ML23017A163
| ML23017A163 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Hermes |
| Issue date: | 01/10/2023 |
| From: | Benjamin Beasley NRC/NRR/DANU/UAL1 |
| To: | Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| References | |
| Download: ML23017A163 (1) | |
Text
18 HIGHLY ENRICHED TO LOW-ENRICHED URANIUM CONVERSION THIS NRC STAFF DRAFT SE HAS BEEN PREPARED AND IS BEING RELEASED TO SUPPORT INTERACTIONS WITH THE ACRS. THIS DRAFT SE HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO FULL NRC MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL REVIEWS AND APPROVALS, AND ITS CONTENTS SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS OFFICIAL AGENCY POSITIONS.
Kairos Power LLC (Kairos) preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR), Revision 1, Chapter 18, Highly Enriched to Low Enriched Uranium Conversion, states that the Hermes reactor fuel will be high-temperature graphite-matrix coated tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particles using high-assay, and low-enriched uranium (LEU). The Hermes facility will not utilize highly enriched uranium (HEU), i.e., uranium that is enriched to 20 percent or more in uranium-235.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff (the staff) evaluated the descriptions and discussions of the Hermes facility in the PSAR and finds that the preliminary design of the Hermes facility does not utilize HEU. Therefore, the staff concludes that an evaluation of HEU to LEU conversion using the guidelines of NUREG-1537, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors, Part 2, Standard Review Plan and Acceptance Criteria, Chapter 18, Highly Enriched to Low-Enriched Uranium Conversions, is not necessary.
References Kairos Power LLC. Submittal of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled, High Temperature Non-Power Reactor (Hermes), Revision 1, September 2022, ADAMS No. ML22272A593.
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). NUREG-1537, Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-Power Reactors, Part 2, Standard Review Plan and Acceptance Criteria. NRC: Washington, D.C. February 1996. ADAMS Accession No. ML042430048.