ML22273A072

Univ. of New Mexico, Submittal of the 2022 Annual Report for the AGN-201M

ML22273A072
Person / Time
Site:	University of New Mexico
Issue date:	09/27/2022
From:	Cooper G, Willis C Univ of New Mexico
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML22273A072 (6)

Text

~ lJN:M SCHOOLo/ENGl'-IEERINC Department of Nuclear Engineering September 27, 2022 Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Enclosed is the 2022 Annual Report for the AGN-201M reactor located at the University of New Mexico - Docket 50-252.

Sincerely, Carl A. Willis Gary W. Cooper, Ph.D.

Chief Reactor Supei*visor Reactor Administrator ec: Ed Helvenston: Edward.Helvenston@nrc.gov The Uni\'ersity or Nc11 Mexico

• MSCO I I I 20

• I Uni\'ersity or New Mexico* Albuquerquc. NM 87131-000 I Phone 505.277.5-U I Fax 505.277.5-+33

• enginccring.unm.edu 1200 Farris Engineering Center

REPORT ON FACILITY LICENSE NO. R-102 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO JULY 1, 2021 - JUNE 30, 2022 The University of New Mexico's AGN-201M reactor was only used for teaching and training during 2021-2022. There were no changes in facility design, performance characteristics, or operating procedures related to reactor safety during the reporting period.

One non-routine maintenance activity was conducted in the reporting period. In July of 2021, a Lambda LM ClO0 power supply providing scram magnet current failed in the console.

Without this power supply, the reactor is inoperable (the large control rods cannot be inserted). The power supply was replaced like-for-like, and proper performance of all safety systems was documented subsequently in Annual Maintenance surveillances before returning the reactor to service.

The AGN-201M Reactor Facility is an essential part of our educational program, including public education, and continues to serve us well. With the relaxation of COVID controls at UNM, operational hours rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The use of the reactor from July of 2021 through June of 2022 was as follows:

Type of Use July 1 - June 30 July 1 - June 30 Hours Watt-hours Class Demonstrations 8.52 18.1 Faculty Research 0.0 0.0 Graduate Student Research 0.0 0.0 Maintenance and Equipment Check 3.28 13.1 Operator Training and Requalification 16.45 37.2 Teaching 94.28 174.6 Totals for the Year 122.5 243.0

UNM AGN-201M Annual Report 2021-2022 Page 3 During the reporting period, there was no liquid radioactive waste released from the facility nor was there any solid waste released. All personnel exposures during the reporting period were below 50 mrem per person with the majority of personnel receiving below 5 mrem. No facility visitors received measurable exposures.

An environmental radiation survey (attached to this report) was performed on February 15, 2022. At 60% licensed operating power, the highest reading outside the facility was 0.172 mR/hr gamma with O mrem/hr neutron dose rate.

As a result of examinations held in November 2021, two new Reactor Operators were licensed (Christopher Wolfe and William Todd) and one Reactor Operator had his license upgraded to SRO (Rowdy Davis).

Mr. Rowdy Davis (SRO licensee) was hired in January 2022 to fill the full-time Nuclear Engineering Laboratory Supervisor position vacated by Mr. Kenneth Carpenter in January 2021.

Mr. Davis was appointed Reactor Supervisor on May 3, 2022, a Trustworthiness and Reliability investigation having concluded favorably, and Mr. Davis having met all requirements for filling that role. The addition of a third staff Reactor Supervisor (and only full-time Reactor Supervisor) is an important step forward for our program and will significantly expand our ability to train new reactor operator applicants and maximize the use of the reactor in its teaching mission.

The cunent personnel assignments are (as of June 30, 2022):

UNM President Garnett S. Stokes Chair, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering Hyoung Koo "Hank" Lee Reactor Administrator Gary W. Cooper Chief Reactor Supervisor Carl A. Willis USNRC-licensed Senior Reactor Operators Robert D. Busch Carl Willis Rowdy Davis USNRC-licensed Reactor Operators Erik Boldt Robert Dwyer William Todd Christopher Wolfe The makeup of the Reactor Safety Advisory Committee as of June 30, 2022 is:

Ron Knief (Chair)

James Bryson Matt Burger Charles Harmon II David Hayes David Hindera David Summers A vacancy opened after the reporting period concluded and a replacement candidate has been identified.

UNM AGN-201M Annual Report 2021-2022 Page 4 The University of New Mexico's AGN-201M reactor continues to be used extensively for teaching experiments as a part of our undergraduate and graduate programs. These experiments include approach-to-critical, reactor period and reactivity measurements, importance functions measurements, sample activation, control rod calibrations, and reactor power and neutron fluence measurements. The reactor is also used throughout the Fall, Spring and Summer sessions of the University. All experiments have received prior approval from our Reactor Safety Advisory Committee.

Gary W. Cooper Reactor Administrator Attachments: Environmental Survey

UNM AGN-201M Annual Report 2021 -2022 Page 5 : Environmental Survey NWA'

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~S-40-7-RJ Nuclear Engineering AGN-201 Reactor Operational Radiation Survey Date: 02/15/2022 Surveyed By: Mathew Eden Russell Milazzo Type of Operation: Routine Reactor Power: watts Max Operating Power watts Instruments Used*

Make Model SN Detector SN Cal date* Background MDA (dpm)

(u) Wl (y)

Ludlum 9OP 25009135 Internal 08/28/20 In' I 0.008 I Out 2 l 0 .003 mR/hr Ludlum 12 97339 42-4 PR096733 09/03/20 In' I 0 I Out' I 0 mrem/hr Ludlum 2200 66005 7IEWO8/2 080316K 12/17/20 249 cpm 165 Protean M9300 08298136 Internal 04/08/21 <<<l I o 13 I <Pl I 0 .57 cpm 8 11 Location ydose neutron rate dose rate (mR/hr) (mrem/hr)

Reactor Room 065

1. Console 3 0 .54 0.0

2. Center - west wall and reactor 1.26 1.6

3. Reactor - glory hole access* 8.80 7.0

4. Reactor - south side access points 158 10.0

5. Reactor - south access shield door 73 .00 60 .0

6. Reactor - east wall 18.20 5.6 7 Reactor - north side access points 72 .00 24 .0

d. Reactor - north access shield door 93.00 84.0 9 Reactor - top center 152.00 40.0

10. At area monitor on top of reactor' 65.00 24 .0 11 . West door 0.52 0.0 12 . North door 1.46 2.4

13. Facility manger office 085 0 .04 0.0 Outside Measurements A. Roof top - 1O' in from S and E sides 0.015 0.0 B. Roof top - SE corner 0.012 0 .0 C. 5' W of SE corner - waist level (1m) 0.009 0 .0 D. SE corner of building - ground level 0.012 0 .0 E. East side 0 044 0 .0 F. Lower flower bed* ground level 0.138 0 .0 G. Service doors - east side of building 0.172 0.0 Smear Survey Results Results net d m Location a ll y Comments : Area Check Operator console 0 0 0 *Glory hole open Water leak N b Floor - west entry 0 0 44 1

Background measured in room 083 Cd in glory hole N

c. Floor - north entry , sta ir case 2 Background measured at NE area of roof Blocks in place S side y 0 0 24 d Top of reactor* shield. ports 3 Read ing of console area monitor: 0.9 mR/hr Blocks in place E side y 0 2 8 Top of reacto r - fioor 1 1 23 ' Reading of top of reactor area monitor: 70 mR/hr Blocks in place N side N N. bench top 0 0 37 Shield doors in place N. s y Stair gate locked and audible y Thermal column secured y Tank acces s point covered y Rev1s1on 021522