RCF 18-01, Operations Report for Calendar Year 2017
| ML18108A122 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Issue date: | 03/29/2018 |
| From: | Caracappa P Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| To: | Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| RCF 18-01 | |
| Download: ML18108A122 (3) | |
Text
{{#Wiki_filter:L. DAVID WAL THOUS EN LABO RA TORY REACTOR CRITICAL FACILITY RCF 18-01 March 29, 2018 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Re: Operations Report for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Reactor Critical Facility, NRC License CX-22, Docket Number 50-225. To Whom It May Concern: This document constitutes the Calendar Year 2017 Operations Report of the RPI Reactor Critical Facility to the USNRC and to Rensselaer management. The Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) operated su-ccessfully during cal'endar year 2017. The RCF was used for one laboratory course and two introductory courses"in theN~c_lear Engineering curricula. The facility staff trained two new Senior Reactor Operators, one of whom passed an NRC licensing exam conducted in February 2017. The other individual passed the licensing exam conducted in November 2017.
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- Students from Ve'rmori.t Tediriical College carried out experiments similar to those performed in the laboratoryCC)urse ..:*::*:;*: .... -,', I~ ** **: : , ( ~
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Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Institut de Radioprotection et de Sfirete Nucleaire collected data with multiple He3 *detecfors: in s'e;1erai ci'itical *~nd' subc'riticaf ccinfiguratibni. Tours and preseritatforn;* \'Vefo provided to attendees at the 2017 Emergency Responder Symposium held at the local NY Afr Natio1ial *Gifard Base, to ;particfpants in the J.\ia~ai 1~uciear'Lcib6ratbly Engineer'ini . Leadership Developmefft Progr'arn 'a'rid to local Iilembets of the' American Sodety'_fod-T on~clestr~~tlv':(; .*. T_e,sti_n~ '. , '*,:... :. *. * * ' *** \ . . " ;: : '. >* : ,:/ . :> ' *. :;1:, ' ' ; --. '. \ . : * ' ' ,. * :.: *: '* 1: , , i: :::. ::;:;:: .~ *i: ; 1 A h.ew experiment was installed iri June 2017 :*A heated water loop has been installed in the center of the reactor core; sci.that water bf up t6 ~bout 80 c* can be pumped through at various speeds to record reactivity worth and reaction times. The data from these experiments is intended to supply benchmark data for coupled multi-physics reactor codes. Wotkproceeded *on critical experiments with the ,0.640 pitch lattice plates.* Critical measurements were perf6rmed<<rith 333-pin ancl*408-pin configurations. Some subcritical measurements Were conducted with fewe1* pins. The SPERT(Fl) fuel is 4.81 w/o enriched high density U02 pellet fuel clad in stainless steel, so it'is* simila'.i* to -power 'planfre~cfor'fueL. The RCF iS'iibw the 'Jnly :fadlity 111 the'°U :~{* dirryiJg*:oud~actor physics* critical experiib.'ents* in *support* of thih:iower rdtctoi- ftincifon: theie experiili~nts 'ate*:_simil'ar to power reacfo'i:"*startup'ltle'a~tirettle'nts*:: I * . ;,.:., ,::* : '.' '. .:* ' :;: :< '. ;; '. ' 1
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A NRC 'insp'ection was* p&ifo'rrried i11.AtigMi120 i 7~:NRC!findfogs hive been' repdrted'in other correspondence>:) -:*;1-*r1;.:, ;.,:* r. .. *,; ;-:,.,,.-,.:!fl,; ,,: :*. r:,. *: ..* *: ";,.:** ,, ***. ;** ...* Training and proficiency requirements for all licensed operators have been reviewed and are current. The Nudear'Safety R~~iew'Boird rri~'th6~rf~~ihafo th,e_ ~~me.- :r:: ' . :*. -. * * : . " . *'_ .,-. *..** :;: ILD Z, O
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- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- 110 8th Street I Troy, NY 12180-3590 fJSA -
Phoi1e (518) 276-221i-l'Fax (518) 276-4832
- The Technical Specifications, App. A to USNRC License CX-22 require reporting the following operational items:
- 1. Changes to facility design: The NEUP experiment installed in June 2017 requires 408 fuel pins.
- 2. Significant maintenance, repairs or other work performed on RCF systems: New gears were installed in the rod drive system for control rod 7. The facility ventilation stack was replaced with a "mushroom cap" design.
- 3. Changes in operating procedures which relate to the safety of RCF operations: None
- 4. Surveillance checks, tests, and calibrations were conducted and logged as required. The results were satisfactory. On May 31, 2017 an emergency preparedness drill was conducted at the RCF.
- 5. Changes, tests or experiments requiring authorization from the USNRC under 10CFR50.59 a orb:
None
- 6. Calculated integrated thermal power: Approximately 114.6 x 10- 3 kw-hr for all of 2017.
- 7. There were no unplanned scrams in the report interval.
- 8. Maintenance operations were carried out and logged with satisfactory results.
- 9. There were no discharges of radioactive effluents.
- 10. Environmental monitor dosimetry is performed at the exclusion area fence (EMl through EM4), and at the site boundary fence (EMS and EM6). The environmental monitoring results are reported without background subtraction, and the accumulated dose to an off-site control monitor is reported separately. The sum of the quarterly control readings from 20*17 was 126 rnrem. The sums of the gross readings and net dose results for 2017 are:
Gross Net EMl 124 mrem Omrem EM2 132 mrem, 6mrem EM3 118 mrem Omrem EM4 114 mrem Omrem EMS 111 mrem Omrem EM6 131 mrem Smrem
- 11. A total of S personnel monitoring badges recorded an accumulated dose greater than the minimum reportable dose of 10 mrem in at least one quarter of 2017, for a total collective dose of 87 mrem.
Sincerely,
Cc: Dr. Shekhar Garde Dean of Dr. Suvranu De, Head, Dr. Wei Ji Engineering Mechanical, Aerospace, and Chairman, NSRB and Nuclear Engineering Associate Professor Department Ms. Annette Chism, Director Mr. Glenn Winters, RCF Environmental Health and Operations Supervisor Safety}}