ML19309A538

PSAR for VA Polytechnic Inst & State Univ Research & Training Reactor

ML19309A538
Person / Time
Site:	05000124
Issue date:	11/01/1979
From:	Curtner A, Denton M, Eskin L VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIV., BLACKSB
To:
Shared Package
ML19309A531	List: ML19309A530 ML19309A538
References
NUDOCS 8003310411
Download: ML19309A538 (107)

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Preliminary Safety Ar.alysis Report for the ,

Research and Training Reactor at the Virginia Polytechnic. Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia Work Done by:

A. P. Curtner M. M. Denton L. D. Eskin A. K. Furr M. R. Louthan, Jr.

R. D. IIogle T. F. Parkinson R. T. Stone K. D. Tuley Compiled and Edited by:

Thomas F. Parkinson, Director Nuclear Reactor Laboratory 1 November 1979

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Indnx

1. Introduction Pg 1.1 General Information --

1.1  !

1.2 Description of the Nuclear Process to be Performed - 1.2 1.3 Description of the Facility -

1.2 1.4 Administration of the Facility- 1.4 1.5 Power Upgrade of the Scottish Universities Research Reactor 1.7 1.6 References 1.10

2. System Modifications l

2.1 Shielding ---

2.1 '

2.2 Primary Cooling System - 2.3 2.3 Secondary Cooling System -- -- 2.8 2.4 Fuel Element Configuration 2.12 2.5 Instrumentation -- - 2.13 2.6 Argon-41 Control System -- -- 2.19 2.7 References - - - - - 2.20

3. Thermal-Hydraulics Analysis 3.1 Heat Balance in the Core -------

3.1 j 3.2 ilaximum Fuel Temperature 3.2 3.3 Fuel Plate Temperature After Shutdown 3.3 3.4 References -----

3.4

4. Reactivity Transients 4.1 Fuel Burnup 4.1 4.2 Power Coefficient of Reactivity - 4.1 4.3 Xenon Transients -- -

4.3 4.4 Excess Reactivity Requirements 4.4 4.5 neferences 4.9

5. Radiation Safety 5.1 Shielding Analysis 5.1 5.2 Airborne Emissions -- 5.3 5.3 Liquid and Solid Effluents 5.14 5.4 References ~--

5.16

6. Design Basis Accident 6.1 Introduction 6.1 6.2 SPERT Reactor Test Data 6.1 6.3 Power Excursion Accidents --- --

6.11 6.4 Conclusions of Accident Analysis 6.21 6.5 Fault Tree Analysis of DBA 6.25 6.6 Conclusions of Fault Tree Analysis --

6.39 6.7 References - --

6.42 i

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1 W ,---y v -- y--e- -

List of Figures Page Nd.

1.1 Plan View of the VPI & SU Nuclear Reactor . . . . 1.3 1.2 Administrative Organization . . . . . . . . 1.5 1.3 Schedule for Power Upgrade Program . . . . . . 1.9 2.1 Reactor Shielding (Side View) . . . . . . . 2,1 2.2 Existing Primary and Secondary Cooling SystLm . . . 2.4 2.3 Proposed Cooling System . . . . . . . . . 2.5 2.4 Heat Exchanger for 500 kw Operation . . . . . . 2.7 2.5 Cooling Tower (Elevation) . . . . . . . . 2.9.

2.6 Cooling Tower Location . . . . . . . . . 2.10 2.7 Cooling Tower and Piping Run . . . . . . . . 2.11 2.8 Fuel Element . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.13 2.9 Schematic of Air Particulate Fission Product Monitor (APFPM) 2.14 2.10 Gamma Spectrum of Air Particulate Fission Products . . 2.15 2.11 Reactimecer Block Diagram . . . . . . . . 2.18 4.1 . Energy Generation 1959 - 1990 . . . . . . . 4.2 4.2 Heasured Reactivity Transient . . . . . . . 4.5 4.3 Regulating Rod Calibration . . . . . . . . 4.6 4.4 Xenon Transients (100 KW and 500 KW) . . . . . . 4.7 4.5 Tanon Transients (500 KW) . . . . . . . . 4.8 5.1 Gamma Isodose Curves (old shielding) . . . . . .. 5.2 5.2 Fast Neutron Isodose Curves (old shielding) . . . . 5.3 5.3 Thermal Neutron Isodtse Curves (old shielding) . . . 5.4 5.4 Gamma Isodose Curves (new shielding) . . . . . . 5.10 5.5 Fast Neutron Isodose Curves (new shielding) . . .- . 5.11 5.6 Thermal Neutron Isodose Curves (new shielding . . . 5.12 6.1 Typical Power Excursion of SPERT -I Reactor . . . . 6.5 6.2 SPERT-I Reactor Large Period Power Excursion with Reactor Coolant Forced Flow . . . . . . . . 6.10 6.3 Fault Tree Logic Symbols . . . . . . . . . 6.26 6.4 The ' Bathtub' Curve Model of Failure Frequency 6.27 6.5 Fault Tree of the VPI & SU Reactor Design Basis Accident 6.28 6.6 Quantification of the VPI & SU Reactor Design Basis Accident Fault Tree . . . . . . . . . . 6.40 11 o

List of Tables Page No.

1.1 Nuclear Reactor Staff ------ ---

1.4 1.2 Reactor Safety Subcannittet 1.6 1.3 Radioisotope Subcommittee 1.6 1.4 Radiation Safety Committee 1.6 1.5 Operating History of the VPI & SU Reactor 1.7 2.2 Specifications for Prinary Coolant Pump 2.3 2.3 Specifications for New Heat Exchanger 2.6 2.4 Specifications for Cooling Tower 2.8 2.5 Specifications for Secondary Coolant Pump 2.8 2.6 Argon-41 Emission (1978) --- 2.17.

4.1 Temperature Coefficients in the VPI & SU Reactor 4.1 4.2 Steady-State Temperatures --

4.3 4.3 Measured Reactivity Transient (100 KW) 4.4 5.1 Measured and Calculated Dose Rates 5.6 5.2 Waste Disposal from Reactor Operations -

5.11 6.1 Characteristics of SPERT-I A-17/28 and B-24/32 Cores and the VPI & SU Reactor Core - -

6.4 6.2 Data for the VPI & SU Reactor Power Excursion Accidenta 6.14 6.3 Comparison of Excursion Data for the VPI & SU Reactor Hypothetical Accident and the SPERT-I Reactor Destructive Test -- -

6.23 6.4 Failure Data for the VPI & SU Reactor Design Basis Accident Fault Tree --- ------

6.35 iii

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