ML20134L746

Pulstar Annual Rept to NRC for Period Jul 1984 - June 1985

ML20134L746
Person / Time
Site:	North Carolina State University
Issue date:	06/30/1985
From:	Bray T North Carolina State University, RALEIGH, NC
To:
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ML20134L742	List: ML20134L741 ML20134L746 ML20134M112
References
NUDOCS 8509030404
Download: ML20134L746 (8)

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PULSTAR ANNUAL REPORT TO UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGlLATORY COMISSION for the Period of 1 July 1984 - 30 June 1985 Submitted by G. D. Miller, Associate Director NCSU NUCLEAR REACTOR PROGRAM Prepared by Thomas C. Bray PULSTAR Reactor Operations Manager

Reference:

PULSTAR Technical Specifications Section 6.7.5 Docket No. 50-297 Department of Nuclear Engineering North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina 27650 August 29, 1985 8509030404 850829 ,

PDR ADOCM 05000297 R PDR >

DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING PULSTAR REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT For the Period: 1 July 1984 - 30 June 1985 The following report is submitted in accordance with Section 6.7.5 of the PULSTAR Technical Specifications:

6.7.5.a: Reactor Operating Experiences (1) The NCSU PULSTAR reactor has been utilized for the following:

a. Teaching and Short Courses 146.92 hours0.00106 days <br />0.0256 hours <br />1.521164e-4 weeks <br />3.5006e-5 months <br />

b. Graduate Research 398.15 hours1.736111e-4 days <br />0.00417 hours <br />2.480159e-5 weeks <br />5.7075e-6 months <br />

c. Faculty Research 14.42 hours4.861111e-4 days <br />0.0117 hours <br />6.944444e-5 weeks <br />1.5981e-5 months <br />

d. Isotope Production 100.53 hours6.134259e-4 days <br />0.0147 hours <br />8.763227e-5 weeks <br />2.01665e-5 months <br />

e. Neutron Activation Analysis 1,779.57 hours6.597222e-4 days <br />0.0158 hours <br />9.424603e-5 weeks <br />2.16885e-5 months <br />

f. WP Reactor Operator Training 525.23 hours2.662037e-4 days <br />0.00639 hours <br />3.80291e-5 weeks <br />8.7515e-6 months <br />

g. PULSTAR Reactor Operator Training 74.59 hours6.828704e-4 days <br />0.0164 hours <br />9.755291e-5 weeks <br />2.24495e-5 months <br />

h. Reactor Calibrations and Measurements 26.51 hours5.902778e-4 days <br />0.0142 hours <br />8.43254e-5 weeks <br />1.94055e-5 months <br />

1. Reactor Health Physics Surveillance 1.19 hours2.199074e-4 days <br />0.00528 hours <br />3.141534e-5 weeks <br />7.2295e-6 months <br /> J. Neutron Radiography 13.82 hours9.490741e-4 days <br />0.0228 hours <br />1.35582e-4 weeks <br />3.1201e-5 months <br /> TOTAL 3,080.93 hours0.00108 days <br />0.0258 hours <br />1.537698e-4 weeks <br />3.53865e-5 months <br /> Same reporting period 1983-84 2,708.98 hours0.00113 days <br />0.0272 hours <br />1.62037e-4 weeks <br />3.7289e-5 months <br /> Reactor Facility Tours 63.00 A cross section of experiments performed in the reactor relate to these areas

a. Neutron Activation Analysis of animal tissue, fly ash, sediments, rain / river water, filters, resins, coal, milk, graphite, textile fiber, etc.

b. Medical research isotope production K-42, Na-24, P-32, etc.

c. Reactor thermal power measurements for teaching laboratories.

d. Fast neutron flux-induced damage to reactor pressure vessel steel specimens.

e. Thermal neutron depth profiling of Baron-implanted silicon,

f. Neutron diffusion length measurements in graphite.

g. Target / detector distance and collimation optimization in the Prompt Gamma facility utilizing Boron, Cadmium, Molybdenum, Sulfur and Titanium.

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! (2) Changes in Performance Characteristics and Operator Procedures Related to Reactor Safety:

None (3) Results of Surveillance Tests and Inspections:

The reactor surveillance program has revealed no significant nor unexpected trends in reactor systems performance during this report period.

6.7.5.b: Total Energy Output:

1273.055 Megawatt-hours 53.044 Megawatt-days

Pulse Operations:

! O

Reactor was critical:

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! 1522.881 hours0.0102 days <br />0.245 hours <br />0.00146 weeks <br />3.352205e-4 months <br /> l

Cumulative Total Energy Output since Initial Criticality:

! 9985.532 Megawatt-hours l 416.064 Megawatt-days 6.7.5.c Number of Emergency and unscheduled Shutdowns:

0 l

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Number of Inadvertent Scrams:

11 Reasons: (1) Operator Error 11 l Explanation of (1) above l Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Operator Training and NRP Staff Reactor Operator Training.

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6.7.5.d Major Maintenance Operations:

None during this reporting period.

6.7.5.e: Changes in Facility, Procedures, Tests and Experiments:

Design Changes: An improved design for the pulse power and energy measuring channel of the PULSTAR was approved by the NCSU Radiation Protection Council in February of 1985. Installation, calibration and testing prior to routine use will be accomplished as time permits.

Procedures: Revision No. 4 to the PULSTAR Operations Manual was accomplished. This revision incorporated Advance Changes into the Manual text and also included some minor editorial alterations.

Experiments: Prompt Gamma Facility design finalized and installed in Beam Tube No. 5.

6.7.5.f Radioactive Effluents Liquid Wastes (summarized by quarters).

1. Radioactivity Released During the Reporting Period.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Period No. of Total Total Vol. Diluent Tritium Quarter 1984 Batches pCi Liters Liters pCi 1st 1 July-30 Sept. 9 8.53 2.72 E4 2.13 E4 106.7 2nd 1 Oct.-31 Dec. 2 10.16 0.68 E4 2.54 E4 38.00 1985 3rd 1 Jan.-31 Mar. 4 0.56 1.35 E4 1.39 E3 87.00 4th 1 Apr.-30 June 6 6.17 1.96 E4 1.54 E4 111.3 (f) 25.42 pCi were released during this reporting period.

(g) 343 pCi of Tritium were released during this reporting period.

2. Identification of Fission and Activation Products.

The gross alpha-beta-gamma activity of the batches in 1(a) above were less than 4 E-5 pC1/ml. An isotopic analysis of these batches indi-cated only background activity.

3. Disposition of Liquid Effluents Not Releasable to Sanitary Sewer System.

All batches of 1(a) above when diluted by campus water released to the sewer resulted in activity considerably less than 4 E-7 pCi/ml.

Therefore, all batches were released to the sanitary sewer system.

c -

Gaseous Waste (summarized on a monthly basis)

1. Radioactivity Discharged During the Reporting Period (in curies) for (a) Gases Total Time Period Hours C1 1984 11 July-9 Aug. 720.00 .66 10 Aug.-6 Sept. 672.00 .53 7 Sept.-4 Oct. 674.75 .71 5 Oct.-1 Nov. 688.75 .76 2 Nov.-28 Nov. 679.83 .71 29 Nov.-27 Dec. 668.17 .74 1985 28 Dec.-29 Jan. 772.33 .81 30 Jan.-26 Feb. 672.00 .79 27 Feb.-27 Mar. 695.50 .47 ,

28 Mar.-26 Apr. 720.50 .84 27 Apr.-27 May 711.75 .79 28 May-26 June 720.17 .81 Totals 8395.75 8.62 (b) Particulates whose half-life is greater than eight (8) days.

Filters from the particulate monitoring channel were analyzed upon removal each week. There was no particulate activity ((b) above) indicated on any filter during this reporting period.

2. Gases and Particulates Discharged During This Reporting Period.

Gases:

The yearly averaged concentration of Argon-41 released from the PULSTAR Reactor facility exhaust stack during this period was 3.02 E-8 pC1/ml.

The MPC in an unrestricted area for Argon-41 is 4 E-8 pC1/ml.

Particulates:

See Gaseous Waste 1(b) above.

- . s Solid Waste from Reactor

1. Total volume of solid waste - 56.5 ft3

2. Total activity of solid waste - .34 mci

3. Dates of 911pments and disposal:

2 August 1984 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 23 August 1984 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 21 November 1984 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 10 December 1984 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 16 January 1985 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 20 March 1985 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 7 May 1985 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 19 June 1985 Disposal by U. S. Ecology 4

6.7.5.g3 Parconnal Redistion Exposure Report (Raporting Period 07/01/84-06/30/85)

Faculty and Staff Name Total Exposure (rem)

Auciello, Orlando E. 0.0 Biddy. Oscar D. 0.0 Bilyj, Stephen J. 0.050 Brackin, Thomas L. 0.030 Bray, Thomas C. 0.0 Caves, John R. 0.020 Cornetti, Richard 0.010 Davis, Glenda 0.0 i Doster, J. Michael 0.0 Gardner, Robin P. 0.0 Gilligan, Jchn 0.0 Crady, Stanley M. 0.010 Hankins, Orlando H. 0.0  ;

Kimberley, Michael M. 0.040 Kohl, Jerome 0.0 i Lambert, J. P. 0.0 [

Mani, K. V. 0.0 Miller, Garry D. 0.060 -

Munn Hugh 0.020 Murty, K. L. 1.460 Rayno, Donald 0.060 i Saxe, Raymond F. 0.250 i Stam, Ephraim 0.0 '

Strickland. David D. 0.0 Turinsky, Paul 0.0 Verghese, K. 0.0 Weaver, Jack N. 0.060 I Wehring, Bernard 0.0 Wilshire, Frank 0.0 Radiation Protection Office Personnel Anderson, Tommy L. 0.0 Bessey, Douglas B. 0.0 Bowman, Worth B. 0.040 f Corbett, Marcelle 0.040 Emery, Robert 0.0 Harris, Ralton 0.0 House Andy 0.0

• Mangum, Roye11e 0.240 Morgan, D.W. 0.030 Smith, Thomas 0.0 Custodians Dunn, Johnnie J. 0.0 Lucas, Calvin 0.0 '

Saunders, Dorothy 0.0 Young, Charles 0.0 Other - 47 film badges were issued to Rraduate students and temporary staff,  !

95 badges were issued for student laboratories,115 film badges were issued to participants in short courses, 377 film badges were issued to visitors. No  ;

significant radiation exposures were reported: the majority of the radiation  !

exposures were in the "no measurable exposure" range, i

6- l i

6.7.5.h Summary of Radiation and Contamination Surveys Within the Facility Neither the radiation nor the contamination surveys indicated any trend or shift of data from past experience / surveys.

6.7.5.1: Description of Environmental Surveys Outside of the Facility.

(See Attachment A)

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