ML24081A165

Annual Report for the Maryland University Training Reactor (Mutr), License No. R-70

ML24081A165
Person / Time
Site:	University of Maryland
Issue date:	02/26/2024
From:	Andrea Johnson Univ of Maryland - College Park
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML24081A165 (1)

Text

Amber S. Johnson Director, Radiation Facilities 4418 Stadium Drive College Park, Maryland 20742 301-405-7756 TEL ajohns37@umd.edu radiation.umd.edu

February 26, 2024

Document Control Desk US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington D.C. 20555-0001

RE: Annual Report for the Maryland University Training Reactor (MUTR), License No. R-70

Enclosed please find the University of Maryland's Annual Report for the period beginning January 1, 2023 and ending December 31, 2023 for the MUTR, License No. R-70.

Sincerely, Q,v~r Amber S. Johnson

Director, Nuclear Reactor and Radiation Facilities 18 56

Annual Operating Report:

January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023 MUTR Technical Specification 6.7.1 License No. R-70, Docket No. 50-166

A. James Clark School of Engineering Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 Maryland University '!raining Reactor Annual Operating Report, 2023

1 Introduction

The Maryland University Training Reactor (MUTR) is an open-pool type, TRIGA conversion reactor licensed for operation at 250 kW of thermal power.

The reactor is one of the primary components of the University of Maryland Radiation Facilities, part of the Department of Materials Science and Engineer ing in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. The Radiation Facilities also include an electron linac, a Co-60 panoramic irradiator, and a cyclotron. The MUTR is used for classes, operator training, tours for groups internal and ex ternal to the university, neutron and gamma irradiations, neutron radiography, neutron activation analysis, and isotope production.

2 Reactor Usage and Operations

Between January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023, the MUTR operated 148 times, which are categorized as follows:

Operator Training and Requalification 4 7 Operations Tours and Outreach Activities 40 Operations Calibration, Maintenance, and Surveillance 34 Operations Experiments, Radiography, or Activations 27 Operations

The total burnup was 0.46 grams of U-235 during this reporting period.

Reporting Period Energy Generated U-235 Burnup 2023 10.41\\tIWh 0.46g 2022 16.2 MWh 0.71g 2021 15.5 MWh 0.69g 2020 6.1 MWh 0.27g 2019 6.1 MWh 0.27g

3 Surveillance Tests and Inspections

All surveillance tests and inspections were preformed at the intervals required by Technical Specification 4.0. No equipment or material failures were observed during surveillances, and no significant differences with from last year's surveil lances were noted. The reactor excess reactivity was $0.65 and the shutdown margin was $3. 70.

Page 1 Maryland University 'Training Reactor Annual Operating Report, 2023

3.1 Maintenance Operations In addition to the above surveillance items, the following maintenance opera tions were performed on the indicated dates:

3/6/2023 Removed 3 Fuel Storage Buckets from the Pool

4/6/2023 Installed new Rabbit System Glovebox, Receiver, and Controller

6/1/2023 Replaced Makeup Water Particulate Filter Housing

7/13/2023 Added Relief Valve to Rabbit Return Line

8/18/2023 Repaved Reactor Courtyard

8/18/2023 Moved Console grounding rod and upgraded ground connections

9/18/2023 Resoldered loose connection in TR-IO/Console Interconnect Cable

12/5/2023 Replaced Rabbit System carbon dioxide regulator

12/19/2023 Resoldered loose connection in TR-10 Analog Signal Cable

Additional minor maintenance was performed such as cleaning, replacement of consumables, and fine-tuning of equipment as necessary.

Page 2 Maryland University Training Reactor Annual Operating Report, 2023

4 Changes to Facility and Ongoing Projects During this reporting period, no 50.59 Reviews were performed. 50.59 Screen ings were performed for:

• Replacement of Makeup Water Particulate Filter

• Addition of Rabbit Pressure Relief Valve

• Replacement of Magnet-On Light Bulb

• Upgrades to Console Grounding

• Use of an ROY Camera in the Reactor Pool

• Replacement of Rabbit CO2 Regulator

• Fission Chamber Cable Upgrades

50.59 screenings were also performed for updates to procedures OPl0l: Reactor Startup Checkout, SP202: Reactor Power Calibration, SP204: Control Rod Cal ibration, SP206: Pool Water Conductivity Determination, SP207: Pool Water Sample Gamma Ray Analysis, SP210: Reactor Room Air Sample Gamma Ray Analysis, SP212: Control Rod Drive Inspection, SP213: Control Rod Withdraw Rates, SP214: Fuel Inspection, SP215: Beamport Interlock Test, MP303: Fuel Movement, MP308: Sock Filter Replacement, and OTUP-1: New Core Loading and Startup Procedure, as well as the cancelation of procedures SP206: Pool Water Conductivity Determination and MP302: Flux Controller Calibration.

5 Environmental Surveys of Surrounding Areas Environmental surveys include the routine environmental dosimeter measure ments at the facility perimeter and the remainder of the locations on campus.

Measurements at all points were well within the historical norms.

Page3 Maryland University Training Reactor Annual Op erating Report, 2023

Environmental Survey Results for the Maryland University Training Reactor January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 MONITOR LOCATION DOSE (MILLIREM) 2 308 m NE of MUTR 8 3 1.1 km SW of MUTR 0 4 758 m NW of MUTR 0 5 387 m SE of MUTR 0 6 North, side MUTR fence line 15 7 East, adjacent to MUTR and IRR 37 8 West, adjacent to MUTR 59 9 606 m S of MUTR 16 10 950 m W of MUTR 7 11 South, courtyard adjacent to MUTR 30 12 248 m NW of MUTR 21 13 External to MUTR Rollup Door North a 101 14 External to MUTR Lower Entrance South 17

0 This dosimeter is lo cated insid e of the MUTR fence and is not in a publicly accessible area

I:.( l.-oti. of Monlort WI Hlatloft to MU'Ul U1'11¥'fl~*tof'"1#lfttldtolft4"P<<k~(""°ttll'.......,,,_,rin.0t111~,

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Figure 1: Location of dosimeters and MUTR

Page 4 Maryland University Training Reactor Annual Operating Report, 2023

6 Radioactive Release and Discharge to the En -

v ir onment 6. 1 Li q u id Efflue nts The Reactor Storage Sump was discharged 1 time during this reporting period and 36 microcuries of H-3 were released to the sewer in the water discharged.

All liquid effiuents were well within concentration and activity limits for release to sewers

6. 2 G ase ou s Efflu ents The only gaseous release from the MUTR to the environment was Argon-41 pro duced from the activation of natural Argon dissolved in p ool water an d natural Argon present in air within the interstitial spaces of beams and ports. Argon-41 escapes from the pool and spaces into the MUTR reactor building and then leaks to areas outside the building.

For this reporting period the reactor was operated for 286.33 hours3.819444e-4 days <br />0.00917 hours <br />5.456349e-5 weeks <br />1.25565e-5 months <br /> and an estimated 40 millicuries of Ar-41 were released from the MUTR into the atmo sphere.

7 Summary of Exposure Received b y Facili t y P e rsonnel and Vis itors

All MUTR personnel and visitors to the facility received radiation doses of less than 25% of the limits specified in 10 CFR Part 20.

Page 5 Maryland University Training Reactor Annual Operating Report, 2023

8 Unscheduled Shutdown/Reportable Occurrences

During this reporting period, there was 1 unscheduled shutdown on 11/17/2023 when the Operator shut down the reactor to assist with a visitor who had become ill on a tour.

There were no reportable occurrences during this reporting period.

9 Experiments No new experiments were approved during this reporting period. Experiments continued using the MUTR Rabbit and Thermal Column to perform Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Imaging, Neutron Detector Testing, and Irradia tions in accordance with established procedures.

10 Changes in Facility Staff

3 Reactor Operators were licensed.

No Reactor Operator's licenses were terminated.

At the conclusion of the reporting period the MUTR had 3 SROs and 4 ROs.

Page 6