ML24353A348

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Texas A&M University, Annual Report
ML24353A348
Person / Time
Site: 05000128
Issue date: 12/31/2023
From:
Texas A&M Univ
To:
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Document Control Desk
References
Download: ML24353A348 (1)
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Texas A&M University System Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Annual Report 2023 Nuclear Science Center Reactor Facility Operating License R-83 Docket No. 050-00128

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 2 of 12 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................... 3 2

REACTOR UTILIZATION FOR 2023................................................................................................... 4 2.1 FINANCIAL SUPPORT BY TEES......................................................................................................... 5 2.2 TAMU ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM............................................................................................ 5 2.3 COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY AND EXTERNAL RESEARCH........................................................................... 5 3

FACILITY AND PROCEDURE CHANGES.......................................................................................... 6 3.1 FACILITY MODIFICATIONS................................................................................................................. 6 3.2 EXPERIMENT AUTHORIZATION AND MODIFICATION AUTHORIZATION.................................................... 6 4

REACTOR MAINTENANCE AND SURVEILLANCE........................................................................... 6 4.1 SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE.............................................................................................................. 6 4.2 UNSCHEDULED SHUTDOWNS............................................................................................................ 6 4.3 EMERGENCY PLAN AND REVIEW....................................................................................................... 6 4.4 REACTOR SAFETY BOARD................................................................................................................ 7 4.5 AUDITS........................................................................................................................................... 7 4.6 NRC INSPECTION RESULTS............................................................................................................. 7 5

RADIATION SAFETY SURVEILLANCE.............................................................................................. 7 5.1 PERSONNEL MONITORING................................................................................................................ 7 5.2 FACILITY MONITORING..................................................................................................................... 8 5.3 ENVIRONMENTAL/PUBLIC DOSE MONITORING................................................................................... 8 5.4 PARTICULATE EFFLUENT MONITORING.............................................................................................. 9 5.5 GASEOUS EFFLUENT MONITORING................................................................................................. 10 5.6 LIQUID WASTE DISPOSAL............................................................................................................... 11 5.7 RADIOACTIVE WASTE SHIPMENTS.................................................................................................. 12

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 3 of 12 1 Introduction The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Nuclear Science Center (NESC) is a multi-disciplinary research and education center supporting basic and applied research in nuclear related fields of science and technology as well as providing educational opportunities for students in these fields as a service to the Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) and the state of Texas. The NESC also provides services to commercial ventures requiring radiation or isotope production services.

The reactor at the NESC is designated as the Nuclear Science Center Reactor (NSCR), which is a 1 MW TRIGA-conversion research reactor in a large (108,000-gal.) pool. The size of the NSCR pool provides great flexibility in the experiments that may be conducted near the reactor.

The NSCR facility includes five neutron beam ports, a neutron/gamma irradiation cell, hot cells with manipulator arms, and other supporting facilities.

Laboratory facilities include counting laboratories with gas flow proportional detectors and high purity germanium detectors, a pneumatics sample transfer system, and a fast neutron irradiation system.

The NSCR design allows for easy loading/unloading of various types of samples. The NESC actively produces a variety of radioisotopes for academic and industry users. The NESC provides neutron activation analysis (NAA) services to many research and academic institutions in the United States. The Nuclear Engineering Department on campus is a major user of the NSCR. The NESC is also one of the major attractions on campus. For the calendar year 2023, there were approximately 500 visitors to the Facility.

This annual report has been prepared to satisfy the reporting requirements of Technical Specification 6.6.1 of the facility operating license R-83 and of the Department of Energy University Reactor Fuel Assistance Program subcontract No. C87-101594 (DE-AC07-76ER02426).

1.1 Nuclear Science Center Staff The staff at the NESC consists of three major groups: Reactor Operations, Radiation Safety, and Engineering, with fifteen Full-time Equivalent staff and 20 student technicians. Personnel directly involved with the operation and maintenance of the reactor are NRC-licensed operators.

The NESC is committed to its educational responsibilities and many members of the staff are part or full-time students at Texas A&M University.

The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) of the Texas A&M University System operates the NESC. The Director of the NESC is responsible to the Director of the TEES for the administration and the proper and safe operation of the facility. The NESC Radiation Safety Officer is responsible to the Director of the NESC for matters relating to safety and for maintaining a proper radiation safety program. In addition to the internal structure, the Reactor Safety Board (RSB) advises the Director of the TEES and the Director of the NESC on issues or policy pertaining to reactor safety. Texas A&M Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) provides assistance when required for emergencies and for special operations as agreed. The Texas A&M University Police Department provides security support on a daily basis and is a key support group in the event of a security incident. The College Station Fire Department and Scott

& White Medical Center provide offsite emergency support when required as per agreement.

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 4 of 12 There were several changes to the NESC staff related to the reactor license structure in 2023:

Johnathan Grissom replaced Richard (Rich) Waer Associate/Assistant Director for Operations and Research in November 2023.

Scott Miller left the Facility in February 2023 from the position of Reactor Supervisor.

Justin Goad took the position of Reactor Supervisor in May 2023.

2 Reactor Utilization for 2023 The NSCR has been in operation since 1961. The reactor is a 1 MW MTR-converted TRIGA reactor. Core IX is the current core configuration and has been in use since September 2006.

The NSCR was pulse operational until June 2023 and was pulsed up to $1.78 for nuclear engineering laboratories, staff training, and public tours.

The NSCR operated for 755 hours0.00874 days <br />0.21 hours <br />0.00125 weeks <br />2.872775e-4 months <br /> in 2023 with a total integrated power of 19.2 MW-days.

There were 183 Requests for Services processed at the NESC during the reporting period.

The NESC provided services to TAMU departments, other universities, research centers, secondary schools, and industry partners in and outside the state of Texas. The cumulative total energy output since initial criticality of the LEU fuel is 1099.3 MW-days. Table 2 shows the reactor utilization summary for 2023, and Figure 2 shows the annual reactor utilization in MW-hrs of operation.

Table 2: Reactor Utilization Summary in 2023 Days of Reactor Operation 177 Integrated Power (MW-days) 19.2 Number of Hours at Steady-State 755 Number of Pulses 24 Number of Reactor Irradiations (RFS) 183 Unscheduled Shutdowns 5

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 5 of 12 1 includes FLIP fuel; total TRIGA fuel operation after fuel conversion in 2006 was 387.9 MW-hr.

Figure 2. Annual Reactor Utilization in MW-hrs of Operation 2.1 Financial Support by TEES The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station provides a significant level of support to the NESC each year with funds that support staff salaries.

2.2 TAMU Academic Support Program The School of Nuclear Engineering at Texas A&M University provides funding for the reactor for such academic activities as nuclear engineering laboratories. The wide range of academic users from the university reflects in the NESCs reputation as a multi-disciplinary institution.

2.3 Commercial Activity and External Research The NESC provides services to a variety of users that provide their own funding. The majority of commercial activities focus on production of radioactive tracers for the petroleum and chemical industries, and radiation hardness testing. Outside research grants fund a significant amount of the NESC's research. The NESC has many years of experience producing radioisotopes and has developed several customer-specific methods for radioactive sample production and handling. The production of radioisotopes generally involves handling radioactive material with high activities. The NESC staff takes precautions to minimize the exposures during the transfer of radioactive materials to shipping shields.

2413.4 1778.4 1834.6 1748.8 1891.2 2121.4 2010.4 2246.4 2011.7 1375.2 984 1303.2 1221.6 1184.9 539.8 603.8 653.5 461.6 0

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 MW-hrs Year Megawatt Hours of Operation by Year

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 6 of 12 3 Facility and Procedure Changes 3.1 Facility Modifications There were no modifications of the facility in 2022.

3.2 Experiment Authorization and Modification Authorization There were no new Experiment Authorizations (EA) or Modification Authorizations (MA) in 2022.

4 Reactor Maintenance and Surveillance 4.1 Scheduled Maintenance NESC personnel performed regular maintenance on all channels as required by the Technical Specifications. Control rod worth and scram time measurements performed in July 2023 gave the following results. The total rod worth was $15.72. The most reactive control rod was Shim Safety #4 with a worth of $4.22. The shutdown margin was $3.86 and core excess was $5.77.

Scram times on all rods were less than 1.2 seconds. In addition, operators performed calorimetric calibration following each maintenance period, and fuel inspections with no abnormalities noted (as required by the Technical Specification).

4.2 Unscheduled Shutdowns There were five unscheduled reactor shutdowns during 2023. Their respective causes are listed below in Table 4-2.

Table 4-2: Unscheduled Shutdowns 04/06/23 Loss of facility power triggered SCRAM.

04/14/23 Rod 3 drop due to loss of magnet power.

05/05/23 Rod 1 dropped due to being bumped by sample during sample loading.

06/21/23 Loss of Linear Power Scale, SROD induced manual SCRAM.

08/19/23 Rod 3 drop due to loss of magnet power.

4.3 Emergency Plan and Review The Emergency Plan was revised in November of 2021 to incorporate the existence of the AGN reactor onsite, and these revisions were reviewed and approved by the Reactor Safety Board.

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 7 of 12 4.4 Reactor Safety Board The Reactor Safety Board is responsible for providing an independent review and audit of the safety aspects of the NSCR in accordance with Section 6.2 of the NSCR Technical Specifications. The Reactor Safety Board met as required in the year 2023.

4.5 Audits A modification to the conduct of audits was made with the approval of the Reactor Safety Board such that an outside person very familiar with research and test reactor facilities was brought in.

That audit was conducted the following year, and there were several findings and recommendations made by the auditor. The results of the audit were shared with the RSB members, and the NESC is working to resolve the audit findings. The RSB is tracking the resolutions of the findings as they are completed.

4.6 NRC Inspection Results An inspection was performed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2023 over the following topics:

Physical Security Plan Operations logs and records Requalification Training Surveillance and Limiting Conditions for Operation Experiments Emergency Planning Maintenance Logs and Records Fuel Handling Logs and Records There were three major findings and a number of minor findings. Those are being resolved.

5 Radiation Safety Surveillance The purpose of radiation safety surveillance is to ensure safe use of radioactive materials in the Nuclear Science Centers research and service activities and to fulfill the regulatory requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and State agencies. The NSC maintains a Radiation Safety Program as an integral part of the organization. It is responsible for radiological as well as chemical and physical safety concerns. The Radiological Safety staff at the TAMU Environmental Health and Safety Department provides additional support to the NSC Radiation Safety Office upon request.

5.1 Personnel Monitoring Personnel occupational dose was monitored monthly for approximately 16 full-time employees, 23 students, 3 Texas A&M Professors/Senior Reactor Operators, and 19 external users. All personnel doses were less than 4.7% of the regulatory limit of 5000 mrem whole body. The highest measured annual occupational doses to an individual were 236 mrem whole body and 899 mrem for extremities. There was no contribution from airborne activity to occupational dose.

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 8 of 12 5.2 Facility Monitoring The NSC monitors radiation and contamination levels by conducting routine surveys, strategic placement of area radiation monitors, and the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimeters. Table 5-2 summarizes the annual accumulated dose equivalent recorded by the building and area OSLs.

Table 5-2: Total Accumulated Dose Equivalent (mrem)

Monitor ID Location Accumulated Dose Equivalent (mrem)

BLDG MNTR 1 Upper Research Level Mezzanine 326 BLDG MNTR 2 Lower Research Level Mezzanine 1036a BLDG MNTR 3 Lower Research Level 3494a AREA Upper Research Level 136b AREA Control Room 86 AREA Clean Zone of Material Handling Area 427b aRadioactive shipments were stored in the Lower Research Level (LRL) pending transport.

bRadioactive sample extraction and shipment packaging occur near these areas.

5.3 Environmental/Public Dose Monitoring In conjunction with the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Radiation Control, a quarterly environmental survey is conducted to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations for public dose. The TDSHS provides the NSC with OSLs to place at various locations around the NSC site boundary and two background locations. Monthly radiation measurements are also conducted at each location monthly by NSC staff.

In 2023, approximately 500 visitors toured the NSC. Visitors were monitored using pocket ionization chambers (PICs) for the duration of their time at the facility. The PICs indicated minimal exposure.

Table 5-3: Site Boundary OSL Data Site Location Quarterly Gross Exposure (mrem)

OSL Dose (total) 2 300 ft. W of reactor building, near fence corner 41 53 56 58 86 3

250 ft W-SW of reactor building, on SW chain link fence 34 38 45 45 40

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 9 of 12

  • Background OSL station
    • OSL was located near a container that was storing thorium salt. The thorium salt was removed in October of 2022.
      • Station 23s OSL was lost due to outside construction for quarter 3.

5.4 Particulate Effluent Monitoring Radioactive particulates were monitored at the base of the central exhaust stack and summarized monthly. The annual dilution concentration was 1.36E-15 Ci/cc and the total activity released was 1.30E-08 Ci. Table 5-3 summarizes monthly particulate effluents during 2022.

Table 5-4: Particulate Effluent Releases Quarter Month Particulate Activity from channel 1 (Ci)

Exhaust Volume (cc)

Additional releases (Ci)

Dilution Concentration (Ci/cc)

Total activity released (Ci)

I January

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG February

<BG 8.99E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG March 5.45E-02 9.96E+12 0.00E+00 5.47E-15 5.45E-08 Sum:

5.45E-02 2.89E+13 0.00E+00 5.47E-15 5.45E-08 4

200 ft NW of reactor building, on chain link fence 41 44 46 45 54 5

225 ft NE of reactor building, on fence N of driveway 27 29 37 36 7

10 190 ft SE of reactor building, near fence corner 27 30 38 34 7

11 300 ft NE of reactor building, near fence corner 26 28 36 33 2

  • 14 3.84 miles NW of facility 28 31 35 34 1

18 375 ft NE of reactor building 28 31 37 35 9

19 320 ft NE of reactor building 34 37 34 41 23

  • 23 0.25 miles SE of facility 24 28 24 31

-5 24 SW of reactor building, near fence corner 28 31 28 33 8

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 10 of 12 II April 2.97E-03 9.64E+12 0.00E+00 3.09E-16 2.97E-09 May 4.53E-03 9.96E+12 0.00E+00 4.55E-16 4.53E-09 June

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

7.50E-03 2.92E+13 0.00E+00 7.64E-16 7.50E-09 III July

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG August

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG September

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

0.00E+00 2.96E+13 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 IV October 7.58E-03 9.96E+12 0.00E+00 3.81E-08 7.58E-09 November

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG December

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

7.58E-03 9.85E+12 0.00E+00 3.85E-18 7.58E-09 Summary YTD 6.95E-02 9.76E+13 0.00E+00 6.24E-15 6.95E-08

1. Activity released from the stack: Activity sampled from Ch 3 multiplied by volume of air going through the stack
2. Diluted Concentration equal to: Activity Released/exhaust volume
3. Exhaust Volume equal to: ( # days/month)*( 24hrs/day)*(60min/hr)*( 7875 cfm)/ 3.53E-5cc)
4. Additional Release equal to: (Individual releases calculated from facility air monitoring data)
5. Total Release equal to: (Activity Released+Additional Releases)*conversion factor 5.5 Gaseous Effluent Monitoring Argon-41 was monitored at the base of the central exhaust stack and summarized monthly. The annual dilution concentration was 2.23E-10 Ci/cc and the total activity released was 2.20E-03 Ci. Table 5-5 summarizes monthly Argon-41 effluents during 2022.

Table 5-5: Gaseous Effluent (Ar-41) Releases Quarter Month Argon-41 Activity from Channel 3 Exhaust Volume (cc)

Additional releases Dilution Concentration Total activity released

(µCi)

(Ci)

(µCi)

(Ci)

I January

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG February

<BG 8.99E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG March

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

0.00E+00 2.89E+13 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 II April 1.40E+02 9.64E+12 0.00E+00 1.45E-11 1.40E-04

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 11 of 12 May

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG June

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

1.40E+02 2.92E+13 0.00E+00 1.45E-11 1.40E-04 III July

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG August

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG September

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

0.00E+00 2.96E+13 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 IV October

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG November

<BG 9.64E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG December

<BG 9.96E+12 0.00E+00

<BG

<BG Sum:

0.00E+00 2.96E+13 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 Summary YTD 1.40E+02 1.17E+14 0.00E+00 1.45E-11 1.40E-04

1. Activity released from the stack: Activity sampled from Ch 3 multiplied by volume of air going through the stack
2. Diluted Concentration equal to: Activity Released/exhaust volume
3. Exhaust Volume equal to: ( # days/month)*( 24hrs/day)*(60min/hr)*( 7875 cfm)/ 3.53E-5cc)
4. Additional Release equal to: (Individual releases calculated from facility air monitoring data)
5. Total Release equal to: (Activity Released+Additional Releases)*conversion factor 5.6 Liquid Waste Disposal Radioactive liquid waste is maintained in collection tanks prior to release to the sanitary sewer.

Liquid waste is analyzed for radioactivity content before authorization for release. For this reporting period, the NESC made 8 releases to the sanitary sewer. The total radioactivity released was 1.43E-04 Ci. Table 5-6 summarizes the annual liquid waste release data for 2022.

Table 5-6: Liquid Waste Disposals to Sanitary Sewer Quarter Month Number of Releases Volume Released (cc)

Total Activity Released (Ci)

Total Concentration Released (Ci/cc)

I January 2

1.0E+08 1.82E-05 3.76E-07 February 1

4.5E+07 8.67E-06 1.94E-07 March 1

3.8E+07 7.42E-06 1.94E-07 Sum 4

1.80E+08 3.43E-05 7.64E-07 II April 2

8.59E+07 2.93E-06 6.15E-08 May 3

1.39E+08 3.70E-05 7.42E-07 June 2

1.09E+08 8.58E-06 1.59E-07 Sum 7

3.30E+08 4.85E-05 9.63E-07 July 1

6.4E+07 2.51E-06 3.90E-08

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Nuclear Engineering and Science Center 2023 Annual Report Pg 12 of 12 III August 2

5.20E+07 1.71E-06 2.51E-04 September 6

4.00E+08 3.10E-05 5.50E-07 Sum 9

5.10E+08 3.52E-05 2.52E-04 IV October 4

2.50E+08 2.70E-05 4.70E-07 November 2

8.70E+07 9.60E-06 2.83E-07 December 0

0 0

0 Sum 6

3.30E+08 3.64E-05 7.58E-07 Annual Summary Total 26 1.37E+09 1.54E-04 1.10E-07 5.7 Radioactive Waste Shipments In 2023, the NSC conducted no radioactive waste shipments.

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