ML24260A104
| ML24260A104 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/30/2024 |
| From: | Andrew Barto NRC/NMSS/DFM/NARAB |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML24260A098 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML24260A104 (1) | |
Text
HALEU, ATF, AND NON-LWR APPLICATIONS IN FUEL CYCLE, TRANSPORTATION, AND STORAGE LICENSING Drew Barto Division of Fuel Management Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1
July 30, 2024
OVERVIEW
- Background
- Advanced Technology and High Burnup/Extended Enrichment LWR Fuel
- Non-LWR Fuel
- Licensing Actions
- Fuel Cycle Facilities
- Transportation
- Storage
- Future Actions 2
BACKGROUND (1/2)
- Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Division of Fuel Management (NMSS/DFM) within NRC is responsible for regulation of:
- Fuel cycle facilities under 10 CFR Part 70
- Radioactive material (including fissile material, e.g., HALEU) transportation package designs under 10 CFR Part 71
- Dry storage systems and facilities under 10 CFR Part 72
- Regulations include requirements for criticality safety, radiation dose, and containment of radioactive material.
3
BACKGROUND (2/2)
- Fuel cycle facilities under 10 CFR Part 70:
- Conversion
- Enrichment
- Fuel fabrication
- Radioactive material transportation under 10 CFR Part 71:
- Type B packages
- Fissile material
- Spent fuel storage under 10 CFR Part 72:
- Independent spent fuel storage systems (ISFSIs) at or away from reactor (including Centralized Interim Storage)
- Dry cask systems
- Mostly dry cask storage, but can include away from reactor pool storage (GE Morris) 4
Advanced Technology Fuel (ATF) and High Burnup/Extended Enrichment (HBU/EE) LWR Fuel
- Near term ATF:
- Coated cladding
- Doped pellets
- Iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) cladding
- Future ATF:
- Silicon carbide (SiC) cladding
- Alternative fuel material (U3Si2, UN)
- Some ATF (e.g., FeCrAl) requires EE fuel (LEU+ between 5 and 10 wt%)
- LEU+ EE fuel can be used with or without ATF features to reach HBU (>60 GWd/MTU assembly average) 5
Non-LWR Fuel
- Much of the fuel cycle front end is similar
- Mining, milling, conversion to UF6
- Feed material for enrichment (UF6), and enrichment process
- But higher enrichment:
- Most Non-LWRs operate in the HALEU range, up to 19.75 wt% 235U
- And novel fuel forms:
- TRISO (HTGRs, FHRs, and microreactors)
- Metal fuel (SFRs)
- Salt (MSRs) 6
Licensing Actions - Fuel Cycle
- Currently reviewing 3 major licensing applications
- Licensing actions consist of:
- Amendments to existing facilities to accommodate higher enrichments for ATF or HBU/EE fuel (e.g., GNFA up to 8 wt% LWR fuel)
- New facilities for Non-LWR fuel (e.g., TRISO-X) 7
Licensing Actions - Transportation (1/3) 8 LWR Fresh Fuel:
MAP 12 and MAP 13 (71-9319)
Traveller (71-9380)
- Certified to LEU+ range - up to 8.0% enrichment
- Loose rods or full fuel assemblies
- Some amendments include ATF features - mostly coated cladding and doped pellets
Licensing Actions - Transportation (2/3)
Versa Pac (71-9342)
Varied uranium contents enriched up to 100%
TRISO allowed UF6 allowed (1S or 2S cylinders)
Low mass of 235U per package CSI 0.7 to 1.4 9
Optimus-L (71-9390)
Up to 68 kg of 20%
enriched TRISO compacts CSI = 0 Gross weight ~9,200 lbs.
DN30-X (71-9388)
UF6 cylinder with internal criticality control system in overpack Up to 10% enriched UF6 in 30B-10 cylinder; 20% enriched in 30B-20 Up to 1,460 kg UF6 in 30B-10, 1,271 kg in 30B-20 (standard 30B is 2,277 kg)
CSI = 0.0
Licensing Actions - Transportation (3/3)
- GE-2000 Package amendment for FeCrAl clad spent fuel
- Type B waste package amendment for segmented lead test rods shipped for examination of cladding 10
Licensing Actions - Storage
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Future Actions - Fuel Cycle
- Anticipate an additional 10-12 medium to high-certainty major fuel cycle licensing action submittals through FY26
- Enrichment facility amendments up to 20 wt% 235U
- Amendments to existing fabrication facilities, and new facilities for TRISO fuel, metal fuel, and salt 12
Future Actions - Transportation
- New package designs for Non-LWR fuel forms (TRISO pebbles and compacts, metal SFR fuel, UF4 MSR fuel feed or mixed salt)
- Amendments to LWR spent fuel packages to accommodate higher initial enrichments, higher burnup, and ATF features
- New package designs for Non-LWR spent fuel 13
Future Actions - Storage
- Amendments to existing dry cask storage designs to accommodate higher initial enrichments, higher burnup, and ATF features
- Cladding performance during cask loading/drying
- Fuel condition over storage period
- New storage cask and facility designs for Non-LWR fuels
- Fuel condition over storage period, in different environments (dry or in water, residual sodium (SFR), salt processed or unprocessed (MSR))
- New cask designs with different material challenges than currently licensed LWR spent fuel systems 14
Questions
?
15