ML20071G700

Annual Operations Rept of AGN-201M Training Reactor,License R-23, for June 1978-May 1979

ML20071G700
Person / Time
Site:	Texas A&M University
Issue date:	05/31/1979
From:	Cochran R, Zgliczynski J TEXAS A&M UNIV., COLLEGE STATION, TX
To:
Shared Package
ML19246A523	List: ML20071G700
References
NUDOCS 7907030249
Download: ML20071G700 (9)

Text

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O ANNUAL OPERATIONS REPORT of the TEXAS Af,M UNIVERSITY AGN-20DI TRAINING REACTOR W

NRC LICENSE R-23 June 1, 1978 - Riy 31, 1979 79070302L(f

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ANNUAL OPERATIONS REPORT of the TEXAS ASM UNIVERSITY AGN-201M TRAINING REACIDR l

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NRC LICENSE R-23 I ~

June 1, 1978 - May 31, 1979

, Prepared by:

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3. B. 2(Itczyn9kil Reactor Supervisor O Approved By:

R. G. Cochran, Head Nuclear Engineering Department DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGIfEERING Texas AGM University College Station, Texas 77843

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! 1. SUM %RY i-jY This report details the pertinent activities related to the Texas ASM

] University ACN-201M training reactor facility operated by the Department of i

} Nuclear Engineering during the period June 1, 1978 to May 31, 1979. Furthermore, ,

j it is intended that the contents of this report comply with the requirements of f 10 CFR 50, Section 50.59 (b) and Appendix A, Technical Specifications, of NRC i

i license R-23.

l l The utilization of this facility continues to be similar to that of previous i

{ years. The general categories of utilization for this past year were support of O nuc1 ear easiacerias courses overator traiatas aaa preveutive ainteaaace-Nuclear Engineering courses supported during the past year were:

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NE 402 Nuclear Detection and Isotope Technology Laboratory i '

i NE 405 Nuclear Engineering Experiments i*

j NE 485 Problems

!V NE 679 Practical Applications of Radiological Safety I 1

j Several modifications of facility hardware were made during this reporting period to improve system perfonnance. These modifications are described in l

detail in Section 5. (a.). None of the modifications perfonned change the facility description or performance as described in the safety analysis report j or technical specifications.

f During nonnal preventive maintenance, malfunctioning components were l replaced as detailed in Section 4 Facility modifications and component

.. replacement perfonned during this reporting period do not involve unreviewed

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i safety questions and are not expected to adversely affect the safe operation i* of this facility.

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• 2 The results of all major surveillance tests and inspections perfonned during this reporting period were nominal. A summary of various reactor

't parameter surveillance measurements are shown in Table I.

TABLE I. REACFOR PARAMETER SURVEILLANCE MEASUREMENTS Date Parameter Value 2/8/79 Fine Control Rod Reactivity Worth 0.38%

h 2/7/79- Coarse Control Rod Reactivity Worth 1.20%

h 1/18/79 Coarse Control Rod Drop Time 140 msec 2/7/79 Safety Rod #1 Reactivity Worth 1.18%

h O 1/18/79 a #1 aoa oroP Ti c saretr oa iso =sec 2/7/79 Safety Rod #2 Reactivity Worth 1.18%

h 1/18/79 Safety Rod #2 Rod Drop Time 140 msec 4/30/79 Total Excess Reactivity 020 C 0.34% ,

2. OPERATIONAL SIAM \RY d

Utilization by Category: 5 (a) Support of Nuclear Engineering Courses 77.20 hrs. <

, (b) Operator Training .93 hrs.

(c) Preventive Maintenance 16.73 hrs.

Total Operating flours 94.91 Total Watt - flours of Operation 97.44 watt-hrs.  !

Average Power Level of Operation 1.03 watts Number of Reactor Startups 114 t

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3. UNSCHEDUIID SiUTDOWNS Date Tm Cause Corrective Action 6/16/78 Period Scram Signal Noise None 6/16/78 Lost Magnet Current Dirty Contacts on Shield Cleaned Water Level Interlock Contacts 1/12/79 Lost Magnet Current Dirty Contacts on Shield Cleaned Water Level Interlock Contacts 2/13/79 Chan. #3 liigh Level Operator Error in Scram Switching Meter Scales None 2/16/79 Chan. #3 liigh Level Operator Error in Scram Switching Meter Scales None 2/28/79 Period Scram Source Driven in at O Subcritical Source Level None t

3/21/79 Chan. #3 liigh Level Operator Error in Scram Switching Meter Scales None Sumary (a) Instrument Scrams 4

' V (b) Operator Error 3 i Total Unscheduled Shutdowns 7 O 4. CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND C(NPONDir REPLACEMENT Corrective maintenance and component replacement perfomed as nonnal maintenance of the Texas ASM University AGN-201M reactor and instrumentation during this reporting period are sumarized as follows:

l (a) 7/11/78 - Safety Rod #2 " rod up" and " engaged" microswitches found defective and were replaced during normal control rod inspection.

(b) 7/13/78 - Coarse Control Rod " carriage down" microswitch found j defective and was replaced during nonnal control rod inspection.

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4 (c) 7/20/78 - Coarse Control Rod drive switch noise suppression capacitor failed and was replaced.

V (d) 7/24/78 - Channel #2, Log N Channel, vacuum tubes V-5, V-6, and V-14 replaced.

(c) 9/11/78 - Safety Rod #1 " red down" microswitch found defective and was replaced.

(f) 12/24/78 - Channel #2, Iog N Channel, chassis power transfomer burned out. Subsequent investigation showed that a cathode to filament short in vacuum tube V-12 (6BW4) probably caused a high current in the chassis power transfomer filament windings leading to overheating and burn out of the O trenstermer. on 1/5/79 - vacuum tube v-12 and the chassis gewer transformer were replaced.

(g) 1/5/79 - Channel #2, Log N Channel, vacuum tubes V-4, V-5, V-6, V-11, V-13, V-14, and V-17, replaced.

(h) 1/12/79 - Shield Water Level Interlock float switch contacts cleaned and contact tension readjusted.

(i) 2/5/79 - Coarse Control Rod drive switch noise suppression capacitor failed and was replaced.

Q (j) 2/5/79 - Coarse Control Rod drive switch contacts were .found pitted.

Drive switch was rewired to use previously unused contacts on the switch. All noise suppression capacitors on all control rod drive switches were removed.

No increase in switching noise was detectable after capacitor removal.

(k) 5/24/79 - Channel #1, Log Count Rate Channel, EG G G NIM bin power supply - 12 VDC output failed. EG G G NIM bin replaced with equivalent

. Tennelec NIM bin power supply.

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i The corrective maintenance and component replacement performed during this reporting period have no impact on the safe operation of the reactor facility  ;

fG and do not change the description of the facility as submitted in the license

application and amendments thereto.

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) 5. (a) REACTOR FDDIFICATIONS i

j Pbdifications of the Texas AQI University AW-201M reactor and instnment-ation perfonned during this reporting period are detailed as follows:

i (1) 6/27/78 - The original AGN 110 VDC contml rod motor and ,

! 28 VDC control rod magnet power supplies were modified by replacing the i-l original selenium stack rectifiers by solid state silicon diode rectifiers.

I Q Also large filter capacitors were added to the 110 VDC and 28 VDC outputs.

All component changes were detailed on Am drawing 2-000 474 - A as revised.

1 l This modification was made to decrease ripple in the D.C. outputs and

$ to modemize the D.C. power chassis. Tests of the power supply after modifi-l <

j. cation showed significant ripple reduction and nuch better stability under load.

1 This modification was presented to the Reactor Safety Board on 9/18/78 and

!t has no safety impact.

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l (2) 7/13/78 - The " rod up" microswitch mechanisms on Safety Rod #1, I

Safety Rod #2, and the Coarse Control Rod were modified to be activated by j

1 (q/

) the microswitch roller cam rather than by conpressing the whole microswitch i

activating lever. This modification was made to avoid unnecessary wear to

! the microswitch and to allow the microswitch to be activated earlier, thereby i preventing the rod drive carriage from jansning into the mechanical stop. Tests *

of this modification showed that the microswitch mechanisms operated smoothly I

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and that the rod drive carriages coasted gently against the stops.

l This modification was presented to the Reactor Safety Board on 9/18/79 Id l

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6 and has no safety impact.

s (3) 10/17/78 - Leeds G Northrup recorder capillary pens replaced with

'I disposable marker pens. .his modification has no safety impact. ,

Reactor modifications perfomed during this reporting period have no '

impact on the safe operation of the reactor facility and do not change the j description of the facility as submitted in the license application and I

amendments theretc.

5. (b) OIANGES'ID PROCEDURES No changes to procedures were made during this reporting period.

5. (c) NEW EXPERIENTS OR TESTS O No new experiments or tests were perfomed during this reporting period.

6. SIMIARY OF SAFETY EVALUATIONS No changes, tests, or experiments were perfomed subsequent to 10 CFR 50 paragraph 50.59, during this reporting period; therefore, no safety evaluations

- were required.

7. SlMIARY OF RADI0 ACTIVE EFFLUENT RELEASE V

No liquid or solid radioactive waste was released during this reporting period.

8. ENVIRON?!E?ffAL RADIOLOGICAL SURVEYS No environmental radiological surveys were perfomed outside the facility during this reporting period.

9. RADIATION EXPOSURE No reactor facility personnel or visitors received radiation exposures greater than 100 mrem (50 mrem for persons under 18 years of age) during this j , reporting period.

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10. - REACTOR SAFETY BOARD ACTIONS 9/11/78 - Dr. F. Sicilio of the Reactor Safety Board audited the AGN-201M J Reactor Facility with particular attention to physical and administrative security. No discrepancies were found.

9/18/78 - The Reactor Safety Board approved the revised Technical Specifications for submittal to the NRC.

11. MISCEl. LANE 00S The NRC Region IV Office of Inspection and Enforcement inspected the AGN-201M Reactor Facility on 11/7/78 with regard to physical and administrative security. No items of noncmipliance wem found.

O rue xac aesie- v errice or 1 sFectie a terorce e=t de 8e er 1 inspection of the AGN-201M Reactor Facility on 1/9/79 and 1/10/79. No items of nonconpliance were found.

The AGN-201M reactor license, R-23, with revised Technical Specifications, was renewed by the NRC on 4/25/79 for a period of 20 years.

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