ML20210Q543

Annual Rept,Low Power Reactor Assembly Reactor

ML20210Q543
Person / Time
Site:	05000356
Issue date:	07/31/1986
From:	Micklich B, Pohlod C, Williams J ILLINOIS, UNIV. OF, URBANA, IL
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8610060961
Download: ML20210Q543 (3)

Text

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ANNUAL REPORT August 1, 1985 - July 31, 1986 ILLINOIS LOPRA REACTOR Facility License R-117

1.

SUMMARY

OF OPERATING EXPERIENCE The reactor was scheduled for operations a total of 19 hours2.199074e-4 days <br />0.00528 hours <br />3.141534e-5 weeks <br />7.2295e-6 months <br /> and was in actual operation a total of 17 hours1.967593e-4 days <br />0.00472 hours <br />2.810847e-5 weeks <br />6.4685e-6 months <br />. Usage was only about 20 % of what it was in the previous reporting period. This was due to several reasons:

the usage in the previous period was much higher than average and the local utilities who usually send power plant trainees through our training program are either nearing fuel load or adjusting training to match projected fuel loading. The training program includes an " Approach to Critical " fuel loading experiment in the LOPRA. The time involved with Surveillance Requirements includes power calibrations and control rod worth determinations. 99.8 % of the energy listed in Section it was generated during the two power calibrations.

Operator Training i Facility - new SRO ) . 37 %

Student Experiments 21 %

Surveillance Requirements 42 %

ll. TABULATION OF OPERATIONS Hours Critical

• and Enerav 16.8 hours9.259259e-5 days <br />0.00222 hours <br />1.322751e-5 weeks <br />3.044e-6 months <br /> 5.69 kW-hrs

• This time includes that for loading fuel elements during the Approach to Critical experiment and sub-critical time during the control rod calibration. The control rods are calibrated using sub-critical multiplication so that a large portion of the experiment is done with the reactor sub-critical. The actual critical time was about 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> or 24 %

of the above time.

111. EMEPGENCY SHUTDOWNS AND INADVERTENT SCRAMS There were no inadvertent scrams or emergency shutdowns during this period.

IV. MAINTENANCE The maintenance activities this reporting period involved the high voltage power supplies for the BF3 tube and the Compensated lon Chamber and the Poison Control Rod Drive System. The high voltage supply for the RIDL Scater was overhauled and returned to service. Several interrelated problems with this supply had forced the use of an external supply.

Once the RIDL high voltage supply was repaired, the external high l voltage supply that had been used in place of the RIDL supply was then installed for use with the Compensated lon Chamber. The high voltage for 56' PDR '

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the Compensated lon Chamber had been supplied by battery, since its power

supply had failed several years ago. The failed supply was vintage 1945 l and repair parts for it were not available any more. A similar vintage power supply was found to be functional so it is now a back-up unit for l

the Compensated Ion Chamber power supply.

The DC power supply for the stepper motor on the Poison Control Rod i was overhauled. The stepper motor drive was found to have an intermittent open which caused the stepper motor to chatter. This driver was replaced and another driver was ordered.

The results of the overhaul of the LOPRA equipment were as expected, the replacement of capacitors and identification of poor solder joints .

produced smoother operation with much less noise.

j V. CONDITIONS UNDER SECTION 50.59 OF 10 CFR 50 I

i There were no changes to procedures or new experiments during this j period. The present excess reactivity of the LOPRA core is about 14 cents.

l This excess reactivity would allow a maximum power of about 12 kilowatts.

VI., Vll., Vill., RADIOACTIVITY l

g Because of the lower power and infrequent use of the LOPRA, its i operation does not contribute to the release of effluents. Personnel

! radiation exposures fur the laboratoiy are given in the Annual Report for the Advanced TRIGA Reactor, License No. R-115, Docket No. 50-151, dated February 26, 1986.

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Departmint af College of Engineering Universit)r of Illinois Nucitar Engineering at Urbana-Champaign 214 Nuclear Engineering 217 333-2295 l Laboratory 103 South Goodwin Avenue Urbana, IL 61801-2984 9-24-86 Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.S. Nuc l ear Regul a t or y Conuni s s ion Documents Control Room Washington D.C. 20555

Subject:

Annual Report, LOPRA Reactor License No. R-117 Docket No. 50-356 The folicwing is written to comply with the requirement of Section 6.7.f of the Technical Specifications and conditions of 50.59 of 10 CFR

50. The outline follows the numbered sequence of Section 6.7.f of the Technical Specifications.

Yours truly, Craig SF Pohlod, Jeactor Supervisor

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Dr'.' Jo'hn G. Williams, Reactor Director 4 D Audh / AKL

r. Bradley J./Micklich, Chairman, Nuclear Reactor Commitiee

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'DT. Barclay '. Jon ,

Acting Hea Depa ment of Nuclear Engineering YA

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