ML040920303

Operations Report 56 for Nbsr, Covering Period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003

ML040920303
Person / Time
Site:	National Bureau of Standards Reactor
Issue date:	03/23/2004
From:	Gallagher P US Dept of Commerce, National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML040920303 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-VOICE (301) 975-6210 FAX (301) 975-9427 March 23, 2004 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

Subject:

Docket #50-184 Gentlemen:

Transmitted herewith is Operations Report No. 56 for the NBSR. The report covers the period January 1,2003 to December 31, 2003.

S Iel P.D. Gal her Director, NIST Center for Neutron Research Enclosure cc: C. Bassett, Non-Power Reactor Inspector

-U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioned 61 Forsyth St. S.W.

23T85 Atlanta, GA 30303 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Marvin Mendonca, 012-G13 Washington, DC 20555-0001 y4 N LST

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY REACTOR (NBSR)

Docket #50-184 Facility License No. TR-5 Operations Report

- #56 -

January 1, 2003 - December 31, 2003 This report contains a summary of activities connected with the operations of the NBSR. It is submitted in fulfillment of section 7.8(3) of the NBSR Technical Specifica-tions and covers the period from January 1,2003 to December 31, 2003.

Section numbers in the report (such as 7.8(3)(a)) correspond to those used in the Technical Specifications.

rc 004 DP.D. Gallagher Director, NIST Center for Neutron Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS 7.8(3)(a) Summary of Plant Operations 7.8(3)(b) Unscheduled Shutdowns 7.8(3)(c) Tabulation of Major items of Plant Maintenance 7.8(3)(d) Tabulation of Major Changes in the Facility and Procedures, and the Test and Experiments, Carried Out Without Prior Approval by the NRC Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59 7.8(3)(e) Summary of Radioactive Material Released and Results of Environmental Surveys Performed 7.8(3)(f) Summary of Significant Exposures Received by Facility Personnel and Visitors 2003 Operations Report for NBSR (TR-5)

[Docket #50-1 841 Page 1

7.8(3)(a) Summary of Plant Operations During the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003 the reactor was critical for 5891 hours0.0682 days <br />1.636 hours <br />0.00974 weeks <br />0.00224 months <br /> with an energy output of 117,472 MWH. Major activities during this period included: replacement and testing of a new station battery; shipment of spent fuel; and maintaining the Thermal Shield Cooling System.

7.8(3)(b) Unscheduled Shutdowns

1. There were 5 scrams due to commercial power interruptions. After 4 of those scrams, a return to 20 MW occurred within an hour. For the other scram, a restart to 20 MW occurred within 50 hours5.787037e-4 days <br />0.0139 hours <br />8.267196e-5 weeks <br />1.9025e-5 months <br />.

2. There were 2 shutdowns due to a stuck sample capsule in pneumatic sample tube RT-4. The first shutdown was due to the use of the wrong capsule and after investigating and then correcting the problem, a return to 20 MW occurred within 40 hours4.62963e-4 days <br />0.0111 hours <br />6.613757e-5 weeks <br />1.522e-5 months <br />. The second shutdown was due to the RT-4 tube. The capsule was removed, the tube was placed out-of-service, and a return to 20 MW occurred within 60 hours6.944444e-4 days <br />0.0167 hours <br />9.920635e-5 weeks <br />2.283e-5 months <br />.

'Tierewas 1 shutdown-due to a failure-of a cooling tower breaker, which 3

caused a loss of secondary cooling. Corrective action was taken and a return to 20 MW occurred within 45 hours5.208333e-4 days <br />0.0125 hours <br />7.440476e-5 weeks <br />1.71225e-5 months <br />.

7.8(3)(c) Tabulation of Major Items of Plant Maintenance Note: Several of these' items' are covered by an Engineering Change Notice (ECN).

1. Installed, tested, and'placed into service a second pump in the thermal column flow system.

2. Installed, tested, and placed into service an IXcolumn in the thermal column flow system.

3. Replaced heat exchanger plates in the thermal column flow system.

Replaced the station battery.

4. Cut 32 spent fuel elements.

5. Shipped spent fuel pieces from facility.

6. Replaced motors of #1, #2, #3, and #4 secondary main pumps.

7. Replaced soft start controllers of all secondary main pumps.

8. Replaced and moved C-100 experimental chill water header.

9. Replaced supply and return chill water isolation valves to confinement building.

10. Continued with thermal shield tube sealing as necessary

11. Performed regularly scheduled Technical Specification Surveillance tests and plant preventative maintenance.'

2003 Operations Report for NBSR (TR-5)

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12. Replaced NC-5. -

13. Instrument calibration surveillance tests were performed for the following:

Two Intermediate and Two Power Range Channels Reactor Vessel Flow and Level Recorders and Indicators Reactor Differential Temperature Channel Confinement Building Area Radiation Monitors Fission Product and Secondary Cooling N16 Monitors Three Confinement Building Effluent Monitors Emergency Ventilation System Controllers

14. Twenty-eight instrument service requests (ISR) were completed, including:

ISR # ACTION 1647 Replaced #1 Shim Arm position indicator 1650 Replaced failed detector for Process Room Area Radiation

-Monitor 1654 Replaced Area Radiation Monitor detector in Process Room 1656 Replaced GM tube for Fission Product Monitor (RM3-2) 1657A Replaced failed 15 VDC power supply in reg rod automatic control system (NC-5) 1658 Tritium Monitor - Replaced 90 Volt batteries with 90 VDC power supply 1659 Repaired electrometer for reg rod automatic control system (NC-5) 7.8(3)(d) Tabulation of Major Changes in the Facility and Procedures, and the Test and Experiments, Carried Out Without Prior Approval by the NRC pursuant to 10 CFR 50.59.

The following facility changes were completed this year. None required a license amendment or a change to the technical specifications, and there were no changes made pursuant to the applicable criteria of 10 CFR 50.59.

ECN 467 Replacement and relocation of Experimental Chilled Water Header ECN 468 Replace Nuclear Wide Range Linear Control Channel (NC-5) 7.8(3)(e) Summary of Radioactive Material Released and Results of Environmental Surveys Performed.

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Gaseous releases consisted of 1031 curies of tritium, 1078 curies of Argon-41, 0.03 curies of Br-82, and 0.02 curies of other beta-gaima emitters. There were 4.61curies of tritium and 1.0 millicuries of other beta-gamma emitters released into the sanitary sewer. Environmental samples of the streams, vegetation, and/or soil, and air showed no significant changes.

7.8(3)(f) Summary of Significant Exposures Received by Facility Personnel and Visitors.

1. None to visitors.

2. Dosimetry results for this reporting period indicated that no facility personnel received significant exposures.

2003 Operations Report for NBSR (TR-5)

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