the possibility of producing a special radioactive tracer for human use. 11. Several soil samples were analyzed for gold and platinum for a mining company.

30 D. Reactor Sharina Procram The Department of Energy has for ten years funded a program at the University entitled Reactor Sharing. The purpose of this program is to make available the facilities at certain university reactors to the faculty and students at ) universities and other educational institutions which do not i have such facilities. Over the years, hundreds of students and dozens of professors have used this arrangement to enhance j both their educational and research opportunities. This past year a number of tours, laboratories and research projects were conducted under this program. The following is a list of both the directly and indirectly funded activities completed in 1988. High school tours: 20 tours from 11 schools involving 482 students and teachers. Six tours by special groups of high school aged students involving 98 students. College tours: Nine tours from seven colleges involving 114 students and professors. Four tours by special groups of college students involving 118 students and other adults. College labs: Two of the above tours by college students involved laboratories which were participated in by 15 of the people. Research projects: Eight research projects utilizing neutron activation analysis were conducted by college students and faculty during the year. E. Reactor Facility SuoDorted Courses and Laboratories 1. Academic Courses and Laboratories The following courses and laboratories were taught by professors in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics during 1988 utilizing in part services provided by the Reactor Facility. NE 488 - Nuclear Power Plant Operations NE 381 - Radiation Detection Laboratory NE 382 - Nuclear Engineering Laboratory

'I 31 During August 1988, 48 high school teachers from the state of Virginia attended a one week special course at the Reactor Facility. The title of the course was " Science of Nuclear Energy and Radiation: Environmental Issues and Safety." It consisted of lectures by University of Virginia nuclear engineering faculty and laboratory experiments using the reactors. F. Dearees Granted by the Dept. of Nuclear Encineerina and Encineerina Physics The following number of degrees were awarded during 1988 by the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics. Bachelors of Science 6 Masters of Science 9 Masters of Engineering 4 Doctor of Philosophy _4 TOTAL 23 The following theses by students in the N.E.E.P. departrent were completed in part using services or facilities provided at the UVA reactor. Radioactivity in Central Virainia Sediments and Soils, M.S. thesis in Nuclear Engineering by Satya Bose. 1 1 The Degradation of Electric Cable Insulation Due to Gamma Radiation, M.S. thesis in Engineering Physics by l Wendy Tebay. Investigation of Alkali Metals Transfer to Tobacco Smoke, M.S. thesis in Nuclear Engineering by Roger Johnson. The Effects of Antioxidants on Radiation Degradation of Electric Cable Insulation, M.S. thesis in Nuclear Engineering by Jeffrey Ray. Dose Rate Effects on Radiation Induced Degradation of Electric Cable Insulation, M.S. thesis in Nuclear Engineering by Peter Terwilliger. Desian Optimization of a Low Enrichment University of Virainia Nuclear Reactor, M.S. thesis in Nuclear Engineering by Mary Fehr. An additional master's thesis titled Sedimentation and Fallout Cs-137 Cyclina in a Vircinia Salt Marsh was completed by Laura Barr of the UVA Environmental Sciences Department using equipment at the Reactor Facility and assistance from the reactor staff. The research work for several other theses is in progress utilizing Reactor Facility support.

32 VI. Finances A. Expenditures l l Expenditures for 1988 were as follows: l State SuoDort Locally Generated Monies Salaries: $239,994.36 $42,925.40 Operations: 32,479.62 15,085.17 Subtotals: 272,473.98 58,010.57* TOTAL: $330,484.55 (state and local)

• Note: An additional $21,472 was spent from local monies on the shipping of used reactor fuel elements during 1987 but this was reimbursed by the Dept. of Energy.

B. State Sunoort / Research and_ Service Income The University of Virginia is supported by allocations from the State of Virginia. Of these monies, a portion is allocated to the Department of Nuclear and Engineering Physics for the operation of the Nuclear Reactor Facility. This money pays for many of the expenses directly related to the operation of the reactor but additional monies are necessary to provide for the total services that the facility provides to the university community. These additional monies are in the form of fees received for research and service work support and in 1988 totaled about $97,000. This "not business related income" is used primarily to pay the salaries of some professional staff members at the facility which are not supported by the state. Currently, there is one staff member receiving a portion of his salary from local funds but there have been as many as four persons paid from these monies in the past year. Many staff members have taken courses and received degrees at the University while their salaries were being paid from monies they helped generate as part of their job. This, in effect, is another method by which the Reactor Facility supports science education at the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics.

e A UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA j r ,A, 1 DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING PIIYSICS NUCLEAR REACTOR FACILITY ( J SCIIOOI. OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE CIIARLOTTESVII.LE, VA 22901 r Telephonie: 801-9244136 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, D.C. 20555 Att: Mr. Alexander Adams, Jr. Standardization and Non-Power Reactor Projects Re: Docket No. 50-62 Docket No. 50-396 Dear Mr. Adams; We hereby submit, as required by section 6.6.2 of the Technical l Specifications, our annual report of the operations of the University of j Virginia Reactor (UVAR), License No. R-66, Docket No. 50-62 and the CAVALIER Reactor, License No. R-123, Docket No. 50-396 during the period January 1, 1988 through December 31, 1988. This report has been reviewed and approved by the Reactor Safety Committee. Sincerely, Q.. haAMA - l J.'P.Farrar, Administrator U.Va. Reactor Facility cc: USNRC, Region II l l 1 i gov / f a}}