ML110960282

Annual Report for the Mit Research Reactor for the Period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, in Compliance with Paragraph 7.7.1 of the Technical Specifications Issued November 1, 2010, for Facility Operating License R-37

ML110960282
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	03/31/2011
From:	Bernard J, Lau E, Newton T Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML110960282 (28)

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NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CENTER OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JOHN A. BERNARD 138 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-4296 Activation Analysis Director of Reactor Operations Telefax No. (617) 253-7300 Coolant Chemistry Principal Research Engineer Tel. No. (617) 253-4211 Nuclear Medicine Reactor Engineering March 31, 2011 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 Attn.: Document Control Desk

Subject:

Annual Report, Docket No. 50-20, License R-37, Technical Specification 7.7.1 Gentlemen:

Forwarded herewith is the Annual Report for the MIT Research Reactor for the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, in compliance with paragraph 7.7.1 of the Technical Specifications issued November 1, 2010, for Facility Operating License R-37.

Thomas-I. Newton, Jr., Ph.D., PE Edward S. Lau, NE Associate Director, Engineering Superintendent for Operations & Maintenance MIT Research Reactor MIT Research Reactor ohn A. Bernard, P .D., PE, CHP Director of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor JAB/gw

Enclosure:

As stated cc: USNRC - Senior Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Branch A Division of Policy and Rulemaking USNRC -

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Senior Reactor Inspector Awo Research and Test Reactors Branch B Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

MIT RESEARCH REACTOR NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT to United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the Period January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010 by REACTOR STAFF

Table of Contents Section Pare Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 A. Summary of Operating Experience ............................................................. 3

1. General ........................................................................................... 3

2. Experim ents ...................................................................................... 5

3. Changes to Facility Design ................................................................ 7

4. Changes in Perform ance Characteristics ............................................ 7

5. Changes in Operating Procedures ..................................................... 8

6. Surveillance Tests and Inspections ................................................... 9

7. Status of Spent Fuel Shipm ent ......................................................... 9 B. Reactor Operation ..................................................................................... 10 C. Shutdowns and Scram s ................................................................................ 11 D. M ajor Maintenance ................................................................................... 13 E. Section 50.59 Changes, Tests, and Experim ents ......................................... 17 F. Environm ental Surveys .............................................................................. 19 G. Radiation Exposures and Surveys Within the Facility .................................. 20 H. Radioactive Effluents ................................................................................. 21 Table H-1 Argon-41 Stack Releases .................................................... 22 Table H-2 Radioactive Solid Waste Shipm ents .................................... 23 Table H-3 Liquid Effl uent Discharges ................................................. 24 I. Summary of Use of Medical Facility for Human Therapy .......................... 25

MIT RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT TO U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2010 - DECEMBER 31, 2010 INTRODUCTION This report has been prepared by the staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor for submission to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in compliance with the requirements of the Technical Specifications to Facility Operating License No. R-37 (Docket No. 50-20), Paragraph 7.7.1, which requires an annual report following the 31 st of December of each year. (Prior to this year, all annual reports followed fiscal years which ended the 30th of June. The shift in the reporting cycle is for compliance with the new Technical Specifications issued November 1, 2010, as part of the reactor's relicensing. The period from January 2010

- June 2010 was already included in the previous annual report (FY2010) but is also included in this report (CY2010) as well, so that 12-month comparisons remain valid.)

The MIT Research Reactor (MITR), as originally constructed, consisted of a core of MTR-type fuel, enriched in uranium-235 and cooled and moderated by heavy water in a four-foot diameter core tank, surrounded by a graphite reflector. After initial criticality on July 21, 1958, the first year was devoted to startup experiments, calibration, and a gradual rise to one megawatt, the initially licensed maximum power.

Routine three-shift operation (Monday-Friday) commenced in July 1959. The authorized power level was increased to two megawatts in 1962 and to five megawatts (the design power level) in 1965.

Studies of an improved design were first undertaken in 1967. The concept which was finally adopted consisted of a more compact core, cooled by light water, and surrounded laterally and at the bottom by a heavy water reflector. It is under-moderated for the purpose of maximizing the peak of thermal neutrons in the heavy water at the ends of the beam port re-entrant thimbles and for enhancement of the neutron flux, particularly the fast component, at in-core irradiation facilities. The core is hexagonal in shape, 15 inches across, and utilizes fuel elements which are rhomboidal in cross section and which contain UALX intermetallic fuel in the form of plates clad in aluminum and fully enriched in uranium-235. Much of the original facility, e.g.,

graphite reflector, biological and thermal shields, secondary cooling systems, containment, etc., has been retained.

After Construction Permit No. CPRR-118 was issued by the former U.S.

Atomic Energy Commission in April 1973, major components for the modified reactor

2 were procured and the MITR-I completed its mission on May 24, 1974, having logged 250,445 megawatt hours during nearly 16 years of operation.

The old core tank, associated piping, top shielding, control rods and drives, and some experimental facilities were disassembled, removed, and subsequently replaced with new equipment. After preoperational tests were conducted on all systems, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued Amendment No. 10 to Facility Operating License No. R-37 on July 23, 1975. After initial criticality for MITR-II on August 14, 1975, and several months of startup testing, power was raised to 2.5 MW in December.

Routine 5-MW operation was achieved in December 1976. Three shift operations, Monday through Friday, was continued through 1995 when a gradual transition to continuous operation (24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> per day, 7 days per week with a shutdown for maintenance every 4-5 weeks) was initiated. The current operating mode is continuous operation at full power.

In December 2000, a fission converter medical facility was commissioned. This facility generates the best epithermal beam in the world for use in the treatment of certain types of cancer.

On November 1, 2010, NRC relicensed the reactor for 6-MW operation through November 1, 2030.

This is the thirty-sixth annual report required by the Technical Specifications, and it covers the period January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. Previous reports, along with the "MITR-II Startup Report" (Report No. MITNE-198, February 14, 1977) have covered the startup testing period and the transition to routine reactor operation. This report covers the thirty-fourth full year of routine reactor operation at the 5-MW power level. It was another year in which the safety and reliability of reactor operation met and exceeded requirements and expectations. 6-MW operation is expected to begin in calendar year 2011.

A summary of operating experience and other activities and related statistical data are provided in Sections A through I of this report.

3 A.

SUMMARY

OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE

1. General The MIT Research Reactor, MITR-II, is operated to facilitate experiments and research including in-core irradiations and experiments, neutron activation analyses, medical studies such as boron neutron capture studies, and materials science and engineering studies such as neutron imaging. It is also used for student laboratory exercises and student operator training, and education and outreach programs.

Additionally, the reactor has been used for industrial production applications and other irradiation services. When operating, the reactor is normally maintained at slightly below 5 MW. For this reporting period, the nominal full power operating cycle continued to be four weeks at a time, followed by a shutdown lasting half a day to five days, for reactor and experiment maintenance and other necessary outage activities.

The reactor would then be re-started to full power and maintained there for another four to five weeks.

Throughout CY 2010, the reactor averaged 70 operating hours per week, compared to 110 hours0.00127 days <br />0.0306 hours <br />1.818783e-4 weeks <br />4.1855e-5 months <br /> per week for the July 2009 - June 2010 reporting period. The lower average for the calendar year is the result of the major planned outage from May to September 2010 for replacement of reactor heat exchangers and for piping upgrades.

The reactor was operated throughout the year with 24 fuel elements in the core.

The remaining three positions were occupied by solid aluminum dummies or in-core experiments. During CY2010, compensation for reactivity lost due to burnup was provided by four refuelings. These followed standard MITR practice which is to introduce fresh fuel to the inner portion of the core (the A- and B-Rings) where peaking is least and to place partially spent fuel into the outer portion of the core (the C-Ring). In addition, fuel elements were inverted and rotated so as to achieve more uniform burnup gradients in them. Nine new fuel elements were introduced into the reactor core during CY2010.

The MITR-II fuel management program remains quite successful. All of the original MITR-II fuel elements (445 grams U-235) have been permanently discharged.

The overall burnup for the discharged ones was 42%. (Note: One was removed prematurely because of excess out-gassing.) The maximum overall burnup achieved was 48%. A total of two hundred eight of the newer, MITR-II fuel elements (506 grams U-235) have been introduced to the core. Of these, one hundred forty-two have attained the maximum allowed fission density and were discharged. Six fuel elements have been identified as showing excess out-gassing and three were suspected of this. All nine have been removed from service and returned to an off-site DOE storage facility. The other fifty-seven are either currently in the reactor core, in the fission converter tank, or have been partially depleted and are in the wet storage ring awaiting reuse or discharge. During the period of CY2010, eight spent fuel elements were returned to an off-site DOE facility.

4 Protective system surveillance tests are conducted whenever the reactor is scheduled to be shut down.

As in previous years, the reactor was operated throughout the period without the fixed hafnium absorbers, which were designed to achieve a maximum peaking of the thermal neutron flux in the heavy water reflector beneath the core. These had been removed in November 1976 in order to gain the reactivity necessary to support more in-core experiment facilities.

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2. Experiments The MITR-II was used for experiments and irradiations in support of research, training and education programs at MIT and elsewhere. Irradiations and experiments conducted in CY201 0 include:

a) Activation of gold-198 seeds and ytterbium pellets for brachytherapy, fusion material laminates, and Ge wafers for material science studies.

b) Activation of uranium foils and tungsten and iridium targets for detector calibration at the Los Alamos National Laboratories.

c) Activation of ocean sediments for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

d) Activation and NAA of sediment pellet samples for Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

e) Activation of crystal samples for simulating space weathering on the surface of Mercury for the Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences Department.

t) Activation and NAA of ultra high purity B- 11 for determination of trace element analysis for Ceradyne Boron Products, LLC.

g) Activation and NAA of shielding materials, and zinc oxide nanofluid, for the MIT nuclear science and engineering department.

h) Activation of diamond sample for neutron damage study for MIT materials science and engineering department.

i) Irradiation of transistors and diodes for damage studies for Lincoln Labs.

j) Experiments at the 4DH1 radial beam port facility by MIT undergraduate and graduate students, including: 1) measurements of leakage neutron energy spectrum to determine reactor temperature; 2) measurement of neutron wavelength and time-of-flight; and 3) measurement of attenuation coefficients for eight shielding materials.

k) Use of the reactor for training MIT student reactor operators and for MIT nuclear engineering classes (courses 22.06 "Engineering of Nuclear Systems",

22.09 "Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection", and 22.921 "Nuclear Power Plant Dynamics and Control").

1) Neutron transmutation doping of Si wafers for Lawrence Berkley National Labs. These wafers were then used for further neutrino detector research.

m) Activation and NAA of nanoparticles for radiotracer study of nanomaterial toxicity for Harvard School of Public Health.

6 n) The Advanced Cladding Irradiation (ACI) campaign continued with funding from INL's Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF). Prof Mujid Kazimi is the Principal Investigator for this project, which began in mid-June 2009.

o) The ICSA was used to irradiate high temperature "MaxPhases" materials for Drexel University.

An ongoing initiative is the partnership with INL Advanced Test Reactor User Facility (ATR-UF) for materials testing. The MITR is the first university facility selected to partner with the ATR-UF. MITR staff also worked with INL staff to jointly develop advanced reactor instrumentation, and reviewed ATR-UF's user proposals.

Irradiation programs have started in the ICSA facility for testing advanced high temperature materials (MAX phases) and advanced in-core thermocouples and fiber optic sensors. The ICSA was also used to irradiate molybdenum targets to investigate the feasibility of producing "n-y" 99Mo for use in producing the medically important isotope 99mTc. This project was undertaken in cooperation with GE with funding from DOE-NNSA.

Design and preparation for the HYdride Fuel Irradiation (HYFI) experiment was underway with funding from ATR-UF. This experiment is led by UC-Berkeley and is focused on the irradiation behavior of metallic hydride fuel. The experiment is designed to allow up to three fuel capsules to be irradiated simultaneously in the A-ring (Al) position. Irradiation is scheduled to start in mid-March 2011.

The MITR has completed a web-enabled neutron spectrometer at the 4DH1 beam facility, which was utilized by several student groups. In collaboration with MIT's iLabs program, the MITR provides the online, interactive, real-time neutron-based experiment with a few partner universities. Using a combination of LabVIEW software and a prototype iLabs-developed architecture, this facility will provide educational opportunities to students nationwide and internationally that do not have the benefit of an on-site nuclear reactor or other neutron source.

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3. Changes to Facility Design Except as reported in Section E, no changes in the facility design were made during this calendar year. As indicated in past reports the uranium loading of MITR-I1 fuel was increased from 29.7 grams of U-235 per plate and 445 grams per element (as made by Gulf United Nuclear Fuels, Inc.) to a nominal 34 and 510 grams respectively (made originally by the Atomics International (AI) Division of Rockwell International, now by B&W). With the exception of seven elements (one Gulf, six AI) that were found to be out-gassing excessively, performance of these fuel elements has been good.

The heavier loading results in 41.2 w/o U in the fuel meat, based on 7% voids, and corresponds to the maximum loading in Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) fuel. One hundred sixty-eight elements fabricated by B&W have been received, fifty-seven of which remain in use. One has been removed because of suspected excess out-gassing and one hundred ten have been discharged because they have attained the fission density limit.

The MITR is actively involved in studies for the use of low enrichment uranium (LEU) in the MITR, partially supported by the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program at DOE. These studies principally focus on the use of monolithic U-Mo fuels with uranium densities in excess of 15 g/cm3 , currently under development by the RERTR Program. Although studies show that the use of these fuels is feasible, conversion of the MITR-II to lower enrichment must await the successful qualification of these fuels.

4. Changes in Performance Characteristics Performance characteristics of the MITR-II were reported in the "MITR-II Startup Report." Minor changes have been described in previous reports. Performance characteristics of the Fission Converter Facility were reported in the "Fission Converter Facility Startup Report", and in the FY2006 report which described a 20%

improvement in the intensity of the unfiltered epithermal neutron beam.

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5. Changes in Operating Procedures With respect to operating procedures subject only to MITR internal review and approval, a summary is given below of changes implemented during the past year.

Those changes related to safety and subject to additional review and approval are discussed in Section E of this report.

a) PM 6.1.3.11, "Emergency Power Transfer Test", is a quarterly test procedure that was rewritten to reflect current practices and equipment. Notifications were added for medical beam experimenters and the MIT Police. Equipment to restart or check following the test was listed more specifically, and new steps were provided to allow the procedure to be done without reconfiguring the process systems to shutdown alignment. This makes it possible for the test to be performed during shorter shutdowns that do not involve closing the containment building. (SR#-0-10-1) b) PM 7.4.3.1, "Cooling Tower Drain"; and "Special Procedure to Drain the Secondary System Piping" -- The maintenance procedure for draining the cooling towers was updated for use with the current towers. A corresponding Special Procedure was established for draining the rest of the secondary piping in preparation for replacement of the reactor's main heat exchangers and other necessary reactor maintenance. (SR#-0-10-3) c) "Special Procedure to Lower the Core Tank Level and to Drain the Primary System" was established for draining the core tank to the level of the anti-siphon valves and inlet plenum, for replacement of the reactor's main heat exchangers and any future similar needs. (SR#-0-10-4) d) "External Core Tank Sampling/Recirculation System" - The design was described and a Special Procedure was established for use of a small sampling /

recirculation system (external to the core tank) that can be installed while the core tank level is below that of the anti-siphon valves / inlet penetration, during replacement of the reactor's main heat exchangers and for any future similar needs. (SR#-M- 10-3 & SR#-M- 10-4)

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6. Surveillance Tests and Inspections There are many written procedures in use for surveillance tests and inspections required by the Technical Specifications. These procedures provide a detailed method for conducting each test or inspection and specify an acceptance criterion which must be met in order for the equipment or system to comply with the requirements of the Technical Specifications. The tests and inspections are scheduled throughout the year with a frequency at least equal to that required by the Technical Specifications. Thirty such tests and calibrations are conducted on an annual, semi-annual, or quarterly basis.

Other surveillance tests are done each time before startup of the reactor if shut down for more than 16 hours1.851852e-4 days <br />0.00444 hours <br />2.645503e-5 weeks <br />6.088e-6 months <br />, before startup if a channel has been repaired or de-energized, and at least monthly; a few are on different schedules. Procedures for such surveillance are incorporated into daily or monthly startup, shutdown, or other checklists.

During this reporting period, the surveillance frequency has been at least equal to that required by the Technical Specification, and the results of tests and inspections were satisfactory throughout the year for Facility Operating License No. R-37.

7. Status of Spent Fuel Shipment In CY2010, there was one shipment made, reducing the inventory of spent fuel at MIT to close to zero. The U.S. Department of Energy has indicated that further shipments may be feasible in CY201 1 for future fuel discharges.

A replacement for the BMI-1 cask, the BEA Research Reactor (BRR) package has been manufactured and licensed for the shipment of MITR-II fuel. Upon approval of use of the BRR cask at the Savannah River Site, MITR will begin shipping using the BRR cask.

10 B. REACTOR OPERATION Information on energy generated and on reactor operating hours is tabulated below:

Calendar Quarter 2 3 4 Total

1. Energy Generated (MWD):

a) MITR-II 299.2 80.6 31.1 267.9 678.8 (MIT CY2010)

(normally at 4.9 MW) b) MITR-II 30,745.6 (MIT FY1 976-CY2009) c) MITR-I 10,435.2 (MIT FY1959-FY1974) d) Cumulative, 41,859.6 MITR-I & MITR-II

2. MITR-II Operation (hours):

(MIT CY201 0) a) At Power

(Ž>0.5-MW) for 1535.9 455.3 182.4 1374.3 3547.6 Research b) Low Power

(< 0.5-MW) for 0.4 0.2 87.0 22.3 109.9 Training(l) and Test c) Total Critical 1536.3 455.5 269.4 1396.3 3657.5 (1) These hours do not include reactor operator and other training conducted while the reactor is at full power for research purposes (spectrometer, etc.) or for isotope production. Such hours are included in the previous line.

11 C. SHUTDOWNS AND SCRAMS During this reporting period, there were twenty inadvertent scrams and two unscheduled shutdowns.

The term "scram" refers to shutting down of the reactor through protective system action when the, reactor is at power or at least critical, while the term "shutdown" refers to an unscheduled power reduction to subcritical by the reactor operator in response to an abnormal condition indication. Rod drops and electric power loss without protective system action are included in unscheduled shutdowns.

The following summary of scrams and shutdowns is provided in approximately the same format as for previous years in order to facilitate a comparison.

1. Nuclear Safety System Scrams Total a) Trip on Channel #5 as result of spurious electronic noise. 5 b) Trip on Channel #1 as result of spurious electronic noise. 2 c) Trip on Channel #4 as result of spurious electronic noise. 2 d) Withdraw Permit Circuit open as result of spurious trips from its relays and from the low voltage chamber power supply circuit. 10 Subtotal 19

2. Process System Scrams a) Low level core tank scram from MM-2 cavitation during primary coolant sampling. 1 Subtotal 1

12

3. Unscheduled Shutdowns a) Shutdown due to magnet drop of shim blade #2. 1 b) Shutdown due to magnet drop of shim blade #6. 1 Subtotal 2 Total 22

4. Experience during recent years has been as follows:

Nuclear Safety and Process System Calendar Year Scrams 2010 20 Nuclear Safety and Process System Fiscal Year Scrams 2010 6 2009 2 2008 4 2007 5 2006 6

5. The reactor's Withdraw Permit Circuit contains -40 relays. Six of the relays and their bases were replaced when they were found to be in deteriorated condition or loose in their sockets, resulting in spurious trips. Additionally, spurious trip signals to the Withdraw Permit Circuit were also found originating from the "Low Voltage Chamber Power Supply" trip circuit. This trip circuit was then isolated, as its trip function is not a requirement of the Technical Specifications. (Operators will take scram action in the event of a sustained low voltage to a detector chamber.) Design and construction of a new Withdraw Permit Circuit is underway, scheduled to replace the existing circuit in early 2011. New power supplies have been ordered to replace the existing ones for Channels #1 - #6. They too will be installed in 2011. Planning for replacement of the nuclear safety system itself (Channels #1 - #6) is also underway.

13 D. MAJOR MAINTENANCE Major maintenance projects performed during CY2010 are described in this Section. These were planned and performed to improve safety, reliability and efficiency of operation of the MIT Research Reactor, and hence improve the predictability of the reactor operating schedule and the availability of the reactor for experiments, research and training purposes. Additionally, Reactor Operations staff performed all safety reviews and provided support for all installations and removals of reactor experiments, and monitored key performance data from the experiments during reactor operations.

(a) Advanced Clad Irradiation (ACI-2) - This is the longest-running in-core experiment for the reactor, surpassing the record of the original ACI-1. First irradiation began in March 2009 and continued until mid-December 2009. Second irradiation, with a different batch of specimens, was loaded into the reactor in early March 2010 and concluded at the end of April 2010. Third irradiation began in December 2010, and will last well into CY 2011. Reactor Operations staff supported all ACI-2 activities, including installation and removal from the core in multiple stages, and setup for post-irradiation inspections by experimenters.

(b) In-Core Sample Assembly (ICSA) - Reactor staff performed reactivity worth measurement for the new design, and supported several removals and installations of the assembly for experiment change-outs, including one batch of medical target molybdenum. Reactor staff supported shipment of the irradiated molybdenum-99 sample to an independent off-site lab for analysis. Reactor staff also built special sample retrieval tools when the experiment was used for titanium sample irradiation for Drexel University.

(c) 4DH4 Diffractometer - During this calendar year, reactor staff continued to improve software and hardware control of the beam shutter for operational safety such as remote emergency shut-off of the neutron beam. Reactor staff also reconfigured peripheral shielding to reduce side-scattering when the beam is on.

In November 2008, the diffractometer beam first passed through its bismuth filter, showing a 8.7E+06 neutrons/cm2 /second flux at full power. By January 2009, the diffractometer successfully produced monochromatic neutrons at a 41.5 degree angle from its main axis. The monochromatic neutron flux was measured at 3.27E+06. The facility was utilized both by MIT researchers and outside experimenters and scientists including NASA and Boston College in CY2010.

(d) 3GV Irradiations - Reactor staff supported three irradiations at the 3GV6 facility over the course of the calendar year. 3GV load and unload procedures are done with the reactor at low power or shut down, to minimize personnel dose exposure from sample handling. The procedures are therefore usually scheduled to coincide with shutdowns, startups or low-power operations.

For continuous support of neutron transmutation doping of silicon, reactor staff have created and upgraded many operational procedures and recordkeeping practices.

There is an annual external audit to review the program for continuation of ISO 9001 Certification. Preventive maintenance on conveyor machinery was performed during

14 major outages. Components for instrumentation and controls were replaced and tested.

These included motor-control circuit boards, conveyor watch-dog switches, and airlock control gears.

Major reactor maintenance items performed in CY2010 are summarized as follows:

1) The three main reactor heat exchangers HE-I, HE-1 A and HE-1 B were replaced with a new, single heat exchanger HE-i which is an all-titanium plate-and-frame design. The replacement project included major piping upgrades and piping re-configuration in the reactor's equipment room.

All primary system piping in the equipment room was replaced, including its clean-up system, all with 304 or better stainless steel construction. Main primary piping section diameters have been increased from 6" and 8" to 8" and 10" respectively to minimize piping pressure loss. Major primary valves were also replaced and many of them received motor-actuators for remote control operation. Most primary pressure and flow instruments were replaced. The 60-hp main primary pumps MM-1 and MM-iA were rebuilt using large frame ANSI rotating assemblies for increased performance and reliability. The pump foundations were upgraded to grouted polymer concrete for improved vibration control. The coupling guards on both pumps were upgraded to current, OSHA compliant models. Auxiliary pump MM-2 was replaced with a new pump equipped with a variable frequency drive (VFD) controller. MM-2 flow rate (MF-2) is now displayed locally and remotely.

Several local primary flow meters have been changed from rotometers to all-metal, self-calibrated flow meters with magnetically-coupled local displays that do not require electrical power for operation.

Piping for the entire secondary system in the equipment room was also replaced.

The new pipes are all 316 stainless steel for improved chemical resistance to city water. The main flow path is again simplified since there is only one heat exchanger. Twin Bernoulli filters clean the secondary water before it enters the heat exchanger. The Bernoulli filters are air-operated and clean themselves with automatic backflushes which send trapped dirt and debris to an independent clean-up system in the cooling towers. The 50-hp secondary pumps also received new bases and OSHA compliant coupling guards. A new secondary auxiliary pump HM-C was added and dedicated to supply secondary coolant to all heat exchangers other than the main HE-i (i.e., it supplies primary cleanup heat exchanger HE-2, shield HE-3, experiment HE-4, fission converter HE-5, instrumentation air conditioners, and D20 reflector HE-D1 and HE-D2). Major secondary system valves were also replaced and many of the new ones are motor-actuated for remote control operation. Most secondary system pressure, temperature and flow instruments were replaced. A new instrument cabinet installed just outside the Control Room contains displays of secondary coolant flow distribution to all the heat exchangers. The data there are collected by computer for maintenance analysis.

The heat exchanger replacement and piping upgrades for the primary and

15 secondary systems have resulted in a significant improvement in the cooling efficiency of the reactor systems. The cooling tower fans are no longer required to be at high speed during normal full-power reactor operation. This reduces the amount of environmental debris entrained into the secondary system via the cooling towers, which in turn helps maintain cleaner secondary water and therefore minimizes load on the secondary cleanup system. The new primary system is much simpler in its configuration. This allows the new primary piping and components to be better positioned behind the shield walls at the ends of the equipment room, and hence has a positive ALARA effect. The use of motor-actuators for three primary valves and 17 secondary valves, particularly the larger ones in the secondary system, reduces personnel radiation dose exposure by not requiring entry into the equipment room for shutdown and startup valve alignments.

2) A new mezzanine was constructed at the southeast quadrant inside the containment building. This mezzanine would become the new location for the D20 helium gasholder upon its relocation from the Equipment Room during the heat exchanger replacement outage in order to make room for new Equipment Room piping. (Note: The actual D2 0 helium gasholder in the Equipment Room would be removed and then retired or refurbished. The graphite CO 2 gasholder, in better condition, would also be removed from the Equipment Room and placed on the mezzanine for use as the new D20 helium gasholder.)

3) The reactor core purge system was replaced and relocated to an area behind the equipment room shield wall. New isolation valves were added, and a spare full-sized core purge blower, fitted with pulley and independent electrical switch gear, is installed in parallel to the main blower for redundancy. Technical Specifications require the core purge system to be in operation at all times when the reactor is at power, with only five minutes for recovery should the blower cease to function.

The new location is in a low-dose area which allows access by reactor staff for routine maintenance and flow adjustment even when the reactor is operating at full power. This eliminates the current requirements for reactor shutdown to correct any problem or make adjustments to the system.

4) The reactor security system went through a major upgrade. Reactor staff installed some specialty security equipment, and supervised various contractors such as Siemens Building Technologies and Wise Construction for facility-wide installation of CCTV systems, sensors, switches, transmitters, gates, doors, and data closets. Logistical support for the installation was provided by MIT Facilities, MIT Security and Emergency Management Office (SEMO), the MIT Police, and the MIT Information Services and Technology (IS&T). The Reactor Radiation Protection Office provided radiological training and issued dosimetry for all contractor workers. Reactor staff provided all escorted access and supervised all contractor work. Reactor senior management initiated and coordinated the planning and design work starting in December 2008. Funding of the upgrade for

$1.4M was approved in July 2009 and provided by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy (DOE-NNSA). Construction started

16 in late August 2009, and was completed in January 2010. Final acceptance and assurance tests were completed by reactor staff in February 2010. DOE-NNSA performed system-wide assessment on March 31, 2010, and approved the new reactor security system as meeting all DOE protocols and requirements.

5) More than 30 leak tapes at the reactor reflector system were replaced with new style leak detection tapes. This is the first stage in an effort to transition all reactor leak tapes to the new style. Reactor staff accepted the performance of the new tapes after more than a year of field-testing to assure reliability. Replacement and installation is labor-intensive and will be performed only during extended outages following sufficient reactor cool-down time so as to minimize personnel dose exposure. The new tapes are made of materials that are more durable, and can be better secured to piping and flanges. They are also color-coded for ease of identification.

6) All four picoammeters for neutron power indications were replaced in the Control Room main console with upgraded units. The new picoammeters contain added functions such as auto-ranging and communication ports for remote signal transmission. These units replaced those for nuclear Channels #7, #9, and Linear N-16. The Channel #8 picoammeter will be put to use when the ion chamber for the channel is replaced in the next fiscal year.

7) The drive for reactor control shim blade #4 was rebuilt and its electromagnet and neutron absorber section were all replaced on 01/28/2010.

8) The drive for reactor control shim blade #6 was rebuilt and its electromagnet was replaced on 02/02/2010.

9) The drive for reactor control shim blade #2 was rebuilt and its electromagnet was replaced with a 430 stainless steel prototype magnet on 03/15/2010. The proximity switch and proximity switch tube for shim blade #2 were replaced the following day. The neutron absorber section (shim blade) itself was replaced later in the year, on 12/10/2010, and a new electromagnet was installed on 12/13/2010, replacing the prototype unit.

10) The neutron absorber section for reactor control shim blade #5 was replaced on 04/27/2010.

11) The main and auxiliary intake and exhaust ventilation dampers were cleaned, lubricated, and vacuum-tested satisfactory. This is a scheduled preventive maintenance item to ensure reliable operation for containment isolation when needed. The containment building pressure test was performed from 12/06 through 12/08/2010 and passed satisfactorily, meeting all Technical Specification requirements.

Many other routine maintenance and preventive maintenance items were also scheduled and completed throughout the fiscal year.

17 E. SECTION 50.59 CHANGES, TESTS, AND EXPERIMENTS This section contains a description of each change to the reactor facility or procedures and of the conduct of tests and experiments carried out under the conditions of Section 50.59 of 10 CFR 50, together with a summary of the safety evaluation in each case.

The review and approval of changes in the facility and in the procedures as described in the SAR are documented in the MITR records by means of "Safety Review Forms." These have been paraphrased for this report and are identified on the following pages for ready reference if further information should be required with regard to any item. Pertinent pages in the SAR have been or are being revised to reflect these changes, and they either have or will be forwarded to the Document Control Desk, USNRC.

The conduct of tests and experiments on the reactor are normally documented in the experiments and irradiation files. For experiments carried out under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.59, the review and approval is documented by means of the Safety Review Form. All other experiments have been done in accordance with the descriptions provided in Section 10 of the SAR, "Experimental Facilities."

18 Advance Cladding Irradiation Facility (ACI)

SR #0-06-4 (04/03/2006), #0-06-6 (05/18/2006)

An in-core experiment loop was installed on May 22, 2006, to investigate the effects at various stages of irradiation on specimens of silicon carbide intended for use in advanced fuel cladding designs. Its envelope of operating conditions is very similar to that of previous in-core experiments such as the Zircaloy Corrosion Loop and the Electro-Chemical Potential Loop. No new safety issues were raised. Operation continued until October 2007. A second advanced cladding loop, designated ACI-2, operated in core from March 2009 through mid-December 2009, and from March 2010 to April 2010.

Heated In-Core Sample Assembly Experiment (ICSA)

SR #0-04-19 (12/01/2004), #M-04-2 (12/30/2004), #0-05-11 (07-22/2005),

SR #M-09-1 (7/30/2009), #M-09-2 (12/11/2009), #0-10-2 (03/28/2010)

High-temperature sample capsules were used with the redesigned titanium 2" ICSA tube to provide a heated irradiation environment for the specimens within. These capsules include gamma-heating susceptors similar in principal to the High Temperature Irradiation Facility. The ICSA operated in core from December 2009 through April 2010 for various sample irradiations using heated and unheated capsules. An alternate 16" plug was designed and installed in the reactor top shield lid to allow simultaneous use of the ICSA and the ACI-2.

Expansion of Back Mezzanine at Reactor Top SR #M-10-1, #M-10-2 A previously-existing structural platform was reconstructed beyond dhte far side of the reactor top. The new section is made of steel support beam and steel grating, with a top deck of aluminum tread plates (diamond plate). It is rated for a live load of 150 lbs. per square foot. The area Will be used for relocation of the D20 helium gasholder from the equipment room in an effort to create space for installation of a new heat exchanger and associated piping later in 2010.

Heat Exchanger Replacement and Piping Upgrade SR #M-10-3, #M-10-4, #M-10-5, #0-10-3, #0-10-4, #0-10-7, #0-10-8 This renovation of the primary and secondary coolant process systems was described in Section D Major Maintenance Item #1. The related operational checklists, abnormal operating procedures, and test and calibration procedures were updated correspondingly, and were also reviewed and updated for compliance with the license renewal Technical Specifications issued by NRC on November 1, 2010.

19 F. ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS Environmental monitoring is performed using continuous radiation monitors and dosimetry devices. The radiation monitoring system consists of G-M detectors and associated electronics at each remote site with data transmitted continuously to the Reactor Radiation Protection Office and recorded on strip chart recorders. The remote sites are located within a quarter mile radius of the facility. The calendar year total detectable radiation exposures per sector, due primarily to Ar-41, are presented below.

Units located at east and south sector were inoperable periodically during the reporting period due to site renovations. These values are adjusted for the period(s) when the site units were not operational.

Site Exposure (01/01/10- 12/31/10)

North 0.12 mrem East 0.06 mrem South 0.17 mrem West 0.06 mrem Green (east) 0.07 mrem Calendar Year Average 201 0 0.1 mrem Fiscal Year Average 2010 0.2 mrem 2009 0.3 mrem 2008 0.3 mrem 2007 0.2 mrem 2006 0.2 mrem 2005 0.2 mrem 2004 0.2 mrem 2003 0.2 mrem 2002 0.3 mrem

20 G. RADIATION EXPOSURES AND SURVEYS WITHIN THE FACILITY A summary of radiation exposures received by facility personnel and experimenters is given below:

January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010 Whole Body Exposure Range (rems) Number of Personnel N o measurable ..................................................................................... 79 M easurable - < 0.1 .............................................................................. 54 0 .1 - 0 .2 5 ....................................................................................... 8 0 .25 - 0 .50 ....................................................................................... 4 0.50 - 0.75 ....... . ...................................... 0 0 .75 - 1.00 ....................................................................................... 0 1.00 - 1.2 5 ....................................................................................... 0 1.2 5 - 1.50 ....................................................................................... 0 1.5 0 - 1.7 5 ....................................................................................... 0 1.75 - 2 .00 ....................................................................................... 0 2 .0 0 - 2 .2 5 ....................................................................................... 0 Total Person Rem = 3.5 Total Number of Personnel = 145 From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010, the Reactor Radiation Protection Office provided radiation protection services for the facility which included power and non-power operational surveillance (performed on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and other frequencies as required), maintenance activities, and experimental project support. Specific examples of these activities included, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Collection and analysis of air samples taken within the containment building and in the exhaust/ventilation systems.

2. Collection and analysis of water samples taken from the secondary, D 2 0, primary, shield coolant, liquid waste, and experimental systems, and fuel storage pool.

3. Performance of radiation and contamination surveys, radioactive waste collection and shipping, calibration of area radiation monitors, calibration of effluent and process radiation monitors, calibration of radiation protection/survey instrumentation, and establishing/posting radiological control areas.

4. Provision of radiation protection services during fuel movements, in-core experiments, sample irradiations, beam port use, ion column removal, and diffractometer beam installation and testing, etc.

The results of all surveys and surveillances conducted have been within the guidelines established for the facility.

21 H. RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS This section summarizes the nature and amount of liquid, gaseous, and solid radioactive wastes released or discharged from the facility.

1. Liquid Waste Liquid radioactive wastes generated at the facility are discharged only to the sanitary sewer serving the facility. The possible sources of such wastes during the year include cooling tower blowdown, the liquid waste storage tanks, and one controlled sink in the Restricted Area (Engineering Lab). All of the liquid volumes are measured, by far the largest being the 5,508,212 liters discharged during CY2010 from the cooling towers. (Other large quantities of non-radioactive waste water are discharged to the sanitary sewer system by other parts of MIT, but no credit for such dilution is taken because the volume is not routinely measured.)

Total activity less tritium in the liquid effluents (cooling tower blowdown, waste storage tank discharges, and engineering lab sink discharges) amounted to 274.5 gCi for CY2010. The total tritium was 181 mCi. The total effluent water volume was 5,593,507 liters, giving an average tritium concentration of 32.4 x10.6 gCi/ml.

The above liquid waste discharges are provided on a monthly basis in the following Table H-3.

All releases were in accordance with Technical Specification 3.8-1, including Part 20, Title 20, Code of Federal Regulations. All activities were substantially below the limits specified in 10 CFR 20.2003. Nevertheless, the monthly tritium releases are reported in Table H-3.

2. Gaseous Waste Gaseous radioactivity is discharged to the atmosphere from the containment building exhaust stack. All gaseous releases likewise were in accordance with the Technical Specifications and 10 CFR 20.1302, and all nuclides were substantially below the limits after the authorized dilution factor of 3000 with the exception of Ar-41, which is reported in the following Table H-1. The 946.92 Ci of Ar-41 was released at an average concentration of 2.52E-9 gCi/ml. This represents 25.2% of EC (Effluent Concentration ( x1 0-8 gCi/ml)).

3. Solid Waste Two shipments of solid waste were made during the calendar year. The information pertaining to these shipments is provided in Table H-2.

22 TABLE H-1 ARGON-41 STACK RELEASES CALENDAR YEAR 2010 Ar-41 Average Discharged Concentration(l)

(Curies) (4iCi/m1d)

January 2010 132.39 3.69 E-9 February 135.19 4.72 E-9 March 149.18 5.20 E-9 April 132.65 3.67 E-9 May 0 0 June 0 0 July 0 0 August 0 0 September 29.12 8.06 E- 10 October 102.75 3.58 E-9 November 159.49 5.56 E-9 December 106.16 2.96 E-9 Totals (12 Months) 946.92 2.52 E-9 EC (Table II, Column I) 1 x 10-8

% EC 25.2%

(Note: Average concentrations do not vary linearly with curies discharged because of differing monthly dilution volumes.)

23 TABLE H-2

SUMMARY

OF MITR-II RADIOACTIVE SOLID WASTE SHIPMENTS CALENDAR YEAR 2010 Description Volume 75 ft 3 Weight 2,358 lbs.

Activity 11.9 mCi Date of shipment February 3, 2010 Disposition to licensee for burial Impact Services, Oak Ridge, TN Waste broker Philotechnics Ltd., Oak Ridge, TN Description Volume 52.5 ft3 Weight 1,735 lbs.

Activity 13.02 mCi Date of shipment August 4, 2010 Disposition to licensee for burial Impact Services, Oak Ridge, TN Waste broker Philotechnics Ltd., Oak Ridge, TN

24 TABLE H-3 LIOUID EFFLUENT DISCHARGES CALENDAR YEAR 2010 Total Total Volume Average Activity Tritium of Effluent Tritium Less Tritium Activity Water(1 ) Concentration (xI 0- 6 Ci) (mCi) (liters) RCi/n-d)

(XIO-6 Jan. 2010 5.34 3.16 626,676 5.04 Feb. NDA 0.30 653,499 0.458 Mar. NDA 4.77 488,532 9.76 Apr. 23.2 3.76 613,603 6.13 May 38.0 10.0 17,230 582.0 June 208.0 94.4 54,428 1,730.0 July NDA 0.00121 6 202.0 Aug. NDA 0.322 162,144 1.99 Sept. NDA 0.764 568,026 1.35 Oct. NDA 0.175 907,416 0.193 Nov. NDA 0.167 1,192,907 0.140 Dec. NDA 63.4 309,040 205.0 12 months 274.5 181 5,593,507 32.4 (1) Volume of effluent from cooling towers, waste tanks, and NW12-139 Engineering Lab sink. Does not include other diluent from MIT estimated at 2.7 million gallons/day.

(2) No Detectable Activity (NDA); less than 1.26x1 0-6 gCi/ml beta for each sample.

25 I.

SUMMARY

OF USE OF MEDICAL FACILITY FOR HUMAN THERAPY The use of the medical therapy facility for human therapy is summarized here pursuant to Technical Specification No. 7.7.1.9.

1. Investigative Studies Investigative studies remain as summarized in the annual report for FY2005.

2. Human Therapy None.

3. Status of Clinical Trials The Phase I glioblastoma and melanoma trials with BIDMC have been closed because they used the original epithermal beam in the basement medical therapy room.

A new beam that is superior in both flux and quality continues to be available from the Fission Converter Facility. No use of that beam is anticipated in the near term because of a nationwide funding hiatus for work of this type.