RE: PWR releases -Reply

["Regis A. Greenwood" <ragreenwood@tol-ed.com>]

Charlie et al,

Don't forget the Army Reactor Program, six PWRs (five high enriched & one low enriched) these were power reactors supplying electricity and steam to (mostly) very remote sites. All but the low enriched one were less than 10 megawatt thermal. There was a BWR as well, of even lower thermal power, but we don't talk much about that one. I believe the last one was shut down in the mid seventies. As far as I know the low enriched MH-1A is still in moth-balls somewhere near Norfolk. That was a floating 13 megawatt, counting diesels, plant that generated either 50 or 60 Hz power. The idea was to tow it to where needed.

Regis A. Greenwood,C H P
ragreenwood@tol-ed.com
              OR
greenwood@physicist.net

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From: 	Charles Willis[SMTP:CAW@nrc.gov]
Sent: 	Friday, October 03, 1997 8:38 AM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	PWR releases -Reply

David,

I doubt that you will find the information you seek because 10 MW (thermal)
reactors were of the "Test, Research, and University" type, such as the
Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (5 MW) and the National Bureau of
Standards reactor (10 MW) which were not pressurized water reactors.  I believe
the lowest-powered reactor that powered a nuclear power plant was the Piqua
organic moderated reactor (45.5 MW thermal).  Lockheed operated a 10 MW
PWR, the "Radiation Effects Reactor," (RER) intermittently from 1958 to 1970
(see my article in Health Physics,  October 1962).  

The constraints on releases in the 1960's were the concentration limits of 10 CFR
Part 20.  Generally, I believe these were applied as instantaneous concentration
limits.  Operations and releases, however, were not continuous; the RER, for
example, was shut down for years at a time.  Unless you can find specific records
for the plant(s) of interest, dose or release "reconstruction" would be difficult. 
Further, such plants tended to be sited in remote locations, so doses to real people
off-site are believed to have been quite low.

Releases from US nuclear power plants in the 1975-1993 era are well documented. 
See the NUREG/CR-2907 reports, Volumes 1 through 14).

Charlie Willis
caw@nrc.gov