ML17093A696

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Submittal of Annual Report for 2016 with Technical Specification Paragraph 7.7.1

ML17093A696
Person / Time
Site:	MIT Nuclear Research Reactor
Issue date:	03/30/2017
From:	Don S, Lau E, Queirolo A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML17093A696 (30)

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NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CENTER OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY EDWARD S. LAU 138 Albany Street, Cambridge, MA 02139-4296 Facility Tours Assistant Director of Telefax No. (617) 253-7300 Education & Training Reactor Operations Tel. No. (617) 253-4211 Activation Analysis Coolant Chemistry Nuclear Medicine March 30, 2017 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, 2016 to December 31, 2016, in compliance with paragraph 7.7.1 of the Technical Specifications issued November 1, 2010, for Facility Operating License R-37.

Sincerely, Sarah Don Edward S. Lau, NE Reactor Superintendent Assistant Director of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor MIT Research Reactor O&r Alberto Queirolo Director of Reactor Operations MIT Research Reactor EL/st

Enclosure:

As stated cc: USNRC - Senior Project Manager Research and Test Reactors Licensing Branch Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation USNRC - Senior Reactor Inspector Research and Test Reactors Oversight Branch 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, 2016 - December 31, 2016 by REACTOR STAFF

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

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

2. Experiments and Utilization .. .. .. ........... .. ......... ........ ...... .. .... ......... ..... .. 4

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

4. Changes in Performance Characteristics ............................................... 7

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

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

7. Status of Spent Fuel Shipment ...... .................. ............. ......................... 9 B. Reactor Operation ............................................................................................ 10 C. Shutdowns and Scrams ................................................................................... 11 D. Major Maintenance ........................................................................................... 13 E. Section 50.59 Changes, Tests, and Experiments .............................................. 16 F. Environmental Surveys ..................................................................................... 21 G. Radiation Exposures and Surveys Within the Facility ....................................... 22 H. Radioactive Effluents ........................................................................................ 23 Table H-1 Argon-41 Stack Releases .......................................................... 24 Table H-2 Radioactive Solid Waste Shipments ......................................... 25 Table H-3 Liquid Effluent Discharges ........................................................ 26 I. Summary of Use of Medical Facility for Human Therapy ............................... 27

MIT RESEARCH REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT TO U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2016 - DECEMBER 31, 2016 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 that summarizes licensed activities from the 1st of January to the 31st of December of each year.

The MIT Research Reactor (MITR), as originally constructed and designated as MITR-I, consisted of a core of MTR-type fuel, enriched in uranium-235, cooled and moderated by heavy water in a four-foot diameter core tank that was 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 for MITR-I 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 enriched to 93% in uranium-235. The improved design was designated MITR-Il. However, it retained much of the original facility, e.g.,

graphite reflector, thermal shield, biological shield, secondary cooling systems, containment, etc.

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 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.

2 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 pre-operational 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-11 on August 14, 1975, and several months of startup testing, power was raised to 2.5 MW in December 1975. 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.

In December 2000, a fission converter medical facility was commissioned.

This facility generated the highest quality epithermal beam in the world for use in the treatment of certain types of cancer, and could again be made available.

From mid-April through mid-September 2010, all major piping in the primary and secondary coolant systems was replaced and upgraded. This included a titanium heat exchanger (replacing the three previous primary heat exchangers) and the major instrumentation sensors.

On November 1, 2010, NRC approved the relicensing of the reactor for 6-MW operation through November 1, 2030. Reactor power was increased in small increments from 5 MW for observations and data collection, and reached 5.8 MW on April 23, 2011. Routine 5. 8 MW operation began on May 25, 2011.

The current operating mode is generally continuous operation just under 6 MW when needed, with a maintenance shutdown scheduled every calendar quarter.

This is the forty-second annual report required by the Technical Specifications, and it covers the period from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Previous reports, along with the "MITR-11 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 fortieth full year of routine reactor operation, now at the 6-MW power level. It was another year in which the safety and reliability of reactor operation met and exceeded requirements and expectations.

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, 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 6 MW. For this reporting period, the nominal full power operating cycle was about eleven weeks at a time, followed by a scheduled outage lasting about two weeks, for reactor and experiment maintenance, protective system surveillance tests, and other necessary outage activities. The reactor would then be re-started to full power and maintained there for another several weeks.

Throughout CY2016, the reactor averaged 112 operating hours per week, compared to 73 hours8.449074e-4 days <br />0.0203 hours <br />1.207011e-4 weeks <br />2.77765e-5 months <br /> per week for CY2015, 102 hours0.00118 days <br />0.0283 hours <br />1.686508e-4 weeks <br />3.8811e-5 months <br /> per week for CY2014, 54 hours6.25e-4 days <br />0.015 hours <br />8.928571e-5 weeks <br />2.0547e-5 months <br /> per week for CY2013, and 76 hours8.796296e-4 days <br />0.0211 hours <br />1.256614e-4 weeks <br />2.8918e-5 months <br /> per week for CY2012. The lower average for CY2013 was the result of operating the reactor only as needed for the first half of that year, when there were no in-core experiments or other irradiations that called for continuous operation.

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 CY2016, compensation for reactivity lost due to burnup was provided by three 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 CY2016.

The MITR-II fuel management program remains quite successful. During the period of CY2016, eight spent fuel elements were returned to an off-site DOE facility.

As in previous years, the reactor was operated throughout the period without the fixed hafnium absorbers.

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2. Experiments and Utilization The MITR-11 was used for experiments and irradiations in support of research, training and education programs at MIT and elsewhere. Irradiations and experiments conducted in CY2016 include:

a) Activation of gold-198 seeds for brachytherapy.

b) Activation of uranium foils for detector calibration at the Los Alamos National Laboratories and Ciambrone Laboratory at Patrick AFB.

c) Activation of ocean sediments for the University of British Columbia's Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences.

d) Activation of uranium and plutonium targets for detailed fission product yield measurements in the Thermal Neutron Beam facility for Los Alamos National Laboratories.

e) Activation of Silicon Wafers for a neutron damage study for the MIT Materials Processing Center.

f) Elemental analyses were performed using NAA on samples of the in-core components to be used in the HYCO irradiation experiment described below.

Neutron activation studies using a variety of metal foils were continued in order to better characterize the neutron flux and spectrum of the reactor's out-of-core neutron irradiation facilities.

g) Elemental analyses were performed using NAA on the fluoride salt and samples used in the FS-3/S irradiation experiment described below.

h) Activation and NAA were performed on superconducting ribbon containing rare-earth metals for the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center in addition to longer irradiations to investigate change of properties with neutron damage.

i) Experiments were performed at the 4DH1 radial beam port facility by MIT undergraduate, graduate, and executive education students (course 22.09/90 "Principles of Nuclear Radiation Measurement and Protection", and MIT NSE "Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives" sponsored by the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations), 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 a variety of shielding materials.

j) Other use of the reactor for training MIT student reactor operators and for MIT nuclear engineering and executive education classes (course 22.01 "Introduction to Nuclear Engineering and Ionizing Radiation", course 22.011 "Seminar in Nuclear Science and Engineering", and MIT NSE "Reactor Technology Course for Utility Executives").

5 k) Neutron activation of germanium wafers to study radiation-induced photonic defects for the MIT Materials Processing Center.

1) Activation and NAA of silicon, sapphire, and Teflon samples for further NAA studies for University of Alabama.

m) Activation of fusion laminate samples to study radiation damage effects for Composite Technology Development, Inc.

n) Activation of cesium iodide samples to study radiation effects for Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.

o) Extensive measurements of neutron background levels were made in the reactor basement in preparation for a neutrino detection project for the MIT Physics Department.

p) Irradiation of SiC/SiC composites and other candidate materials for accident tolerant fuel cladding continued in the MITR in-core water loop facility (WATF). A set of samples that was installed in the reactor in December of 2015 was irradiated during the first two cycles of MITR operation in 2016.

Samples were removed from the reactor during the July outage.

q) Extraction and post-irradiation examination (PIE) of samples from the first two fluoride salt irradiations continued during 2016. FS third in the series of FLiBe irradiations - ran for 950 hours0.011 days <br />0.264 hours <br />0.00157 weeks <br />3.61475e-4 months <br /> beginning on November 8. The run was continuous except for a reactor scram after 40 h with a total down time of approximately 3.5 h. During this outage, the electrical heaters added to the FS-3 design were able to maintain the salt temperature well above 200 °C, the temperature below which radiolytically generated fluorine does not recombine with the salt and releases as fluorine gas. A joint project between the US integrated research project and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the irradiation contained graphite and carbon/carbon composite samples from US and Chinese sources. Upon completion, the in-core capsule was transferred to the reactor floor hot cell where it will be disassembled in preparation for sample removal and PIE.

r) The first phase of the "Hybrid Composite Accident Tolerant Fuel Irradiation" or HYCO was carried out in the ICSA (under inert gas environment) during the third cycle of MITR operation, with 66 full power days accumulated between mid-July and early October. The irradiation was funded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and included 60 coupons and tube specimens of SiC, SiC/SiC composites and metal reference materials with a variety of coatings. After transfer from the reactor to the reactor floor hot box, all the samples were extracted from their irradiation capsules, photographed and weighed. The samples are awaiting shipment to ORNL for further PIE. A follow-on experiment is planned for CY2017 to expose the same set of materials in several locations in the water loop under PWR coolant conditions for comparison to the inert gas results.

6 s) A thermal neutron beam port 4DH4 is used to test and advance the design of a neutron powder diffractometer, which would be built at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). A novel polychromatic diffractometer design is being tested with the help of an undergraduate student and in close collaboration with INL.

The diffractometer at 4DH4 was modified to produce polychromatic neutron beam to illuminate a sample in order to determining its crystal structure for PIE. The beam diffracted by the sample is reflected by an analyzer and detected. The activities include tuning all the components of the instrument to allow for the most efficient measurements with high resolution.

An ongoing initiative is the partnership with the INL Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF) for materials testing and sensor development. The MITR was selected in 2008 as the first university research reactor to be a partner facility with the ATR-NSUF. MITR staff also worked with INL staff to jointly develop advanced reactor instrumentation, and reviewed ATR-NSUF's user proposals.

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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. The nominal uranium loading of MITR-II fuel is 34 grams of U-235 per plate and 510 grams per element (made by BWXT). Performance of these fuel elements has been excellent. The 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. Two hundred seven elements fabricated by BWXT have been received, forty-five of which remain in use. One has been removed because of suspected excess out-gassing and one hundred sixty-one 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 (compared with 1.5 g/cm3 for UAlx fuel), currently under development by the RERTR Program. Although initial studies show that the use of these fuels is feasible, conversion of the MITR-II to lower enrichment must await the final successful qualification of these high-density 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. In CY2012, fuel was removed from the fission converter. It will remain unfueled pending resumption of epithermal beam research. In CY2013, the D20 coolant was removed from the fission converter and replaced with dernineralized light water. The D20 was put into storage for future use.

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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 CY2016.

a) PM 6.l.3.3A "Primary Coolant Flow Scram Static Calibration", PM 6.4.2A "Temperature Recorder Calibration & Alarm Checks", PM 6.5.7A "Calibration of Primary Coolant Delta-T", and PM 6.5.18 "Control Blade Thickness Check" were updated to expand the data collected. The methods for performing the procedures were retained intact. (SR #2015-12, SR #2015-20) b) PM 3.1.1.2 "Startup Checklist - Two Loop Instrumentation" was updated to incorporate temporary changes and to reflect current equipment and best practices. There were no significant changes to human-machine interface, no cybersecurity issues, and no additional training needed. (SR #2015-26) c) PM 3.3.1 "General Conduct of Refueling Operations" was revised with clarifications and details added to reflect current equipment and best practices.

To improve criticality safety, the instruction to pump up the reflector if the startup channels' neutron counters read <10 cpm was removed. (SR #2015-34) d) PM 3.4.1 "Replacement of a Shim Blade, Magnet, or Drive" was revised with clarifications to reflect current equipment and best practices. Regular inspection was added for certain parts of blade drives 1and6. (SR #2015-39) e) PM 6.2.2 "Basement Personnel Airlock Gaskets Deflated Scram" was revised to use a safer method for bypassing the airlock's outer door. (SR #2015-41) f) PM 6.5.13 "Shield Storage Tank Level Calibration", PM 6.5.6.2 "System Pressure Gauge Calibration - PSI Range", PM 6.l.3.4B "Core Outlet Temperature - MTS-1 & MTS-IA", and two PM 6.6.2.1 Fire Extinguisher procedures were updated to reflect current equipment and best practices, and for clarity. (SR #2015-43, SR #2016-1, SR #2016-19, SR #2016-24) g) PM 3.5 "Daily Surveillance Check" was revised to split off PM 6.1.3.9 "Pilot Cell Specific Gravity and Voltage Check" steps into a separate, more detailed new procedure, and to reflect current equipment and practices. There were no significant changes to human-machine interface, no cybersecurity issues, and no additional training needed with these updates. (SR #2016-7, SR #2016-16) h) PM 6.1.3.16 "Detector Linearity Check" was established to document the response of each nuclear instrument versus reactor power. (SR #2016-1 7) i) PM 1.13 "Quality Assurance Program" received several administrative changes to restructure the QA index, expand the categories of the QA checklist, and clarify responsibilities. The Equipment Malfunction Record form was streamlined to require DRO notification for all equipment malfunctions, and also has a new industrial safety evaluation requirement. (SR #2016-23) j) PM 1.14.4 "Industrial Safety Guidelines" and an associated checklist were established, covering confined spaces, work at heights, hot work, excavation, and non-radiological personal protective equipment. (SR #2016-10)

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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. Thirty such tests and inspections are scheduled throughout the year with a frequency at least equal to that required by the Technical Specifications. Together with those not required by Technical Specifications, over 100 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 24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />, before startup if a channel has been repaired or de-energized, and at least quarterly; a few are on different schedules. Procedures for such surveillance are incorporated into daily or quarterly startup, shutdown, or other checklists.

During this reporting period, surveillance frequencies have been at least equal to those required by the Technical Specifications, 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 CY2016, there was one shipment made, reducing the inventory of spent fuel at MIT. These shipments were made using the BEA Research Reactor (BRR) package. The U.S. Department of Energy has indicated that further shipments may be feasible in CY2017 for future fuel discharges.

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

Calendar Quarter 1 2 I 3 4 Total

11. Energy Generated (MWD):

a) MITR-II 396.3 357.0 338.8 277.7 1,369.8 (MIT CY2016)

(normally at 5.8 MW) b) MITR-II 35,829.3 (MIT FYl 976-CY2015) c) MITR-1 10,435.2 (MIT FY1959-FY1974) d) Cumulative, 47,634.3 MITR-1 & MITR-II

2. MITR-II Operation (hours):

(MIT CY2016) a) At Power

(> 0.5-MW) for 1,712 1,449 1,488 1,152 5,801 Research b) Low Power

(< 0.5-MW) for 3 37 9 28 77 TrainingCl) and Test c) Total Critical 1,715 1,486 1,497 1,180 5,878 (1) These hours do not include reactor operator and other training conducted while the reactor is at or above 0.5 MW for research purposes or for isotope production.

Such hours are included in the previous line (row 2a of the table).

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

The term "scram" refers to shutting down of the reactor through protective system automatic 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. Control blade 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 a) Trip on Channel #2 as a result of spurious fluctuations. 1 b) Trip on Channel #1 as result of noise generated by cable movement in the console. 1 c) Trip on Channel #6 caused by human error, using non-equilibrium thermal power for its trip set point calculation. 1 Subtotal 3

2. Process System Scrams a) Automatic scram after the core purge blower tripped and could not be restarted due to a faulty relay. 1 Subtotal 1

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3. Unscheduled Shutdowns a) Minor scram initiated by operator after Shim Blade #4 dropped from its magnet during startup. 1 b) Shutdown to replace failing fan belts on the ventilation system intake fan. 1 c) Shutdown to repair leak in thermal shield cooling system. 1 d) Shutdown* by dip in off-site electric power. 3 e) Shutdown as result of NTD Silicon trouble. 3 f) Shutdown for investigation of in-core experiment issue. 1 Subtotal 10 Total 14

4. Experience during recent years has been as follows:

Nuclear Safety and Process System Calendar Year Scrams 2016 4 2015 8 2014 13 2013 4 2012 6 2011 9 2010 20 Fiscal Year 2010 6 2009 2 2008 4 2007 5

13 D. MAJOR MAINTENANCE Major reactor maintenance projects performed during CY2016 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 reliability of the reactor operating schedule and the availability of the reactor for experiments, research and training purposes. Additionally, Reactor Operations staff performed safety reviews for all reactor experiments and their operating procedures. The staff also provided support for installations and removals of reactor experiments, and monitored key performance data from the experiments during reactor operations.

For continuous support of neutron transmutation doping of silicon, reactor staff performed routine irradiation and shipping activities. There is an annual external audit to review the program for maintaining the ISO 9001 Certification. Preventive maintenance on conveyor machinery, such as alignment of conveyor carriages, was performed during major outages.

Major maintenance items performed in CY2016 are summarized as follows:

1. On 1/26 reactor staff replaced the Spent Fuel Pool's ion column and circulation pump filters.

2. During the month of February the portable space heaters in the airlock and waste tank shed were replaced with permanent, hard-wired heaters on new mounting brackets, in order to improve electrical safety.

3. During the months of February and March, the NW12-134 training room renovations and electrical work were completed.

4. On 2/16 reactor staff repaired the pusher shaft inside the 4" silicon tube's load cell.

5. On 3/25 reactor staff repaired the backup rotation ratchet in the 6" silicon tube rotation mechanism.

6. On 3/30 reactor instrumentation staff replaced the power supply for the Channel

1. 3 nuclear safety amplifier with a new unit.

7. During the month of April, reactor staff replaced the Channel # 1 startup channel single channel analyzer with a new Metronics unit, and they replaced the BNC cables with RG313 cables.

8. On 4/1 reactor staff satisfactorily completed the biennial containment building pressure test.

9. On 4/4 MIT Facilities contractors completed an asbestos abatement of damaged floor tiles inside the containment building.

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10. The week of 4/4 reactor staff installed new probes and associated piping in the ventilation stack for the new stack effluent monitoring system.

11. The week of 4/4 reactor staff repaired Bernoulli backwash Filter B in the secondary system.

12. On 4111and4/12 reactor staff replaced shim blade #4, its drive, and its magnet.

13. The week of 4111 reactor staff repaired a leak that had developed in the thermal shield coolant system.

14. On 4/12 reactor staff replaced the thermal shield coolant system ion column.

15. On 4/12 reactor staff replaced the D20 system recombiner blower GM-1.

16. On 4/15 reactor staff replaced the ion columns in the primary and D20 coolant systems.

17. On 4119 reactor staff replaced the bearing on the drive motor for shim blade #4.

18. On 4/25 reactor staff replaced the magnet for shim blade #2.

19. During the week of 7/4 reactor staff replaced the primary ion column.

20. During the week of 7/4 reactor staff installed a splash guard on the core purge suction in the core tank.

21. During the week of 7/4 reactor staff replaced the ASCO solenoid valves for various control and safety functions in the reactor's mechanical systems.

22. On 7/13 reactor instrumentation staff replaced the remaining power supplies for the nuclear safety amplifiers on channels 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.

23. Throughout the week of 7/24 MIT IS&T and TCS electrical contractors performed wiring across the restricted area and into the containment to bring upgraded electric power supply (now including emergency power) to room NW12-007.

24. During the week of 9/12 MIT Facilities replaced all of the stack base exhaust air roughing filters and HEP A filters.

25. In September MIT Facilities replaced steam check valves for automatic transfer of the steam supply to NW12 to come from the Central Utilities Plant (CUP) if steam pressure from the on-site NW12 boiler drops below a check valve's setting.

26. During October MIT IS&T completed hardware installation of 19 cameras for Phase I of the NRL security camera upgrade.

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27. On 10/8 and 10/9 MIT Facilities contractors completed a floor tile asbestos abatement and removal in the NW12 reception area. They installed new floor tiles on 12/10.

28. On 10/12 reactor staff replaced the HV-50 city water makeup solenoid valve.

29. On 10/13 reactor staff replaced the magnet for shim blade # 1.

30. On 10/17 reactor staff replaced the primary ion column and its inlet & outlet filters.

31. On 10/19 reactor staff replaced the regulating rod and refurbished its drive.

32. On 10/19 reactor staff replaced the fan belts for core purge blowers #1 & #2, the recombiner blower, and the ventilation main intake & exhaust fans.

33. On 10/19 reactor staff replaced the fan in core purge blower #1 which had seized.

34. On 10/20 reactor staff replaced shim blade #5, and its associated magnet and drive.

35. On 10/28 MIT Facilities completed the replacement of intake ventilation system equipment including the intake fan's motor, bearings, pulley wheels (sheaves),

bushings, belts, belt guard, and connecting duct-work from the fan to the main intake damper.

36. On Friday 10/28 reactor staff installed mass flow instrumentation in the stack base for stack flow velocity measurement, and return lines from the two new stack effluent monitor skids leading back into the stack.

37. On 11/2 reactor instrumentation staff replaced unshielded RG55 connecting cables between the Channel #2 Keithley 26000 unit and the scram amplifier with shielded RG400 cable, and replaced the connectors.

38. Throughout 2016 planning for the cathodic protection system upgrade project continued with site visits from MIT Facilities and contractors.

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

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

Changes that affect only the operating procedures and that are subject only to MITR internal review and approval, including those that were carried out under the provisions of 10 CPR 50.59, are similarly discussed in Section A.5 of this report.

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 NRC Document Control Desk.

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 CPR 50.59, the review and approval is documented by means of the Safety Review Form. This includes all in-core experiments, which are additionally reviewed and approved by the MIT Reactor Safeguards Committee (MITRSC) prior to installation in the reactor core. All experiments not carried out under the provisions of 10 CPR Part 50.59 have been done in accordance with the descriptions provided in Section 10 of the SAR, "Experimental Facilities".

17 Advance Cladding Irradiation Facility (ACI) \ Water Loop SR #0-06-4 (04/03/2006), SR #0-06-6 (05/18/2006), SR #2015-8 (05/22/2015),

SR #2015-9 (05/22/2015)

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, March to April 2010, December 2010 through June 2011, from October 2011 to July 2012, and from August through October 2013. A later version of this loop, designated the Westinghouse Accident-Tolerant Fuel experiment, was installed in 2014 and operated until May 2015, and again from December 2015 until July 2016. The latter run featured a stepped thimble to minimize neutron streaming to the reactor top. Additionally, from May 2015 to August 2015, the facility was used to test an In-Core Crack Growth Measurement (ICCGM) system.

Heated In-Core Sample Assembly Experiment (ICSA)

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

SR#M-09-1 (07/30/2009), SR#M-09-2 (12/11/2009), SR#0-10-2 (03/28/2010),

SR #0-12-17 (06/04/2012), SR #0-12-19 (07/09/2012)

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. No new safety issues were raised. 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 in-core experiments. The ICSA operated in core from December 2009 through April 2010, from August 2010 to January 2012, from April to July 2012, and from mid-September through October 2013 for various sample irradiations using heated and unheated capsules. The MIT Reactor Safeguards Committee (MITRSC) approved two ICSA Safety Evaluation Report amendments in early 2013 to allow the 2013 irradiation of molten fluoride salt in-core using a nickel capsule inside the ICSA. The ICSA facility remains in regular use in CY2016 for in-core experiments and irradiations.

High Temperature Irradiation Facility (HTIF) FS-2 and FS-3 SR #2014-12 (06/11/2014), SR #2016-31 (11/04/2016)

The MITRSC In-Core Experiments Subcommittee approved the HTIF FS-2 test rig by mail ballot between 6/07/2014 and 6/11/2014. The experiment then operated successfully in core from July 2014 to August 2014. Its successor, the HTIF FS-3, operated in core from November 2016 to December 2016.

18 DWK 250 Wide Range Monitors and Mirion Fission Chamber Detectors SR #0-12-21 (10/19/2012), SR #0-13-22 (07/11/2013), SR #0-13-27 (11/08/2013)

All four DWK 250 Wide Range Monitors and their associated fission chamber detectors have been installed in the control room and the reactor respectively, along with their corresponding TKV23 pre-amplifiers. Three of the five new peripheral supporting modules for the new nuclear safety system have been completed: the

<100 kW key-switch module, the LED and PLC scram display module, and the magnet power supply and rundown relay module. The other two modules (signal distribution module and scram logic card module) were under development. Module descriptions, Withdraw Permit Circuit modification, and safety analysis documentation were completed and docketed with NRC in May 2016. Throughout CY2016, reactor staff continued to have t.elephone conferences with NRC to answer questions regarding the documents described above as part . of NRC's ongoing review of the *License Amendment Request submitted in September 2014. A temporary new instrument rack is being planned to hold all five modules so that the new nuclear safety system can undergo simulated testing on line in parallel wit4 the existing system.

Procedures Governing Shipment of Spent Fuel SR #0-12-22 (03/21/2013), SR #0-13-2 (03/28/2013), SR #0-13-12 (06/28/2014),

SR #0-13-12A (07/03/2014), SR #0-13-12B (07/22/2015), SR #2015-22 (08/26/2015)

Section 2.7.5 in the reactor's Standard Operating Plan was modified to allow omission of the inverse multiplication measurements when loading spent fuel elements into the shipping cask with U-235 masses similar to or less than that of a previous loading. This change had been reviewed and approved by the MITRSC on 11/06/2012. The PM 3.3.4 Spent Fuel Shipping Procedures were updated accordingly.

Furthermore, PM 3.3.4.1 Fuel Shipping Supervisory Checklist and the other implementing procedures were updated to expand and improve oversight and coordination of the spent fuel shipment process, and for verbatim compliance with the shipping cask's Safety Analysis Report Chapters 7 and 8. These updates were inspected by NRC during an actual shipment and were deemed satisfactory. The procedures, with further updates, were also used satisfactorily in September 2015 and May 2016. Prior to the 2016 shipment, the NRL reached an agreement with DOE to fund on-site inspection of the BRR cask for each shipment by an independent contractor, prior to loading and again after loading. Reactor staff and the independent contractor developed written procedures for these inspections to document the condition of the cask and to ensure compliance with the cask SAR.

19 Physical Security Plan Revision SR #0-13-16 (05/12/2014), SR #0-13-30 (12/24/2013), SR #2014-19 (11/07/2014),

SR #2014-23 (02/18/2015), SR #2015-5 (01/23/2015)

MITRSC approval for revised Plan was granted per the Security Subcommittee meeting of 61612013. It was then submitted to NRC as a License Amendment Request, for which approval was received on 5/12/2014. The PM 3.2.4.*, "Response to Weekend Alarms" procedures were then revised accordingly, along with those under PM 3.7.3, "Normal Containment Entry/Exit". In 2015, a security alarm coincidence monitoring system was installed to provide local and remote notification should the weekend alarm or an intrusion alarm become deactivated during periods of unattended shutdown. Procedures were revised to incorporate use of this monitoring system.

Review of the Plan began in late 2016 and will continue in early 2017 in response to an NRC Request for Additional Information received in October 2016 regarding incorporation of material from NRL's responses to NRC Compensatory Action Letters.

Stack Effluent & Water Monitor Project SR #2015-30 (pending), SR #2015-30A (12/02/2015), SR #2015-30B (07/08/2016),

SR #2015-30C (03/31/2016)

As part of a project to install new stack effluent monitors and secondary water monitors using detectors located outside the containment building, a new 1-1/4" diameter piping penetration was installed on the south side of the containment building, about four feet below ground. It was tested as satisfactory per existing procedures for pressure-testing new penetrations. Until such time as it is connected to the main system piping, the new piping will remain blank-flanged, or isolated and tagged out, in order to ensure containment integrity is maintained. A new climate-controlled shed, the "stack monitor shed", was constructed in the reactor's back yard in CY2016, with the two new stack monitor stations fully mounted within.

Revision of Standard Operating Procedures for Use of l/M Startup Checklist SR #2016-2 (02/04/2016)

Standard Operating Procedures 2.2 "Preparations for Reactor Operation" and 2.3 "Reactor Startup Procedures" were revised to incorporate a new procedure, PM 3.1.9 "1/M Startup", and to add references to use of existing procedures PM 3.1.7 "Criticality Not Attained Within 0.5 Inches of ECP" and PM 3.1.8 "Startup with One or More Proximity Switches Inoperable". These changes were administrative m nature. The MITRSC granted approval for the procedure changes on 2/11/2016.

20 NWl 2 Evacuation Procedure Revision SR #2016-6 (02/03/2016)

Emergency Operating Procedure 4.4.4.11 "NW12 Evacuation" was revised to update the evacuation maps, remove outdated references, and replace the "Evacuation Instructions for Occupants of NW12" with a new, expanded version. The MITRSC granted approval of the revised procedure on 2/11/2016.

Core Purge Splash Mitigation SR #2016-5 (03/30/2016)

An aluminum shroud was installed in early July 2016 on the core purge intake nozzle, located in the core tank overflow basin, to reduce the amount of water splashing into the core purge air stream and thereby eliminate core purge radiation alarms caused by the associated nitrogen-16. The design avoided diminishing the core purge flow and made minimal change to the core tank's internal configuration.

+/-15-Volt Safety Amplifier Power Supplies SR #2016-9 (03/28/2016)

Between March and July 2016, the aging +/-15 Vnc power supply cards used for the six channels of the nuclear safety system were replaced with TDK-Lambda AC-to-DC converters installed in custom-fabricated printed circuit boards. The new cards are all-analog, direct swap-in replacements with greater stability, lower power consumption, and better safety for personnel working near them. As with the previous power supply cards, any failure interrupts power to the corresponding safety system amplifier, causing a reactor scram.

Camera System Upgrade - Phase I SR #2016-28 (09/23/2016)

A new camera system, with 19 cameras, was installed in October 2016 and tested satisfactorily. 15 of these replaced cameras from the existing system, and four were in newly-selected locations. The new system uses updated imaging technology and improved secure data transmission and communication. The display locations and configurations remain unchanged at NW12, but with ease of control and improved human interface. The camera images are now also available at MIT Police Dispatch.

NRL management is engaging with the MIT Reactor Safeguards Committee and MIT's Information Technology Policy Committee to modify MIT policy on data handling as it applies to the needs of the NRL.

21 F. ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS Environmental monitoring is performed using continuous radiation monitors and passive dosimetry devices (TLD). The radiation monitoring system consists of detectors and associated electronics at each remote site with data transmitted continuously to the Reactor Radiation Protection office and recorded electronically in a database. The remote sites are located within a quarter mile radius of the facility.

The calendar year totals per sector, due primarily to Ar-41, are presented below. The passive TLDs were in place at all times throughout the year and are exchanged quarterly.

Site Exposure (01101116-12/31116)

North 0.53 mrem East 1.05 mrem South 0.39 mrem West 1.05 mrem Green (east) 0.05 mrem Calendar Year Average 2016 0.6mrem 2015 0.4 mrem 2014 0.8 mrem 2013 0.2mrem 2012 0.3 mrem 2011 0.3 mrem 2010 0.1 mrem Fiscal Year Average 2010 0.2mrem 2009 0.3 mrem 2008 0.3 mrem 2007 0.2 mrem

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

January I, 2016 - December 31, 2016 Whole Body Exposure Range (rems) Number of Personnel No measurable ......................................................................................... . 44 Measurable - < 0.1 .................................................................................. . 30 0.1 0.25 ......................................................................................... . 4 0.25 0.50 0 0.50 0.75 0 0.75 - 1.00 0 1.00 - 1.25 0 1.25 - 1.50 0 1.50 1.75 0 1.75 - 2.00 0 Total Person Rem= 1.3 Total Number of Personnel= 78 From January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016, the Reactor Radiation Protection program 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, D2 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, diffractometer beam testing, etc.

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

23 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 7,111,350 liters discharged during CY2016 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 9.75E-6 Ci for CY2016. The total tritium was 6.32E-2 Ci. The total effluent water volume was 7,147,119 liters, giving an average tritium concentration of 9.74E-6 µCi/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, using the authorized dilution factor of 50,000 (changed from 3,000 starting with CY2011 per the renewed license's Technical Specifications). The only principal nuclide was Ar-41, which is reported in the following Table H-1. The 1,234.60 Ci of Ar-41 was released at an average concentration of l.89E-10 µCi/ml.

This represents 1.89% of EC (Effluent Concentration (lE-08 µCi/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.

24 TABLE H-1 ARGON-41 STACK RELEASES CALENDAR YEAR2016 Ar-41 Average Discharged ConcentrationCI)

(Curies) (µCi/ml)

January 2016 136.73 2.86 E-10 February 170.18 2.85 E-10 March 65.67 1.10 E-10 April 7.88 1.65 E-11 May 145.35 2.43 E-10 June 139.07 2.91 E-10 July 47.63 9.96 E-11 August 244.00 4.08 E-10 September 62.61 1.31 E-10 October 20.64 3.46 E-11 November 85.54 1.79 E-10 December 109.30 1.83 E-10 Totals (12 Months)(2) 1,234.60 1.89 E-10 EC (Table II, Column I) 1x10-s

%EC 1.89%

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

(2) Last decimal place may vary because of rounding.

25 TABLE H-2

SUMMARY

OF MITR-Il RADIOACTIVE SOLID WASTE SHIPMENTS CALENDAR YEAR 2016 Description Volume 116 ft3 Weight 556 lbs.

Activity 14mCi Date of shipment April 21, 2016 Energy Solutions, Clive, UT, and Disposition to licensees for burial Toxco Material Management Center, Oak Ridge, TN Waste broker Ecology Services Inc., Columbia, MD Description Volume 173 ft3 Weight 5,099 lbs.

Activity 151 mCi Date of shipment October 10, 2016 Disposition to licensee for burial Energy Solutions, Clive, UT, and Toxco Material Management Center, Oak Ridge, TN Waste broker Ecology Services Inc., Columbia, MD

26 TABLE H-3 LIQUID EFFLUENT DISCHARGES CALENDAR YEAR 2016 Total Total Volume Average Activity Tritium of Effluent Tritium Less Tritium Activity Water(I) Concentration (xl0-6 Ci) (mCi) (liters) (xlQ-6 µCi/ml)

Jan.2016 NDA(2) .784 898,442 .873 Feb. NDA(2) 3.00 563,963 5.32 Mar. NDAC2) .822 334,404 2.46 Apr. .846 .0717 57,825 1.24 May .519 .178 365,113 .488 June NDA(2) .352 324,376 1.08 July .698 3.08 770,362 4.00 Aug. 1.61 2.25 1,415,787 1.59 Sept. 2.46 18.0 1,275,487 14.1 Oct. NDA(2) .111 368,458 .302 Nov. 2.18 10.0 318,790 31.5 Dec. 1.44 24.5 454,112 54.0 12 months 9.75 63.2 7,147,119 9.74 (1) Volume of effluent from cooling towers, waste tanks, and NW12-139 Engineering Lab sink. Does not include other diluent from MIT estimated at 1.0x10 7 liters/day.

(2) No Detectable Activity (NDA): less than 1.26x1Q-6 µCi/ml beta for each sample.

27 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.

A beam that is superior to the original epithermal beam in the basement Medical Therapy Room in both flux and quality could again be made 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.