ML20137B904
| ML20137B904 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/08/1986 |
| From: | Rozier Carter Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Berkow H Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| References | |
| AB60-2-304, NUDOCS 8601160116 | |
| Download: ML20137B904 (3) | |
Text
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. 4 o,, UNITED STATES
- 8 o NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION t a wAsHwaToN, D. C. 20555
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% ,,,,, # January 8, 1986 MEMORANDUM FOR: Herbert N. Berkow, Director Standardization and Special Projects Directorate Division of PWR Licensing-B THRU: Dominic Tondi, Section Leader Standardization and Special Projects Directorate Division of PWR Licensing-B FROM: Robert E. Carter, Project Manager Standardization and Special Projects Directorate Division of PWR Licensing-B
SUBJECT:
TRIP REPORT ON FOREIGN TRAVEL; HEU TO LEU -
FUEL CONVERSION IN NON-POWER REACTORS This sumarizes the activities and accomplishments during my trip to Europe during October 8 to 18 time frame. The trip included participation in two sets of meetings: 1) I represented NRC in a group of consultants to IAEA in Vienna who did final editing of a Licensing and Safety Guidebook on Converting Research Reactors from the use of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuels, and 2) I attended and presented a paper at the 1985 Annual Meeting of the international Reduced Enrichment of Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program.
At the ten about IAEA meeting,)there (developed were countries thatabout own andfifteen invited operate participants, research and/or representing ter,t reactors. The objectives of the meeting were to discuss, edit, and recommend disposition of the guidcnce documents noted above. These documents have been in the writing and editing mode by most of the select members of the group since 1979.
An NRC participant helped initiate the project, but this was the first direct participation in writing these documents by someone from NRC since 1980.
It was understood by all that the participants expressed their personal technical viewpoints, modulated by the working environments within their respective countries, and were not necessarily presenting an approved policy from their country.
Thissession(3workingdays. October 9,10,and11)constitutedhinal ,,
technical editing. The documents (some 1600 pages) are to be published by IAEA in 4 or 5 volumes, starting in early 1986. I raised and discussed many h)/
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,'. _2-points, both my own and many provided to me by Larry Kopp in CPB. Partly, because we were reviewing these documents for the first time I was able to bring a fresh viewpoint to the sessions. This lead to significant contribution on our part, and this was explicitly noted by the IAEA program manager, who expressed his appreciation to NRC.
At the meetings at Petten, October 14,15, and 16, papers that were primarily technical in nature were presented by participants from nearly all countries whose interests may be affected because they currently use HEU fuel.
Comissioner Asselstine gave the invited keynote talk early in the program.
He reemphasized NRC policy that he presented at the 1984 RERTR meeting at the Argonne National Lab, and added additional coments on upgrading physical security. I gave a brief talk on the current status and staff thinking on the proposed HEU to LEU conversion rule. As you will recall, there were unresolved issues, so I could not discuss a final version of the rule nor its probable schedule.
I have a copy of each of the approximately 36 talks presented. The complete proceedings will be published in early 1986. It is not easy to sumarize the events of the meeting, but two points standout: 1) There appears to be a strong consensus that the uranium silicide in aluminum matrix fuels will become the LEU fuel of choice for conversions of most MRT-type reactors, and
- 2) there are small pockets of resistance to conversion, but most people accept it as inevitable, and are devoting their energies to making it work i to their advantage.
In addition, to the two prepared talks from NRC, I was involved in many discussions of NRC actions, positions, etc. At a wrap-up session, the Technical Program Chairman of the Petten meetings comented on and explicitly thanked the U.S. NRC for sending representatives to present talks and otherwise provide infonnation about current policy and about staff thinking on the licensing aspects of HEU to LEU fuel conversions. He stated that the U.S. NRC is the only reactor regulatory agency to come forth so far and discuss its viewpoints with the RERTR community.
Recommendation: I recomend continuing active participation by NRC staff in these international programs on reduced enrichment fuels for non-power reactors. ,
1 i f.
Robert E. Carter, Project Manager Standardization & Special Projects Directorate Division of PWR Licensing-B -
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January 8, 1986 points, both my own and many provided to me by Larry Kopp in CPB. Partly, because we were reviewing these documents for the first time, I was able to bring a fresh viewpoint to the sessions. This lead to significant contribution on our part, and this was explicitly noted by the IAEA program manager, who expressed his appreciation to NRC.
At the meetings at Petten, October 14, 15, and 15, papers that were primarily technical in nature were presented by participants from nearly all countries whose interests may be affected because they currently use HEU fuel.
Comissioner Asselstine gave the invited keynote talk early in the program.
He reemphasized NRC policy that he presented at the 1984 RERTR meeting at the Argonne National Lab, and added additional coments on upgrading physical security. I gave a brief talk on the current status and staff thinking on the proposed HEU to LEU conversion rule. As you will recall, there were unresolved issues, so I could not discuss a final version of the rule nor its probable schedule.
I.have a copy of each of the approximately 36 talks presented. The complete l proceedings will be published in early 1986. It is not easy to sumarize the events of the treeting, but two points standout: 1) There appears to be a strong consensus that the uranium silicide in aluminum matrix fuels will become the LEU fuel of choice for conversions of most MRT-type reactors, and
- 2) there are small pockets of resistance to conversion, but most people accept it as inevitable, and are devoting their energies to making it work to their advantage.
In addition, to the two prepared talks from NRC, I was involved in many discussions of NRC actions, positions, etc. At a wrap-up session, the Technical Program Chairman of the Petten meetings comented on and explicitly thanked the U.S. NRC for sending representatives to present talks and otherwise provide information about current policy and about staff thinking on the licensing aspects of HEU to LEU fuel conversions. He stated that the U.S. NRC is the only reactor regulatory agency to come forth so far and discuss its viewpoints with the RERTR comunity.
Recomendation: I recomend continuing active participation by NRC staff in these international programs on reduced enrichment fuels for non-power reactors.
Robert .' Carter, Project Manager Standardization & Special Projects Directorate Division of PWR Licensing-B R SSPD Rdg DTondi BGrimes
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