ML20153E169

Pulstar Annual Rept to NRC for Jul 1987 - June 1988

ML20153E169
Person / Time
Site:	North Carolina State University
Issue date:	06/30/1988
From:	Brac T, Geoffrey Miller North Carolina State University, RALEIGH, NC
To:	NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION & RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ARM)
References
NUDOCS 8809060229
Download: ML20153E169 (11)

Text

.

PULSTAR ANNUAL REPORT TO UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION for the Period 1 July 1987 - 30 June 1988 Submitted by G. D. Miller, Associate Director NCSU NUCLEAR REACTOR PROGRAM Prepared by Thomas C. Pray PULSTAR Reactor Operations Manager

Reference:

PULSTAR Technical Specifications Section 6.7.5 Docket No. 50-297 Department of Nucicar Engineering l North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina 27607 l

l 1

August 30, 1988 i

I l

llg9060229080630

$}

i R ADOCK 0500,0297 wu 4

'\

DEPARTMENT OF NUCLEAR ENGINEERING PULSTAR REACTOR ANNUAL REPORT For the Period: 1 July 1987 - 30 June 1988 The following report is submitted in accordance with Section 6.7.5 of the PULSTAR Technical Specifications:

6.7.5.a: Reactor Operatine Experience:

(1) The NCSU PULSTAR Reactor has been utilized for the following:

a. Teaching and Short Courses 59.75 hours8.680556e-4 days <br />0.0208 hours <br />1.240079e-4 weeks <br />2.85375e-5 months <br />

b. Graduate Research 324.21 hours2.430556e-4 days <br />0.00583 hours <br />3.472222e-5 weeks <br />7.9905e-6 months <br />

c. Faculty Research 434.85 hours9.837963e-4 days <br />0.0236 hours <br />1.405423e-4 weeks <br />3.23425e-5 months <br />

d. Isotape Production 14.49 hours5.671296e-4 days <br />0.0136 hours <br />8.101852e-5 weeks <br />1.86445e-5 months <br />

e. Neutron Radiography 38.69 hours7.986111e-4 days <br />0.0192 hours <br />1.140873e-4 weeks <br />2.62545e-5 months <br />

f. Neutron Activation Analysis 1807.24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br />

g. NPP Reactor Operator Training 483.79 hours9.143519e-4 days <br />0.0219 hours <br />1.306217e-4 weeks <br />3.00595e-5 months <br />

h. PULSTAR Reac2or Operator Training 41.21 hours2.430556e-4 days <br />0.00583 hours <br />3.472222e-5 weeks <br />7.9905e-6 months <br />

1. Reactor Calibrations and Measurements 43.94 hours0.00109 days <br />0.0261 hours <br />1.554233e-4 weeks <br />3.5767e-5 months <br /> J. Reactor Health Physics Surveillance 2.24 hours2.777778e-4 days <br />0.00667 hours <br />3.968254e-5 weeks <br />9.132e-6 months <br /> TOTAL 3250.41 hours4.74537e-4 days <br />0.0114 hours <br />6.779101e-5 weeks <br />1.56005e-5 months <br /> Same reporting period 1986 1987 4848.46 hours5.324074e-4 days <br />0.0128 hours <br />7.60582e-5 weeks <br />1.7503e-5 months <br /> 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 fibor, etc.

b. Reactor thermal power measurements for teaching laboratories.

c. Fast neutron flux induced synergistic erosion effects on graphite first wall plasma coating in fusion reactors,

d. Thermal neutron depth profiling of Baron implanted silicon,

e. Neutron diffusion length measurements in graphite,

f. Target / detector distanco and collimation optimization in the Prompt Gamma Facility uti*.tzing Boron, Cadmium, Molybdenum, Sulfur, and Titanium,

g. kev Neutron Beam development,

h. Neutron Radiography. s 1

~ - - _ - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

t (2) Chances 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 Enerev Outuut:

1070.979 Megawatt hours 44.624 Megawatt days

Fulse Operations:

0

Reactor was Critical:

1308.876 hours0.0101 days <br />0.243 hours <br />0.00145 weeks <br />3.33318e-4 months <br />

Cumulative Total Enercy Output since Initial Criticality:

13,663.545 Megawatt-hours 569.314 Megawatt days 6.7.5.c: Number of Emercency and Unscheduled Shutdowns:

0

Number of Inndvertent Scrams:

6 Reasons: (1) Operator Error i Explanation of (1) above:

Nuclear Power Plant Reactor Operacor Training and NRP staff Operations and Training. j 6.7.5.d: Major Maintenance Operations:

l (1) On 29 February 1988 a leak in the Primary Coolant system was l identified and shortly thereafter located in one of the reactor pool fuel storage pits.

l Notification of the event was duly made to Region II, Atlanta, and NRC Operations Center. l k'ashington, DC. l l

I l

ns

. 1

l I

l Due to location of the leak, access to perform a permanent repair with coolant and fuel in place posed a complex and protracted sequence. An interim step was therefore taken to plug the leak with a device that would provide an effective seal, thus allowing reactor operation to resume while permanent ,

repair plans were formulated. '

During the two month period that the leak was being isolated  ;

l and examined, several special maintenance procedures (SMPs)' ,

were generated to document the repair effort in process. These records are on file at the Facility and are identified ,

PL 1,2,3,4,7,8, and 9.

6.7.5.e: Chances in Facility. Procedures. Tests. and Experiments:

(1) Design Change 88 1, Reactor Buildine Sume Discharce Ling Replacement Original radioactive drain line material was Duiron pipe, a highly corrosion resistant but fragile pipe material. Some years after initial installation, the pipe was broken due to back filled earth settling. The entire drain line pipe length was replaced with a polypropylene acid waste resistant pipe that offers superior braskage free performance under the ,

influence of soil settling stresses.

I Safety Evaluation: "This change does not impact reactor l

safety. All radiological safety rec,uirements will be satisfied l if integrity of installed pipe is proven." Post installation pressure test was conducted with satisfactory results.

(2) Design Change 88 2, Low Pool Water Level Alarm Durine Non-Workine Hours Following the primary pool tank leak discussed in 6.7.5.d.

i above, the PULSTAR Staff determined that early detection was l l required of abnormal pool levels when Facility personnel are normally absent (holidays, svenings, and weekends). To l l

accomplish staff notification of low pool levels, the decision l was made te sxtreet a signal from the Pool Level Measuring Channel and transas t said sig si to the NCSU Campus Monitoring System whic i is eontinuously supervised by Campus Security personnel. Contact with PULSTAR Staff personnel can be made promptly by Campus Security should a low pool level air.rm be received.

Safety Evaluation: "The most significant credible event caused by failure of the P E switch installation would be a less of reactor air system pressure due to an open air line. That event would produce a primary coolant low flow scram and an  !

automatic reactor shutdown; a designed response that ;

constitutes no public hazard."

]

I i

~

6.7.5.f: Radioactive Effluents Liauld Wastta (suraarized by quarters).

1. Radioactivity Released During the Reporting Period.

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

No. of Total Total Vol. Diluent Tritium Ouarter Period Batches uCi Liters Liters uCi ist 1 July 30 Sept 87 6 17.96 2.31 E4 4.6*/ E4 <MDA 2nd 1 Oct 31 Dec 87 8 32.11 2.68 E4 1.86 E4 <MDA 3rd 1 Jan-31 Mar 88 7 16.61 2.35 E4 3.20 E4 <MDA 4th 1 Apr 30 June 88 10 2.26 3.40 E4 2.80 E4 <MDA "Eg NOTE: MDA - 3 .- 3 T 3

(f) 68.94 Ci's were released during this reporting period.

(g) Tritium released was <MDA.

2. Identification of Fission and Activation Products.

The gross alpha-beta gamma activity of the batches in 1(a) above were less than 4 x 10'5 pei/in1. An isotopic analysis of these batches indicated 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 x 10 pei/ml . Therefore, all batches were released to the sanitary sewer system.

4 n

l Caseous Waste (summarized on a monthly basis)

1. Radioactivity Discharged During the Reporting Period (in curies) for:

(a) Cases Total Time Period Hours Ci ,

1986 6 July 4 Aug 727 0.66 l 5 Aug - 3 Sept 714 0.48 4 Sept - 2 Oct 702 0.549 ,

3 Oct - 2 Nov 738 0.509  !

3 Nov - 1 Dec 725 0.39 2 Dec - 30 Dec 715 0.36 1987- 31 Dec 28 Jan 729 0.416 1988 29 Jan 1 Mar 759 0,28 2 Mar 31 Mar None 1 Apr 2 May None 3 May - 1 June 720 0.46 2 June 1 July 720 0.51 TOTALS 7249 4.614 l (b) Particulates whose half-life is greater than (8) days.

4 Filters from the particic monitoring channel were analyzed upon removal each week. There was no particulate activity indicated on any filter during this reporting period. ,

2. Cases and Particulates Discharged During 'Ulis Reporting Period. !

I j Gases:

I The yearly average concentration of argon 41 released from the PULSTAR Reactor Facility exhaust stack during this <

1 period was 1.8 x 10 uci/cc. I The MPC in an unrestricted area for Ar" is {

4 x 10 gei/ce, j Particulates:

, See Caseous Waste 1(b) above, i

l i.

Solid Waste from Reactor

1. Total Volume of Solid Waste 22.5 ft8

/

2. Total Activity of Solid Waste - 1.22 mci

3. Datos of Shipments and Disposal:

1 5 August 1987 Disposal by CNSI i

12 February 1988 Dieposal by CNSI l

l l

1 4

r,

\

6.7.5 3: Personnel Radiation Exposure Report (Reporting Period 07/01/87-04/30/88)

Faculty and Staff Total Exposure (rem) ,

, Auciello, Orlando E. 0.0

Biddy, Oscar D. 0.0 Bilyj, Stephen J. 0.040 Brackin, Thomas L. 0.080 Bray, Thomas C. 0.070 Caves, John R. 0.040 Cornetti, Richard P. 0.040

Davis, Glenda 0.010 Doster, J. Michael 0.030 Cardner, Robin P. 0.030 ,

Gilligan, John 0.040 Grady, Stanley M. 0.040 Hankins, Orlando H. 0.020 ,

Kimberley, Michael M. 0.020 Kohl, Jerece 0.0 Lambert, Joseph P.F. 0.030 l tbni, Kolam V. 0.050 C.010 Miller, Carry D.

Munn, R. Hugh 0.020 Murty, K. Linga d.050 Rayno Donald R. 0.070 ,

Stam, Ephraim 0.010 l Strickland, ? avid D. 0.020 l Turinsky, Paul J. 0.020 l

Verghese, Kuruvilla 0.030 Weaver, Jack N. 0.030 Vehring, Bernard 0.050 Wilshire, Frank W. 0.030 Other - 22 film badges were issued monthly to graduate students and temporary ,

staff, l

51 film badges were issued for student laboratories,  ;

77 film badges were issued to participants in short courses,  ;

y 330 film badges were issued to visitors.

1 No significant radiation exposures vere reported; the majority of the  !

radiation exposures were in the "no measurable exposure" range.  ;

1

)

I i

j 7

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) i r

t

{

l l

t I

Y a

i 8

J

i l

ATTACHMENT A e

l MEMORANDUM ,

TO: Thomas C. Bray 6 FROM: NCSU Radiation Protection Office j

SUBJECT:

Environmental Surveys DATE: August 24, 1988 f 1 l Our Environne. ital Radiation Surveillance Report  :

for the period 07/01/87 - 06/30/88 will not be issued in

' t time for you to includo with your Annual Report to USNRC.

, We shall transmit the report to you on or about 09/01/88.

.I  !

1 ,

1 1

• l i

l 1

a

)

1 I

i l

4 l

O

( j' p North Carolina State University - 'S Schoolof Engineering 4

..o.. +

Department of Nudcar Engineering Nudcar Reactor Program ibn N g Zip s.dvs N y (8'S'?3?3 August 30, 1988 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ATTN: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555 Docket No. 50 297 ANNUAL REPORT

Dear Sit:

In compliance with Section 6.7.5 of the North Carolina State University ,

PULSTAR Technical Specifications, our Nuclear 'deactor Program staff has prepared the uttached Annual Report for the period 1 July 1987 through 30 June 1988.

Sincerely,

/ # i, Carry D. Miller Associate Director TCB/CDM:edt cc: All with attachments:

(1) USNRC Director of Regulau .y Operations, Region II (2) Dr. J. Richard Mowat, Chairman Radiation Protection Council (3) Dr. Hayne Palmour, III, Chairman Reactor Safeguards Advisory Commitcee (4) Dr, D. W. Morgan Radiation Protection Officer (5) Dr. L. K. Monteith, Dean College of Engineering (6) Dr. Thomas S. Elleman, Head Departnent of Nuclear Engineering I

l North Carcha State Untrerssty is a Land-Gre.st U+trosty and a constituent insnturion o,' The Uniwsirs of North Carchns