ML071230476
| ML071230476 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05000134 |
| Issue date: | 05/10/2007 |
| From: | Johnny Eads NRC/NRR/ADRA/DPR/PRTB |
| To: | Laflamme S Worcester Polytechnic Institute |
| Eads J, NRR/ADRA/DPR/PRTB, 415-1471 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML070160003 | List: |
| References | |
| 50-134/07-001 50-134/07-001 | |
| Download: ML071230476 (11) | |
Text
May 10, 2007Mr. Stephen J. LaFlamme, Reactor SupervisorNuclear Reactor Facility Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA 01609
SUBJECT:
RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORT NO. 50-134/OL-07-01, WORCESTERPOLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Dear Mr. LaFlamme:
On April 11, 2007, you administered an NRC prepared operator licensing written examination atyour Worcester Polytechnic Institute Reactor. The examination was conducted according to NUREG-1478, "Non-Power Reactor Operator Licensing Examiner Standards," Revision 1. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter and theenclosures will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public DocumentRoom or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at (the Public Electronic ReadingRoom) http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/indesx.html. The NRC is forwarding the individualgrades to you in a separate letter which will not be released publicly. Should you have any questions concerning this examination, please contact Paul V. Doyle Jr. at (301)415-1058 or via internet E-mail at pvd@nrc.gov. Sincerely, /RA MM Mendonca for/Johnny Eads, ChiefResearch and Test Reactors Branch B Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-134
Enclosures:
- 1. Retake Examination Report No. 50-134/OL-07-012. Examination and answer key with facility comments includedcc w/encls:Please see next page May 10, 2007Mr. Stephen J. LaFlamme, Reactor Supervisor Nuclear Reactor Facility Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA 01609
SUBJECT:
RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORT NO. 50-134/OL-07-01, WORCESTERPOLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Dear Mr. LaFlamme:
On April 11, 2007, you administered an NRC prepared operator licensing written examination atyour Worcester Polytechnic Institute Reactor. The examination was conducted according to NUREG-1478, "Non-Power Reactor Operator Licensing Examiner Standards," Revision 1. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the Commission's regulations, a copy of this letter and theenclosures will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public DocumentRoom or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at (the Public Electronic ReadingRoom) http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/indesx.html. The NRC is forwarding the individualgrades to you in a separate letter which will not be released publicly. Should you have any questions concerning this examination, please contact Paul V. Doyle Jr. at (301)415-1058 or via internet E-mail at pvd@nrc.gov. Sincerely, /RA MM Mendonca for/Johnny Eads, ChiefResearch and Test Reactors Branch B Division of Policy and Rulemaking Office of Nuclear Reactor RegulationDocket No. 50-134
Enclosures:
- 1. Retake Examination Report No. 50-134/OL-07-012. Examination and answer key with facility comments includedcc w/encls:Please see next pageDISTRIBUTION w/ encls.:PUBLIC RNRP R&TR r/fJEads Facility File (EBarnhill) O-6 F-2MMendoncaADAMS ACCESSION #: ML071230476TEMPLATE #:NRR-074OFFICEPRTB:CE IOLB:LAEPRTB:BCNAMEPDoyleEBarnhillJeads:MMendonca forDATE 05/04/2007 05/08/2007 05/10/2007C = COVERE = COVER & ENCLOSUREN = NO COPYOFFICIAL RECORD COPY Worcester Polytechnic InstituteDocket No. 50-134 cc:
City ManagerCity Hall 455 Main Street, Room 309 Worcester, MA 01608Office of the Attorney GeneralEnvironmental Protection Division
19 th FloorOne Ashburton Place Boston, MA 02180Director Radiation Control Program Department of Public Health 90 Washington Street Dorchester, MA 02121Nuclear Preparedness ManagerMassachusetts Emergency Management Agency 40 Worcester Road Framingham, MA 01702-5399Department of Environmental ProtectionOne Winter Street Boston, MA 02180Carol Simpson, Ph. D.Provost and Senior Vice President Provost's Office Worcester Polytechnic Institute 100 Institute Road Worcester, MA 01609-2280Gretar Tryggvason, Professor and HeadDepartment of Mechanical Engineering Worcester Polytechnic Institute 100 Institute Road Worcester, MA 01609-2280Test, Research, and Training Reactor Newsletter University of Florida 202 Nuclear Sciences Center Gainesville, FL 32611 U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOPERATOR LICENSING RETAKE EXAMINATION REPORTREPORT NO.:50-134/OL-07-01FACILITY DOCKET NO.:50-134 FACILITY LICENSE NO.:R-61 FACILITY:Worcester Polytechnic Institute EXAMINATION DATES:April 11, 2007SUBMITTED BY:___________/RA/____________________May 2, 2007
_____________
Paul V. Doyle Jr., Chief ExaminerDate
SUMMARY
The NRC prepared a retake examination (Section A only) which was mailed to the facility foradministration. The facility administered the examination and returned the candidate's answer sheets for grading. The candidate passed the written examination. REPORT DETAILS1.Examiners: Paul V. Doyle Jr., Chief Examiner2.Results:RO PASS/FAILSRO PASS/FAILTOTAL PASS/FAILWritten1/00/01/0Operating Tests0/00/00/0 Overall1/00/01/03.Exit Meeting:Paul V. Doyle Jr., Examiner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Stephen J. Laflamme, Reactor Supervisor, Worcester Polytechnic InstituteThe examiner and the reactor supervisor conducted an exit meeting per telephone call on April11, 2007. The facility identified one question (A.08) which was missing the associated figure.
The examiner decided to delete this one question. The facility also identified A.11 as a question with two correct answers, either d or b. The answer key has been modified to show two correct answers b and d. The facility had no other comments. Question A.11 will be modified to replace the current distractor b with one which is incorrect.ENCLOSURE 1 OPERATOR LICENSING EXAMINATIONWith Answer Key WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTEJanuary 22, 2007ENCLOSURE 2 Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 2Question A.01[1.0 point]The number of neutrons passing through a square centimeter per second is the definition of which ONE ofthe following?a.Neutron Population (np) b.Neutron Impact Potential (nip) c.Neutron Flux (nv) d.Neutron Density (nd)Question A.02[1.0 point]The Fast Fission Factor () is defined as "The ratio of the number of neutrons produced by -a.fast fission to the number produced by thermal fission.
b.thermal fission to the number produced by fast fission.
c.fast and thermal fission to the number produced by thermal fission.
d.fast fission to the number produced by fast and thermal fission.Question A.03[1.0 point]During a fuel loading of the core, as the reactor approaches criticality, the value of 1/M:
a.Increases toward one b.Decreases toward one c.Increases toward infinity d.Decreases toward zeroQuestion A.04[2.0 points, 0.4 each]Given a mother isotope of (35 Br 87)*, identify each of the daughter isotopes as a result of , +, -, , or n,decay.a.33 As 83 b.34 Se 87 c. 35 Br 86 d.35 Br 87 e.36 Kr 87 Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 3Question A.05[1.0 point]Which ONE of the following is the definition of the term "Cross-Section
?"a.The probability that a neutron will be captured by a nucleus.b.The most likely energy at which a charge particle will be captured.
c.The length a charged particle travels past the nucleus before being captured.d.The area of the nucleus including the electron cloud.Question A.6[1.0 point]Given the data in the table to the right, which ONE of the following is the closest to the half-life of thematerial?a.11 minutes b.22 minutes c.44 minutes d.51 minutesQuestion A.07[1.0 point]When performing rod calibrations, many facilities pull the rod out a given increment, then measure thetime for reactor power to double (doubling time), then calculate the reactor period. If the doubling time is42 seconds, what is the reactor period?a.29 sec b.42 sec c.61 sec d.84 secQuestion A.08[1.0 point]Question deleted per facility commentUsing the graphs provided in the handout. Choose the ONE which most closely depicts the reactivityversus time plot for xenon for the following evolution. Bring the reactor to 100% power (clean core) and operate for four days (96 hours0.00111 days <br />0.0267 hours <br />1.587302e-4 weeks <br />3.6528e-5 months <br />). Shutdown the reactor for 15 hours1.736111e-4 days <br />0.00417 hours <br />2.480159e-5 weeks <br />5.7075e-6 months <br />. Bring the reactor to 50% power for aday (24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />).a.Ab.Bc.Cd.DTIMEACTIVITY0 minutes2400 cps10 minutes1757 cps 20 minutes1286 cps 30 minutes941 cps 60 minutes369 cps Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 4Question A.09[1.0 point]Which ONE of the following will cause the reactor to reach criticality at a higher rod height?a.Increase in moderator temperature b.Increase in barometric pressure c.adding new fuel d.inserting a positive reactivity experimentQuestion A.10[1.0 point]
K eff is K times -a.the fast fission factor ()b.the total non-leakage probability ( f x th) c.the reproduction factor ()d.the resonance escape probability (p)Question A.11[1.0 points]Which ONE of the following causes indicated power (Startup Channel Count Rate) to stabilize severalhours after a reactor trip? Assume reactor was operated for 12 hours1.388889e-4 days <br />0.00333 hours <br />1.984127e-5 weeks <br />4.566e-6 months <br /> at 100 Kwatts, and no core alterations or changes in experiments.a.Decay of compensating voltage at low power levels.
b.Actual power dropping below noise level for the instrumentation.
c.Decay of the longest lived delayed neutron precursor.
d.Subcritical multiplication of Source neutrons within the reactor.Question A.12[1.0 point]You enter the control room and note that all nuclear instrumentation show a steady neutron level, and norods are in motion. Which ONE of the following conditions CANNOT be true?a.The reactor is critical.b.The reactor is subcritical.
c.The reactor is supercritical.
d.The neutron source has been removed from the core.
Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 5Question A.13[2.0 points, 1/2 each]Match each term in column A with the correct definition in column B.Column AColumn Ba.Prompt Neutron1.A neutron in equilibrium with its surroundings.
b.Fast Neutron2.A neutron born directly from fission.
c.Thermal Neutron 3.A neutron born due to decay of a fission product.
d.Delayed Neutron4.A neutron at an energy level greater than its surroundings.Question A.14[1.0 point]Shown below is a trace of reactorperiod as a function of time.
Between points A and B reactor power is:a.continually increasing.
b.continually decreasing.
c.increasing, then decreasing.
d.constant.Question A.15[1.0 point]The reactor supervisor tells you that the K eff for the reactor is 0.955. How much reactivity must you add tothe reactor to reach criticality?a.+0.0471 b.+0.0450 c.-0.0471 d.-0.0450 Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 6Question A.16[1.0 point]By definition, an exactly critical reactor can be made prompt critical by adding positive reactivity equal to
-a.the shutdown margin b.the Kexcess margin c.the eff valued.1.0 %K/K.Question A.17[2.0 points, 1/2 each]Using the drawing of the Integral Rod Worth Curve provided, identify each of the following reactivityworths.a.Total Rod Worth1.B - A b.Actual Shutdown Margin2.C - A c.Technical Specification Shutdown Margin Limit3.C - B d.Excess Reactivity4.D - C5.E - C 6.E - D 7.E - A Section A:
L Theory, Thermodynamics & Facility Operating CharacteristicsPage 7A.01c REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.02c REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.03d REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.04a, ;b, +;c, n;d, ;e, -REF:STD NRC question.A.05a REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.06b REF:A.07cREF:ln (2) = -time/ = time/(ln(2)) = 60.59 61 seconds A.08Question deleted per facility comment REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.09aREF:Burn, Reed Robert, Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, © December 1988, § A.10b REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.11d or b 2 nd correct answer added per facility comment.REF:Burn, Reed Robert, Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, © December, 1988, § 5.2.1 - 5.3pp. 5 5-13. A.12c REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.13a, 2; b, 4; c, 1; d, 3REF:Burn, Reed Robert, Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, © December, 1988, § A.14a REF:Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, ©1982, Reed Robert Burn § A.15a REF:= (K eff1 - K eff2) ÷ (K eff1
- K eff2) = (0.9550 - 1.0000) ÷ (0.9550
- 1.0000) = -0.0450 ÷ 0.9550 = -0.0471A.16cREF:Burn, R., Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Operations, © 1988, § A.17 a, 7;b, 2;c, 1;d, 5 REF: