ML24057A009
| ML24057A009 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dow Chemical Company |
| Issue date: | 02/21/2024 |
| From: | Yusuf S Dow Chemical Co |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| Download: ML24057A009 (4) | |
Text
The Dow Chemical Company Midland, Michigan 48667 February 21, 2024 Document Control Desk United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555
Dear Sir:
Enclosed is the armual report for The Dow TRIGA Research Nuclear Reactor, Docket No. 50-264. If you have any questions, please contact me at (989) 638 5579.
Siaka O. Yusitir Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor Enclosure CC: Geoff Wertz;USNRC Tonya Stockman, 1897 Siaka Yusuf, 1602 TomKalantar, 1712 Kelly Wegener-Gave, 1803 Nick Goodman, 1602 f\\ff) A
DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2023 There was one US NRC inspection of the DTRR in 2023 and was a routinely scheduled inspection.
There were no violations found in the inspection. The annual peer review audit was conducted by Mr.
Randy Hyde of Plantation Production Inc., in December of 2023 as usual. The audit examined all aspects of the Dow TRIGA nuclear reactor facility programs and there were no safety concerns or non-compliances with US NRC requirements found.
The regular in-house audits of the radiation protection program, safety and housekeeping, and records were also performed by the Dow Chemical Company Radiation Safety Officer and there were no issues found.
There were no significant changes to the facility during 2023. There were however a few changes to the Reactor Operation Committee (ROC) membership due to the retirements of a couple of members, in 2023. The Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) that retired was communicated promptly to NRC via a Subscribed and Sworn letter dated 30*^ June of 2023 armouneing the termination of his SRO license.
A.
Staff, Licenses, and Training The current reactor staff members are:
S. O. Yusuf Facility Director and Reactor Supervisor N. J. Goodman Senior Reactor Operator There are currently two Senior Reactor Operators and their operator licenses are current. Dr.
Yusuf renewed his Senior Reactor Operator's license in 2018. Mr. Nick Goodman is the newer Senior Reactor Operator. He obtained his license in December of2020.
The annual re-qualification program was carried out according to the NRC approved program, dated September 6, 2011. All licensed operators are up-to-date in their quarterly re-qualification participations, including operating experience, participation in emergency preparedness drills.
Reactor Operation Committee meetings, operating examinations, and the annual fuel inventory.
Operation of the reactor is an important part of the training program, thus, the reactor is operated on an as-needed basis which results in numerous operations. Each operation involves reactivity manipulations, use of the control console, placement and retrieval of samples and handling of radioactive materials. The reactor was operated for a total of 111 hours0.00128 days <br />0.0308 hours <br />1.835317e-4 weeks <br />4.22355e-5 months <br /> in 2023 by the two Senior Reactor Operators.
DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2023 Following the departure of the previous ROC Chairman from Analytical Sciences, the ROC membership has been reorganized multiple times. The ROC is currently composed of the following staff members:
T. G. Stockman ROC Chairwoman S. O. Yusuf Facility Director and Reactor Supervisor K. A. Wegener-Gave Radiation Safety Officer T. H. Kalantar Senior R&D/TS&D Fellow in Dow Core R&D Dr. Stockman is the first level manager for the facility on behalf of Analytical Sciences and serves as the chEiirwoman for the ROC. Dr. Yusuf is the level 2 manager or Facility Director for the Facility. He also serves as the Reactor Supervisor for the facility. Ms. Wegener-Gave is the Dow Midland location Radiation Safety Officer as well as the TRIGA Radiation Safety Officer and reports through the Dow Environmental, Health and Safety department. Dr. T. H. Kalantar is a Senior R&D/TS&D Fellow in Dow Core R&D. Dr. Kalantar serves as the outside member, (neither a member of reactor operation nor a member of analytical sciences), of the ROC.
B.
Reactor Operating Experience The reactor was operated for 0.65 Megawatt-days in 2023 (a 60% decrease from last year) for a total of 111 hours0.00128 days <br />0.0308 hours <br />1.835317e-4 weeks <br />4.22355e-5 months <br /> (also a decrease compared to last year's total hours). The main purpose of reactor operations at the Dow facility is to perform neutron activation analysis. About 1,443 samples were irradiated in 2023, which is about the same as last year, 2022, and consistent with hours of operation and focus.
C.
Major Changes There were no changes made to the facility in 2023.
D.
Unscheduled Shutdowns There were 4 unscheduled shutdowns (scrams) during 2023. All of these scrams were due to a computer function, specifically, the DIS064 device which processes the signals into the DAC computer. The number is consistent with previous years and the number of hours of operations.
- Page 2
DOW TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT - 2023 E.
Major Preventive and Corrective Maintenance of Safety Significance There was no maintenance which had safety significance performed during 2023. There were 5 preventive and corrective maintenance items during 2023. Two of them were related to the replacements of water purification cartridges. Two were related to NMIOOO failing Prestart because of low level electrical noise; and one was related to sticky switch on Shim 2.
F.
Radioactive Effluents The only radioactive material normally released to the environment fi:om the facility is argon-41.
This is produced from activation of the natural argon dissolved in the pool water and subsequently escapes fi-om the pool into the reactor room and from there to the outside of the building. Ar-41 is also produced from the natural argon present in the air used to transport samples from a laboratory into a terminus in the core of the reactor.
Overall, any release, after dilution is estimated to be less than 25% of the allowed or recommended maximum concentration in 10CFR20.
G.
Radiation Exposures Radiation exposures received by facility personnel and visitors are monitored using film badges and thermoluminescent detectors. No persons have received exposures approaching 25% of those allowed or recommended in 10CFR20.
H.
Outside Sampling and Monitoring There were no incidences requiring outside sampling or monitoring during the year 2023.
S. O. Yusuf Facility Director Dow TRIGA Research Reactor February 21,2024
- Page 3