ML19309A544

Chapter 1 of VA Polytechnic Inst & State Univ Research & Training Reactor PSAR, Introduction.

ML19309A544
Person / Time
Site:	05000124
Issue date:	11/01/1979
From:	VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIV., BLACKSB
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NUDOCS 8003310415
Download: ML19309A544 (10)

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1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 General Informacien This information is submitted to supercede the original appli-cation [1.1] and amendments for license R-62 as follows:

Application for Construction Permit-Date: February 5,1959 Amendments: April 1, 1959 July 2, 1959 November 20, 1959 December 14, 1959 Reactor Vendor: Advanced Technology Laboratories (a division of American-Standard)

[ Applicant: Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (VPI & SUl Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

, VPI&SU is the state, land-grant university with main campus )

I and reactor facility at BlacKsburg, Montgomery County, Virginia.

Principal Officers: President - Dr. W. M. Lavery, U.S. Citizen l

, Vice President for Administration - Dr. A. H. Krebs, U.S. Citizen Vice President for Finance - Mr. M. E. Ridenour, U.S. Citizen Addresses - (All) Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 Class of License: Class 104(C) Training and Research Reactor Present L,1 cense: R-62 Period of License: 10 years l Financial Qualifications: The university financial qualifications L are unchanged from 1969 when License R-62 was renewed.

l Technical Qualifications: The VPI&SU reactor facility now has operated safely for twenty years and has logged approximately 4000 startups during this period.

Schedule for Proposed Alterations: Modification to permit 500 KW i operation will begin immediately after authoriza-l tion and should be completed in approximately L sixty days.

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1.2 Description of the Nuclear Process to be Performed The VPI&SU Nuclear Reactor is a class 104C facility utilized for research and teaching activities of the university. No basic change .tn the nuclear processes performed at the facility are pro-posed and the general operating procedures as stated in the.

" Technical Specifications"are unchanged from the original application (Feb. 5,1959) and amendments (Apr.1, July 2, Nov. 20 and Dec.14, 1959). License R-62, received in December,1959 has been amenced as follows:

Amendment No.1, Dec. 7,1965, Increase in Power Level from 100 kw to 500 kw

, 1.3 Description of the Facility i

The VPI&SU Nuclear Reactor is an Argonaut reactor [1.2] designed, built and installed by Advanced Technology Laboratories, a Division of American-Standard and designated by them as the "UTR-10 reactor."

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The reactor is a 100 KW, H 2O moderated, heterogeneous reactor with graphite internal and external reflectors. Similar reactors are f located at five other universities in the U.S. and also at several

universities and research institutes around the world. A plan view of the reactor is shown in Fig. 1.1. The performance characteristics

, of the reactor are described in reference 1.3.

The reactor core consists of a graphite parallelepiped in which are embedded two aluminum tanks containing the fuel. The internal graphite reflector is about 18 inches wide. Inside the aluminum

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, tanks are twelve fuel elements each of which contains 12 fuel plates.

The fuel plates are composed of U-Al alloy and are clad with alumi-num Th 12 neutrons fu carI sece 1marimum thermal neutron flux is approximately 10 The reactor operated since December 1959 under license R-62 at

, power levels up to the marimum of 10 KW. In 1969 the license was i meended to allow operation at power levels up to 100 KW. Performance of the system has been essentially as predicted by the manufacturer and, wherever possible, experimental verification of the design characteristics of the system has been carried out. The reactor is described in the " Technical Specifications," Parts 3.0 through 6.0, and detailed drawings of the system and components are found in

" Hazard Analysis - UTR-10," submitted as part of the original Appli-cation for Construction Permit, Feb. 5, 1959.

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The location of the reactor facility in the Physics Building is unchanged and the teaching, laboratory and research activities in the remainder of the Physics Building have not changed significantly.

The facility change proposed in this document is to inernase the maximum power level from 100 KW to 500 KW. Modifications required to carry out the facility change are:

1. Enlarge cooling lines from core tanks to process pit.

2. Extend range of present instrumentation.

3. Add additio 'l shielding to outside of concrete shield.

4. Install new econdary coolant system. l S. Install new A-41 control system. '

A detailed description of each particular modification is included in this document. (Chapter 2) i 1.4 Administration of the Facility l l

The professional staff at the reactor as of August 30, 1979 is  !

given in Table 1.1. Part-time student help consists of reactor operator trainees and laboratory helpers.

Table 1.1 Nuclear Reactor Staff Position Name Full-Time Equivalent Laboratory Director T. F. Parkinson 0.5 Deputy Director A. K. Furr

• Reactor Supervisor R. T. S tone 1.0 Senior Reactor Operator A. P. Curtner 1.0 Laboratory Supervisor / Senior Reactor Operator H. G. Knight 1.0 Radiation Safety Officer R. T. Mogle

• Clerk-Typist F. B. Leighton 0.5 Not budgeted to the Nuclear Re.ctor Laboratory

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Administration of reactor operations is subject to the review of the Reactor Safety Subcommittee, the Radioisotope Subcommittee, and the Radiation Safety Committee. The personnel assigned to these groups as of Sept. 30, 1979 is listed in Tables 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4.

A block diagram of the VPI & SU 11_e organization is shown in Fig.1.2.

.. tis administrative structure complies with the guidelines of Reference 1.4.

1.4

9 PRESIDENT j

( . l VICE-PRESl0ENT 1 FOR ------------

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i DEAN OF ENGINEERING RADIATION SAFETY COMMITTEE HEAD, _.L _

MECHANICAL I I I ENGINEERING REACTOR SAFETY RADIOISOTOPE SUBCOMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE DIRECTOR, NUCLEAR REACTOR LABORATORY REACTOR SUPERVISOR I

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' REACTOR OPERATORS Fig. 1.2 .idministrative Organization for Reactor Control and Safety 1.5 l

Tablo 1.2 Rsector Szfsty Subcommittso Dr. Robert H. Ililler, (Chairman), Assoc Prof., Electrical Enginterin.;

Dr. Ronald J. Onega, Assoc. Prof. , Nuclear Engineering Dr. Clifford Randall, Prof., Civil Engineering Dr. Bryce Shriver, Director, Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Univ. of Virginia Mr. Robert D. Mogle, Reactor Radiation Safety Officer (ex-officio)

Dr. Thomas F. Parkinson, Director Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (ex-of ficio).

Mr. Alan P. Curtner, (Secretary), Reactor Supervisor (ex-of ficio)

Table 1.3 Radioisotope Subcommittee Dr. A. Keith Furr (Chairman), Prof. , Nuclear Engineering and Director, Office of Health and Safety Regulatory Programs Dr. R. C. Bates, Assoc. Prof., Microbiology, Biology Dept.

Dr. T. L. Bibb, Assoc. Prof., Col. of Vet. Medicine -

Dr. J. R. Craig, Prof., Geol. Science Mr. C. D. Goldsmith, Asst. Purchasing Agent, Purchasing Dept.

Mr. S. L.11 eyers (Secretary), Radiation Safety Officer Dr. B. Storrie, Asst. Professor, Biochem. & Nutrition Dr. G. G. Schurig, Assistant Prof., Veterinary Medicina Table 1.4 Radiation Safety Committee Dr. Roger A. Teekell (Chairman), Assoc. Dean, Graduate School, and Professor of Poultry Science Dr. James R. Craig, Prof., Geological Science Dr. Richard F. Desjardins, M.D., Staff Physician Dr. A Keith Furr, Prof. of Nuclear Engineering and Director, Office of Health and Safety Regulatory Programs Mr. Sylvester L. Meyers, Radiation Safety Officer Dr. Thomas F. Parkinson, Prof. of Nuclear Engineering and Director, Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Dr. C. E. Polan, Professar, Dairy Science Mr. J. L. Shotts, Director of Purchasing Mr. R. D. Mogle, (Secretary), Reactor Radiation Safety Officer Dr. Gerald P. Beck (Consultant), Director, Fuclear Reactor Laboratory, University of Illinois-Champaign, Urbana Dr. H. L. Wood, Prof., Mechanical Engineering Mr. A. P. Curtner, Nuclear Reactor Supervisor, Hechanical Engineering Mr. John W. Cure, III (Consultant), Staff Health Physicist, Babcock and Wilcox Co., Lynchburg, Virginia 1.6

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1 Utilization of the reactor has increased substantially over the past 10 years. Table 1.5 sununarizes the operating time and energy generated for the period 1971-1979 In spite of its 20-year )

operating history, the reactor has a high availability and is one i of the best utilized of any university reactor of its class.

l Table 1.5 '

Operating History of the VPI&SU Reactor l l

Year

• Hours Operated Energy Generated (KWH) 1971- 72 450 45,514 1972- 73 1000 93,680 1973- 74 1100 73,497  !

1974- 75 1100 95,346

'975- 76

. 1400 127,736

< 1976- 77 1156.4 110,091 1977- 78 1310.8 114,313 1978- 79 1022.5 87,918

• For Fiscal Years, i.e. July 1 through June 30 i Flans to increase the marimum power of the reactor to 500 KW have been underway for several years.' A study of the " design basis accident" for the higher power operation has been completed. [1.5]

This study confirmed the i W rent safety of the Argonaut reactor design even under the higu unlikely postulated accident.

! A proposed schedule for accomplishing the increase in anv4= =

power to 500 KW is shown in Figure 1.3.

1.5 Power Upgrade of the Scottish Universities Research Reactor The Scottish Universities Research Reactor (SURR) is an Argonaut reactor located in East Kilbride near Glasgow, Scotland j [1.6[ . This reactor was designed by American Standard and is virtually identical to the VPI & SU Research Reactor. One minor difference between the two reactors is that the original SURR fuel j elements contain 13 plates while the VPI & SU fuel elements contain L 12 plates. The SURR was initially licensed to operate at 100las maximum power.

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1 In 1969 studies were undertaken to raise the maximun operating power to 300 kw. An extensive analysis of the thermal hydraulics indicated that higher power operrtion was feasible and the necessary system modifications were iriplemented. Since the end of 1970 the SURR has been operating routinely at 300 kw. A description of the analytical and experimental programs supporting 300 kw operation is given in reference 1.7.

Because of the close similarity between the SURR and the VPI & SU reactor, the experience and excellent documentation of the former' is particularly valuable in upgrading the VPI & SU reactor to 500 kw max-inum power.

Plans are underway,to upgrade che power of the UCLA Argonaut reactor to 500 kw. [1.8j . i l

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Fig. 1.3 Schedule for' Power Upgrade Program Task J.w M 7 7 J;w. 19

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14) NRC Documentation l

1.6 References 1.1 Construction ermit Application for Amendment to VPI Reactor License R-62 1.2 Lennox, D.N., et al., "The Argonaut Reactor: A Generalized Reactor Facilicy for Nuclear Technology Training and Researefi,"

Proc. 2nd Conf. on PUAC, 10,,

0 265 (1958).

1.3 Stam, E., " Performance Characteristics of the VPI Training and Research Reactor (UTR-101, "21.S. Thesis, VPI&SU, 1961.

1.4 Proposed American National Standard, ANS 15.18, " Standard for Administrative Controls for Research Reactors," Jan. 1978 (Draft) 1.5 Tuley, K. D., " Power Excursion Safety Analysis of the VPI&SU Reactor 500 KW Model," U.S. Thesis, VPI&SU,1976.

1.6 Izatt, J. A. and J. Scobie, " Characteristics of the UTR-100 Reactor, J. ,f Bri t auc. Eng. Soc. 6_, No. 4, Oct. 1967 1.7 Riley, J. A. and J. A. Izatt, " Upgrading Power of the Scottish Universities Research Reactor",

Part 1. Analysis of Reactor Cooling System, SRRC 24/68 Part 2. Proposed Scheme for Increasing Reactor Power to 300 kw Thermal, SERC 28/68 Part 3. Commissioning and Post Commissioning Report, SRRC/44/72, April 1972 1.8 Howard, 'eorge E. and C. . Suith, " Operation of the UCLA Argonaut Reactor at 0.5 !!W", Trans. ANS, Dec.1969.

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