ML23263B162

Reed Research Reactor 2022-2023 Annual Report

ML23263B162
Person / Time
Site:	Reed College
Issue date:	09/20/2023
From:	Newhouse J Reed College
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Document Control Desk
References
2023-071
Download: ML23263B162 (1)

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REED COLLEGE Reed Research Reactor 3203 SE Woodstock Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97202-8199 phone: 503/777-7222. email: reactor@reed.edu September 20, 2023 2023-071 ATTN: Document Control Desk U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555-0001 Enclosed is the annual report for Reed College (Docket 50-288, License No. R-112) for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Digitally signed by Jerry Jerry Newhouse Newhouse Date: 2023.09.20 14:49:23 -07'00' Jerry Newhouse Director, Reed Research Reactor

Enclosure:

Reed Research Reactor Annual Report July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 cc Dr. Kathryn C. Oleson, Dean of the Faculty, Reed College

REED RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT July 1, 2022 -- June 30, 2023 3203 Southeast Woodstock Blvd.

Portland, Oregon 97202-8199 503-517-7222 https://reactor.reed.edu reactor@reed.edu

Table Of Contents Overview .................................................................................................................................... 1 People ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Reactor Staff ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Reactor Operations Committee (ROC)....................................................................................... 3 Facilities ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Reactor Facility ................................................................................................................................. 4 Rotating Specimen Rack Facility ................................................................................................. 4 Pneumatic Transfer System .......................................................................................................... 4 In-Core Facilities ............................................................................................................................... 4 In-Pool Facilities ............................................................................................................................... 4 Beam Facilities .................................................................................................................................. 4 Inspections and Audits ............................................................................................................. 5 Users ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Reactor Operations Seminar ........................................................................................................ 6 Reed College Research .................................................................................................................... 7 Academic Use by Other Institutions ........................................................................................... 7 High School Student Projects ........................................................................................................ 8 Industrial and Commercial Applications.................................................................................. 8 Reactor Operations................................................................................................................. 9 Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 5 Energy Production History ........................................................................................ 10 Unplanned Reactor Shutdowns ................................................................................................. 10 Reactor Maintenance ........................................................................................................... 12 Significant Maintenance ............................................................................................................... 12 Radiation Protection ............................................................................................................ 13 Personnel Dosimetry..................................................................................................................... 13 Fixed Area Dosimetry.................................................................................................................... 13 Gaseous Releases ............................................................................................................................ 14 Liquid Waste Releases .................................................................................................................. 14 Solid Waste Disposal ..................................................................................................................... 14 Environmental Sampling ............................................................................................................. 14

OVERVIEW This report covers the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, and is intended to fulfill the reporting requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission License No. R-112, Docket 50-288, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Oregon Department of Energy Rule No. 345-030-010.

Reed College operates a 250 kW TRIGA Mark I reactor. The Reed College Research Reactor has been a resource for research and educational projects in the Portland area since 1968. The main uses of the Reed Research Reactor are instruction, research, and community engagement.

Through tours, the reactor facility supports Reed Colleges community engagement efforts.

Tours for local high schools typically include a laboratory portion in which students monitor the decay of radioactive Vanadium-52 and calculate its half-life. During the reporting period 1,468 visitors toured the reactor facility.

During the reporting period the reactor was taken critical 378 times on 145 days. The total energy produced was approximately 19.81 megawatt-hours.

The reactor staff consists of a Director, a Reactor Operations Manager, and Reed College undergraduate students. The student staff consist of technicians, trainees, and students who are licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as reactor operators or senior reactor operators. During the reporting period, 12 RO candidates and 12 SRO-U candidates received licenses.

There were no radiation exposures to individuals in excess of any limits during the year.

There were no releases of liquid radioactive material from the facility. Airborne releases were well within regulatory limits. There were no shipments of low-level radioactive waste from the facility.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted one inspection during this reporting period: April 17-20, 2023.

Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 1

PEOPLE Reactor Staff During the reporting period the staff consisted of the following:

Table 1 Supervisory Staff Reactor Director Jerry Newhouse 10/20 - present Reactor Operations Manager Toria Ellis 6/19 - present Radiation Safety Officer April Sams 5/16 - present Operations Supervisor Amelia Schaeffer 5/22 - 5/23 Vivian Chen 5/23 - present Training Supervisor Genevieve Childers 5/21 - 5/23 Hope Palmer 5/22 - present Laura Smith 5/23 - present Requalification Supervisor Henry Jacques 5/22 - 5/23 Miles McCall 5/23 - present Projects Supervisor Vivian Chen 5/22 - 5/23 Nicholas Lutz 5/21 - 5/23 Olive Ross 5/23 - present Elijah Whitlam-Sandler 5/23 - present Table 2 Staff Senior Reactor Operators (SRO)

Conor Bekaert Holden Doherty Jerry Newhouse Laura Smith Leandra Bruggink Toria Ellis Auden Oliveri Sydney Stitt Vivian Chen Henry Jacques Hope Palmer Sophia Subramanian Genevieve Childers Orion Lee Olive Ross Elijah Whitlam-Sandler Daniel Collier Nicholas Lutz Amelia Schaeffer ZiQi Xie Miles McCall Nicole Xu Reactor Operators (RO)

Amelie Andreas Joaquin Fernandez Odell Heath Nevis Ella Roundy Hima Aramona Connor Gilligan Finlay Norton- Hades Schwarzwald Lindsay He Bai Victor Kirchmeier Ali Pardini Acteon Tong Vee Bartko Clementine McTaggart Victoria Parker Kathryn Trent Michael Dunn Hart Monyatovsky Johnny Protiva Valerie Wu Sarah Ellis Oscar Pulliam Reactor Technicians Miranda Estrada Rukayah Khediri Sol McClain Javier Rivera Romeu Malori Graves Jeremy Miesch The list of operators includes everyone who held a license at any time during the reporting period. Reactor Operators who upgraded their licenses to Senior Reactor Operators during 2 Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023

the reporting period are listed under Senior Reactor Operators. On June 30, 2023 there were 40 licensed operators at Reed College.

Reactor Operations Committee (ROC)

The membership of the Reactor Operation committee during the reporting period is listed.

Reactor Operations Committee

§ Dan Gerrity, ROC Chair (Chemistry Faculty, Reed College)

§ Steve Reese (Radiation Center Director, Oregon State University)

§ Wayne Lei (CTO, Restoration Fuels)

§ Norm Dyer (OAR Services-retired)

§ Kathy Oleson (Dean of the Faculty, Reed College)

§ April Sams (Director, Reed Environmental Health and Safety)

§ Charles McGuffey (Computer Science Faculty, Reed College)

§ Paul Hovda, (Philosophy Faculty, Reed College)

§ Jerry Newhouse (Director, RRR)

§ Toria Ellis (Reactor Operations Manager, RRR)

§ Amelia Schaeffer (Operations Supervisor, RRR)

Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 3

FACILITIES Reactor Facility In addition to the reactor, the Reed Research Reactor has a radiochemistry lab. The equipment includes: high purity germanium gamma spectrometers, ion chambers, beta counters, Geiger Muller tubes, and alpha detectors. These instruments are used for experiments, and training in nuclear science and radiation detection. One exit monitor is in the control room. A liquid scintillation detector serves both the reactor and broad scope license users. The reactor facility has several systems for performing irradiations, described below.

Rotating Specimen Rack Facility The rotating specimen rack is located in a well on top of the graphite reflector surrounding the core. The rack consists of a circular array of 40 tubular receptacles, each of which can hold two irradiation tubes. The rack automatically rotates during irradiation to ensure each sample receives the same neutron fluence. The thermal neutron flux in a rotating rack position at full power is approximately 1.7 x1012 n/cm2s with a cadmium ratio of 6.

Pneumatic Transfer System The pneumatic transfer system (rabbit) consists of an irradiation chamber in the outermost F-ring of the core and its associated glovebox, blower, and piping. This allows samples to be transferred in and out of the reactor core very rapidly while the reactor is at power. The flux in the core terminal at full power is approximately 5x1012 n/cm2s.

In-Core Facilities The central thimble is a water-filled irradiation chamber about 3 cm in diameter. It provides the highest available neutron flux at full power, approximately 1x1013 n/cm2s.

Foil-insertion holes, 0.8 cm in diameter, are drilled at various positions through the grid plates. These holes allow the insertion of special holders containing flux wires into the core to obtain three-dimensional neutron flux maps of the core.

In-Pool Facilities Near core, in-pool irradiation facilities can accommodate larger samples. Neutron fluxes are lower than in the rotary specimen rack. An iridium gamma irradiator is also in the reactor pool for gamma-only irradiations.

Beam Facilities The central thimble can be evacuated with gas, producing a vertical neutron beam. The flux above the beam exit at full power is approximately 1x106 n/cm2s.

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INSPECTIONS AND AUDITS The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted one inspection during this reporting period: April 17-20, 2023.

This was a routine safety inspection, and one item related to a self-reported Technical Specification was opened and closed. Details of the inspection may be found in Inspection Report No. 05000288/2023201.

Dr. Mary Lou Dunzik-Gougar of Idaho State University performed an audit of the Reed Research Reactor for the Reactor Operations Committee August 9-11, 2022. Dr. Dunzik-Gougar found operations were in compliance with Technical Specifications, and provided several recommendations for improvements to checklists and procedures.

Dr. Paul Hovda of the Reed College Faculty will perform an audit of the Reed Research Reactor for the Reactor Operations Committee in August 2022. Results of this audit will be discussed in the 2023-2024 annual report.

Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 5

USERS Reactor Operations Seminar The Reed Research Reactor conducts an annual seminar series. This non-credit course serves as an introduction to nuclear reactor theory, health physics, and reactor operation.

Up to 15 of the students are hired each year to continue with in-depth reactor operator training. Most subsequently apply for a Reactor Operator license.

The NRC administered two exams during the reporting period: one in March 2023, and one in May 2023. The March 2023 exam included initial RO exams. The May 2023 exam included SRO upgrade exams.

Figure 1 shows the pass rate for RO and SRO for the past ten years. Figure 2 shows the number of RO and SRO license candidates for the past ten years.

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 SRO pass rate RO pass rate Figure 1 NRC License Exam Results 35 30 ROs SROs 25 20 15 10 5

0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 2 NRC License Candidates 6 Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023

Reed College Research Theses:

• One Physics senior used the reactor facility to support her thesis, Development, Modeling, and Radiation Characterization of the Reed Research Reactor Central Thimble and Neutron Beam Facilities through Monte Carlo Simulations and the Neutron Transport Equation Other Work:

• 43 students produced 35 internal research papers using the reactor and associated radiation facilities.

• 2 students made presentations regarding reactor associated research or instructional work at the 2022 TRTR conference.

Academic Use by Other Institutions Research Students and professors from area institutions without nuclear facilities commonly conduct experiments at the Reed Research Reactor. During this reporting period the facility supported:

• Pacific University modern physics courses phantom lung experiment.

• Pacific University students capstone research on TLD efficiency.

• George Fox University students research on the efficacy a cell phone radiation app.

• Warner Pacific University physical chemistry courses radiation detection lab.

Community Engagement Tours continued normally throughout the reporting period. There were 912 visitors from schools, institutions of higher learning, and special groups. Additionally, 556 individuals visited as part of Reed College Activities (prospective students, newly admitted students, family members of students, Reed classes, etc.). Figure 3 shows the history of visiting groups for the past 10 years.

Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 7

150 140 130 120 110 100 Number of Tours 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 3 Number of Tours by Year since 2013 High School Student Projects The reactor facility resumed hosting two high school interns through the ASE Saturday Academy program. The 2022 summer interns learned the basics of nuclear science, experiment design, and completed independent research projects monitoring environmental pollution.

In the fall of 2022, a high school student collaborated with a Reed College student to test the radiation shielding capability of C. sphaerospermum.

Industrial and Commercial Applications The Reed Research Reactor is available for industrial or commercial concerns when it does not conflict with our educational goals. During the reporting period we conducted materials damage irradiation for Helion Energy.

The facility also provides radiation protection training to interested parties and schools in the area, including an annual Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) class, as well as provides radiation meter calibration if requested.

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REACTOR OPERATIONS Operations During the reporting period the reactor was taken critical 378 times on 145 days. The total energy produced was approximately 19.81 megawatt-hours. Operating history by month appears in Table 3. A history of criticality and operating days data is shown in Figure 4. A history of energy production is shown in Figure 5.

Table 3 Operating History by Month Times Critical Days Operated MW-Hours July 2022 10 5 0.68 August 2022 28 15 1.80 September 2022 32 17 1.42 October 2022 25 8 0.72 November 2022 43 13 2.60 December 2022 21 8 1.84 January 2023 0 0 0.00 February 2023 48 16 2.45 March 2023 68 22 2.42 April 2023 51 20 3.28 May 2023 29 12 1.57 June 2023 23 9 1.02 Total 378 145 19.81 600 500 400 Times Critical Days Operated 300 200 100 0

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 4 Operating History Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 9

40 35 30 25 MWh 20 15 10 5

0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 5 Energy Production History Unplanned Reactor Shutdowns 2021-2022 In the 2021-2022 report, two unplanned shutdowns that occurred in December 2021 were omitted. These are shown in Table 4.

Table 4 Unplanned Shutdowns Omitted from 2021-2022 Report Date Scram Channel Cause of Scram Trainee operating under direction overshot desired Dec 4, 2021 Linear, Percent power.

Trainee operating under direction overshot desired Dec 4, 2021 Percent power.

There were three inadvertent reactor shutdowns (scrams) during the current reporting period as shown in Table 5. The number of unplanned reactor shutdowns in the past 10 years is shown in Figure 6.

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Table 5 2022-2023 Unplanned Shutdowns Date Scram Channel Cause of Scram Aug 4, 2022 Percent RO overshot desired power.

Slight power fluctuation while operating near scram Feb 5, 2023 Linear setpoint in manual scaling mode during a calibration.

May 9, 2023 Percent RO overshot desired power.

14 12 10 8

6 4

2 0

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 6 Number of Unplanned Shutdowns by Year Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 11

REACTOR MAINTENANCE Significant Maintenance Most maintenance items do not require a 50.59 Evaluation because they screen out. There were no 50.59 Evaluations required during the reporting period. Reactor staff performed routine equipment checks on a daily, biweekly, bimonthly, semiannual (January and July) and annual (January) basis as required by facility procedures. Reed College maintenance personnel assisted with routine preventative maintenance to auxiliary equipment. The following significant maintenance items were competed during the reporting period:

• Replaced aging Continuous Air Monitor pump with spare.

• Repaired a leak in the Air Particulate Monitor system to improve airflow.

• Replaced exhaust fan motor after previous motor was damaged by a degraded wiring short.

• Replaced aging pool temperature thermocouple.

• Replaced primary coolant pump motor.

12 Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023

RADIATION PROTECTION Personnel Dosimetry Dosimeters are changed on a calendar quarter schedule. Individuals are issued beta-gamma sensitive ring badges and whole-body badges.

The highest individual doses received were 55 mrem/quarter Deep Dose Equivalent (DDE) and 55 mrem/quarter Shallow Dose Equivalent (SDE). These doses are well below occupational dose limits and no further action was required.

Fixed Area Dosimetry Radiation levels are continually monitored to provide an indication of the average radiation levels in the reactor bay and dose outside the facility. All dosimeters monitor beta and gamma radiation. Five locations also measure neutron dose.

The Deep Dose Equivalent (DDE) radiation measured by fixed dosimeters during the period April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 are shown in Table 5. The dosimeters from April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 are currently being processed. An M indicates less than 1 mrem above background during the quarter.

Table 5 Area Radiation Dosimeters (doses are in mrem per calendar quarter)

Height Radiation Apr 1 - Jul 1 - Oct 1 - Jan 1 -

Location Total (m) Detected Jun 30 Sep 30 Dec 31 Mar 31 Reactor East Wall 1.5 b, g, n M 4 6 3 13 Reactor North Wall 1.6 b, g, n 1 5 6 5 17 Reactor West Wall 1.0 b, g, n 6 6 6 6 24 Reactor South Wall 1.6 b, g, n 3 4 4 5 16 Reactor North Wall - High 2.3 b, g 1 5 4 3 13 Control Room 1.5 b, g 5 6 5 6 22 Outside North 2.8 b, g M 2 M M <5 Outside Roof 0.4 b, g, n M M M M <4 Outside East 1.5 b, g M M M M <4 Outside South 0.4 b, g M M M M <4 Counting Room 1.5 b, g M M M M <4 Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023 13

Gaseous Releases The only routine release of gaseous radioactivity is from 41Ar (1.83-hour half-life) and 16N (7.13-second half-life). These come from activation of pool water and air in the pool water and in the irradiation facilities. For the reporting period, the average gaseous activity at the site boundary was 2.33 x 10-10 µCi/ml. This release is well below the Technical Specification limit of 1 x 10-8 µCi/ml. The release was calculated to deliver a dose to a member of the public of approximately 1.16 mrem, well below regulatory limits. Figure 7 shows the gaseous releases for the past 10 years.

5E-10 4.5E-10 4E-10 3.5E-10 3E-10 2.5E-10 2E-10 1.5E-10 1E-10 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Figure 7 Gaseous Release Activity (µCi/ml) at Site Boundary Liquid Waste Releases No liquid radioactive waste was released from the Reed Research Reactor during this reporting period.

Solid Waste Disposal There were no shipments of low-level radioactive waste from the facility during this reporting period.

Environmental Sampling All environmental samples were counted in a high purity germanium gamma spectroscopy system. Soil samples taken from the area surrounding the facility showed no activity above background. Water from the facilitys secondary cooling system and the nearby canyon were sampled for activation products and tritium; the water samples showed no activity above background.

14 Reed Research Reactor Annual Report 2022-2023