Application of the Code of Conduct on the Portuguese

Research Reactor

J.G. Marques

IAEA Workshop on Application of the Code of Conduct on the Safety of Research Reactors: Periodic Safety Review

Lisbon, November 2, 2015

Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear

• Inaugurated on April 27, 1961, as the Laboratory for Nuclear Physics and Engineering (LFEN) of the Portu-guese Nuclear Energy Commission.

• “The essential objective of the activity of the LFEN is the creation of a technical-scientific infrastructure to address the national problems inherent to the use of nuclear energy and, at same time, contribute to the training of staff specialized in the domains directly or indirectly connected to it”.

• Former Nuclear and Technological Institute (a State Laboratory) integrated into IST on March 1, 2012.

– Staff at time of integration: 68 researchers w/ PhD, 92 technicians.

Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear

Reorganization of former Nuclear & Tech. Institute:• Mission:– Laboratory for Radiological Protection and Safety;– Laboratory for Accelerators and Radiation Technologies;– Laboratory for Nuclear Engineering.

• R&D: Center for Nuclear Sciences & Technologies.• E&T: Department for Nuclear Sciences & Engineering.

Government support to RPI (Decree-Law 29/2012)• The Government is responsible for:– Funding decommissioning of the RPI;– Funding refurbishment, due to obsolescence or to improve

safety of the RPI;– Funding acquisition and removal of fuel for the RPI.

Integration into IST

54%

46%

IST: Facts & Figures

Foundation 1911

Students 11589

1st cycle students 54%

Masters & PhD students 46%

Faculty & Researchers 853

Staff 515

Facilities

Alameda Campus 107.137 m2

Taguspark Campus 19.380 m2

Loures Campus 16.510 m2

Residences 3

1st Cycle54%

Master and PhD46%

Students

Production Engineering and

Technologies

Research Areas

Energy, Environment and

Mobility

Applied Life Sciences

Technology Management &

Entrepreneurship

Information & Communication

Technologies

Basic Sciences

Materials Microtechnology

Nanoscience

• Pool type, 1 MW.• Similar to FRM (Germany), HOR

(The Netherlands), GRR1 (Greece), McMaster (Canada), PARR-1 (Pakistan), TRR (Iran), …, operating at higher power.• First criticality in 1961.• Converted to LEU fuel in 2007,

within IAEA’s TC project POR4016.• Thermal flux: 2×1013 n/cm2/s.• Fast flux: 0.5×1013 n/cm2/s.• Only research reactor in the

Iberian Peninsula.

Portuguese Research Reactor (RPI)

8

Integrated power

Integrated power in the last decade: 30-60 MWd per year.Up to 200 days per year of operation (at 60 h / week). LEU fuel acquired in 2007 is enough for 700 MWd.

9

RPI users in 2014

NAA58%

To-mogra-

phy14%

Radiation Effects

13%

Isotopes10%

Dosimetry5%

Education1%

The largest sustained activity in recent years has been Neutron Activation Analysis of environmental and archaeological samples.

RPI staff

Complete staff renewal since 1997. António Ramalho started the RPI in 1961 and trained a new generation of staff in the late 1990s, with contact time of 3-5 years between generations.

Periodic Safety Reviews (NS-R-4)

• “Activities for systematic periodic assessments include, among others, periodic reviews such as self-assess-ment reviews and peer reviews to confirm that the SAR and other selected documents (such as documen-tation for OLCs, maintenance and training) for the installation remain valid or, if necessary, to make improvements.

• In such reviews, the cumulative effects of modificatio-ns, changes to procedures, the ageing of components, the use of feedback from operating experience and technical developments need to be considered, and it is necessary to verify that selected SSCs and software comply with the design requirements.”

Safety Reviews

Milestones for RPI• 1961: Preliminary Hazards Report done under request

from the AEC; start of operation.• Mid 1970s: Creation of Safety Commission.• Mid 1980s: Refurbishment under TC project POR4012;

expert missions organized by IAEA.• 1996: Ministerial ordinance 10A/MCT/96 established

safety rules for RPI.• 2002: Initiated discussions with DGEG to license RPI

under Decree-Law 165/2002; update of existing SAR.• 2004: Expert mission organized by IAEA: updating of

SAR, preparation for core conversion to LEU.• 2005: RPI licensed by DGEG.

Safety Reviews

Milestones for RPI (cont.)• 2006: New OLC and SAR for conversion to LEU made

with assistance from ANL submitted to IAEA; independent review by expert from IRSN.

• 2007: Revised OLC and SAR following recommenda-tions; conversion to LEU approved by DGEG.

• 2012: Integration into IST; transposition of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM; creation of COMRSIN.

• 2013: New SAR and regulation for operation and exploitation of RPI submitted to COMRSIN.

• 2015: COMRSIN requested INSARR.• 2016: INSARR, ...

Post-Fukushima

• List of tsunamis in the Portuguese coasts includes 17 reliable events since 60 BC from which 14 were detected in the mainland.

• The most destructive events along the Tagus Estuary are the 1531 Lisbon tsunami and the well-known 1755 transoceanic event.

• Numerical simulations show that a 1755-like event generates waves with 8 m amplitude (peak to peak) in Cascais but less than 1 m in Poço do Bispo (close to RPI) as the propagation is strongly affected by the Tagus “bottleneck”.

• Floor level of RPI’s hall is 10.7 m above sea level.

Legal framework on safety

Project & Supply Agreement LEU fuel (Decree 5/2007)• “Portugal shall, inter alia, ensure safety conditions as

recommended in the safety of research reactors, safety requirements (IAEA Safety Standards Series no. NS-R-4) and other relevant Agency safety standards.”

Transposition of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM (Decree-Law 30/2012)• Prime responsibility for safety assigned to operator.• Operator must have adequate human and financial

resources.

Legal framework on safety

Transposition of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM (Decree-Law 262/2012)• Operator must define a nuclear safety policy and a

management system giving priority to safety, to be approved by COMRSIN.

• Operator must ensure that its personnel has adequate training.

• Operator must define suitable OLCs.• Operator must implement suitable maintenance and

inspection plans.• SAR of installation must follow IAEA guidelines.

Legal framework on safety

Transposition of Directive 2009/71/EURATOM (Decree-Law 262/2012; cont.)• All modifications relevant to safety require a SAR:– To be approved by the Safety Commission if no changes to

the OLC are required;– To be approved by COMRSIN, otherwise.

• Prime responsibility for periodic review of installation assigned to operator:– Aging and evolution of requirements must be taken into

account.• Operator submits Annual Report to COMRSIN with

Reasoned Opinion from Safety Commission.

Conclusions

• The RPI has operated for 54 years without major problems.

• It has a relatively young staff.– Current staff has handled reactor licensing, conversion to

LEU, fresh and spent fuel shipments, …• It was enough LEU fuel for operating another decade.• It is now a University reactor:– Education and training expected to have a larger role.

• Timing issues:– IST will prepare strategic plan until end of 2015;– INSARR mission in February 2016;– Decisions from IST and Government before May 2016 (stop

and ship LEU fuel to USA or continue operation).