Conversion Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the NIST Research Reactor

Technical Report · Fri Jan 30 00:00:00 EST 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1169032· OSTI ID:1169032

Diamond, D. J. ^[1]; Baek, J. S. ^[1]; Hanson, A. L. ^[1]; Cheng, L-Y ^[1]; Brown, N. ^[1]; Cuadra, A. ^[1]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a reactor-laboratory complex providing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the nation with a world-class facility for the performance of neutron-based research. The heart of this facility is the NIST research reactor (aka NBSR); a heavy water moderated and cooled reactor operating at 20 MW. It is fueled with high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel elements. A Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) program is underway to convert the reactor to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This program includes the qualification of the proposed fuel, uranium and molybdenum alloy foil clad in an aluminum alloy, and the development of the fabrication techniques. This report is a preliminary version of the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) that would be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approval prior to conversion. The report follows the recommended format and content from the NRC codified in NUREG-1537, “Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-power Reactors,” Chapter 18, “Highly Enriched to Low-Enriched Uranium Conversions.” The emphasis in any conversion SAR is to explain the differences between the LEU and HEU cores and to show the acceptability of the new design; there is no need to repeat information regarding the current reactor that will not change upon conversion. Hence, as seen in the report, the bulk of the SAR is devoted to Chapter 4, Reactor Description, and Chapter 13, Safety Analysis.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: SC00112704
• OSTI ID: 1169032
• Report Number(s): BNL-107265-2015-IR; R&D Project: 20773; TRN: US1500059
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 Specific nuclear reactors and associated plants
NBSR Reactor
Reactor Cores
SAFETY ANALYSIS
Safety Report
US NRC
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
Slightly Enriched Uranium
Uranium-Molybdenum Fuels
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
Cladding
FABRICATION
NIST
Research reactor
High-enriched uranium (HEU)
Safety analysis Report (SAR)
Global Threat Reduciton Initiative (GTRI)