T.S 1

Question 1

What is pulse mode?

Answer 1

Pulse mode shall mean operation of the reactor with mode selector switch in pulse position.

Question 2

What is Reactor Bridge?

Answer 2

Reactor bridge is the structure that spans the research reactor pool to provide a support structure from which the research reactor is suspended.

Question 3

When is the reactor operating?

Answer 3

The reactor is operating whenever it is not secured or shut down.

Question 4

Define the reactivity worth of an experiment

Answer 4

The reactivity worth of an experiment is the value of the reactivity change which results from the experiment being inserted into or removed from its position.

Question 5

What’s Reactor safety systems?

Answer 5

Reactor safety systems are those systems, including their associated input channels, which are designed to initiate automatic reactor protection or to provide information for initiation of manual protective action.

Question 6

When is the reactor secured?

Answer 6

The reactor is secured when:
Either
(1) There is insufficient moderator available in the reactor to attain criticality or there is insufficient fissile material present in the reactor to attain criticality under optimum available conditions of moderation and reflection;
Or
(2) The following conditions exist:
(a) The reactor is shut down;
(b) All of the control rods are fully inserted;
(c) The console key switch is in the “off” position and the key is removed from the console lock;
(d) No work is in progress involving core fuel, core structure, installed control rods, or control rod drives unless they are physically decoupled from the control rods;
(e) No experiments are being moved or serviced that have a reactivity worth equal to or greater than $1.00.

Question 7

When is the reactor shutdown?

Answer 7

The reactor is shut down if it is subcritical by at least $1.00 in the reference core condition with the reactivity worth of all installed experiments included.

Question 8

Define reference core condition?

Answer 8

The condition of the core when it is at ambient temperature (cold) and the reactivity worth of xenon is less than $0.30.

Question 9

What makes something a reportable occurrence?

Answer 9

Any of the following events is a reportable occurrence:
(1) violation of a safety limit;
(2) release of fission products into the environment;
(3) release radioactivity from the site above limits established by 10 CFR 20 or specified within these Technical Specifications;
(4) operation with actual safety system settings for required systems less conservative than specified in the Technical Specifications;
(5) operation in violation of a Limiting Condition of Operation listed in Section 3;
(6) operation with a required reactor or experiment safety system component in an inoperative or failed condition which renders or could render the system incapable of performing its intended safety function;
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(7) an unanticipated or uncontrolled change in reactivity greater than $1.00;
(8) abnormal and significant degradation in reactor fuel or cladding, or both, coolant boundary, or confinement boundary where appropriate;
(9) an observed inadequacy in the implementation of either administrative or procedural controls, such that the inadequacy causes or could have caused the existence or development of an unsafe condition with regard to reactor operations.

Question 10

Define a research reactor

Answer 10

A research reactor is defined as a device designed to support a self-sustaining neutron chain reaction for research, development, education, training, or experimental purposes and that may have provisions for the production of radioisotopes.

Question 11

What’s included within the research reactor facility?

Answer 11

The research reactor facility includes all areas within which the owner or operator directs authorized activities associated with the reactor.

Question 12

What does it mean to review?

Answer 12

A review is a qualitative examination and evaluation of records, procedures or other documents prior to implementation from which appropriate recommendations are made.

Question 13

What’s a safety channel?

Answer 13

A safety channel is a measuring channel in the reactor safety system.

Question 14

What are safety limits?

Answer 14

Safety limits are limits upon important process variables that are found to be necessary to reasonably protect the integrity of certain of the physical barriers that guard against the uncontrolled release of radioactivity.

Question 15

Define scram time?

Answer 15

Scram time is the elapsed time between the initiation of a scram signal and complete insertion of the slowest control rod.

Question 16

Define shutdown margin

Answer 16

Shutdown margin shall mean the minimum shutdown reactivity necessary to provide confidence that the reactor can be made subcritical by means of the control and safety systems, starting from any permissible operating conditions with the most reactive control rod and the non-scrammable rod in the most reactive position and that the reactor will remain subcritical without further reactor operator action.

Question 17

Define standard fuel

Answer 17

Standard fuel is TRIGA fuel that contains a nominal 8.5 weight percent of uranium with a 235U enrichment of less than 20%

Question 18

Define steady-state mode

Answer 18

Steady-state mode shall mean any operation of the reactor with the mode selector switch in the manual or auto position.

Question 19

What’s true value

Answer 19

The true value is the actual value of a parameter.

Question 20

Define unrestricted area

Answer 20

Unrestricted area shall mean any location that is off-site.

Question 21

Define unscheduled shutdown

Answer 21

An unscheduled shutdown is defined as any unplanned shutdown of the reactor caused by actuation of the reactor safety system, operator error, equipment malfunction, or a manual shutdown in response to conditions that could adversely affect safe operations, not including shutdowns that occur during testing or checkout operations.

Question 22

What’s a vacant core position?

Answer 22

A vacant core position is a core grid position which does not have a fuel assembly, reflector, or experimental apparatus installed in the grid position.