ML19326A988
| ML19326A988 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/30/2019 |
| From: | Meraj Rahimi Division of Fuel Management |
| To: | |
| Rahimi M | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19326A976 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML19326A988 (10) | |
Text
ACCIDENT TOLERANT AND HIGH Meraj Rahimi BURNUP/HIGH ENRICHMENT FUELS Chief of Materials and Structural Branch Division of Fuel Management THE FRONT AND BACK END OF THE FUEL Office of Nuclear Material Safety &
Safeguard (NMSS)
CYCLE 1
ITEMS TO DISCUSS
Background
NMSS Activities and Updates ATF Regulatory Actions NMSS Accomplishments Licensing & Technical Challenges Conclusion 2
BACKGROUND o Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) is a set of new technologies that have the potential to enhance safety at U.S. nuclear power plants by offering better performance during normal operation, transient conditions, and accident scenarios.
o The nuclear industry is working to deploy batch loads of accident tolerant fuel designs in the operating nuclear reactors by late 2023.
o The NRC staff is taking steps to make agency licensing processes more efficient and effective to enable timely licensing/certification.
o ATF Project Plan - Document available in ADAMS (ML18261A414).
o Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation is leading the agency efforts for ATF.
o Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) is responsible for the oversight of the front-end and back-end of the fuel cycle.
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ATF NMSS UPDATES o Nuclear industry is now considering the development of ATF and conventional fuel concepts with higher enrichment.
High assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) = 5% < E < 20%
o NRC developed the high burnup and increased enrichment (HBU+IE) project plan.
Document made available in ADAMS (ML19242E192).
Public Meeting on September 12, 2019.
NRCs revised ATF project plan which includes HBU+IE issued on 11/01/2019 (ML19297F703).
o In early September, NMSS sent a letter to the Nuclear Energy Institute that identifies NMSS licensing critical path to support industrys goal of ATF deployment in 2023.
Document available in ADAMS (ML19235A265).
o Currently reviewing an application from GE-Hitachi for transport of irradiated ATF in the GE-2000 package. The review is expected to be completed by February 2020.
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ATF REGULATORY ACTIONS - FRONT END o LWR Fuel Types ATF - UO2 fuel with different cladding ATF - UO2 fuel with different cladding (up to 8%)
ATF - Non-UO2 fuel with different cladding ATF - Non-UO2 fuel with different cladding (up to 8%)
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ATF REGULATORY ACTIONS - BACK END o LWR Fuel Types ATF - UO2 fuel with different cladding ATF - UO2 fuel with different cladding (up to 8%)
ATF - Non-UO2 fuel with different cladding ATF - Non-UO2 fuel with different cladding (up to 8%)
ATF - UO2 and non-UO2 with/without different cladding and Higher burnup ( up to 75 GWd/MTU) 6
NMSS MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS - LICENSING o Issued a letter of authorization to Global Nuclear Fuels for shipment of lead test assemblies in the RAJ II package.
o Issued a letter of authorization to Westinghouse for one shipment of two types of ATF pellet designs, each in different lead test assemblies in the Traveller package.
o Issued a certificate of compliance to Framatome authorizing transport of ATF assemblies in the MAP-12/MAP-13 packages.
o Approved a license amendment to URENCO Louisiana Energy Services (LES) to modify their validation report to allow the use of MCNP 6 to perform criticality safety calculations in August 2019.
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CHALLENGES o Fuel Cycle Facilities All commercial fuel cycle facilities are licensed to produce up to 5% enriched material.
o UF6 Transportation Existing UF6 transportation packages are approved for up to 5% enrichment.
10 CFR 71.55(g)(4) limit to 5% enrichment without water intrusion analysis.
o Fresh Fuel Transportation Fuel integrity - mechanical properties of the cladding Benchmarking - criticality safety 8
CHALLENGES (CONT.)
o Spent Fuel Transportation and Storage o Cladding material integrity especially at higher burnup o Creep o Hydrogen absorption o Oxidation o Delayed Hydride cracking o Irradiation Hardening o End-of-life rod internal pressure o Pellet swelling o Neutronic benchmarking for higher enrichment/higher burnup o Isotopic depletion o Neutron-absorbing fission product and actinide isotopes inventory o Source term for shielding o Heat source for thermal o Critical benchmarks 9
CONCLUSION oNRC staff believes the current regulatory framework is adequate for the licensing of ATF and ATF with high burn up and increased enrichment fuel designs.
oNRC has identified regulatory actions critical path based on available information for ATF deployment in reactors in CY 2023.
o Letter sent to NEI requesting feedback on critical path.
oTo improve the efficiency of regulatory efforts, the NRC encourages NMSS licensees, certificate holders and applicants to engage in pre-application discussions and/or share any plans for submittals or licensing strategy.
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