ML23090A201
| ML23090A201 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Purdue University |
| Issue date: | 03/31/2023 |
| From: | Miller T Purdue University Research Reactor |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Document Control Desk |
| References | |
| Download: ML23090A201 (1) | |
Text
March 31, 2023 Cindy Montgomery U.S. NRC One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 RE: Submission of 2022 Annual Report for PUR-1, Docket Number 50-182
Dear Ms. Montgomery:
Enclosed please find one copy of the Annual Report for the Purdue University Research Reactor, PUR-1, for the operating year 2022.
Should you have any questions or require further information, please contact me at 765.494.5764, or by e-mail at mill1833@purdue.edu.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on March 31, 2023.
- Regards, True Miller PUR-1, Reactor Supervisor School of Nuclear Engineering l 516 Northwestern Ave l West Lafayette, IN, 47906 l 765-494-5739 l ne@purdue.edu l www.purdue.edu/NE
REPORT ON REACTOR OPERATIONS For the Period January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 PURDUE UNIVERSITY REACTOR-1 (PUR-1)
Facility Docket No. 50-182 PURDUE UNIVERSITY West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 March 2023 Prepared by True Miller, Reactor Supervisor Page 2 of 7
- 1. INTRODUCTION This report is submitted to meet the requirements set forth in the Technical Specifications of the Purdue University Reactor (PUR-1) and 10 CFR 50.59 for the period January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
During the reporting period of 2022, multiple experiments and projects were performed, and a moderate level of teaching activity was performed. Two individuals obtained their RO licenses, and a third individual obtained their SRO license. 2022 represents a return to pre-pandemic operating levels.
There were 1642 visitors across 355 groups to the facility including Purdue facilities staff, students, general tours, and VIPs.
- 2. PLANT DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES 2.1 Facility Design Changes No major facility design changes were performed in 2022. The pool top RAM suffered a memory card failure and was temporarily replaced with an appropriate gamma sensitive detector while it was repaired. Additionally, the LED lights, which are used to illuminate the pool and core for tours, burned out and was replaced by a comparable light.
2.2 Performance Characteristics The overall status of the PUR-1 facility was sustained satisfactorily during the reporting period.
The facility maintained all required surveillance. Monthly surveillances of process water showed no fission product contamination, thereby verifying fuel integrity.
2.3 Changes in Operating Procedures Concerning Safety of Facility Operations Following the completion of the pool heater experiments, to determine the calorimetric properties of PUR-1s coolant pool, SOP-4: Gold Foil Power Calibration, was amended with the results of the study and an empirical correlation between operating power, pool temperature and coolant temperature change rate. This change gives the operator additional methods of confirming the proper power in addition to the gold foil activation method. These changes were proposed after a series of in-depth studies and implemented after being reviewed by the NRC and approved by CORO.
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Additionally, a new method for determining the monthly Ar-41 effluent release, from the facility, was implemented. Historically the release of Ar-41 was monitored through dosimeters mounted at the top of the vent of the facilities air handling system. This method did not give us a quantitative measurement. The new procedure utilizes an experimentally derived constant relating core burnup to Ar-41 release and is utilized to calculate the monthly effluent release.
2.4 Results of Surveillance Tests and Inspections 2.4.1 Reactivity Limits The reactivity worth measurements and visual inspection of the control rods were performed during February of 2022. During this time control rod maintenance and control rod worth measurements were performed. The rod worths of both SS1 and SS2 matched previous historical data satisfactorily and ensures satisfactory shutdown and reactivity limits. The rod drop times, measured after the inspection of the control rods, were both well under the required 1 second time limit.
2.4.2 Reactor Safety Systems The reactor safety systems were checked prior to every startup as is required by the prestart procedure.
2.4.3 Primary Coolant System During the checks the conductivity of the primary coolant was measured, and the values never exceeded 3 micromhos/cm.
Monthly samples of the primary coolant were collected and analyzed by personnel from Radiological and Environmental Management for gross alpha and beta activity. No activity which would indicate failure of the fuel plates was identified in the samples.
2.4.4 Confinement Page 4 of 7
No operation or fuel handling was performed while the air pressure was below -
0.05 inches of water.
The air system isolation was tested on both February 7th and August 23rd, 2022, correct operation of the louvres was observed for both inspections. The Condensate Valve was also inspected at this time and operated satisfactorily.
2.4.5 Experiments Three experiments were performed in 2022. The first experiment was the irradiation of air samples to produce Ar-41 calibration sources to characterize our in-house built Ar-41 detection system. The second experiment was the irradiation of PLA plastic to determine the effects of combined gamma and neutron irradiation on its material properties. The third experiment performed in 2022 consisted of irradiation samples of cadaver bones to determine the Ca and Mn concentrations in them.
2.5 Changes, Tests and Experiments Requiring Commission Authorization No changes were made to the facility Technical Specification and no tests or experiments were performed in 2022 which required commission authorization.
2.6 Changes in Facility Staff PUR-1 Level-1: Dean of Engineering Mung Chang, stepped down from his role as Dean to serve as President of Purdue University on June 30, 2022 Dr Mark Lundstrom is serving as interim dean as of July 1, 2022, and is the acting Level-1 of PUR-1 Brian Jowers joined the PUR-1 staff as electronics technician, replacing Dave Storz, on January 3, 2022, and obtained his RO license on December 20, 2022 Dr. Stylianos Chatzidakis obtained his SRO License on December 20, 2022
- 3. POWER GENERATION Page 5 of 7
There were 125 total runs in 2022 which generated an indicated value of 437.67 kWh of thermal heat. The total operations time was 210.3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> giving an average indicated power level of 2081.17 Watts.
The total core energy produced is approximately 757.94 kWh since current fuel loading installed in 2007.
- 4. UNSCHEDULED SHUTDOWNS There was one unscheduled shutdown in 2022. This unscheduled shutdown occurred while removing an irradiated sample of human bones. The sample was removed from the water and was brought too close to the Pool RAM detector causing a reading in excess of the setpoint of 50 mRem/hr. This triggered an automatic SCRAM shutting down the reactor.
- 5. MAINTENANCE The HEPA filter for the room supply and exhaust air was checked upon during normal maintenance checks quarterly. Filters were replaced as needed.
The Pool RAM was sent in for maintenance and had its memory card replaced. Following the reinstallation of the repaired Pool RAM the detector was calibrated by REM staff and its alarm setpoints tested.
- 6. RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENT RELEASES a) Liquid Effluent No liquid radioactive effluent was released to the environs.
b) Airborne Waste Other than the Ar-41 amounts listed below, no measurable amount of radioactive effluent was released to the environs beyond our effective control, as measured at or prior to the point of such release.
Month Ar-41 Released (uCi)
January 0.0 February 0.0 March 371.6 April 207.1 May 275.9 June 142.3 July 12.2 Page 6 of 7
August 50.2 September 73.3 October 309.1 November 20.6 December 173.5 Total 1635.8 c) Solid Waste On 4/14/2022 and 6/21/2022, Purdues REM department picked up one 40-gallon trash bag (5.35 cubic feet) of low-level solid waste from the designated blue waste barrel. This waste contained potentially contaminated gloves, paper, tape, and other disposable lab materials.
Radiation measurements of the waste showed no discernable radiation levels above background. The total activity disposed of was determined to be 9.9 uCi Co-60 and 10 uCi of Co-60 respectively.
- 7. OCCUPATIONAL PERSONNEL RADIATION EXPOSURE No radiation exposures greater than 25% of the appropriate limits of 10 CFR 20 were received during the reporting period.
- 8. ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEYS PERFORMED OUTSIDE THE FACILITY There were no additional environmental surveys performed outside the facility beyond license and regulatory requirements.
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