GIF Supercritical Water Cooled Reactor: Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection White Paper

Technical Report · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1861946· OSTI ID:1861946

Edwards, Geoffrey ^[1]; Leung, Laurence ^[1]

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1. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON (Canada)

This report is part of a series of six white papers, prepared jointly by the Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPPWG) and the six System Steering Committees (SSCs) and provisional System Steering Committees (pSSCs). This publication is an update to a similar series published in 2011 presenting the status of Proliferation Resistance & Physical Protection (PR&PP) characteristics for each of the six systems selected by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) for further research and development, namely: the Sodium-cooled fast Reactor (SFR), the Very high temperature reactor (VHTR), the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), the Molten salt reactor (MSR) and the Supercritical water–cooled reactor (SCWR). This white paper represents the status of Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR&PP) characteristics for the Supercritical Water-cooled Fast reactor (SCFR) reference designs selected by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) SCWR System Steering Committee (SSC). The intent is to generate preliminary information about the PR&PP features of the SCWR reactor technology and to provide insights for optimizing their PR&PP performance for the benefit of SCWR system designers. It updates the SCWR analysis published in the 2011 report “Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection of the Six Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems”, prepared Jointly by the Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPPWG) and the System Steering Committees and provisional System Steering Committees of the Generation IV International Forum, taking into account the evolution of both the systems, the GIF R&D activities, and an increased understanding of the PR&PP features. The white paper, prepared jointly by the GIF PRPPWG and the GIF SCWR SSC, follows the highlevel paradigm of the GIF PR&PP Evaluation Methodology to investigate the PR&PP features of the eight proposed GIF SCWR designs. Two small modular reactors, the Canadian SSR and the Canada/China/Europe ECC-SMART are also mentioned. An overview of the fuel cycles for the GIF designs are provided. For PR, the document analyses and discusses the proliferation resistance aspects in terms of robustness against State-based threats associated with diversion of materials, misuse of facilities, breakout scenarios, and production in clandestine facilities. Similarly, for PP, the document discusses the robustness against theft of material and sabotage by non-State actors. The document follows a common template adopted by all the white papers in the updated series.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON (Canada)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Reactor Technologies
• Contributing Organization: Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPPWG); Super Critical Water Reactor System Steering Committee of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF)
• DOE Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1861946
• Report Number(s): SAND2022-3624R; GIF/PRPPWG/2022/001; 704536
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS