ML18270A080

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October 2018 NEA Meeting NRC Presentation Experimental Needs
ML18270A080
Person / Time
Issue date: 09/27/2018
From: Mirela Gavrilas
NRC/NRR/DSS
To:
Betancourt L, NRR/DSS, 415-6146
References
Download: ML18270A080 (8)


Text

NRC Perspective on Experimental Needs Dr. Mirela Gavrilas Director, Division of Safety Systems Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 1

Outline

  • NRC needs and priorities
  • New fuel technical basis development
  • Engagement with industry
  • Loss of the Halden Reactor
  • Moving forward 2

NRCs Needs and Priorities

  • NRC is committed to continued participation in fuel safety research

- Developing staff knowledge and expertise

- Maintaining awareness of potential safety issues

  • NRCs irradiated materials research needs support safety during continued plant operation
  • Priorities

- ATF concepts transient and DBA behavior

- Fuel performance beyond current burnup limits

- Highly irradiated stainless steels welds 3

New Fuel Technical Basis Development 4

Engagement with Industry

  • Industry responsibility to develop fuel qualification plan and testing matrix for ATF
  • NRC encouraging early, robust engagement through ATF project plan
  • Experimental testing requirements/timing can vary:

- Departure from current technology/knowledge base

- Operational envelope (e.g., burnup, crediting additional ATF coping time)

- Strategy for licensing

- Use of advanced modeling and simulation capabilities 5

Loss of Halden Reactor

  • NRC confidence in Halden data
  • Halden Reactor Project community

- Technical expertise and knowledge base

- Funding model

  • Potential gaps

- Irradiation of fuel segments in BWR conditions

- On-line, in-pile data collection

  • Closely following U.S. DOE and NEA mitigation efforts 6

Moving Forward

  • NRC is committed to participation in a Halden Reactor Project successor program

- Priority is research related to safety of currently licensed fuel, testing to support future licensing actions (e.g., ATF), and irradiated materials testing

- Contribution commensurate to pertinence to NRC mission

  • Engaging vendors to understand testing and licensing strategies

- Open to consider innovative approaches 7

Discussion 8