Standard Operating Procedure 1104 Procedure for Reactor Startup Revision 2 4/12/1965

Procedure for Reactor Startup

• a. Verify that all reactor areas are ready for criticality per SOP 1100 or 1101. Inform the Senior Deck Officer, Health Physics, and any Nuclear Staff members assigned to the startup that rod withdrawal is about to begin.
• b. Pass the word to notify all individuals in and around the machinery spaces that rod withdrawal is beginning.
• c. Record the data required on the Startup Data sheet with all rods bottomed. Complete startups are numbered sequentially. (The initial startup from the Galveston 1963 outage will be No. 64.) The readings of Channel 1 and/or 2 are the reference count rates (RCR's). Multiply each RCR by 10 and record the result on the data sheet.
• d. Withdraw the rod in sequence (see note below) by the pull-and-wait method. The initial increment of rod withdrawal at each pull represents a reactivity addition of 16 cents or less as read from rod calibration data on page 5. The initial waiting period between 16-cent pulls is 10 seconds or more, depending on the response of the Start Up Rate (SUR) and level meters. During any rod withdrawal observe the response of the on-scale SUR and level meters. The 16-cent increment of the rod need not be withdrawn in one continuous pull. However, the 10-second (or more) wait is mandatory following each 16-cent addition regardless of any intervening waits.

  NOTE:  Rod Withdrawl Sequence
  A Group to Base Load Operation Position of 25.5 inches
  E Group to 50 inches, if required, then
  D Group to 58 inches, if required, then
  C Group to 58 inches, if required, then
  B Group to 50 inches, if required, then 
  X Rod to 58 inches, if required.
  

• e. When count rate of Channel 1 and/or 2 reaches 10 times the reference count rate, stop the rod withdrawal and record a complete set of data as in step "c". From this point on rod withdrawal shall proceed as outlines in Step "d" using maximum pulls of eight (8) cents and minimum waits of 30 seconds.
• f. Continue rod withdrawal using the revised pulls and waits. When the indicated neutron level continues to rise slowly with a stable SUR, stop the rod withdrawal. This will be the Called Critical" condition for defining the time of criticality. Record a complete set of data as in Step "c".
• g. Adjust the rod configuration to produce a tolerable SUR of less than one (1.0) decade per minute (d/m).

  A tolerable SUR will be dependent on the prevailing "noise spikes" indicated by the SUR meters. For information purposes, the following three points are listed from the graph of average SUR versus reactivity:

  Reactivity		Average SUR
  8 cents			0.21
  16 cents		0.55
  24 cents		1.05
  

• h. When the auctioneered Channel 3 and 4 level signal is 10 c/s record the simultaneous on-scale nuclear instrumentation indications to assure the proper overlap of Channels 1 and 2 with 3 and 4. Compare the readings with those recorded for previous Startups. If necessary, reduce the SUR temporarily to obtain the simultaneous readings.
• i. When the auctioneered Channel 3 and 4 level signal exceeds 10 c/s, but is less than 100 c/s, shut off the high voltage to the Channel 1 and 2 detectors.
• j. Whenever the operating schedule permits, insert the control rods in sequence and level the reactor power at 100c/s on auctioneered channels 3 and 4 to obtain the critical rod positions. Record the data when just-critical conditions are established and then resume the SUR as in Step "g".
• k. Record simultaneous on-scale nuclear instrumentation readings, as in Step "h", when the auctioneered Channel 5 and 7 level indicates approximately 10^-9, 10^-8, and 10^-7 amperes.
• l. Establish reactor power level as required.
• m. Data sheet distribution:
  • 1. Control Room
  • 2. Shutdown File - Ch. Engr.
  • 3. Reactor Physicist

  [Startup Data Sheet]

Procedure for Reactor Startup

Approximately uniform reactivity increments of either <=8 cents or <= 16 cents for startup rod withdrawal are defined by the sequence of rod positions below.

Group A		Group E		Group D		Group C, B
8c	16c	8c	16c	8c	16c	8c	16c

0.0	*	0.0	*	0.0	*	0.0	*
2.5		2.0		4.0		2.0
5.0	*	4.0	*	6.0	*	4.0	*
6.0		5.5		7.5		5.5
7.0	*	7.0	*	9.0	*	7.0	*
8.0		8.0		10.0		8.0
9.0	*	9.0	*	11.0	*	9.0	*
9.5		1"	2"	1"	2"	9.5
10.0	*	pulls	pulls	pulls	pulls	10.0	*
1/2"	1"	 |	 |	 |	 |	1/2"	1"
pulls	pulls	 |	 |	 |	 |	pulls	pulls
 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |
 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |	 |
 |	 |	\|/	\|/	\|/	\|/	\|/	\|/
 |	 |	27.0	*	30.0	*	34.0	*
 |	 |	28.5		31.5		35.5
\|/	\|/	30.0	*	33.0	*	37.0	*
To Base		31.5		34.5		38.5
Load		33.0	*	36.0	*	40.0	*
Position	35.0		38.0		43.0	
		37.0	*	40.0	*	46.0	*
		40.0		42.0		50.0
		43.0	*	45.0	*	58.0	*
		48.0		50.0
		58.0	*	58.0	*