The GIF Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Methodology Applied to Gen IV System Designs: Some Reflections
The Generation Four International Forum (GIF) formed a proliferation resistance and physical protection (PR&PP) Working Group (PRPPWG) to develop a methodology to evaluate the six GIF reactor technologies. The PRPPWG developed the methodology through a series of development and demonstration case studies, using a hypothetical “Example Sodium Fast Reactor” (ESFR). The ESFR assessment enabled testing of the full methodology on a complete nuclear energy system and many insights were gained from the process. The PRPPWG, in collaboration with representatives of the GIF System Steering Committees/provisional Steering Committees (SSCs/pSSCs) for each of the six GIF reactor technologies, analyzed the PR&PP aspects of the six reactor technologies. The outcome of this activity is documented in a joint PRPPWG and SSCs/pSSCs report made publicly available in 2011, highlighting the analysis performed and its main outcomes. Currently, the PRPPWG and the six GIF SSCs/pSSCs are in the process of repeating the exercise, based on the current status of the six GIF system design concepts, taking into account the designs’ evolution since 2011. In line with Safeguards by Design concept, whilst during the first exercise the level of detail of the design options enabled only a high-level evaluation of the systems’ proliferation resistance, the early design stage allowed designers to introduce modifications for improving the systems’ performance. With the designs’ current level of detail, the opportunity for proposing modifications diminishes, whilst at the same time increasing the opportunity to inform the safeguards R&D community on potential R&D needs to meet safeguardability issues. The paper will first summarize the main concepts behind the PR&PP evaluation methodology. It will then summarize the main outcomes and lessons learned, as in the current white papers on the PR aspects of the six GIF design concepts, and will finally describe the ongoing activity to update them.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Fuel Cycle Technologies (NE-5); International Atomic Energy Agency
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0012704
- OSTI ID:
- 1489750
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-210848-2019-COPA
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: IAEA Symposium on International Safeguards, Vienna, Austria, 11/5/2018 - 11/8/2018
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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