PSAM 16 Conference Paper Overview
Welcome to the PSAM 16 Conference paper and speaker overview page.
Lead Author: Garill Coles Co-author(s): Steve M. Short, steve.short@pnnl.gov
Steve J. Maheras, steven.maheras@pnnl.gov
Harold E. Adkins, harold.adkins@pnnl.gov
| Risk-Informed Approach for Regulatory Approval of Microreactor Transport |
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| Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked to develop and evaluate regulatory options for transport of microreactors. The work was funded by the National Reactor Innovation Center a National Department of Energy program within the Office of Nuclear Energy research and development which supports demonstration of microreactor technology. PNNL developed a risk-informed regulatory framework for the licensing of the transportation of microreactors, focused on the most challenging case which is the transportation of irradiated nuclear fuel that is assumed to be an integral component of the microreactor transportation package. The framework lays out a viable regulatory pathway, including decision points for regulatory options and the supporting technical evaluations for those options in phases from near to long term. Microreactors are very small nuclear reactors of 20 megawatts electric (MWe) or less, designed to be factory-built, and may be transportable. The microreactor designs being considered in this evaluation are tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fueled using high-assay low-enriched uranium with enrichments of 5 percent to 20 percent. A microreactor and its unirradiated or irradiated fuel contents will likely not be able to meet all the regulatory requirements as a Type B or fissile material transportation package under 10 CFR Part 71. Therefore, the objective of developing a risk-informed regulatory framework for the transportation of a microreactor and its fuel content is to provide viable licensing options that are safe and feasible. Risk assessment such as probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) can be used to show comparable safety to that provided by a Type B or fissile material package for surface transport. The framework includes guidance on applicable regulations and consideration of historical precedence in using risk information for transportation licensing as well as previous transportation risk assessments. The framework includes guidance for development of safety goals and for performing an offsite transportation PRA for shipping a TRISO fueled microreactor by truck as well as consideration of defense in depth and safety margin concepts. Key advantages of using the approach are (1) increasing the likelihood of successfully obtaining regulatory transportation package approval, (2) informing the design about the relative significance of microreactor containment and shielding, and (3) informing the need for transportation compensatory measures (or confirming there is no need). This paper presents the framework but focuses primarily on describing the development of a transportation PRA for microreactor packages and the risk acceptance guidelines that will be needed to access the results of the PRA for regulatory decision-making. |
Paper GA187 Preview
Author and Presentation Info
Lead Author Name: Garill Coles (garill.coles@pnnl.gov)
Bio: Mr. Coles has made a career in safety and risk evaluations for domestic and international nuclear reactors, nonreactor nuclear facilities, and critical infrastructure. He has led research in nuclear proliferation risk, facility safeguard-ability, and cyber security was an author of NUREG/CR-6847 for nuclear power plants. He is NRC’s technical reviewer for risk-informed Licensing Amendment Requests based on PRA, SAMA analysis, and Seismic and High Wind PRAs. He performed research for NRC of the impact of environmental factors on operator actions and currently supports NRC in their deployment of a new HRA methodology, IDHEAS. He is the lead author of NUREG/CR-7265 addressing low-power shutdown risk. Garill was a primary expert to a risk-informed transportation safety evaluation for air borne shipment of radiological material and a primary developer of a framework for risk informed licensing of the transportation of microreactors for the DOE.
Country: United States of America
Company: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Job Title: Nuclear Engineer - Risk Assessment
Bio: Mr. Coles has made a career in safety and risk evaluations for domestic and international nuclear reactors, nonreactor nuclear facilities, and critical infrastructure. He has led research in nuclear proliferation risk, facility safeguard-ability, and cyber security was an author of NUREG/CR-6847 for nuclear power plants. He is NRC’s technical reviewer for risk-informed Licensing Amendment Requests based on PRA, SAMA analysis, and Seismic and High Wind PRAs. He performed research for NRC of the impact of environmental factors on operator actions and currently supports NRC in their deployment of a new HRA methodology, IDHEAS. He is the lead author of NUREG/CR-7265 addressing low-power shutdown risk. Garill was a primary expert to a risk-informed transportation safety evaluation for air borne shipment of radiological material and a primary developer of a framework for risk informed licensing of the transportation of microreactors for the DOE.
Country: United States of America
Company: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Job Title: Nuclear Engineer - Risk Assessment