ML20248C887

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Thirty-Fourth Annual Progress Rept
ML20248C887
Person / Time
Site: Pennsylvania State University
Issue date: 06/30/1989
From: Hosler C
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV., UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
To:
NRC OFFICE OF INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IRM)
References
NUDOCS 8910040052
Download: ML20248C887 (88)


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PENNSTATE m eesi College of Engineering The Pennsylvania State University *

- Penn State Breazcale Reactor Annual Operating Report, FY 88-89 Tech. Spec. Requirement 6.6.1 License CDW R-2, Docket No. 50-5 September 15, 1989 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attention: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

Dear Sir:

Enclosed please find the Annual Operating Report of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR). This report covers the period from July 1, 1988,  !

through June 30, 1989, as required by technical specifications requirement ,

6.6.1, contained in License #R-2 renewed on January 27, 1986, as Amendment  !

No. 23. Also included are any changes applicable to 10 CFR 50.59.

The original renewal application dated March 1, 1985, contains the Safety Analysis Report applicable to this reporting period. .

I A copy of the Thirty-fourth Annual Progress Report of the Penn State i Breazeale Reactor is included as supplementary information.  ;

i Sincerely yours, '

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C. L. Hosler, Jr.

I Vice-President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School l

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Enclosures l cc: Region I Administrator U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission M. H. Voth  ;

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i E910040052 890630 PDR ADOCK 05000005 R PNV An Equal Opportunity University

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1 PENN STATE BREAZEALE REACTOR 4

ANNUAL OPERATING. REPORT, FY 88-89 L PSBR Technical Specifications 6.6.1 License CDW R-2, Docket No. 50-5 g

Reactor Utilization The Penn-State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) is a TRIGA Mark III facility

-capable of 1 MW steady' state operation, and 2000 MW peak power pulsing operation. Utilization of the reactor and its associated facilities falls into three major categories:

EDUCATION utilization is primarily in the form of laboratory classes conducted for graduate, undergraduate, associate degree candidates, and numerous high school science groups. These classes vary from neutron activation analysis of an unknown sample to the calibration of a reactor control rod. In addition, an average of 2000 visitors tour the PSBR facility each' year.

RESEARCH accounts for a large portion of reactor time which involves Radionuclear Applications, Neutron Radiography, a myriad of research programs by faculty and graduate students throughout the University, and various applications by the industrial sector.

TRAINING programs for Reactor Operators and Reactor Supervisors are continuously offered and are tailored to meet the needs of the participants. Individuals taking part in these programs fall into such categories as power plant operating personnel, graduate students, and foreign trainees.

The PSBR facility operates on an 8 AM - 5 PM shift, five days a week, l

with an occasional 8 AM - 8 PM or 8 AM - 12 Midnight shift to accommodate I=

reactor operator training programs or research projects.

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Summary of Reactor Operating Experience i

Technical specification requirement 6.6.1.a Between July 1, 1988 and June 30, 1989,'the PSBR was critical for 566 brs or 2.2 hrs / shift subtritical for

  • 416 hrs or 1.7 hrs / shift used while shutdown for 607 hrs or 2.4 hrs / shift not available for 27 hrs or 0.1 hrs / shift Total Usage 1616 hrs- or 6.4 hrs / shift
  • 28 hrs of subcritical time involved fuel movement The reactor was pulsed a total of 222 times with the following reactivities:

less than $2.00 62

$2.00 to $2.50 159 greater than $2.50 1 The square wave mode of operation was used 108 times to power levels between-100 and 500 KW.

Total energy produced during this report period was 233 MWH with a consumption of 12 gms of U-236.

Unscheduled Shutdowns Technical specification requirement 6.6.1.b There were 9 unplanned scrams during this period. Power range switching errors account for 6 of the 9 scrams. Three of the errors were by students in nuclear engineering courses and three were by licensed operators. The other scrams are described below.

August 25, 1988--Reactor scrammed by operator at 400 KW when in the auto mode of operation the shim rod would not come off the lower limit to maintain reactor power. The shim rod foot switch was not reacting soon enough to prevent a drive lock-out signal so appropriate adjustment was made.

September 8, 1988--Unscheduled facility power interruption caused a reactor scram while at 15 KW. Reactor was secured until power was restored and required procedures were completed before resuming reactor operations.

October 4, 1988--During a reactor startup the previous evening the regulating rod would only come a small distance off its bottom limit and the drive had an unusual noise. One gear of the rod drive assembly was

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found to be off center from its mating gear and was realigned the next morning. Operations resumed and later that day the regulating rod fell to its lower limit while the reactor was at 50 watts. Inspection of the rod

drive assembly revealed that the gear that was realigned earlier in the day

- had slipped on its shaft; this gear was held on the shaft by a set screw.

Along with the original set screw a roll pin was now installed to prevent the gear from slipping on its shaft.

o Major Maintenance With Safety Significance Technical specification requirement 6.6.1.c.

No major _ preventative or corrective maintenance operations with safety

! _ significance have been performed during this report period.

Major Changes Reportable Under 10 CFR 50.59 Technical specifications requirement 6.6.1.d.

Facility Changes March 28, 1989--A 3 curie americium-beryllium neutron source was placed in the reactor core. The reactor R-2 license already allowed possession and use of this source. The source replaced an antimony-beryllium source whose neutron production was less than desired ,

during periods of low reactor usage; the antimony (60 day half-life) had to be kept rejuvenated by operating the reactor, June 22, 1989--The West Air Monitor flow meter was replaced with a new flow meter capable of generating low flow and high flow alarms. Both alarms indicate locally at the air monitor and the low flow alarm also indicates to the control room visicon alarm panel. This control room alarm assures that the operator is aware of a loss of air monitor flow.

Procedures All procedures are reviewed as a minimum annually, and on an as needed basis. Changes during the year were numerous and no attempt will be made to list them. A current copy of all facility procedures will be made available on' request. Since none of the procedure changes were a result of Tech Specs changes, none of the procedure changes are considered major.

New Tests and Experiments None having safety significance.

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Radioactive Effluents' Released Technical specifications requirement 6.6.1.e.

Liquid

There were no liquid effluent releases under the reactor license for the report period. ' Liquid from the regeneration of the reactor

' demineralized was~ evaporated and _the distillate recycled for. pool water Lmakeup. The evaporator concentrate was dried and the solid salt residue L L.was disposed ~of in the same manner as other solid radioactive waste at the University. Liquid radioactive waste from the radioisotope laboratories at

'the PSBR is:under the University byproduct materials' license and is transferred to the Health Physics Office for disposal with the waste from other campus laboratories. Liquid waste disposal techniques include storage.for decay,' release to.the sanitary sewer as per 10 CFR 20, and solidification for shipment to licensed disposal sites.

Gaseous I

The only gaseous effluent is Ar-41, which is released from dissolved air-in the reactor pool water, dry irradiation tubes, and air leakage from

.the pneumatic. sample-transfer systems.

The amount of Ar-41 released from the reactor pool is very dependent upon the operating power level and the length of time at power. The

' release per MWH is highest for extended high power runs and lowest for 4 intermittent low power runs. The concentration of Ar-41 in the reactor bay and the bay exhaust was measured by the Health Physics staff during the summer of'1986. Measurements were made for conditions of low and high power runs simulating typical operating cycles. Based on these measurements, an . annual release of between 172 mci and 522 mci of Ar-41 is calculated for July-1, 1988 to June 30, 1989, resulting in an average concentration at the building exhaust between 11% and 32% of the MPC for unrestricted areas. These values represent the extremes, with the actual release being between the two values. The maximum fenceline dose using only dilution by the 1 m/s wind into the lee of the building is on the order of 0.1% to 0.4% of the unrestricted area MPC.

During~the report period, several irradiation tubes were used at high enough power levels and for long enough runs to produce significant amounts of Ar-41. The calculated annual production was 144 mci. Since this production occurred in a stagnant volume of air confined by close fitting shield plugs, most of the Ar-41 decayed in place before being released to

'the reactor bay. The reported releases from dissolved air in the reactor pool are based on measurements made, in part, when a dry irradiation tube j

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I was.in use at high power levels; the Ar-41 releases from the tubes are part of rather.than in addition to the release figares quoted.in the previous paragraph.

The use of the pneumatic transfer systems was minimal during this period and.any Ar-41 releases would be insignificant.

Environmental Surveys Technical specifications requirement 6.6.1.f.

The only environmental surveys' performed were the routine TLD gamma-ray dose measurements at the facility fenceline and at control points in residential areas several miles away. The previous year's environmental surveys covered an extended 4th quarter that ran through August 17, 1988.

This reporting year's measurements tabulated below represent the August 19, 1988 to July 5,'1989 period and reflect a shortened 1st quarter. When adjusted for the shortened year, the total readings are similar to previous years. A comparison of the North, West, East, and South reactor fenceline

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measurements with the control measurements at Houserville (1 mile away) and Howard (18 miles away) show the differences to be similar to those in the past; the higher fericeline readings are attributed to a higher concentration of K-40 in the soil at the fenceline.

1st Otr 2nd Otr 3rd Otr 4th Otr Totals Fence North 13.13 20.22 17.76 19.93 71.04 Fence West 11.28 18.84 17.62 18.04 65.78 Fence East 13.5 22.05 19.53 20.93 76.01 Fence South 11.97 19.23 18.45 18.71 68.36 Control-Howard 11.00 17.15 17.01 17.26 62.42 Control-Houserville 9.81 16.35 15.33 15.85 57.34 Personnel Exposures Technical specifications requirement 6.6.1.g.

No reactor personnel or visitors received dose equivalents in excess of 25% of the permissible limits under 10 CFR 20.

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PENNSTATE BREAZEALE REACTOR COLL ~EGE OF ENGINEERING t

THIRTY-FOURTH AXXUAL PROGRESS REPORT AUGUST 1989 CONTRACT DE-ACO7-761DO1570 SUBCONTRACT C88-101857 PSBR 315-4989105

THIRTY-FOURTH ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT PENN STATE BREAZEALE REACTOR July 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989 Submitted to:

United States Department of Energy and The Pennsylvania State University By:

Marcus H. Voth (Director)

Terry L. Flinchbaugh (Editor ~)

Penn State Breazeale Reactor Department of Nuclear Engineering The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 August 1989 Contract DE-AC07-76ID01570 Subcontract C88-101857 PSBR 315-4988105 g.. - - - . _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _

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p PREFACE M.J H .'Yoth . . . .-. . . . . . . . ... . . . .:. . ... . .

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, I. INTRODUCTION . M. H. Voth .

L 3-11.- PERSONNEL - T. - L.' Flinchbaugh . . . . . ..... . . . . . .

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III. REACTOR OPERATIONS iT. L. Flinchbaugh . : . /. . . . . . . . 7 L

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h' GAttiA - IRRADI ATION FACILITY - W. E. Johnson . . . . . . . . 13

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V. EDUCATION AND TRAINING - T. L. Flinchbaugh,- C. C. Davison. 15

,g. ' ' VI. ' NEUTRON. BEAM LABORATORY - D. E. Hughes- . . . . . . . . . . 25 RADIONUCLEAR APPLICATIONS LABORATORY - D. C. Raupach . . . 27 VII.

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'VIII. . LOW LEVEL RADIATION MONITORING LABORATORY - B. Ford 31

p. IX. ANGULAR CORRELATIONS LABORATORY - G. L. Catchen .....

' L FACILITY:RESEARCH UTILIZATION '- f. L. Flinchbaugh .... 33 X..

Penn State University Research Utilizing the Facilities

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' 34 o'f the Penn State Breazeale Reactor .........

B.10ther Universities' Research Utilizing the Facilities 61 of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor .........

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C. Industrial Rese' arch Utilizing the Facilities of the N

y Penn State Breazeale Reactor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 APPENDIX A. Faculty, Staff, Students, and Industries Utilizing the Facilities of the Penn State Breazeale Reactor -

T. L. Flinchbaugh .................. 63 APPENDIX B. Formal Group Tours - J. L. Wellar .......... 71 1

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TABLES Table Page 1 Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 Reactor Operation Data .................. 10 3 Reactor Utilization Data ................. 11 4 Cobalt-60 Utilization Data ................ 14 s College and High School Groups .......... ... 21 FIGURES Figure Page 1 Organization Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 l

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PREFACE Administrative responsibility for the Penn State Breazeale Reactor resides in the Department of Nuclear Engineering in the College of Engineering. Overall responsibility for the reactor license resides with the Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. The reactor and associated laboratories are available to all Penn State colleges for education and research programs. In addition, the facility is made available to assist other educational institutions, government agencies, and industries having common and compatible needs and objectives to provide services that are essential in meeting research, development, education, and training needs.

The Thirty-fourth Annual Progress Report (July 1988 through June 1989) of the operation of The Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Reactor is submitted in accordance with the requirements of Contract DE-AC07-761001570 between the United States Department of Energy and EG&G Idaho, Incorporated, and their Subcontract C88-101857 with the Pennsylvania State University. This report also provides the University administration with a sumnary of the utilization of the facility for the past year.

Numerous individuals are to be recognized and thanked for their contributions to this report, especially Terry Flinchbaugh who edited the report. The contribution of Jenni.fer Wellar for its typing is recognized and appreciated. Special thanks are extended to those responsible for the individual sections as listed in the Table of Contents and to the individual f acility users whose research sumnaries are compiled in Section X.

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I. INTRODUCTION 1

The Penn State Breazeale Reactor (PSBR) sustained its record of providing educational and research support for a broad spectrum of users and at the same j time expanded its activities in numerous ways, including:

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-* A graduate level physics laboratory was initiated wherein students developed experimental skills using neutron beams

  • Flow visualization research using neutron radiography attained international acclaim
  • Protocols for radon measurements in water were developed to augment the Low Level Radiation Monitoring Laboratory's capabilities in water analysis and radon studies
  • A state-of-the-art reactor control system was ordered from AECL Technologies following extensive specification preparation and evaluation of bids by the staff
  • Equipment was installed for microscopic examination and testing of tensile strength, impact strength and hardness
  • A full time staff member was hired, filling the last vacancy in the permanent staff;.a part time person was also hired to free staff of operational activities while the control system is being replaced.
  • Both new staff members received Reactor Operator licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and another staff member received his Senior Reactor Operator license
  • Reactor utilization data showed a sustained active program of support i-for reactor applications university-wide l

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, The past achievements reported in PSBR and other university reactor reports provided the basis for a 1988 report by the National Academy of i Sciences entitled University Research Reactors in the United States - their Role and Value. The NAS study is highly complimentary and supportive of a strong research reactor program in recognition of the valuable, unique contributions made.to a broad range of research and educational activities.

This PSBR report. summarizes its contributions to a variety of disciplines investigated by researchers from campus as well as off-campus. The PSBR staff has worked diligently during the past year and can be proud of these-achievements.

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II. PERSONNEL There have been a few changes in PSBR personnel during the reporting period. Ken Sahadewan was hired on a wage-payroll basis in August to replace Hermina Boyle who resigned from the Radionuclear Applications Laboratory.

Rick Sipos joined.the PSBR staff as a Reactor Operator Intern in.

November.

Mac Bryan was hired in January as an Electronic Designer / Senior Reactor Operator to fill a vacant staff position which was a result of staff retirements and promotions during the last several years.

On January 1,1988, two changes occurred in the membership of the Penn State Reactor Safeguards Committee. A. Ray of Mechanical Engineering and M.

J. Slobodien of GPU Nuclear were appointed as new members to replace E. S.

Kenney and D. A. Ross, who each lef t the Committee after serving two 3-year terms. In May, W. S. Diethorn of Nuclear Engineering was appointed to serve the remainder of the term of R. W. Regan who resigned.

Jennifer Wellar was hired in May as Secretary and Receptionist to replace Ann Harshman who resigned.

Ellen Saylor joined the reactor staff in May as a work study student.

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. > l TABLE 1 Personnel Faculty and Staff Title

. R. Batschelet Environmental Analyst

    • J. J. Bonner Research Assistant
  • M. E. Bryan Electronic Designer / Reactor Supervisor G. L. Catchen Assistant Professor
  • C. C. Davison Technology Education Specialist
    • T. L. Flinchbaugh Operations and Training Manager B. C. Ford Supervisor, Low-Level Radiation tionitoring Laboratory L. E. Frye Administrative Assistant E. Hannold Reactor Operator Intern
    • D. E. Hughes Research Assistant W. A. Jester Professor
    • W. E. Johnson Reactor Supervisor / Nuclear Education Specialist J. A. McGrath Environmental Analyst
    • I. B. McMaster Research Assistant / Deputy Director
    • D. C. Raupach Reactor Supervisor / Reactor Utilization Specialist
  • K..E. Rudy Operational Support Services Supervisor
  • E. J. Sipos Reactor Operator Intern D. S.-Vonada Electronic Designer
    • M. H. Voth Associate Professor / Director
  • Licensed Operator
    • Licensed Senior Operator 4

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Title Clerical Staff A. M. Harshman (resigned) Secretary and Receptionist S. K. Ripka Facility Secretary Secretary and Receptionist J. L. Wellar Title Technical Service Staff J. E. Armstrong Maintenance Worker Experimental and Maintenance Mechanic R. L. Eaken Wage Payroll J. Jacobs (resigned)

M. Linsley (resigned)

Student Work Study C. Davis (resigned)

E. Saylor Penn State Reactor Safeguards Committee J. A. Blakeslee - Chairman, Assistant Superintendent of Plant, PP&L Susquehanna Steam Electric Station F. B. Cheung - Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering W. S. Diethorn - Professor, Nuclear Engineering A. H. Foderaro - Professor, Nuclear Engineering R. W. Granlund - Health Physicist, Intercollege Research Programs and Facilities L. J. Pilione - Professor, Physics A. Ray - Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering M. J. Slobodien - Radiological Controls Director, General Public Utilities R. E. Totenbier - Retired Operations Supervisor, Penn State Breazeale Reactor M. H. Voth - Ex-officio, Director, Penn State Breazeale Reactor 5

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r III. REACTOR OPERATIONS Research' reactor operation began at Penn State in 1955. In December of 1965 the original core, which operated at a maximum power level of 200 KW, was replaced by_ a more advanced TRIGA core, capable of operation at 1000 KW. The present core may also be operated in a pulse fashion in which the power level

.is suddenly increased from less than 1 KW to up to 2000 KW for short

'(milliseconds) periods of time. TRIGA stands for Training, Research, Isotope Production, built by General Atomic Company.

Utilization of the Reactor f alls into three major categories:

Educational utilization is primarily in the form of laboratory classes conducted for graduate, undergraduate, associate degree candidates, and numerous high school science groups. These classes'will vary from the irradiation and analysis of a sample to the calibration of a reactor control rod.

Research accounts for a large portion of reactor time which involves Radionuclear Applications, Neutron Radiography, a myriad of research programs by f aculty and graduate students throughout the University, and various applications by the industrial sector.

Training programs for Reactor Operators and Reactor Supervisors are l offered and can be tailored to meet the needs of the participants.

Individuals taking part in these programs fall into such categories as PSBR reactor staff and power plant operating personnel.

The PSBR core, containing about 7% pounds of Uranium-235, in a non-weapons form, is operated at a depth of approximately 18 feet in a pool of demineralized water. The water provides the needed shielding and coaling for l the operation of the reactor. It is relatively simple to expose a sample by merely positioning it in the vicinity of the reactor at a point where it will receive the desired radiation dose. A variety of fixtures and jigs are available for such positioning. Various containers and irradiation tubes can be used to keep samples dry. Three pneumatic transfer systems with different j neutron levels offer additional possibilities.

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i In normal steady. state operation at '1000 kilowat'ts, the thermal neutror flux available . varies from approximately 1 x 108 8 n/cm'/sec at the edge of the L . core 'to approximately 3 x 105 8 n/cm8/sec in the central region of the core, t

When using the pulse mode of operation, the peak flux for a. maximum pulse iis approximately 6 x 10" n/cm8/sec with a pulse width of 15 msec at %

maximum.

n Support 1 facilities include a machine shop, electronic shop, laboratory

~s pace, and fume hoods.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Tables 2 and 3 list Reactor Operation Data and Reactor Utilization .

Data-Shif t Averages, respectively, for the past three years. In table 2, the' Critical' time is a summation of the hours the reactor was operating at some.

power level. The Subtritical time is the total hours that the reactor key and console instrumentation were on and under observation, less the Critical time.

" Subtritical time. reflects experiment set-up time and time spent approaching reactor criticality. Fuel movement hours, which are also reflected in Subcritical time, reflect the biennial fuel inspection performed this year.

The flumber of Pulses reflects demands of undergraduate labs, researchers, and reactor operator training groups. Square waves are used primarily for demonstration pu'rposes for public groups touring the facility, researchers, and reactor operator training programs.

The number of Scrams Planned as Part of Experiments reflects experimenter needs. Three of the Unplanned Scrams Resulting from Personnel Action were by students in the llucE 444 course, Nuclear Reactor Operations Laboratory, and three were by.litensed staff operators. It should be pointed out that a scram shuts down the reactor before a safety limit is reached. Unplanned Scrams Resulting from Abnormal System Operation were due to electrical failure and system operational problems.

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Table 3, Part A, Reactor Usage, indicates Hours Critical and Hours Subcritical, and also Hours Shutdown such as for instruction or experimental setup. Occasionally a component- failure prohibits reactor operation. The necessary repair time is included in Reactor Usage as Reactor Not Available to

. reflect total reactor utilization on a shif t basis. Part A statistics reflect an increase in the total hours of use per shift over last year.

Part B gives a breakdown of the Type of Usage in Hours. The Nuclear Engineering Department and/or the Reactor Facility receives compensation for Industrial Research and Service, and for Industrial Training Programs.

University Research and Service includes both funded and non-funded research, for Penn Stole and otfer universities. The Instruction and Training category includes all formal ' university classes involving the reactor, experiments for other' university and high school groups, demonstrations for tour groups, and in-house reactor operator training.

Part C statistics, Users / Experimenters, reflect an increase in the number of users per shift.

INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS During October of 1988, George R. Imel of the Argonne (West) National Laboratory conducted an audit of the PSBR to fulfill a requirement of the Penn State Reactor Safeguards Comittee charter. The reactor staff has implemented changes suggested by that report, all of which exceed NRC requirements.

During May of 1989, an NRC routine emergency preparedness plan safety inspection was conducted of activities authorized by the facility R-2 license.

No violations were observed. The reactor staff is reviewing changes suggested by that inspection report.

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TABLE' 2 Reactor Operation Data July 1, '1986 - June 30,1989.

86-87 87-88 88-89' A. Hours of Reactor Operation

1. Critical 533 489 566-

'2. Suberitical 495 378 416

3. Fuel Movement- 47 2 28 B. Number of Pulses 166 167 222 C. Number of. Square Waves 85 63 108 D. Energy Release (MUH) 245- 216 233 E. Grams U-235 Consumed 13 11 12 F. Scrams

~ 1. Planned as.Part of Experiments 167 51 42

2. Unplanned - Resulting From a) Personnel Action 12 6 6 b) Abnormal System Operation 6 3 3 10

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Reactor Utilization Data Shift Averages July 1,1986 - June 30,1989 86-87 87-88 88-89 A. Reactor Usage

1. Hours Critical 2. 2 2.0 2.2
2. Heers Subcritical 1.9 1.5 1.7
3. Hours Shutdown 2.1 2.0 2.4
4. - Reactor Not Available 0.2 0.2 0.1 TOTAL HOURS PER SHIFT 6.4 5.7 6.4 B. Type of Usage - Hours'
1. Industrial ~Research and Service 2.3 0.9 0.9
2. University Research and Service 0.9 1.8 2.2
3. Instruction and Training 1.3 1.2 1. 7-
4. Industrial Training Programs 0.6 0.1 0.1
5. Calibration and Maintenance 1.4 1.7 1.5 C. Users / Experiments
1. Number of Users 2. 8 2.9 3.3
2. Pneumatic Transfer Samples 2.1 3.0 1.2
3. Total Number of Samples 4.7 5.3 4.3
4. Sample Hours 1.3 1.8 2 257 248 251 D. Number of 8 Hour Shifts l

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I IV. GAMMA IRRADIATION FACILITY ,

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l The University, in March of 1965, purchased 23,600 curies of Cobalt-60.in j the form of stainless steel clad source rods to provide a pure source of gamma rays. In November of 1971, the University obtained from the Natick j Laboratories, 63,537 curies of Cobalt'-60 in the form of aluminum clad source rods. These source rods have decayed through several half-lives, leaving-a July 1,1989 total .of 7232- curies.

In this facility, the sources are stored and used in a pool 16 feet x 10 feet, filled with 16 feet of demineralized water. The water provides a shield which is readily worked through and allows great flexibility in using the sources. Due to the number of rods and size of the pool,- it is possible to set up several irradiators at a time to vary the size of the sample that can be irradiated, or vary the dose rate. Experiments in a dry environment are possible by use of either a vertical tube or by a diving bell type apparatus.

The Cobalt-60 facility is designed with a large amount of working space around the pool and has two laboratory rooms equipped with work benches, fume hoods, and the usual utilities.

Maximum exposure rates of 267 KR/Hr in a 3" ID Tube and 155 KR/Hr in a 6" ID Tube are available as of July 1,1989.

Additional facilities include a Hot Laboratory consisting of two identical " Hot Cells." The two feet thick high density concrete walls provide sufficient shielding to allow up to 1000 curies of radioactive materials to be safely handled through the use of remote manipulators.

Hot cell source #1/72 has an activity of 78 curies as of July 1,1989.

Table 4 compares the past three years' utilization of the Cobalt-60 facility in terms of time, numbers, and daily averages.

13

TABLE'4 Cobalt-60 Utilization Data

' July 1,1986 - June 30,1989 E6-87 87-88 88-89 A. Time Involved-(Hours)

1. Set-up Time. 94 327 336
2. Total Sample Hours 14,842 '6,507 6,795-

~B. Numbers' Involved

1. Samples Run. 3,063 1,307 1,343 2.- 'Different Experimenters 34 40 42
3. Configurations Used- 3 3 3 C. Per Day Averages-
1. Experimenters. 0.73. 0.80 1. 31
2. Samples 12.30 5.25 5.39 l 14

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gy V. EDUCATION AND TRAINING During the past. year, the Penn State Breazeale Reactor was used for a

' variety of- educational services;'in-house training,' utility training programs, formal laboratory courses, and many co'ntinuing education programs and tours.

Rick Sipos, an undergraduate engineering student with six years of

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' : nuclear Navy experience, and Mac Bryan' of the full-time staff, participated in

-the' operator training program,.which ran from November to May. T. L.

Flinchbaugh- develo' ped and coordinated the training program with instructional

~ assistance-from staff members J.'J. Bonner, D. E. Hughes, W. E. Johnson,'I. B.

McMaster,'D. C.-Raupach, K._E. Rudy, and M. H. Voth. The program culminated:

with Rick.and Mac passing their NRC exams during May and receiving their

' operator's license's t in June.

The-in-house reactor operator requalification program required.an

. operating test' consisting-'of a console exam and facility walk-through. T. L.

Flinchbaugh gave the exam to each licensed staff member.

Several of the staff and faculty with offices at the reactor facility and the Low Level Radiat! ion Monitoring Lab renewed their CPR certification th,ough instruction offered by Police Services.

. During this past reporting period, the PSBR operating staff and Nuclear Engineering faculty conducted one training program for utility trainees. A

~three-day Reactor Start-up Experience Progr~am was offered for Boston Edison Company for eleven people.

The Senior Reactor Operators on the PSBR staff, J. J. Bonner, D. E.

Hughes, W. E. Johnson, T. L. Flinchbaugh, I. B. McMaster, and D. C. Raupach, provided the console instruction in the program and the coordination of the program was done by T. L. Flinchbaugh. M. H. Voth provided two lectures far the program.

15

The third session of the Pennsylvania Governor's School .for Agriculture F was held at Penn State's University Park campus during the summer of 1988.

Sixty-four high school scholars participated.in the five week program which began on July- 3,1988. The Governor's School for Agriculture. includes p

introduction and experience in many different agricultural disciplines. The section on " Radioisotope Applications in Agricultural Research" was conducted at Penn State's Breazeale Reactor by Candace Davison of the Energy Technology Projects staff, Ken Sahadewan and Dale Raupach' of the PSBR Staff' and Guy Anderson of Bald Eagle Area School District. Candace.Davison was the main coordinator and instructor. The students performed a series of experiments

' focusing on the fundamentals of radiation interaction and principles of radioisotope applications. The students were also given a tour of the reactor facility.

The Nuclear Concepts and Technological Issues Institute (NCTII) was held for the nineteenth consecutive year from July 11 - August 5,1988. The Nuclear Concepts program was designed to prepare secondary science educators to teach the basics of nuclear science, radiation, and applications and is offered as a special topics course in nuclear engineering (NUCE 497B).

Sixteen secondary science teachers participated in the program. One teacher came from Korea and the others came from the states of Maryland, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. The program was supported by Baltimore Gas and Electric, Cleveland Illuminating Company, Duquesne Light Company, GPU Nuclear Corporation, Limerick Community Education Program, New York Power Authority, Philadelphia Electric Company, Community Access to Science and Energy Education Program, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, West Valley Demonstration Project, and the Korean Atomic Industrial Forum.

Anthony Baratta was the academic advisor for the institute. The institute was coordinated by Candace Davison and was conducted through Penn State's Continuing Education Office. Joseph Bonner, Research Assistant, provided the main instruction. Other instruction was provided ty Nuclear Engineering department personnel and Rodger Granlund, University Health Physicist . Guest speakers from government, research, and industry provided expertise for the technical and issue sessions.

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I Laboratory experiments are an important aspect of the institute as the teachers are able to have hands-on experience with radioactive materials. The  ;

laboratories were conducted at the Penn State Breazeale Reactor under the f direction of the reactor, continuing education (Davison) and Health Physics personnel with assistance from Guy Anderson of the Bald Eagle Area School District. The laboratory experiments and demonstrations included:

Characteristics of Ionizing Radiation, Radionuclides Handling, Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Radiography, and the " Approach to Critical" experiment. Discussion and problem solving sessions along with a field trip to a radiation processing facility and Three Mile Island were included in the schedule. As in previous institutes, the participants in NCTII were encouraged to return with their students for a one-day field trip to the PSBR.

The University Reactor Sharing Program is sponsored by the U.S.

Department of Energy. The purpose of this program is to increase the availability of the university nuclear reactor facilities to non-reactor owning colleges and universities. The main objectives of the University Reactor Sharing Program are to strengthen nuclear science and engineering instruction and to provide research opportunities for other educational institutions including universities, colleges, junior colleges, technical schools, and high schools.

Experiments were conducted at the PSBR for Grove City College and Ursinus College. The University of Connecticut, University of Pennsylvania, State University of New York at Binghamton, Bucknell University and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania used the reactor for research projects.

A total of 350 students and teachers from 20 High Schools and 2 Colleges came to the PSBR for experiments and instruction (see Table 5). Candace Davison and Joe Bonner were the main instructors for the program. 0ther instruction and technical assistance for experiments were provided by Dale Raupach, Dan Hughes, Ken Sahadewan and Ellen Saylor.

All groups, including reactor sharing groups, who toured the reactor f acility are listed in Appendix B. The reactor operating staff and continuing education staff conducted 79 tours for 1843 persons.

17 l

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The reactor was used by several Nuclear Engineering courses during the year.

NucE 420, Radiological Safety, was taught during the Summer 1988 Semester by E. S. Kenney. The reactor was utilized by 20 students for 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br />.

An elective NucE 444 course, Nuclear Reactor Operations Laboratory, i designed to give the student an opportunity to correlate classroom theory with actual reactor operation situations controlled by the student, was offered during the Summer 1988 and the Fall 1988 Semesters for 15 students by J. J.

> Bonner. Each student performed a number of reactor startups and the reactor was used for 62 hours7.175926e-4 days <br />0.0172 hours <br />1.025132e-4 weeks <br />2.3591e-5 months <br />.

The Reactor Physics Laboratory course, NucE 451, was taught in the Fall 1988 Semester by E. S. Kenney and W. A. Jester. The reactor was used for 89 hours0.00103 days <br />0.0247 hours <br />1.471561e-4 weeks <br />3.38645e-5 months <br /> by 43 students with major assistance from the reactor operating crew.

Five associate degree students from the Penn State Beaver Campus visited the reactor during the Fall 1988 Semester as a part of the NucE 802 course, Elements of Nuclear Technology. The students observed a reactor start-up and a pulse during their two hour visit hosted by J. J. Bonner.

During the Spring 1989 Semester, NucE 450, Radiation Detection and Measurement, was taught by G. L. Catchen and W. A. Jester. The reactor was used for 20 hours2.314815e-4 days <br />0.00556 hours <br />3.306878e-5 weeks <br />7.61e-6 months <br /> by 27 students, with assistance from the reactor operating crew.

NucE 505, Reactor Instrumentation and Control, was taught during the Spring 1989 Semester by E. S. Kenney. The reactor was used by 12 students for 1 hour1.157407e-5 days <br />2.777778e-4 hours <br />1.653439e-6 weeks <br />3.805e-7 months <br />.

18

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The PSBR operating staff also served the Nuclear Engineering Department i

j- and other University departments and colleges in the following ways.

1 Masri Z. Yahya, an International Atomic Energy Agency trainee, underwent training in digital instrumentation with application to in-reactor type applications. He used the reactor facility's digital computer and signal analysis equipment. The TRIGA reactor served as a source of temperature and power signals for. subsequent analysis. He has used microprocessor trainers and lab facilities in the reactor facility to study interfacing to experimental apparatus. On return to his home country, he will be responsible for in-pile loop instrumentation.

Seven health physics graduate students of D. J. Strom from the University of Pittsburgh used reactor facility laboratories and toured the reactor facility in a four-hour program conducted by the Penn State Health Physics staff during the Summer 1988 Semester.

A Physics 599 graduate research lab taught by P. Sokol used the reactor for-the measurement of the thermal neutron spectrum using time of flight. Two students used the reactor for a total of 13 hours1.50463e-4 days <br />0.00361 hours <br />2.149471e-5 weeks <br />4.9465e-6 months <br /> during the Spring 1989 Semester.

During the Spring 1989 Semester, S. H. Levine used the reactor for a neutron radiography demonstration for a ti.E. 440 class of 14 students.

Three of A. Hower's Entomology 456 students utilized the Cobalt-60 facility for three hours for their class projects during the Spring 1989 Semes ter .

In December of 1988 and February of 1989, 40 University Police Services personnel were given training and retraining sessions by J. J. Bonner at the PSBR to ensure familiarity with the f acilities and to meet Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements.

On June 20, 1989, 29 science teachers and 4 GPU communications staff utilized the Breazeale Reactor for the " Approach to Critical Experiment." The 19

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teachers also conducted a laboratory on half-life and had a demonstration of neutron activation analysis by Dale Raupach. This was part of the Penn State Capital College Continuing Education Course (Sci-Ed 497) entitled " Exploring '

the Nuclear Option." -Candace Davison was the Penn State instructor for the Course.

Assisting the. reactor operating staff'and continuing education staff in carrying out the above mentioned educational programs were several other staff members. S. K Ripka, A. M. Harshman, and J. Wellar provided secretaries services, D. S. Vonada and M. E. Bryan provided electronic design and maintenance services, and K. E. Rudy, R. L. Eaken, and J. E. Armstrong ,

provided mechanical maintenance services.

During the past year, the PSBR operating staff has maintained operator competence and safe facility operation through training and requalification, and shared the many man-years of operating experience with operator trainees-  ;

from utilities. The reactor and continuing education staffs have disseminated knowledge directly to the general public through tours and indirectly through programs such as Nuclear Concepts for high school teachers. Many educational )

opportunities have been provided to students in university courses both nuclear and non-nuclear. )

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TABLE 5 University Reactor Sharing Program College and High School Groups 1988-1989 Academic Year Those who came to the PSBR for experiments received instruction on the basics of radiation and nuclear energy and received a tour of the facility.

All but.one group conducted the Approach to Critical Experiment with the reactor. Most groups also did one of the other experiments listed below.

Ganna Ray Spectroscopy Neutron Activation and Complex Decay of Silver Barium-137m Decay or Silver Decay Neutron Activation Analysis Relative Stopping Powers for a, B, and y in Air, Aluminum, and Lead SCHOOL AND HUMBER OF DATE TEACHER STUDENTS & TEACHERS 9/21 Hanover High School 5 (Teacher Workshop) 10/21 Chartiers-Houston H. S. 21 H. Wicker 12/1 Ursinus College 9 E. Snyder 1/25 Jersey Shore H. S. 18 J. Allen 3/7 State College H. S. 14 S. Bressler 21

'3/8 Westmont Hilltop 17 T. Moore i.:

3/15 Danville H. S. 13' M. McDevitt

'3/20 Bedford H. S. 9 L

E. Turner if 3/21 Redland H. S. 20.

G. Farley 3/29 Daniel Boone H. S. 20 L. Tobias

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' 4 /7 Carmichael . H. S. .19

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l' 4/10 Bellwood H. S. 28 B. Riley 4/12 Punxsutawney H. S. 11 W. Stuchell 4/18 Southpark H. S. 20 M. Meteney L

4/19 Bellefonte H. S. 16 S. Williams 4/20 Grove City College 5 R. Leo 22

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4/21' Marion Center H..S. 8 p 'M. Petrosky-

.4/24- Northern Bedford County H. S. 15

.M. Claar-4/28 Warren Area H. S. 6

0. Giffin-4/28 Keystone Oaks H. S. 8 C. Popovich 6 /9 .'

St. Mary's. Area.H. S.

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'20 High Schools 336. Students'and' Instructors 2 Colleges 14 Students and Instructors TOTALS 22 Groups 350 Students and Instructors 23

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1 VI. NEUTRON BEAM LABORATORY Neutron Beam Laboratory, NBL, is one of the experimental facilities that l: is a part of the PSBR. A well collimated beam of neutrons, thermalized by a D2 0 thermal column, is passed into the NBL for use in non-destructive testing and evaluation. Work new being done utilizes a Real Time Neutron Image Intensifier, by Precise Optics, Inc., for real time radiography. The beam is also being used for static neutron radiography and neutron attenuation studies, and flash radiography utilizing pulsing. There is also equipment available to digitize the real time radiography images for image processing.

The NBL was established partially with funds from the U. S. Department of Energy with matching funds from the University. The Neutron Beam Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University Breazeale Reactor was established to:

1) educate students and the public on an important use of neutrons from a research reactor.

'2) establish a demonstration center, " Neutrons in Action," to show that their use is beneficial to mankind, and

3) expand the use of neutron radiography in research, both as a tool for improving the development of U.S. industrial products' and to develop new information in other fields of science and engineering.

The NBL at the PSBR was utilized by several funded projects. The largest of these was the Chrysler Challenge Fund Project, " Investigation 'of the Internal Flow in a Torque Converter," with Dr. John M. Cimbala the principal investigator. The project is funded through December 1989 and there is good possibility of funding beyond that date.

Another was a FERMI project called, " Feasibility Study of Nuclear Industry Valves to Determine Failure Modes Using Neutron Radiography," with Dr. S. H. Levine as the principal investigator. FERMI is a nuclear industry-Nuclear Engineering Department affiliates program. Copes Vulcan Valve Co. and the Anchor / Darling Valve Co. have provided valves and funding for this study. This project was completed this year.

In the past year a lot of equipment has been added to the NBL to facilitate the research and improve the educational value of the work. The principle equipment purchased were a LIXI Intensifier from LIXI Inc.,

Downersgrove, Illinois., a series 70 videocamera from DAGE fiTI, Inc., Michigan 25

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City, Indiana and.an upgraded IMAGE digitizer and processor from Imaging Technology of Massachusetts.

- An epithermal neutron radiography capability is being developed utilizing the fast neutron irradiation facility.

During the spring 1989 semester, Dr. Sokol of the Physics Department conducted a. graduate: laboratory project utilizing the neutron beam. The experiment used a chopper to measure the neutron energy spectrum of the beam.

Dr. Sokol' plans to further develop this experiment and others for fut'ure laboratory instruction.

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VII. RADIONUCLEAR APPLICATIONS LABORATORY

. Personnel o'f the Radionuclear Applications Laboratory provide consulting and technical assistance to those University research personnel who wish to utilize some type of radionuclear technique in their research. The majority of these research projects involve some sort of neutron activation procedure, but the staff is ~ qualified to provide services in radioactive tracer techniques, radiation gauging, radiation processing, and in the production of radioisotopes for laboratory or radionuclear medicine use.

Analyses of samples were performed for Penn State students and faculty members who had samples which needed to be analyzed and did not have time to learn to do their own analyses. In addition to these, laboratory personnel have worked closely with Dr. David Fink of the Physics Department of the University of Pennsylvania, producing radioisotopes for use in conducting research.

Approximately 165 irradiations of semiconductors were made during the last year for several electronic companies. Laboratory personnel prepared

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each group of samples for irradiation, provided fast neutron dosimetry, determined the radioisotopes produced in the devices, packaged and shipped the devices back to the companies. In addition to semiconductors, many analyses were performed for other industrial customers.

Laboratory personnel continue to supply support for the operation of the reactor facility. During the last year, both thermal and fast neutron dosimetry measurements were made for all the regularly used irradiation facilities such as the 2" x 6" Al-Cd irradiation tubes. The project had been initiated last year to determine the neutron energy spectr'um for the facilities used for the radiation hardening of semiconductors. Data processing for the neutron spectrum experiments was done by Thomas Gillen, Ph.D. candidate in nuclear engineering, and by Walter Johnson, reactor staff member.

Gamma measurements were also made in the irradiation tubes which are used for irradiating semiconductors. A new Xenon gas filled detector tube had been 27 1

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. purchased specifically for this project because of its inherent capability of i -minimizing'the effects of neutrons from the operating reactor while making'

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gamma measurements. - :Information was also obtained using the RADCON instrument and calibrated probes at the same time as the Xenon tube was.used. The

- results of the experiment showed that the ganina measurements which had been made with the RADCON over the past years, when neutrons were present, were substantially higher:than the actual ganrna field.

Efficiency curves. for one ml, five m1, and point. source geometries were

$ determined for each of the Ge(Li) detectors used in. neutron activation

. analysis (NAA). z The efficiency information has been incorporated onto the i computer disks used in doing NAA and can now be used to 'directly calculate the quantity of. isotopes present in each sample analyzed.

Another capability the personnel have made available to the reactor-facility in the last year is that of being able' to analyze samples 'as they are released from the pool. A small GeLi detector has been located near the pool location from which nearly all' the' samples are released to experimenters.

Cables connect' the detector to' the multi-channel analyzer in' the NAA laboratory. The importance of this capability is that isotopes present and their quantity in a sample can be determinea before the sample is released to the experimenter or before the material is placed into low-level radioactive waste containers. This makes an easier and more accurate way of accounting for radioisotopes produced by the reactor.

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The staff of. the Low Level Radiation Monitoring Laboratory (LLRML)

[ provides . analytical .and environmental monitoring services- to community water b ' suppliers, private laboratories, utilities and researchers. at the University.-

The LLRML was established'in 1979 to assist the water supply companies of

,. Pennsylvania in meeting their Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. It is currently certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources L(PA DER) to perform radiological analyses on drinking water. Analyses for

~w hich the laboratcry is certified are: . gross alpha, ' gross beta, strontium-89,

. strontium-90, radium-226, radium-228, cesium-134, cesium-137, cobalt-60,

' ruthenium-106, zinc-65, chromium-51 and tritium. The LLRML -is also a PA DER

' certified radon laboratory capable of- analyzing charcoal canisters. One requirement in order to maintain PA DER certification is participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Radioactivity '

Laboratory Intercomparison Studies program and the U.S. EPA National Radon Measurement Proficiency Program. - These programs involve the analysis of numerous blind samples which have been spiked with the radionuclides.for which the laboratorylis. certified. Results from these analyses are then submitted for comparison with all other participating laboratories. .

Most of the work performed at the LLRML involves the analysis of water samples for natural radiation (gross alpha, radium-226, radium-228 and radon) and the analysis of charcoal canisters for airborne radon. We also provide environmental monitoring services and spiked sample preparation services to utilities and conduct research, both independent and in cooperation with other University researchers.

Since 1982 the LLRML has been analyzing a portion of the environmental samples collected from the vicinity of the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company's (PP&t) Susquehanna Steam Electric Station at Berwick. This program was designed to ensure quality control by' splitting samples with the utility's principal analytical laboratory. Samples representative of the waterborne, airborne and ingestion pathways, as well as thermoluminescent dosimeter's

.(TLD's) were analyzed for gross alpha, gross beta, gamma emitters and tritium, c PP&L has established a Radiation Environmental Monitoring Program Quality Control (REMP 0C) Laboratory of its own, which for the past year has been gradually assuming the responsibility of some sample analysis. In January 29

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1989 PP&L's laboratory completed their' phase-in period, and took over all I. . sample analysis._ The LLRML still processes TLD's for PP&L quarterly,

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A spiked sample program wasLestablished in 1985 for PP&L. This program is used to ensure analytical quality control of.both the. sending and receiving

laboratories. Using various types- of sample media, the.LLRML ' prepares samples-of'known isotopic concentration, analyzes them, and then splits them-in half, shi pp ing 'h t em to PP&L's REMP QC. Laboratory in Allentown and Teledyne Isotopes 7 Radiological Laboratory in Westwood, New-Jersey. 'This year the LLRML also g ,

prepared. spiked-samples for PP&L'.s Health Physics Division and General Public

.. Utilities in Middletown, PA.

. A'. FERMI funded project to develop a method for separation and L quantification of pure beta emitting. isotopes from r.1 actor discharge water has been' completed. . Cation exchange resins were used to concentrate and isolate those beta emitters 'of interest, principally strontium-89 and strontium-90.

- AL D0E funded project' the LLRML is involved with in ~ cooperation with the

~ College of' Earth 'and Mineral Sciences is studying the generation and mobility of radon in soil. Our laboratory is counting soil samples for gamma emitting'

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radioisotopes.

Rad-Elec, Inc. has loaned the LLRML an E-Perm reader and a number of Electret' Ion Chambers for our use in. evaluating a method for using these detectors in the measurement of radon in water.

The laboratory staff has developed the capability to analyze water samples for small quantities of natural uranium using a method whereby the water is first purified and concentrated using anien exchange resins and then later alpha counted. We expect to apply for PA DER certification for this analyte in the later part of 1989.

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IX. THE ANGULAR CORRELATIONS LABORATORY The Angular Correlations Laboratory has been in operation for approximately 36 months. ' The laboratory, which is located in Room 116 of the PSBR,-is under the direction of Professor Gary L. Catchen. The laboratory contains a four-detector-apparatus for making Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy measurements. The apparatus measures eight coincidences simultaneously using cesium fluoride detectors. .The detectors and electronics provide a nominal time resolution of 1 nsec FWHM, which places the measurements.at the state-of-the-art in the field of Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy.

Last year, the College of Engineering made a commitment to Dr. Catchen for partial funding for a second PAC spectrometer. The additional equipment will increase the productivity in PAC research and will lead to more proposals for external research funding. The award was a result of a competitive review t of proposals that were submitted to the Dean by College f aculty members. Dr.

Catchen expects to receive the funds during the next year.

PAC Spectroscopy is a branch of the research field known as hyperfine interactions. In this field, the applications are to use nuclear properties to probe the structure of a system. In particular, stable nuclei are used in the case of the Mossbauer effect; and radioactive nuclei in the case of PAC.

The system may be either a metal or alloy, or a semiconductor, or an insulator, or a macromolecule either in the solid state or in solution. More specifically, solid-state PAC measurement systems can be used .to characterize defects and dopant interactions. Measurements on macromolecule such as metalloproteins in solution can give information about the strength of and the symmetry of ligand fields when there are static interactions between the PAC probe nuclei and the extranuclear electrons. When the extranuclear fields vary rapidly in time, the nuclear interaction gives a measure of the rotation

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correlation time.

The PAC technique is based on the properties of several nuclei such as 2 Hf, * * *In , and 2 iimCd that emit two gamma-rays in a cascade. After the emission of the first ganna-ray and before the second is emitted, these nuclei exist in quantum states having relatively long lifetimes,1-100 ns. This inter.nediate state has either a magnetic dipole moment or an electric quadrupole moment, or both. When one of these moments interacts with the 31

{ t 's fields or the field gradients produced by the extranuclear electrons, the interaction affects or perturbs the emission probability of the second L gama-ray. That is, the spatial correlation of the emission of the second gamma-ray with the first, which exists in the absence of the extranuclear fields, is affected in a theoretically predictable manner. Measuring the time interval between the two emissions produces the primary experimental information, i.e., the time distributions. Analysis of these distributions in the case of a static quadrupole interaction gives a measure of the electric field gradients produced by the electrons in the vicinity of the decaying nuclei. Similarly, in a time-varying interaction, a measure of the rotational correlation time can be obtained.

An inherent advantage of the PAC technique is that it is truly a tracer technique. For example, to probe a semiconductor system, 50-100 pCi of '5'In would be used. This activity represents roughly 102 8 atoms plus carrier (stable) atoms. Thus, the system to be studied can be made large enough, say several grams in mass,'so that the PAC probe atom concentration remains insignificant. As a result, dopant interactions in semiconductors can be studied in which the dopant concentrations are varied.

Currently several research projects are underway at Penn State. The most i noteworthy is a project to measure electric field gradients in high-critical-temperature superconducting ceramics such as YBa2Cu30 7 using the 558In probe. Recently, a paper was published in the Physical Review B that describes the first results of this project. This project was funded by .the National Science Foundation, and it supported two graduate students to do their M.S. thesis research. In addition, as a result of a special program, the NSF awarded Dr. Catchen a grant of $10,000 to support women who were seniors in the nuclear engineering major. This grant was to encourage women,  ;

who were an under-represented group in engineering, to participate in research.

To continue this research, Dr. Catchen has applied for additional funding.

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1 7.> ,

i r X. FACILITY RESEARCH UTILIZATION Research continues.to utilize the major portion of the available operation time bf the' reactor and'the Cobalt-60 Facility. A. wide variety of

~

,research projects are currently in progress as indicated'on the following lpages.' The University oriented research projects are arranged alphabetically

~

( by department'.in.Section A. . Theses, publications , papers , and reports follow c the res'earch description to which they pertain. In addition.. Sections B and C provide examples' of.other university and industrial research utilizing the facility.

The' reporting of research information to the editor of this report is at the option of the.research'er,' and therefore the research projects in sections f- ' A, B, and C are only representative of the research at the facility. The-4 projects' described involved 7 reports,12 papers, 21 publications,15 masters' theses,13 doctoral theses, and one senior honor's thesis. The examples cited are'not to be construed as~ publications or announcements of research~. The

. publication of'research utilizing the facility-is the prerogative of the researcher.-

Appendix A l'ists all university, industrial, and other users of PSBR facilities, including those listed in sections A, B,. and C. Names of personnel are arranged alphabetically under their department and college or under their company or other aff.iliation. During.the past year, 60 faculty l ~ and staff members, 41 graduate students, and 8 undergraduate students have

used.the facility for research. This represents a usage by 22 departments or sections in 5 colleges of the University. In addition, 41 individuals from 24 industries, research organizations, or other universities used the PSBR facilities.

t 33

. , f '

1 S

A.1 PENN STATE UNIVERSITY RESE' ARCH UTILIZING THE FACILITIES OF THE'PENN STATE' BREAZEALE REACTOR Anthropology Depa' rtment

.EUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF PRE-HISPANIC CERAMICS FROM T E0TIHU CAA N,- M XE ICO

Participants:

James J. Sheehy Services Provided: l Neutron Irradiation,-Radiation _ Counters Distribution maps,of' San Martin Orange ceramics within the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico, suggest two production loci for this ceramic ware. These. two suggested production locations are close to separate clay sources in the same two areas. Neutron activation analysis of San Martin Orange ceramics and local clays will be carried out in an attempt-to distinguish the clays as well as ceramic vessels ultimately deriving .

from the exploitation of the two clay sources. Ceramic samples will include those selected from the Teotihuacan M6pping Project surface

- collections, the Teotihuacan -Valley Survey collections, and samples recovered from excavations in Tlajinga 33, an ancient pottery workshop producing San Martin Orange ceramics. It is expected that the proposed activation _ analysis will shed new light on the structure of the ceramic marketing networks within the city and the valley of Teotihuacan.

Doctoral Thesis:

"The Organization of Ceramic Production and Distribution.at Teotihacan,.

' Hexico," Sheehy, James J.,-Department of Anthropology, William T. Sanders and James. Hatch, advisors. (In progress)

Sponsor: Hill Fellowship, Department of Anthropology, $930 Chemistry Department -

SYNTHESIS OF C0 SUBSTITUENT a-D-GLUCOSYL POLY (ORGAN 0PH0SPHAZENES)

Participants:

H. R. Allcock S. R. Pucher Services Provided: Gamma Irradiation Four types of cosubstituent, hydrophilic and hydrophobic, a-D-glucosyl poly (organophosphazenes) have been synthesized. These polymers were: [NP(NHCH3 )x(OC6115)v3n, H 0 [NP(0CH2CF 3 )x(0C6 H 0

[NP(0C65H )x(0C611)5)v3n, H [NP(0CH 2 2 CH2 DCH 2 3 CH 0CH 6 )x(0C HiiO ) 15)y]n.

5 Jn, where i x+y-2 and n:15,000. The attachment of a-D-glucose to the po ymer was achieved by a novel two-step synthesis. First, diacetone-0-glucose, protected with acetonide groups at the 1,2- and 5,6- hydroxyl positions, was added to the polymer as the sodium alkoxide salt. Second, deprotection by acid hydrolysis produced the desired cosubstituent glucosyl polymers. In addition to the novel synthesis of these polymers, 34 o

[

1 I, [

ithe enhancemen't ofIwater solubility by increasing the ratio of sugar substituent within the trifluoroethoxy and phenoxy cosubstituent polymers was al.so studied, t Also, the crosslinking behavior, by gamma radiation and by chemical methods :of all polymers _ has been investigated. Finally, the hydrolytic instability of the methylamino/a-D-glucosyl polymers was t studied..

^f , Chemistry Department TRADIATION CROSSLINKING OF POLY [ BIS'(Z-(Z-METH0XYETH0XY)-ETH0XY)PHOSPHAZENE]:

3, EFFECT ON SOLID STATE IONIC CONDUCTIVITY

Participants:

H. R..Allcock A. A. Dembek J. L. Bennett Services.Provided: Ganna' Irradiation At the present time great interest exists in solid electrolyte systems. for possible use in high-energy-density batteries. The.

.polyphosphazene poly [ bis (2-(2-methoxyethoxyJethoxy)phosphazene] (I) shows excellent promise as a solid electrolyte host when dissolved LiCF 3503 iS used as the. charge carrier. Although this system shows ionic

~

conductivity 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than an analogous complex of poly (ethylene oxide) with LiCF3503 at moderate temperatures, its value as a polymeric electrolyte is limited by an inherent lack of dimensional stability. > The polymer molecules are so. flexible that the polymer flows slowly' under light pressure. It has been shown that I can be cross-linked chemically to produce a material with increased dimensional stability and, when doped, provides comparable conductivity to the analogous un-cross-linked system. In earlier' work we showed that Co Y-irradiation brings about cross-linking of this polymer and increases the dimensional stability.

A. primary advantage of the cross-linking of I by the Co

i. Y-irradiation method, compared to the chemical cross-linking method, is that. no , impurities are introduced into the polymer matrix. Chemical cross-linking requires the incorporation of a difunctional reagent, for

-example, poly (ethylene glycol), while radiation cross-linking involves l'

only side-group coupling reactions. Thus, although both methods provide increased dimensional stability without reducing ionic conductivity, the

Co Y-irradiation cross-linking technique is more appealing.

. Chemistry Department PREPARATION OF POLYMER BLENDS CONTAINING POLY (ORGAN 0PHOSPHAZENES)

^

Participants:

H. R. Allcock K. B. Visscher Services Provided: Gamma Irradiation 35

( ,

ji 3' .

' ~

Polymer blends of poly (organophosphazenes) combined with other.

phosphazene polymers' or; organic polymers are being prepared and tested for compatibility using FT-IR, DSC, NMR and SEM. . A blend is:said to be compatible if it exists.in only one phase and this may be determined by examining the intermolecular interactions between the parent components.

Hydrogen. bondbg is the prominent interaction present' and that may be monitored by FT- IR. It is the goal of this .research to prepare .

compatible phosphazene blends which may be used as biomedical materials.

? '(Theses'and publications listed below art for. previous three research L projects)'

h Doctora1' Theses:

l " Synthesis and_ Study of New Poly (0rganophosphazenes) As Membranes, h Hydrogels', and Carrier Molecules for Drugs and Enzymes," Kwon, S.,

p '1%8,. Chemistry Department, H. R. Allcock, Advisor.'

" Synthesis'and. Investigation of Poly (Organophosphazenes)," McDonnell, G.

W S. , .1988,: Chemistry Department , H. R. . Alicock, advisor.

" Synthesis'and Study of New Poly (Organophosphazenes) .To Be Used As

' Biomaterial," Visscher, K. B., Chemistry Department, H.. R. Allcock, advisor. (In progress)

" Synthesis of. Biomedical Polyphosphazenes," Pucher, S. R., Chemistry L . Department ,- H. R. Allcock, advisor. (In progress)

" Polymer Surface Chemistry," Fitzpatrick, R. J., Chemistry Department, H.

~R. Allcock, advisor. (In progress)

" Preparation. and Characterization of Novel Poly (Organophosphazenes),"

Dembek, A. A., Chemistry Department, H. R. Allcock, advisor. (In

. progress)'

Publications:

" Amphophilic Polyphosphazenes As Membrane Materials: Influence of Side Groups on. Radiation Crosslinking," Allcock, H. R., M. Gebura, S. Kwon and T. X. Neenan , Biomaterial, Vol . 9, pp. 500-508, November 1988.

" Hydrophilic Polyphosphazenes as Hydrogels: Radiation Cross-Linking and Hydrogel Characteristics of Poly [ Bis (Methoxyethoxyethoxy)Phosphazene),"

Allcock, H.R., S. Kwon, G. H. Riding, R. J. Fitzpatrick and J. L.

Bennett , Biomaterial, Vol . 9, pp. 509-513, November 1988.

" Radiation Crosslinking of Poly [ Bis-(2-Methoxyethoxy)Ethoxyphosphazene]:

Effect on Solid State Ionic Conductivity," Allcock, H. R., A. A. Dembek and J. L. Bennett - PSU, D. F. Shriver and B. J. Heyen-Northwestern University, Chemistry of Materials, Vol .1, pp.14-16,1989.

Sponsor: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute i

36

Q ff x.,

u q.

p , ,

Ii

, Geo' sciences: Department GElERATION AND. MOBILITY. OF- RADON IN SOILS e

Participants:

A.i W. Rose.

.W. A.: Jester E.. J. Ciolkosz E 10. J.;Greeman

lB. Ford (Services Providedi Neutron Irradiation, Laboratory Space, Low Level .

Monitoring Field and'1abl measurement!s' at 9 sites are being conducted to investigate relations of radon in soil gas to uranium, radium, porosity, permeability, density, moisture, time, depth, and many.other parameters.

Analyses for. uranium and thorium have utilized delayed neutron facilities

at-the. reactor,'and radium and other U-series nuclides are being analyzed by gamma spectrometry an.d' radon bubbler methods. Radium and uranium are

' found to' be depleted:in,the. surface horizons on soils of Pennsylvania, and'Ra cis-enriched: relative to U in the A- (surface) horizon. Radium is-

enriched in the organic fraction of the soil, and in vegetation. Radon levels in the soil gas correlate generally with U.and Ra, but
considerable' seasonal variation exists. The project is now in the 3rd and final' year' of the current contract.

Master's Thesis:

G

" Effects of Water Table Fluctuation and Meteorological Paramaters on Radon-222 Concentration and Mobility in Soil," Marvin, R. K.,1989 Geosciences Department, R. R. Parizek, advisor.

Doctoral 1 Theses:

" Controls for Tempora 1:and Depth Variation of Radon in Soil Gases,"

Washington, J. W., Geosciences Department, A. W. Rose, advisor. (In progress)

'" Radium and Other U-Series Radionuclides in Soils," Greeman, D. J.,

Geosciences Department, A. W. Rose, advisor. (In progress)

Publications:

" Variability of Radon with Depth and Season in a Central Pennsylvania

Soil Developed on Limestone," Rose, A. W., J. W. Washington and D. J.

Greeman, Northeastern Environmental Science, 7, pp. 35-39,1988.

I

" Relations of Soil Gas Radon to Properties of Soil and Bedrock,"

? Washington, J. W. and A. W. Rose, Geol. Soc. Amer. Abst, with Prog. , v.

20, p. A354,1988. (Paper at GSA National Meeting).

L 37 i_______n .

y E

(

lr

,, ' yj2

[ ' "Abun' dance .and Occurren'ce of U, Th' and. Ra 'in Pennsylvania and Georgia 4 Soils ," Greeman , 0. ' J. and A. W. Rose, Geol.- Soc. . Amer. Abst. with Prog. ,

F< v. 20, p.: A336,1988. (Paper atGSA National Meeting),

p g " Controls of Seasonal _ Variability in Rn content 'of Soil Gas," Rose, A.' W.

andJ. W. Washington, Geol. Soc. Amer. Abst. with Prog., v21, p. 63, 1989.- . (Paper at GSA Northeastern Section Meeting). -

"Effect of Inhomogeneity of Soil Properties on Radon . Transport .in Soil Gases," Washington, J. W., A. W. Rose and D. J.' Greeman, EOS, v70(15),

e 'p.-497,1989. (Paper at American Geophysical Union National Neeting).

F " Sampling Variability of Radon in Soil Gases,"' Rose, A. W., A. R. Hutter

. and J. W. Washington, submitted to Journal of Geochemical Exploration.for.special issue on soil gases.

  • Report:

" Generation end Mobility of Radon in Soil," Rose, A. W~ .and W. A. Jester, Quarterly Progress Reports to DOE Indoor Radon Program (June 1988, September 1988, December 1988, and March.1989) .

.. Sponsor: U. S. Department of Energy, $300,000, 3/87-2/90 n 'Geosciences Department FE ISOTOPIC ABUNDANCES USING NEUTRON ACTIVATION

Participants:

Lee R. Kump-Gregg Bluth.

L , Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation, Laboratory Space We-are continuing to refine our analytical technique which uses the

activitation of two isotopes of iron, "Fe and 'Fe, to determine their relative abundances in natural geological specimens. The refinements include a pre-irradiation anion exchange purification step which isolates iron from other metals, and the irradiation of liquid samples of equal volume and concentration of iron on the " merry-go-round", which minimizes artificial intersample variability. The most recent irradiation incorporates these refinements, and we are in the midst of counting these sampl es .

Sponsor: Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, $18,000 Horticulture Department EFFECT OF BIOCIDE TREATMENTS ON NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOILLESS POTTING

- MEDIA

Participants:

George Elliott 38

_ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ . -__L____-____-__-___--_-_ ___

y i' ;ss i o

Services _Provided
Gamma Irradiation Compared effects of autoclaving, gamma irradiation and toluene as p biocide treatments. Measured rates of- urea hydrolysis and ammonium oxidation in soilless media. Autoclaving versus gamma irradiation distinguishes abiotic activity versus activity which is derived from organisms, but does not depend on living organisms.

Materials Research Lab CHEMICALLY BONDED' CERAMICS r

Participants:

D. K. Agrawal Services Provided: Gamma Irradiation

' Currently, studies involve the effect of y-radiation and microwaves on the reaction mechanisms and mechanical properties of cements and similar materials which are bonded by primarily chemical reactions. It is hypothesized that irradiation of chemically bonded ceramics by y-rays .

or microwaves might enhance the reactivity of the constituent phases.

Preliminary data are promising but a systematic study in this area is

-required.

Mechanical Engineering Department AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERNAL FLOW IN A TORQUE CONVERTER

Participants:

J. M. Cimbala S. H. Levine H. R. Jacobs F. W. Schmidt D. E. Hughes D. Sathianathan S. Cosgrove Services Provided: Neutron Radiography, Laboratory Space Flow visualization is an extremely useful tool in fluid mechanics research . Unfortunately, many practical flow problems have limited optical access for visualization. Since neutrons can penetrate metal casings, thermal neutron radiography can be applied to the visualization of fluid flowing inside metal enclosures. The technique involves imaging of neutron opaque tracer materials, such as solid or fluid particles or '

streamlines, as they convect in neutron transparent ambient fluid.

Surface flow visualization is also possible by using neutron opaque tuf ts.

In most cases the images were recorded in video format at 30 frames per second or by high resolution " snap-shot" photography using light-emitting intensifying screens. Limited success has also been achieved with a high speed video system which has been run at up to 1000 frames per second.

These techniques have been utilized for visualization of the fluid flow patterns inside a rotating torque converter. The research has been quite 39

i s l l

successful, particularly in the past several months when attention shifted to using tufts to visualize surface flow patterns on stator L blades . Several presentations and publications have resulted from our efforts.

Master's Thesis:

" Visualization of the Fluid Flow Inside a Torque Converter Using Neutron Radiography," Cosgrove, S., Department of Mechanical Engineering, J. M.

Cimbala, advisor. (In progress)

Doctoral Thesis:

" Neutron Radiography as a Fluid Flow Visualization Tool," Sathianathan, D., Department of Mechanical Engineering, J. M. Cimbala, advisor. (In progress)

Publications:

"A New Technique for Visualization of Fluid Flows in Metal Enclosures,"

Cimbala, J. M. and D. Sathianathan, Bulletin of the American Physical Society, v.32, n.10, p. 2106, 1987.

" Application of Neutron Radiogr' a phy for Fluid Flow Visualization,"

Cimbala, J. M., D. E. Hughes, S. H. Levine and D. Sathianathan, Nuclear Technology, v .81, n.6, pp. 435-445,1988.

"Streakline Flow Visualization with Neutron Radiography," Cimbala, J. M.

and D. Sathianathan, Experiments in Fluids, v.6, pp. 547-552,1988.

Paper:

" Neutron Radiography as a Flow Visualization Tool," Cimbala, J. M., D.

Sathianathan, S. A. Cosgrove and S. H. Levine, Proceedings of the Third World Conference on Neutron Radiography, Osaka, Japan, May 14-18, 1989.

Sponsor: Chrysler Challenge Fund, $272,000 l

Nuclear Engineering Department EVALUATION OF NEUTRON EFFECTS ON B0 RATED STAINLESS STEEL

Participants:

A. J. Baratta I. B. McMaster B. Nanayakkara Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation, Hot Cells, Radiation Counters,  !

Laboratory Space, Flux Monitoring Recent events associated with a borated polymer, called boraflex, have suggested a critical need to evaluate the behavior of borated materials exposed to moderate to high neutron fluences. Under such exposure, neutrons interact with the boron to create alpha particles.

40

&y -

pk' 1 s ,

>The alpha.' particles eventually lead to the formatio n of gas filleds voids.

which.can. cause the' material to. crack and can~' alter the material's mechanical properties. -

~ The objective of this project is to' determine the optimum boron . q concentration in stainless' steel that~will optimize neutron attenuation "

without adversely affecting-its materiali properties, and to demonstrate.

l

, ' structural attributes of- borated stainless steel .

_ . In order to~ achieve' the0above, three batches of borated stainless 1 steel specimens, having different boron levels, will be. irradiated to

'three different fluence levels,-using the reactor core. To verify.the i fluencellevels, . flux measurements will be made .using copper flux wires for the, catch with the lowest fluence level and iron flux wires for the ,

other-two. j After irradiation', the specimens will be subjected to tensile '

. testing, hardness testing and charpy impact testing. Futhermore, the changes in microstructure due to neutron irradiation will be evaluated using -a metallograph.

The' optimum boron concentration will be determined based on analysis

  • l of' test .results [ Young's modulus, yield strength, ultimate tensile stress, Rockwell . hardness, etc.] and calculation of neutron absorption rates.  ;

Irradiation of one .of the borated stainless steel batches has been

~ completed,las of this writing. j Finally, the results of-this project will.. be useful in- b manufacturing borated stainless steels to be used in spent fuel storage

' pools'and spent fuel shipping containers in the nuclear power industry.

Master's Thesis:

" Evaluation of Neutron Effects on Borated Stainless Steel," Nanayakkara, i' B., Nuclear Engineering Department, A. J. Baratta, advisor. (In progress) ]

Report:

" Evaluation'of Neutron Effects on Borated Stainless Steel," Baratta, A.

J. and B. Nanayakkara, Research and Development Proposal to Advanced  ;

Technology Center of Cer. tral and Northern Pennsylvania, April 18, 1988.

Sponsor: Carpenter Technology Corporation, $87,836 Nuclear Engineering Department -l

' RADIATION DOSIMETRY

C r *

Participants:

G. L. Catchen B. Ben Shachar-L J. M. Hoffman Services Provided: Hot Cells, Laboratory Space The dose responses to 8 88Xe radiation of several _models of Panasonic 800 series thermoluminescent ' dosimeters -(TLD) were evaluated. The dosimeters were exposed by submersion _ in 8 8 8Xe gas. The relative-sensitivities of the lithium borate and the calcium sulfate phosphors were determined _for several configurations. The TLDs were exposed in the holders (as the devices came from the vendor) with various shields covering the elements, and they were exposed with the shield-containing i holders removed. Some dosimeters were exposed, both in-holders and out-of-holders (TL-insert-only configuration) in plastic bags and free in air. No TLDs were exposed in hangers.

For the in-holder configuration, the responses of the heavily-shielded ( 170mg cm-8) elements were used to obtain the photon dose rate component and the responses of the lightly-shielded

-(13mg cm-8) elements were used to obtain the beta component. Similarly, for the insert-only configurations, the observed over response of the calcium sulfate phosphors to low energy photons could be used to separate the beta dose rate component. By using the calculated beta doses, correction factors were determined for the apparent under responses of the elements to beta radiation. The results of both methods are consi stent . These results also suggest that the beta component could be used in environmental monitoring as a more sensitive means to determine 88Xe activities in clouds and to separate some of the effects of submersion exposure from those of distant exposure.

Master's Thesis:

" Characteristics of Panasonic Radiation Dosimeters, Including Their Response to Submersion in Xenon-133," Hoffman, J. M., 1989, Nuclear Engineering Dept., G. L. Catchen, advisor. j i

Publications:

1

" Response of Panasonic Dosimeters to Submersion Exposure by 8 8 8Xe," i Hoffman, J. M. and G. L. Catchen, revised and resubmitted to Health )

Physics, May 1989. j

" Characteristics of the Panasonic UD-802 Phosphors ," Ben-Shachar, B. , G.

L. Catchen and J. M. Hoffman, accepted for publication by Radiation Protection Dosimetry, March 1989.

Papers: )

"Linearity of and Minimum Measurable Dose For Li B 0 :Cu and CaSO4:Tm TL 247 Elements Used in a Personnel / Environmental Dosimeter," Hoffman, J. M., B. I Ben-Shachar and G. L. Catchen, Second Conference on Radiation Protection anc Dosimetry, Orlando, Florida, Oct. 31-Nov. 3,1988, (refereed).

1 42

q i 3' 1 L i i

, 1

" Search for Photo-Transferred Luminescence in Two TL Phosphors," i Ben-Shachar, B., J. M. Hoffman and G. L. Catchen, European Society j i- for Radiation Biology, 21st Annual 11eeting, Tel Aviv, Israel, October.

24-30, 1988. l

' Sponsor: Pennsylvania' Power and Light, $39,000

-Huclear Engineering Department

. DEFECT CHARACTERIZATION IN HIGH PURITY SILICON USING PERTURBED ANGULAR CORRELATION SPECTROSCOPY

Participants:

G. L. Catchen A. J. Baratta D. Damcott Services Provided: Laboratory Space, Angular Correlations Laboratory Because semiconductors are one of the most important materials of the modern electronic era, it is important to understand the structure and function of these materials on an atomic scale. Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy is particularly well suited to study defects'in solids such as silicon. Using this technique, exploratory measurements were made to examine defects in single crystals of high-purity silicon. A spin-glass technique, coupled with thermal diffusion, was developed for doping small silicon wafers with Indium-111.

Because difficulties with the thermal diffusion doping were encountered, the data collected in this study were limited in scope and difficult to analyze. Far more expertise must be developed in the doping process to produce samples that will yield definitive PAC measurements.

Senior Honor Thesis:

" Defect Characterization in High Purity Silicon Using Perturbed Angular

' Correlation Spectroscopy," Damcott, D.,1988, Nuclear Engineering Department, G. L. Catthen, advisor.

Sponsor: Center for Electronic Materials and Processing (PSU), $3,000 tbclear Engineering Department INVESTIGATION OF FERR0 ELECTRIC PEROVSKITES USING PERTURBED ANGULAR CORRELATION SPECTROSCOPY

Participants:

G. L. Catchen W. Huebner M. Blaszkiewicz E. Saylor S. Wukitch 43

. , t Services Provided: Laboratory Space, Isotope Production, Angular Correlations Laboratory PAC Spectroscopy can be used to measure the effects of local fields in AB03 perovskites. In particular, the PAC technique uses the decay properties of special radioactive " probe" atoms that are substituted into specific lattice sites in the structure. The measurements provide two types of information: (1) via static nuclear electric quadrupole interactions, the PAC technique can measure the local electric field gradient (efg) at the probe site' and (2) via time-varying quadrupole interactions, it can measure the kinetics of 0-transport. In addition, the PAC technique may be sensitive to the effects of B-ion motion on the subnanosecond-to-nanosecond timescale. In this context, we present preliminary results to illustrate the potential value of the PAC technique. These results suggest the focus of a long-range research program. The specific experimental objectives of this program are (1) to investigate the mechanism of the paraelectric-to-ferroelectric- phase transitions in BaTiO3, KNbO3, and PbTiO3 via the temperature dependence of the electric field gradient, (2) to measure the effects of B-site composition on the efg in the Pb (Zr x Ti l _x)03 solid solution, (3) to assess local ordering at the B-site in mixed B-site solid solutions, and (4) to measure 0-vacancy transport kinetics and order-disorder effects via time-varying interactions. These different types of microscopic information may be correlated with the associated macroscopic electrical properties of the ceramics. The long-range goal is to develop a more fundamental understanding of the origins of the electrical and structural

, properties of these technologically important materials.

1 i Paper:

l " Investigating Phase Transitions, local Ordering, and 0-Transport in AB03 Perovskites Using Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy,"

Catchen, G. L., W. Huebner, M. Blaszkiewicz and E. Saylor, First USA-USSR Seminar on Ferroelectricity, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, July 9-14, 1989.

Nuclear Engineering Department CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGH CRITICAL TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING CERAMICS

Participants:

G. L. Catchen -

W. Huebner M. Blaszkiewicz J. Bonner III Services Provided: Isotope Production, Laboratory Space, Angular Correlations Laboratory r

Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy was used to characterize the high-Tc ceramic superconductor (Y1 _xInx )Ba:Cu30.... The PAC probe, In/Cd, was selected. To substitute the probe into the structure, four different methods of processing and doping the ceramic 44

pv4 , s .n L  : -t

l. . _

b ,

w, E

L L superconductors with the. radioactive probe atoms .were developed. There hn .-

were. difficulties associated with each method of processing and doping.

[* ~ These problems included not being'able to form' phase pure or nearly phase

> pure material l and not being able to control the site' substitution of the

.. probe nuclei.- Methods 1of. characterizing the final (radioactive)

. products, without spreading contamination,' using X-ray diffraction,,

4 electrica1' resistance measurements, magnetic susceptibility measurements,

. and the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect are discussed.

K

..Most of.the-PAC experiments yielded perturbation functions that were L characterized by,line-broadening and that.were difficult to analyze. An indium-rich phase, unrelated to the superconductor, may be-responsible for some ofs the line-broadened results. ' Also, In was found to substitute g into both the.Y-site and the Cu-site. One' set-~of experiments showed a

'well-defined-static interaction, and the results were interpreted assuming that the indium. substituted into the Y-site. The ~

well-defined-interaction showed an anomalous linear increase of the.

W electric field gradient magnitude, Vzz, over the temperature range from-77'K to 1070'K. The asymmetry parameter, n, showed a small decrease over.

X the same temperature range. This change in the assymetry parameter is consistent with the material changing from the orthorhombic phase to the tetragonal phase near.870 K. Also, no evidence was'found for 0-ion or 0-vacancy transport in the Y-coordination sphere.

More PAC experiments should be performed on the 1-2-3 compound using

. PAC probes , such as 5 "Lu/s 7:Yb or

  • 8 8Ba/ 8 8Cs, which are more likely to substitute into specific lattice sites. These future experiments may confirm our results, and they would provide additional information about f the microscopic behavior of this technologically important material.

Master's Thesis:

" Characterization of High-Tc Superconductors .Using Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy," Blaszkiewicz, M.,1989, Nuclear Engineering Department, G. L. Catchen, advisor, f Publication:

v

" Anomalous Temperature Dependence of the Electric Field Gradient at the 4

.Y-site in Inn,1 O.9 Ba2Cu309-8: Evidence for Soft Vibrational Modes,"

~

Y

. Catchen , G. L. , M. Blaszkiewicz, A. J. Baratta and W. Huebner, Phys. Rev.

B, 38, pp. 2824-2827, 1988.

Sponsor: National Science Foundation, $60,000

.Fuclear Engineering Department STRUCTURAL ANOMALIES IN IONIC-CONDUCTING CERAMICS STUDIED BY PERTURBED

- ANGULAR CORRELATION SPECTROSCOPY

Participants:

G. L. Catchen H. A. McKinstry D. Agrawal W. Huebner 45

, 7 4

4

., , g ..

p M. ' Blaszkiewicz

- L. : Menke ,LJr.

& K. Jamil.

w Ser' vices Provided ' Isotope Production, Laboratory Space, Angular Correlat_ ion-

. Laboratory'

. . . Perturbed Angular. Correlation'(PAC) Spectroscopy was used to' characterize:the structures of the ceramics, Ca-(Zr3 95Hf0 measurements and Sr(Zr3 95Hf0

a range over.05)P 06from of temperatures 24(SZP).. The used to Hf/

77*K~to 1320*K. Although 8 "Ta pr make CZP and-SZPwere. thought to be "isostructural," the PAC:showed major differences 1 1n the occupancies of the alkali-earth-cation sites. ' The SZP 2

dataishow two distinct. static electric quadrupole interactions that correspond to two distinct, approximately equally numerous Zr-sites; '

.whereas, the CZP measurements show one well-defined static interaction at approximately 807, of the -Zr-sites. The temperature dependence of the electric field gradients . measured at each site was used to determine an effective Debye-Waller. factor. These factors-agreed qualitatively with the predictions of the! Debye crystal model. For the two Zr-sites in SZP,

~

these factors were used. to estimate a Debye temperature ratio.

, Publications:

, " Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy: Structural Anomalies .

in (Sr, Ca)(Zr3.95Hf0 6 24 Ceramics ," Catchen , G. L. , M. Blaskiewicz ,

x,  ; L. H. Menke, K. Jamil, H. 05)P 0 A. McKinstry, D. K. Agrawal and W. Huebner,_

Phys. Rev. 8, 37, pp. 7189-7196 (1988) .

-"A Structural Characterization of a High-Temperature, Ionic-Conducting

Ceramic Using Perturbed Angular Correlation Spectroscopy," Catchen, G.

L. , L. .H. Menke, M. Blaszkiewicz, K. Jamil, D. K. ~ Agrawal, W. Huebner and H. A. McKinstry, Phys. Rev. B, 37,, pp. 4839-4850 (1988) .

Paper:

Structural Anomalies in Ionic-Conducting Ceramics," Catchen, G. L., M.

Blaszkiewicz, -L. Menke, K. Jamil, H. McKinstry, D. Agrawal and W.

, , Huebner, National American Chemical Society Meeting, Miami Beach, Flor.ida, Sept.' 10-15, 1989.

Nuclear Engineering Department FRESNOITE ELECTR0 CERAMICS CHARACTERIZED BY PERTURBED ANGULAR CORRELATION SPECTROSCOPY

Participants:

G. L. Catchen B. Scheetz L. Menke K. Jamil M. Blaszkiewicz l 46

y 9_

Services Provided: Laboratory Space, Isotope Production, Angular Correlation Laboratory Perturbed Angular Correlation (PAC) Spectroscopy was used to investigate several structural features of the ceramics, Ba2(T10 .95 Hf0.05)Ge208 and Ba2(Ti0 95 Hf0.05)(Ge0.4 Sil .6)08. PAC measurements, which used the 8'2Hf2 "Ta probe, were made over a range of temperatures from 77'K to 1380*K. High-frequency, static nuclear-electric-quadrupole interactions were observed at the Ti-sites in both compounds. The electric field gradients (EFGs) associated with these interactions were produced primarily by the apical 0 atoms in the TiO5 tetragonal pyramids. These high-frequency interactions showed similar, nonzero asymmetry parameters, n, at low temperatures and small-to-vanishing n-values at high temperatures. This asymmetry was unexpected and is anomalous, and it suggests that a phase change may have occurred between 500*K and 700 K. In addition, the temperature dependence of the EFG at the Ti-site indicated that the Ti-0 structure was quasi-one-dimensional .

Publication:

" Anomalous Asymmetry of the Electric Field Gradient at the Ti-site in Bag (Ti0 Hf0.05)(Ge2xSi 2-2x)08 Ceramics Measured By Perturbed Angular Corrlation

e. 9' Spectroscopy 5 ," Catchen , G. L. , L. H. Henke , K. Jamil , M.

Blaskiewicz and B. E. Scheetz, Phys. Rev. 8, 39, pp. 3826-3834 (1989) .

Paper:

" Anomalous Asymmetry of the Electric Field Gradient at the Titanium Site in Fresnoite Ceramics," Catchen, G. L., L. H. Menke, K. Jamil, M.

Blaszkiewicz and B. E. Scheetz, National American Chemical Society Meeting, Miami Beach, Florida, Sept. 10-15, 1989.

Nuclear Engineering Department TRITIUM RELEASE FROM Li2Cu3 DURING IRRADIATION

Participants:

W. Diethorn K. Alam Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation, Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, Isotope Production In the evaluation of fusion reactor concepts, the importance of information on tritium release from lithium compounds is generally recognized. Lithium carbonate powder has been studied during neutron irradiation at high temperature. The tritium is produced via the 'Li (n,3H) 'He reaction. Helium sweep gas picks up tritiun released from the powder which is contained in a canister near the Triga Core, and car' ries it to a flow through ion chamber at poolside for radioassay. The effects of temperature, time and irradiation mode (pulsed or constant power operation of the Triga) on release have been studied.

47

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o

' Mas'ter's Thesis:

_ " Study of Tritium Release from Lithium Carbonate During Neutron Irradiation at' High Temperature," Alam, K.,1989, Nuclear Engineering, W. Diethorn,Ladvisor.

Nuclear ' Engineering Department-L ' CONTAMINATION OF MATERIALS USED IN LARGE-SCALE TRITIUM PROCESSING-

Participants:

W. Diethorn

- A.: Whitcomb

~ LServices Provided
Neutron Irradiation, Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, O Isotope Production
. The purpose of the research is to investigateLtritium' distribution and desorption kinetics at elevated temperatures in materials of interest (primarily metals) to the processing industry. The work will contribute to a'better understanding;of the processes which cause tritium uptake and

'to improved methods of contamination reduction and control. This is a collaborative' effort with Mound Laboratory.

-Gaseous tritium (radioactive hydrogen) is processed'in large quantities at a few U.S. sites that supply either defense needs or those of fusion power development. .After a few months' exposure to the gas, the hardware and materials of' construction become contaminated with rather large amounts of this' radioactivity. Tritium contamination of Lequipment: creates 1 problems of' waste control, radiological safety and

- tritium accountability (inventory). Decontamination is rarely possible

! due to cost or the practical irreversibility of the tritium sorption process.

Master's Thesis:

" Removal of Tritium from Stainless Stee' by Chemical Etching," Whitcomb, A., Chemical Engineering, W. Diethorn, advisor. (In progress)

Sponsor: Mound Laboratory,' $34,000 Nuclear Engineering Department 1 1 Tritium Project (Senior Project)

Participants:

W. Diethorn S. C. MelIinger

-Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation, Lat oratory Space This part of the tritium project required neutron irradiation of 304 stainless steel, pure cobalt, pure irt, and pure nickel. The irradiated samples were then counted using the G' (Li) detector. Once counted as a 48

fy 4 p.

P 1 solid the samples were dissolved in aqua regia and a 1.1 m1 sample was extracted and again counted on the Ge(Li) detector. From these.two sets k of data, a conversion factor- for activity in a' point source to liquid was determined for each shelf position of the detector for various- .

isotopes found in the aforementioned metals. These conversion factors t

were determined in support of Alan Whitcomb's master's degree research.

All work on this part of the project has been completed. .

F I I Nuclear Engineering Department DEVELOPENT OF' AN IWROVED METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION AND DETECTION OF PURE BETA EMITTING ISOTOPES FROM REACTOR DISCHARGE WATER i

Participants:

W. A. Jester .

B. C. Ford Services Provided': Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, Isotope Production, Low Level. Monitoring The problem addressed in this~ project is the devising of-an improved method for the separation and detection of non-gamma emitting -

-radioisotopes using carriers and ion-chromatography. The approach investigated in the project involved the addition of non-radioactive strontium and yttrium carriers to discharge water samples in sufficient quantity so as to be able to be detected by the conductivity measurements employed by Philadelphia Electric Company chemists on their existing ion chromatography equipment. The water sample is then run through an

' ion-exchange column loading the carriers, the strontium-89 and

' strontium-90, and the. strontium-90 daughter yttrium-90 onto the resin.

'Using the procedures described in this report, the strontium would first

.be eluted off the column followed by the yttrium. Conductivity measurements would detect the arrival of the-strontium and yttrium fractions as they come off the- column. The resulting two samples can then be collected and quantified using low background gross beta counting.

The activity of the strontium fraction would indicate the total strontium activity in the water sample while the activity of the yttrium fraction combined with the history of the sample would provide the data to estimate the amount of strontium-90 in the water sample. The amount of strontium-89 would then be determined by the difference. In this work the reactor is used to produce strontrium-85 and yttrium-90 as

. radioactive tracers.

Report:

" Development of an Improved Method for Separation and Detection of Pure Beta Emitting Isotopes From Reactor Discharge Water," Jester, W.' A.,

Project FERMI Progress Report (February 1989, May 1989).

' Sponsor: FERMI, $17,547 l

49

t t t

Nuclear Engineering Department

'DEVELOPENT OF AN IWROVED ETHOD FOR DETERMINING AIRBORNE RADON-222 CONCENTRATIONS USING EPA STANDARD ACTIVATED CHARC0AL CANISTERS

Participants:

W. A. Jester R. W. Granlund, M. E. Linsley R. Batschelet Services Provided: Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, Low Level Monitoring The U.S. EPA Standard Operating Procedures for the Activated Charcoal Canister Method of determining airborne radon-222 concentrations has some serious problems. This is especially true if the canisters are employed under-conditions of moderate to high humidity. The authors have developed an improved method in which the same canisters and radiation counting equipment can be employed but which produces more reliable results under any humidity conditions. The canisters are first dried for 6 to 8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> at a. temperature of 150*F. Under low humidity. conditions the absorption and reabsorption of radon on and off the canisters follow the same relationship as neutron activation and radiation decay, thus an effective half life can be determined combining the half life of radon-222 and diffusion rate of radon on and off the charcoal. This effective half life combined with a NaI(GI) detector efficiency for the radiation counting of the canisters allows one to determine a calibration factor which is a function of canister exposure time. An experimental humidity correction factor curve has been obtained to correct for the loss of radon on the canister due to the absorption of moisture.

Publication:

"An Improved Method for Determining Airborne Radon-222 Concentrations Using EPA Standard Activated Charcoal Canisters," Jester, W. A., R. W.

Granlund, M. E. Linsley, and R. Batschelet Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, 59, pp. 49-50,1989.

Nuclear Engineering Department THE QUANTIFICATION OF DISSOLVED RAD 0N-222 IN DRINKING WATER USING E-PERM RADON MONITORS AND COMPARISON WITH EPA STANDARD LIQUID SCINTILLATION PROCEDURES

Participants:

W. A. Jester D. Kotroppa B. Ford Services Provided: Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, Low Level Monitoring This work used RAD Elec Inc.'s E-Perm radon monitors as a simple and relatively inexpensive method for determining dissolved radon-222 in drinking water. In this procedure an opened E-Perm detector with a known starting voltage is inserted into a container. A grab sample of 50

f79 3:

-: i i

the radon-containing: water-is add'ed.t'o the container, which'is then p

quicklyisealed. The radon gas. diffuses out of the water until equilibrium. conditions 'are established between. the' air and water phases.

',~,

The airborneLradon gas also_ enters the E-Perm ion chamber and 'as this .

radio-nuclide decays, it : discharges .the electret- voltage of the detector.-

After?one to three days of exposure theLeontainer is opened and the L E-Perm closed.' Subsequently, the electret is removed and its final voltage measured. The voltage drop between the initial and final conditions is then used to calculate the initial water radon c concentration.

The LLRML'has ~ established procedures 'for determining radon !in

' drinking water using'the- EPA Recommended Liquid Scintillation procedure.

Good agreement was obtained between the E-Perm method and the Liquid >

~ Scintillation method.

Publication:'

W. A. Jester

'"RadioactiveElementsinPennsylvaniaWaters,"

B.- C. Ford, a chapter in a book entitled Rose,A.W.lRadon:

Environment and Occurrence Control and Health Hazards, to be published by The Pennsylvania' Academy.of Science.

Report:

"The Quantification of Dissolved Radon-222 in Drinking Water Using E-Perm Radon Monitors and Comparison with a Standard Liquid Scintillation

. Procedure," Jester, W. A. and D. Kotroppa, Oral presentation at Rad Elec Round 6' RMP: Workshop held at Gaithersburg, MD, April 17, 1989.

Sponsor: Rad Elec Inc, loan of $3,500 worth of equipment Nuclear Engineering GEOLOGIC, CHEMICAL, RADIOETRIC AND GE0 TECHNICAL STUDIES OF SAMPLES COLLECTED AT THE 'FORER SITE OF .SAXTON NUCLEAR ELECTRIC FACILITY

Participants:

W. A. Jester A. Rose D. Greeman B. C Ford Services Provided: Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, Low Level Monitoring The first objective of this study was to characterize the geological, geotechnical and radiological nature of the surficial material at the SNEC Experimental Station near Saxton, PA with the intent of aiding efficient decontamination of the site.

The second objective was to perform core borings at six locations in

the vicinity of an underground storage tank at SNEC experimental station and perform radiological analysis of various sections of the removed cores. The object was to determine whether or not any of these tanks had 51

e -

l leaks contaminating the soil. Both of these objectives were completed to the satisfaction of the two project sponsors.

Reports:

" Report of Drilling and Radiometric Analysis of Samples Collected at Sites of Spent Resin and Liquid Waste Tanks," Rose, A. W. and W. A.

Jester, SNEC Facility, Saxton, PA, submitted to GPU Nuclear Corporation, January 1939.

" Geologic, Chemical, Radiometric and Geotechnical Studies of Samples from Eleven Drill Holes in Surficial Materials," Rose, A. W., W. A. Jester, D.

Greeman and B. C. Ford, SNEC Facility, Saxton, PA, submitted to GPU Nuclear Corporation, December 1988.

Sponsor: Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GPU Nuclear Corporation,

$25,477 Nuclear Engineering Department TESTING OF THE PENN STATE RADIOI0 DINE MONITORING SYSTEM

Participants:

W. A. Jester M. H. Voth B. S. Lee Services Provided: Isotope Production, Laboratory Space The Penn State radiciodine monitor uses three identical sets of monitoring chambers and detectors. Two of the chambers contain iodine-retaining filters that will not significantly retain noble gases.

The third chamber serves as a background chamber. The two chambers can exist in either of two modes depending on the position of the 4-way rotary valve, the intake or purge mode. Because of the alternating purging of each chamber two distinct conditions exist within each detection chamber. In the intake mode, the NaI(Tl+Am241) gamma detector is exposed to radiation coming from the noble gases and their daughters moving through the chamber along with radionuclides absorbed on the collection filter and to background radiation sources. In the purge mode, the detector is exposed to only radiation coming from that accumulated on the iodine filter and to background sources. Activity levels are recorded continuously during the intake and purge modes. At the conclusion of each half cycle the computer collects the data. The primary data is the activity collected from the radionuclides remaining on the filters during the purge modes. The radioiodine monitor has been modified to eliminate the interference from noble gas-produced alkali metal radionuclides by reducing the volume between the particulate filter and iodine filters. Further testing of the developed system in a situation similar to a nuclear accident environment is schedule in the summer of 1989.

52

LA I j f 1 l..  !

Doctoral Thesis:

"A Study of the Interferences With the On-Line Radiciodine Measurements '

Under Nuclear Accident Conditions," Tseng, T. T.,1989, Nuclear Engineering Department, W. A. Jester, advisor.

Sponsor: FERMI, $30,000 Nuclear Engineering Department GAMMA' PAY BACKSCATTER IMAGING TECHNIQUE FOR DETECTING PIPE WALL THINNING

Participants:

E. S. Kenney J. J. McInerney A. J. Baratta D. Wood Services Provided: Calibration Source By measuring the compton scattering of high energy gama rays from a 2"Cs source irradiating a section of pipe wall with a collimated beam, the thickness of the pipe wall can be deconvolved using Fourier Transform analysis and imaging techniques.

The principal benefit of this method over other non-destructive testing techniques is thet the insulation does not have to be removed from the pipe being measured.

There is a distinct cost advantage in this technique over other methods (eg. ultrasonic testing) which require all insulation be removed and grid patterns layed out on pipe before testing can begin.

Data has been acquired at this point and initial 3-D count surfaces have been achieved which indicate this method does warrant further study and funding.

Master's Thesis:

" Gamma Ray Backscatter Imaging Technique for Detecting Pipe Wall Thinning," Wood, D., Nuclear Engineering Department, E. S. Kenney, advisor. (In progress)

Sponsor: FERMI, 59,000 EPRI, $30,000 Nuclear Engineering Department RADIATION VISION PROJECT

Participants:

E. S. Kenney R. Gould 53

ff v

' Serv' ices Provided: Gama Irradiation, Hot Cells, Laboratory' Space, Machine

~

Shop

'A prototype device for producing an " iso-dose" map of the radiation field due to an arbitrary source distribution has.been constructed. Such-a device would automate radiation surveys greatly reducing expenditures-in man-hours and man-rem for radiation workers. An automated survey system would be of great utility in nuclear power plants, radioactive-waste disposal sites, medical irradiation ~ facilities, and radiochemical laboratories. The system employs a pair of collimated ionization-chambers mounted on a scanning carriage. The measurement process is

. composed of a series of scanner rotations and translations, and:is

-similar to that used for medical computed tomography (CT) imaging. A simple trigonometric algorithm is used to produce preliminary .

two-dimensional maps from radiation intensity.and position data. These maps', although providing proof of principle are highly artificial due to the constraints on scanner translation from the hot cell dimensions.

Because the distortion caused by the scanner characteristics is consistent, we can use simple image reconstruction techniques to eliminate the distortion. The application of these techniques has dramatically improved the iso-dose maps, and the system shows great promise.

Master's Thesis:

"The Development of a Device for Radiation Field Mapping," Gould, R.,

Nuclear Engineering Department, E. S. Kenney, advisor. (In progress)

Paper:

" Image Reconstruction for a Radiation Field Mapping System," Gould, R.

- and E. S. Kenney, ANS/ ENS International Conference, October 1988, Washington, DC.

Invited paper of same title submitted to Nuclear Technology for future publication Sponsor: FERMI, $26,000

' Bechtel National Incorporated, $19,000 Nuclear Engineering Department EUTRON IRRADIATION OF MOSFET TRANSISTORS

Participants:

E. Kenney A. Baratta l

R. Kurilla Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation, Gama Irradiation, Radiation Counters This project is attempting to explore damage to MOSFET transistors caused by neutron radiation, through the use of computer model parameters.

54

. N.

m, 5

,3 +.

i '

, 'The model chosen for :this'is called SPICE!(Simulator Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis). , This model!was' chosen .because of its e , capability of producing second order-effects (such as tchannel length <

1

", . modulation) and all first order effects. This and'other such models are useful;because.they explain transistor operation through the use _of1

, physically equivalent constituents '(diodes.. capacitors, resistors,.etc.).

In.using this approach as;a. basis for study, it:is hoped that a better insight into the mechanisms of damage-can be' better understood. This is-an area that-is controversial 1'and under longLterm investigation.

4 Master's Thesis:

" Effects- of Neutron Radiation on MOSFET Transistors Utilizing the SPICE Model," Kurilla, R.,1989, Nuclear Engineering Department, E. S.

Kenney and A. J. .Baratta, advisors.

, Nuclear Engineering Department DEVELOPENT Oc A EUTRON RADIOGRAPY TECHNIQUE TO IMAGE OBJECTS WITH LARGE

' ATTENUATION YARIATIONS '

Participants:

S .

H. Levine D. E. Hughes' M. A. Zarger Services Provided: . Neutron Radiography, Laboratory Space The purpose of this project-is to develop a technique to image-

. objects that have widely varying neutron attenuation as a function of

position. 'Its ,value is that materials, such as neutron shielding materials, may be imaged to' reveal any discontinuities in'the attenuation.

The project has de'veloped to x-y scanning of the beam up to this-point. The;x-y scanning uses a fission detector mounted on an x-y table to scan across and'up..throughout the beam port; The table is controlled-by stepper motors run 'by a personal computer. The computer also does the neutron counting by means of. a counter card installed in.it. Thus far reproducibility has been achieved by this system. -_ Also it has shown that-

there is a linear relationship between neutron counts and reactor power level. Data has been gathered on the different effects on neutron count by different control' rod positions. Flux nniformity has been checked.

l Still on the agenda with the scanning are work on resolution and angular dependencies of the flux. Testing of beam purity is yet to be done.

Master's Thesis:

" Analysis of Neutron Beam for Neutron Radiography," Zarger, M., Nuclear Engineering Department, S. H. Levine, advisor. (In progress) 55 i

. .L :

y *'

- Nuclear Engineering Department LDEVELOPENT OF A PROTOTYPE BETA SKIN-EYE-DEPTH DOSE AND HOT PARTICLE DOSE MONITOR '

Participants:

S. H._Levine

-W. A. Jester K

_M. Chung E Services Provided:: Neutron Irradiation, Radiation Counters, Laboratory Space, L Isotope Production F

IL' The purpose of this research is to design and fabricate a relatively simple ~ device which measures the beta field dose and hot particle dose.

3- For this program, beta spectra for the various sources were calculated by using some approximation to the Fermi theory. A PIPS (passivated ion-implanted. silicon planar) detector was selected for this research

! because of:its low leakage current. The current output of the PIPS detector showed good agreement with the dose measured by the extrapolation chamber.

For.the feasibility study of the skin dose monitoring system, and also for comp'arison with measured results, a Monte Carlo code of electron transport was written on the Macintosh computer, based on the ZEBRA code.

Using two stacked silicon detectors, spectra of the various beta sources

-.were measured and compared with the expected values from the Monte Carlo calculation.

A two-detector system is proposed to measure the beta field dose and the hot. particle dose, which uses two PIPS detectors arranged side-by-side in.the monitoring head and covered by shields with different thicknesses. Using the outputs of two detectors, formulas for determining the skin dose directly are derived by assuming linear or exponential dose _ gradient. . From the Monte Carlo simulation of the two-detector system, it is presently possible to estimate.the skin dose with an error <+7%. Hot particles were made artificially in the reactor.

, We are measuring the hot' particles and some mci beta sources by the two-detector system.

. Doctoral Thesis:

" Design and Development of a Beta Skin-Eye-Depth Dose and Hot Particle Dose Monitor," Chung, Manho, S. H. Levine and W. A. Jester,

.. advisors. (In progress)

Report:

p " Development of a New Beta Spect*ometer Instrument," Levine, S. L.,

W. A. Jester and A. H. Foderaro, Project FERMI Progress Report, September 1988 and February 1989.

l- Sponsor: FERMI 56

. 4 Nuclear Engineering Department FEASIBILITY STUDY OF NUCLEAR INDUSTRY VALVES TO DETERMINE FAILURE MODES USING NEUTRON RADIOGRAPHY

Participants:

S. H. Levine D. E. Hughes M. A. Zarger Services Provided: Neutron Radiography, Laboratory Space The objective of this program was to study the use of neutron radiographic techniques to examine failure modes of valves used in the nuclear industry. Studies have found that leakage of valve packing is one of the most troublesome nuisances in a nuclear power plant. Neutron radiography lends itself well to examine the operation and failure modes of the packing. The neutrons can easily penetrate the outer metal of the valve and then get attenuated by the graphite packing or system water.

To do this a model stuffing box was made. System pressure (of the water going through the valve) of up to 10,000 psi was provided by a hand pump. A maximum gland pressure of 965 psi on the packing rings was provided by an air / hydraulic booster controlled by an air pressure loading panel.

Real-time neutron radiography was recorded on videotape with the reactor running at 100 kw. Increasing system pressure caused the packing to break down, while increasing gland pressure caused the leaks to seal again. This was clearly seen on the videotape. The results showed that neutron radiography is quite feasible for studying the operation and failure modes of valve packing.

Sponsor: FERMI, $28,297 Physics Department NEUTRON IRRADIATION OF THIN POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS

Participants:

L. J. Pilione Services Provided: Neutron Irradiation

' Physical property changes in sp) bonded carbon (diamond) due to electron and neutron irradiation of natural diamond samples have been reported in the literature since 1965. In this study we are investigating neutron irradiated, polycrystalline diamond films deposited at the Materials Research Laboratory. Thin film samples (-20pm) were exposed to epithermal neutrons with the fluence ranging from -105' to

-108'n/cm2 Raman spectroscopy was used to detect changes in the characteristic signatures of: diamond at -1332cm-5, graphite at

-1550cm'8 and structured defects at -5900cm-2 57

?): ,

i ,1 k

No noticeable changes in peak position.or width of the diamond and graphite signatures were observed. However, major changes were seen in the intensity (peak height) of-the luminescence signal with neutron

~

exposure. It' appears that energetic neutrons are creating defects (vacancy-interstitial pairs) in the diamond structure. Further j investigations are planned to quantify this' correlation between neutron

l - fluence and luminescence.

Sponsor: . ' Diamond and Related Materials Consortium - 30. Member Companies Office of Naval Research-p

'.Phssics Department EUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF' THIN POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS E

E

Participants:

L.JJ. Pilione Services Provided: -Neutron Irradiation -

b The. optical. properties of diamond are known to be affected by impurities disrupting 'its crystal structure. The addition of impurities m (type and quantity) can be accomplished during microwave assisted.

chemical. vapor deposition of thin polycrystalline diamond -films (550pn thick). The Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) at Penn State has been at~ the . forefront of research into the deposition of such films.

Initial experiments with' neutron activation analysis of diamond films, deposited at MRL has yielded the following information:

1) The plasma produced during deposition is capable of etching most materials present in the microwave applicator and as such inadvertent doping of the films was occurring. Stricter material standards and

' changes in applicator design to limit plasma contact have been impl emented . -

p

2) ' Doping experiments are now underway with promising results on the ability to control the optical properties of the diamond films.

Sponsor: > Diamond and Related Materials Consortium - 30 Member Companies Office of Naval Research Physics Department EASUREENT OF THERMAL NEliTRON SPECTRUM USING TIE-0F-FLIGHT TECHNIQUES

Participants:

P. Sokol M. Davidson J. Fu Services Provided: Thermal Neutron Beam 58

This experiment is designed to introduce first year graduate students enrolled in the Physics graduate laboratory course to the techniques employed in neutron scattering measurements. Eventually, we hope to develop a time-of-flight neutron diffractometer which can be used to study the structure and phase transitions in solids. However, as a preliminary experiment, the students measured the energy spectrum of neutrons from the thermal neutron beam hole using time-of-flight techniques.

No such f acilities were available at the reactor when this project was started and the students constructed the required apparatus. The experiment consisted of a mechanical chopper spinning at 60 Hz which provided a 1 ms burst of thermal neutrons. A 2He proportional counter, located varying distances downstream f rom the chopper, was used to detect the transmit beam. Neutron flux was recorded as a function of time-of-flight using an IBM PC with a multichannel analyzer card which was triggered by an optical pickup on the chopper. The results were then compared to the expected thermal neutron spectrua, with which they were in quite good agreement.

During this preliminary experiment, two students spent the semester constructing the apparatus and carrying out the measurement. This provided the students with a valuable introduction to the techniques used in neutron scattering, including the electronic and shielding techniques used. In the future, we plan to carry out two sets of experiments, each involving two students, each semester.

Plant Pathology Department BIOLOGY, MYCOT0XICOLOGY, AND TAXONOMY OF FUSARIUM SPECIES

Participants:

P. E. Nelson T. A. Toussoun J. Juba L. V. Klotz N. B. Onyike Services Provided: Garma Irradiation Pearl millet, Pennisetum typhoides, was collected in Nigeria from feed stored in homes, sold in markets, or left unharvested in the field.

All Fusarium cultures obtained from 100 seed of each of 7 samples cultured on a pentachloronitrobenzene selective medium were identified.

The most prevalent species recovered was F. nygamai which made up 42.4".

of the total. These cultures consisted oT strains that produced short or long chains of microconidia and 45 cultures representing both strains were selected for toxicity tests. Cultures were grown on autoclaved yellow corn kernels in 2 liter flasks & incubated at 25'C for 3 weeks.

The medium was dried at 55'C for 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> and ground into a fine meal.

The moldy meal was mixed 50'.' by weight with commercial chicken mash, and fed to ducklings ad lib. Of the cultures tested, 94". were toxic, causing the death of all Tducklings in 2.5 days with an average feed intake of 26g .

59

Doctoral Thesis:

"The Distribution and Toxigenicity of Fusarium species on Hillet and Sorghum Seed from Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe," Onyike, N. B.,1988, Department of Plant Pathology, P. E. Nelson, advisor.

Solid State Science Department ,

COMPOSITE THERMISTOR

-Participants: R. E. Newnham Lori L. Rohlfing Bob Sullivan Services Provided: Gamma Irradiation Composite thermistors consisting of conductive and/or semiconductive particles and insulating polymer are of interest. Among the polymers studied, polyethylene is most widely used for carbon black-polyethylene '

thermistor. In order to keep stable resistivity after PTC transition,

  • polyethylene needs to be crosslinked by irradiation.

Though current intere3ts are in conduction mechanism of composite thermistors, cross-linked polyethylene matrix is used as one of the control systems. . ..

Master's Theses:

" Carbon Black-Polyethylene Composites for PTC Thermistor Applications,"

Rohlfing, Lori L.,1988, Solid State Science Department, R. E. Newnham, advisor.

"V230 -Polymer Composites for PTC Thermistor Applications," Sullivan, B.,  ;,

Solid State Science Department, R. E. Newnham, advisor. (In progress)

Publication:

" Multiphase Composite PTC Thermistors ," Rohlfing, L. L. , R. E. Newnham, S.

M. Pilgrim and J. Runt, Journal of Wave-Material Interaction, Vol. 3, No.

3, July 1988.

Sponsors: Naval Science Foundation Naval Research Laboratory Ben Franklin Partnership - Keystone Carbon L

60

- 4 B. OTHER UNIVERSITIES' RESEARCH UTILIZING THE FACILITIES OF THE PENN STATE BREAZEALE REACTOR Bucknell University RADIATION-INDUCED CHROMOSOMAL TRANSL0 CATIONS IN DROSOPHILA VIRILIS

Participants:

John Tonzetich Services Provided: Ganma Irradiation The cobalt-60 source was used to irradiate the fruit fly, Drosophila virilis, for a class project in BI 325, Genetics. The purpose of the project was to detect and isolate radiation-induced translocations by mating irradiated males to females carrying a series of gene markers on each chromosome. By analyzing the phenotypes of progeny after a series of specific crosses, chromosomal translocations were detected by patterns of gene marker segregation. Forty Drosophila lines carrying independently derived translocations were isolated and studied cytologically. I have retained fif teen stock lines carrying translocations between the Y and fifth chromosome for possible further study.

University of Connecticut PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY

Participants:

M. Bridgen M. Hadi A. Brand Services Provided: Gamma Irradiation Plant Callus Cells were irradiated with various levels of gamma rays to determine the range suitable for survival. Plants were regenerated from the callus to determine the degree of variability. Seeds of Alstroemeria spp.

were irradiated with 1, 2 or 3 krad gamma rays to create variability in the 15 spp.

Master's Theses:

"In Vitro Studies of Torenia Fournieri," Brand, A.,1989, Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, M. P. Bridgen, advisor.

" Development of Insect Resistance Through Somacional Variations, Hadi, M.,1989, Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, M. P.

Bridgen, advisor. (In progress).

Sponsor: American Floral Endowment, $16,000 61

C. INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH' UTILIZING THE FACILITIES OF THE PENN STATE BREAZEALE REACTOR GPU Nuclear Corporation P. Babel The Penn State Breazeale Reactor was used for the purpose of l irradiating copper and gold foils. The two copper and two gold foils were irradiated in the reactor thermal column individually for-one hour at power levels of one and two kilowatts. The purpose of the irradiation was to provide accurate scurces for the calibration of coincidence -

anticoincidence gamma ray detector equipment at Three Mile Island Unit II (TMI-2). The foils and detection system will be used as a part of the assessment of the residual reactor fuel remaining at TMI-2 following completion of defueling.

Raytheon Company Robert N. Diette Reactor irradiation services provided by the Penn State facility continue to be a vital part of neutron damage studies performed by Raytheon's Nuclear S/V section. The measured degradation in the electrical parameters of devices exposed to predetermined neutron fluences is used in the design and hardness verification for a variety of in-house programs. Systems presently produced under government contracts with both the Navy and Air Force have requirements for which Raytheon employs the reactor facility.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation John Bartko Two irradiation tests were performed at the Breazeale Reactor by staff of the Westinghouse R&D Center.

In the first test, two high power MOS transistors were irradiated to 1 x 1082 n/cm2 while under bias. They were also water-cooled during the irradiation. Their parameters were tested in situ. A second test was conducted .for similar devices irradiated to 2 x 10'8 n/cm2 with other conditions similar to the first test.

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1 m APPENDIX A-p' .

-Personnel utilizing the . facilities;ofl the. Penn State Breazeale Reactor. .

. Y~ COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ..

'y ' Agronomy -

p .) '

L Ba'ker ,- Dal e ~ Shu, Eva' . .

r Undergraduate Student.

Professor L Bollag, Jean-Marc - Zeev, Ronan . i l Prof essor.'

, Graduate Student

~ Dairy and Animal _ Science

.Kil'lian,' Gary" . .

Zaczek, Denise

, ;;- . . - . Associate Professor?- Undergraduate Student Entomology

' Hower .-! A.'

l Profess or_

l Horticulture Elliot, George Assistant Professor f

' Plant Pathology 1

~

Juba,/ Jean Onyike, N. B. l s

Undergraduate Student Graduate Assistant .

.Klotz; Lois V. -Toussoun, T. A.

Senior Research Aide Professor ..

60 Nelson,. Paul E. Wertz, Betsy .

Professor Senior Research Aide  !

1

.)

- COLLEGE OF EARTH AND MINERAL SCIENCES -l LX Ceramic Science and Engineering Huebner, Wayne Bonner, Joseph III 4 I

Assistant Professor Graduate Student f

63 i

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Geosciences

!^ Bluth, Gregg J. Kump, Lee R.

Graduate Student Assistant Professor l.

Ciolkosz, Edward J. Rose, Arthur W.

Professor Professor Gold, David Washington, John W.

Professor Graduate Student Greeman , Daniel J.

Graduate Student Mineral Processing l

Aplan, Frank F. Phelps, L. Barry Professor Associate Professor Moro, Dominick AL Graduate Student Polymer Science Brumbaugh, Jeff Gordon, Bernard III Graduate Student Associate Professor i

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Chemical Engineering Jacobs, Joseph D. Whitcomb, Alan Graduate Student Graduate Student l

Civil Engineering Wang, Mian C.

Professor l

Electrical Engineering Kim, Young Yum Graduate Student 64

Engineering Science and Mechanics Jupina, Mark A. Warren, William L.

Graduate Student Graduate Student Lenahan, Patrick M. Bakis, Charles E.

Associate Professor Instructor Mechanical Engineering Cimbala, John M. Sathianathan, Dhushy Assistant Professor Graduate Student Cosgrove, Stephen Schmidt, Frank W.

Graduate Student Professor Jacobs, Harold R.

Professor-Nuclear Engineering Alam, Khalid Johnson, Walter Graduate Student Reactor Supervisor Baratta, Anthony M. Kenney, Edward S.

Professor Professor l

l Batschelet, Rebecca Kurilla, Robert Environmental Analyst-LLRML Graduate Student Ben Shachar , Barak Lee, B. S.

Visiting Professor Graduate Student Blaskiewicz, Michael Lee, Houlong Graduate Student Graduate Student Bonner, Joseph J. Levine, Samuel H.

Research Assistant Professor Bryan, Mac E. McMaster, Ira B.

Electronic Designer Research Assistant Catchen, Gary L. Mellinger, Sean C.

Assistant Professor Undergraduate Student Chung, Mancho. Menke, Lorenz Graduate Student Graduate Student Damcott, Deborah L. Nanayakkara,. Basil Undergraduate Student Graduate Student 65

s 1

Davison, Candace Raupach, Dale C.

Project Assistant Reactor Supervisor Diethorn, Ward Ryan, Dave Professor Technology Education Specialist Feiz, Masoud Rudy, Kenneth

Assistant Professor Operational Support Services Supervisor i

Flinchbaugh, Terry L. Saylor, Ellen Operations and. Training Manager Undergraduate Student Ford, Bonnie C. Sipos, Rick Supervisor, LLRML Reactor Operator Intern Gaydos, George Stookesburg, Bob Undergraduate Student Assistant Professor Gould, Robert Vonada, Douglas S.

Graduate Student Electronic Designer Hannold, Eric Voth, Marcus H.

Reactor Operator Intern Associate Professor, Director PSBR

! Hoffman, Jeff M. Wood, Dana Graduate Student Graduate Student Hughes, Daniel Wukitch, Stephen J.

Research Assistant Undergraduate Student Jamil, Khalid Zarger, Michael Graduate Student Graduate Student Jester, William A.

Professor COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS Anth ropology Sheehy, James J.

Graduate Student  ;

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE Chemistry I Allcock, Harry R. Fitzpatrick, Richard Professor Graduate Student j

I 66

- _ _ _ - _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _-- - _ - . _-_____-__a

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"y lBennett, Jordan' Pucher, Shawn.

- Graduate Student ' -

Graduate Student

- Denibek[ Alexa ' . Visscher Karen

/ Graduate: Student Graduate _ Student ~

p>

, Physics

.Davidson,' Mark A. Pilione, Lawrence J. . i
Graduate Student Professor Fortner, Jeff- -Sokol, Paul.
Graduate Student l

~

Assistant _ Professor:

' ~'

Fu, .J.: ,

l

Graduate Student; 3:;

~ INTERCOLLEGIATE RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES

' Bioengineering )

McInerney,-JosephLJ.

- : Assistant Professor- q y

! Health'Physits I Boeldt, Eric Hollenbach, Donald H.

Associate Health Physicist Health Physics Assistant  ;

Granlund, R. W. _ __

University Health Physicist j

-l I

INTERDISCIPLINARY

- Materials- Research Lab Allara,' David L. .Sheetz, Barry Professor- Associate Professor 1 Agrawal, D. K. Smith, G. Woodrow Research Associate Graduate Student

.McKinstry, Herbert A.

Associate Professor Solid State Science Huffman, Gary Rohlfing, Lori L.

Graduate Student Graduate Student .

1 l

1 67

-- - _ _ - . -J

, o Newnham, Robert E. Sullivan, Robert Professor, Chairman SSS Graduate Student INDUSTRIES Anchor / Darling Valve Company Angeline Elizabeth Kirby Memorial Health Center Turner, Dr. John 0.

Boston Edison Company Green, William Carpenter Technology Balliett, Thomas Chrysler Corporation Copes Vulcan Valve Company E Systems, ECI Division Uber, Craig Fairway Laboratories fiarkel, William L. Jr.

General Public Utilities Babel, Paul Distenfield, Carl Haghighi, Mahoud Harris Semiconductor Jamiolkowski, Linda Merges, John F.

Merck, Sharpe and Dohme Morris, Vicki Wurtz, Edwin tiound Laboratory Pennsylvania Power and Light Hill, William A.

68

, , . s, .

0.C. Inc.

Starr, Nancy RAD Elec Inc.

Kotroppa, D.

Raytheon Abarca , L. Herbst Black, B. W. Johnson, P. E.

Buck Johnson, R. B.

Casteel, G. Roberts, K. S.

Enriquez, G. J. Smith, G.

Goodwin, M. L. Surro, J.

Seewald Laboratories Chianelli, Robert E.

Westinghouse Bartko, John Luinetti, Bill Congedo, Tom Trautman, Harry

. Leslie, Bill UNIVERSITIES Bessey, David Hadi, M.

Graduate Student Graduate Student, Plant Science SUNY at Binghamton University of Connecticut Brand, Andrew Hartwig, Quentin Assistant Professor, Biology Graduate Student, Plant Science University of Connecticut Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Bridgen, Mark P. Strom, Daniel J.

Professor of Plant Science Professor of Health Physics University of Connecticut University of Pittsburgh Fink, David Tonzetich, John Professor of Physics Associate Professor, Biology Tandem Accelerator Laboratory Bucknell University University of Pennsylvania filSCELLANE005 Various Cobalt-60 irradiations for high school classes' research projects.

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. .. , 1 APPENDIX B FORMAL GROUP TOURS 1988 Participants July 11 Conservation Leadership School 11 13 Nuclear Concepts 14 19 Science Fiction Club 6 20 HucE 420 5 24 Governor's School for Agriculture (Parents) (2) 78 28 University of Pittsburgh Health Physics 8 29 44 ENTER-2000 (2)

Aug 22 New NucE Undergrads 3 30 NucE 301 7 Sept 21 Hanover/Wilkes Barre High School Teachers 5 25 Parents' Weekend (9) 107 Oct 04 EG 50 24 06 IPAC 7 07 Williamson High School (2) 36 07 State College Girl Scouts 16 10 University Scholars 5 13 NucE 401 9 20 PSU - Beaver Campus 6 21 Chartiers-Houston High School 21 21 Wilkes College 9 27 Huntingdon Middle School (3) 63 Nov 02 NE 115 9 07 Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (2) 25 10 Glendale Senior High Science Club (2) 44 Dec 01 Ursinus College 9 15 Northern Cambria Catholic (2) 41 21 Police Services 18 71

4 .s a 1989 Jan 04 Human Resources 4 18 Police Services 22 25 Jersey Shore High School 18 26 . Petroleum Engineering (College of Earth & Mineral Sciences) 15 28 Math & Science Teachers Alliance 12 31 Nittany Chem. Society 9 Feb- 13 State College High School Science Club 19 14 State College High School STS Class 14 18 Engineering Open House (16) 321 Mar 07 State College High School 14 08 Westmont Hilltop High School 17 1 15 Danville High School 13 16 Girl Scouts 6 20 Bedford High School 9 20 Shepherd College 15 20 E Mch 440 14 l 21 Redland High School 20 ,

27 EG 50 21 28 Material Science 101 (2) 16 29 Daniel Boone High School 20 30 Material Science 101 (2) 51 Apr 03 Central PA ACS Olympiad 22 03 Carlisle High School (2) 45 07 Carmichaels High School 19

[' 10 Bellwood-Antis High School 28 l 11 Roosevelt Junior High School (2) 38 12 Punxsutawney High School 11 13 Engineering & Applied Science Interest House 4 14 Cambria Heights High School (4) 73 ]

18 South Park High School 20 I 19 Bellefonte High School 16 20 Grove City College 5 20 Belleville Mennonite School 9 72 i l

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21. Marion Center High School 8 24 Northern Bedford High School 15 Keystone Oaks High School 8 28 28 Warren Area High School 6  ;

May 09 State College High School 18 11 Blair County Extension 43 15 Office of the Physical Plant 12 18 Office of the Physical Plant 11 22 Office of the Physical Plant 6 23 Roofers 9 25 Emmaus High School 6 June 09 St. Mary's High School 23 09 Ridgway High School 9 20 GPU Teachers - Group A 19 20 GPU Teachers - Group B 18 27 Carbon Conference Women 12 July 03 Governor's School - Group A 16 03 Governor's School - Group B 21 05 Pre-Freshmen in Engineering 13 Total 79 Groups 1843 73

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