ML22220A076

Advanced Reactor Research Activities in Nuclear Innovation

ML22220A076
Person / Time
Issue date:	08/08/2022
From:	John Mckirgan Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
To:
N. Chandran
References
Download: ML22220A076 (13)

Text

Advanced Reactor Research Activities in Nuclear Innovation John McKirgan Deputy Director, Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Overview of the NRC Independent agency that began operations in 1975 Headed by a five-member commission Licenses and regulates activities in four key areas Congressionally-mandated Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research supports key areas Nuclear Materials Radioactive Waste Nuclear Reactors Nuclear Security

NRC Organization Chart

Vision and Strategy for Advanced Reactors

Regulatory Considerations Rulemaking Codes and Standards Regulatory Guides Construct facilities Transport Waste Inspections Enforcement of Regulatory Actions Incident Response Review event assessments Tracking of Issues

Collaboration

Advanced Reactor Licensing NMSS Assessment Process for Advanced Reactor Fuels Generic technical assessments Assess the impacts of accident tolerant fuels, increased enrichment and higher burnup fuels.

Stakeholder Engagement External Coordination and Collaboration No show-stoppers Licensing Modernization Project

• Licensing basis events

• Structures, systems and components classification

• defense in depth features TRISO fuel particle

Spent-Fuel Reprocessing-Timeline

Research Activities Molten Salt Chemistry Reliability of Components & Risk Reduction Fuel Cycle

Molten Salt Compatibility/Corrosion

Modeling & Simulation

Molten Salt processing for metallic and molten salt fuels

Component Performance/

Integrity

Performance monitoring

Surveillance programs

Advanced sensors

Off-gas control

Graphite waste and disposal

Technical challenges:

enrichment, fabrication and transportation of HALEU fuel

Storage systems for waste streams from MSRs

Front-End Considerations o Fuel salt enrichment, production, blending

• Chemical reactivity hazards

• Production of uranium and thorium fuel salts o Transportation package designs to support off-site operations

• Moderator inclusion / Criticality

• Containment performance Fluoride Production for MSRE

Back-End Considerations o Confinement materials compatibility o Dose management o Fluorine gas generation o Graphite waste management Fuel Drain Tanks/Fuel Flush Tank in MSRE Drain Tank Cell Dry Spent Fuel Casks on Concrete Pad at Plant Site

Summary RES collaborating with program offices on establishing future activities to ensure readiness for licensing and certification reviews Continued/expanded engagement with DOE and industry will support mutual understanding of technical and regulatory information needs Advanced reactors pose unique challenges for front-end and back-end operations

Questions? Need More Information?

John McKirgan john.mckirgan@nrc.gov 301-415-5722 NRC Headquarters TWFN/ 08 C08 Rockville, MD The US-NRC Main Page https://www.nrc.gov