ML21250A366

Regents of the University of California Report on the Regulatory Audit License Renewal Application for the University of California Davis/Mcclellan Nuclear Research Center Triga Nuclear Reactor

ML21250A366
Person / Time
Site:	University of California-Davis
Issue date:	09/14/2021
From:	Geoffrey Wertz NRC/NRR/DANU
To:	Mohapatra P McClellan Nuclear Research Center
References
EPID L-2020-NFR-0002
Download: ML21250A366 (8)

Text

Dr. Prasant Mohapatra Vice Chancellor for Research Department of Computer Science University of California Davis, CA 95616

SUBJECT:

REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - REPORT ON THE REGULATORY AUDIT RE: LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - DAVIS/MCCLELLAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER TRIGA NUCLEAR REACTOR (EPID NO. L-2020-NFR-0002)

Dear Dr. Mohapatra:

By letter dated June 11, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML18179A501), the Regents of the University of California (licensee) submitted a license renewal application (LRA) for a 20-year renewal of the Class 104c Facility Operating License No. R-130, Docket No. 50-607, for the University of California - Davis (UCD)

McClellan Nuclear Research Center Training, Research, Isotope, General Atomics nuclear reactor. By letter dated July 6, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20188A368), the licensee updated its LRA to reflect its decision to reduce the licensed thermal operating power level from 2.3 megawatt thermal (MWt) to 1.0 MWt, and to eliminate pulsing capability and irradiation of explosive materials in the reactor tank.

Enclosed is a report on the regulatory audit conducted by staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from December 14, 2020, to August 31, 2021, in connection with its review of the LRA. The audit report does not make any licensing conclusions or findings, but it is part of the administrative record of the NRC staffs review of the application and may provide information supporting the NRC staffs safety evaluation. The audit followed the plan provided by letter dated December 10, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20338A257), unless otherwise noted in the enclosed report.

Included in the enclosure is the list of documents reviewed by the NRC staff. Some of the information listed was identified as being needed by the NRC staff to formalize its review findings. This supplemental information was discussed with Mr. Wesley Frey, of your staff during the audit exit meeting conference call, conducted on August 31, 2021, who agreed to provide the information as a supplement to the LRA.

These documents must be submitted in accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.4, Written communications, and pursuant to 10 CFR 50.30(b), Oath or affirmation, be executed in a signed original document under oath or affirmation. September 14, 2021 Information included in the response that you consider sensitive or proprietary, and seek to have withheld from public disclosure, must be marked in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, Public inspections, exemptions, requests for withholding. Any information related to safeguards should be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21, Protection of Safeguards Information:

Performance Requirements.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (301) 415-0893, or by electronic mail at Geoffrey.Wertz@nrc.gov.

Sincerely, Geoffrey A. Wertz, Project Manager Non-Power Production and Utilization Facility Licensing Branch Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket No. 50-607 License No. R-130

Enclosure:

As stated cc: See next page Signed by Wertz, Geoffrey on 09/14/21

University of California-Davis/McClellan Docket No. 50-607

cc:

David Reap, Radiation Safety Officer 5335 Price Avenue, Bldg. 258 McClellan, CA 95652-2504

Mr. Walter Steingass, Reactor Supervisor 5335 Price Avenue, Bldg. 258 McClellan, CA 95652-2504

California Energy Commission 1516 Ninth Street, MS-34 Sacramento, CA 95814

Radiologic Health Branch California Department of Public Health P.O. Box 997414, MS 7610 Sacramento, CA 95899-7414

Dr. Wesley D. Frey, Reactor Director McClellan Nuclear Research Center University of California, Davis 5335 Price Avenue, Building 258 McClellan, CA 95652-2504

Test, Research and Training Reactor Newsletter Attention: Amber Johnson Dept of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland 4418 Stadium Drive College Park, MD 20742-2115

ML21250A366 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NRR/DANU/UNPL/LA NRR/DANU/UNPL/BC NRR/DANU/UNPL/PM NAME GWertz NParker JBorromeo GWertz DATE 09/08/2021 09/08/2021 09/14/2021 09/14/2021 OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

REGULATORY AUDIT REPORT

REGARDING RENEWAL OF FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE FOR

FACILITY OPERATING LICENSE NO. R-130

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS/MCCLELLAN

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS MCCLELLAN NUCLEAR RESEARCH CENTER

DOCKET NO. 50-607

Location: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Headquarters, Rockville, MD (virtual)

Dates: December 14, 2020, - August 31, 2021

NRC Audit Team Members: Linh Tran, Audit Team Leader Geoffrey Wertz, Audit Team Leader (backup), Technical Reviewer Robert Beaton, Technical Reviewer - Nuclear Engineer Adam Rau, Technical Reviewer - General Engineer David Heeszel, Technical Reviewer - Geophysicist Rao Tammara, Technical Reviewer - Physical Scientist Zachary Gran, Technical Reviewer - Health Physicist Richard Clement, Technical Reviewer - Senior Health Physicist Jorge Cintron-Rivera, Technical Reviewer - Electrical Engineer Michael Balazik, Technical Reviewer - Project Manager Joshua Wilson, Technical Reviewer - Reactor Systems Engineer Tarico Sweat, Technical Reviewer - Reactor Systems Engineer Briana Arlene, Technical Reviewer - Biologist Jeffrey Rikhoff, Technical Reviewer - Sr. Environmental Scientist Kevin Folk, Technical Reviewer - Environmental Scientist Phyllis Clark, Technical Reviewer - Nuclear Engineer Paulette Torres, Technical Reviewer - Project Manager Nicole Newton, Technical Reviewer - Financial Analyst

Licensee Representative: Dr. Wesley D. Frey, Director McClellan Nuclear Research Center

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Background===

By letter dated June 11, 2018 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML18179A501), the Regents of the University of California (licensee) submitted a license renewal application (LRA) for a 20-year renewal of the Class 104c Facility Operating License No. R-130, Docket No. 50-607, for the University of California - Davis (UCD)

McClellan Nuclear Research Center Training, Research, Isotope, General Atomics nuclear reactor. By letter dated July 6, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20188A368), the licensee updated its LRA to reflect its decision to reduce the licensed thermal operating power level

Enclosure

from 2.3 megawatt thermal (MWt) to 1.0 MWt, and to eliminate pulsing capability and irradiation of explosive materials in the reactor tank.

This report summarizes the regulatory audit conducted by the NRC audit team from December 14, 2020, to August 31, 2021, in connection with its review of the LRA. The audit report does not make any licensing conclusions or findings, but it is part of the administrative record of the NRC staffs review of the LRA and may provide information supporting the NRC staffs safety evaluation. The NRC audit team followed the plan dated December 10, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20338A257), unless otherwise noted in this report.

Audit Activities

The NRC audit team conducted the entire audit through virtual video-teleconferences. The NRC audit team opened the audit with an entrance meeting conducted on December 14, 2020, and performed a focused audit review of selected information through the week. The NRC audit team conducted a preliminary exit meeting for the focused review week on December 18, 2020, but the audit remained open until concluding on August 31, 2021, with an exit meeting. The NRC audit team and licensee participated in bi-weekly video teleconferences throughout the audit period to discuss and share information.

The licensee provided requested information using an internet portal (BOX) which allowed NRC audit team members to access the information (documents and computer files), or otherwise share outside the audit team. Below is a list of documents reviewed during the regulatory audit:

MNRC Soil Permeability Information.docx MNRC 1 MW MHA source term.xlsx Analysis of Fuel Temperature after LOCA 20210624.docx Analysis of Fuel Temperature after LOCA 20210604.docx Instantaneous Loss of Coolant Accident.docx UC_Davis_Report_R1.docx TH RAI questions.docx Apndxb_converted 1 MW version final 2021 correct 24 decay term.docx reactor room survey.pdf rxrmloca.txt UCD MNRC-0029-DOC-18.pdf 4.49 Marcum Woods Reese Comparison of Fuel Temperature and Bulk Coolant.pdf Fuel Elements for Pulsed TRIGA Research Reactors.pdf 4.25 Baldwin Foushee Greenwood Fission Products Release from TRIGA LEU Reactor Fuel.pdf Steady State Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of the Oregon State University TRIGA Reactor Using RELAP5 3D.pdf A Comparison of Pulsing Characteristics of the Oregon State University TRIGA Reactor with FLIP and LEU Fuel.pdf MNRC Water Quality Monitoring Well Description.docx Analysis for FOD blocking Fuel Channel v2.docx MNRC Analysis of Fuel Temperature after LOCA.docx UCD MNRC-0009-DOC_Rev 05 draft.doc Criticality safety analysis for MNRC spent fuel pits.docx [Version 1]

Criticality safety analysis for MNRC spent fuel pits.docx V2 [Version 2]

Uncontrolled Withdrawal of a Control Rod nonlinear worth.docx [Version 1]

Uncontrolled Withdrawal of a Control Rod nonlinear worth.docx V2 [Version 2]

MNRC TRIGA reactor water worth.docx environmental_report_formated_reviewed 1 MW version final.docx New prompt criticality accident analysis.docx New 1 MW MHA source term.mix.txt HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class E.txt HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class F.txt Apndxb_converted 1MW version final 2021.docx HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class C.txt HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class A.txt HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class B.txt HotSpot Table Output MHA stability class D.txt August NRC focused audit follow up.docx MNRC_OCC_BOL_14.81.i MNRC_LCC_BOL_17.69.i MNRC_LCC_EOL_17.59.i

Request for Supplemental Information

The NRC audit team identified several documents that would need to be submitted on the docket as part of the LRA to satisfy or demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements. The NRC staff request that these documents be submitted as supplemental information to the LRA in response to this letter. This request was discussed and agreed upon with Dr. Frey. These documents are listed below:

MNRC Soil Permeability Information.docx MNRC 1 MW MHA source term.xlsx Analysis of Fuel Temperature after LOCA 20210624.docx TH RAI questions.docx Apndxb_converted 1 MW version final 2021correct 24 decay term.docx Analysis for FOD blocking Fuel Channel v2.docx Criticality safety analysis for MNRC spent fuel pits.docx V2 [Version 2]

Uncontrolled Withdrawal of a Control Rod nonlinear worth.docx V2 [Version 2]

MNRC TRIGA reactor water worth.docx environmental_report_formated_reviewed 1 MW version final.docx New prompt criticality accident analysis.docx August NRC focused audit follow up.docx

Request for Additional Information

During the audit, the NRC audit team identified additional information that would need to be submitted on the docket to support the NRC staffs review of the LRA. The NRC audit team discussed these items with the licensee covering the following topics:

Update financial assurance information Use of 30/20 fuel followers Maximum reactivity coefficient value Facility changes associated with pulsing and square wave modes

Confirmation that ECCS/ESF is not credited in any accident scenarios Shared facilities and facility modifications

The NRC audit team expects to issue the request for additional information within 90 days from the date of this letter.

Exit Briefing

On August 31, 2021, the NRC audit team held an exit briefing with the licensee representative, Dr. Frey, Director McClellan Nuclear Research Center. No disagreements were noted.

Deviations from the Audit Plan

No deviations from the audit plan were identified.