Proliferation issues related to fast SMRs

Frieß, Friederike; Kütt, Moritz; Englert, M.

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2015.06.028

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…While some studies presented even opposite viewpoints that SMR fuel cycles might bring some new challenges to non‐proliferation due to their unique techniques. Frieß et al 83 and Polidoro et al 84 regarded that some countries might choose to violate their obligations to NPT at any time, if needed, to obtain sensitive nuclear materials by breaking the sealed cores. IAEA 85 and Glaser et al 86 considered that some specific characteristics of SMRs including remote application of SMRs, several SMRs on one site, shipment of fully assembled reactors and a possible high fissile content in the fuel (for longer operation time of reactor in some special nuclear energy application scenarios) may exert impacts on the PR of the associated fuel cycles.…”

Section: Current Status Of Non‐proliferation Research Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuclear non‐proliferation review and improving proliferation resistance assessment in the future

et al. 2020

Int J Energy Res

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Summary An increasing number of countries have taken nuclear energy as a preferred approach in response to the environment deterioration and energy supply deficit. The rapid expansion of nuclear technologies, however, would pose a great challenge to nuclear non‐proliferation, especially for the Generation IV nuclear reactor systems, which significantly differ from current nuclear fuel systems. This paper gives an overview of non‐proliferation research activities worldwide and outlines the existing problems, especially in non‐proliferation assessment. Because of numerous processes and various types of variables involved in nuclear fuel cycles (NFC), it is difficult to obtain a quantitative and objective assessment on non‐proliferation. In addition, the influences imposed by national nuclear policy on non‐proliferation have been rarely studied because of their large uncertainties, which may not precisely reflect the real non‐proliferation status in a specific country. In view of the above issues, we put forward an assessment framework by considering impact factors of national nuclear policy and by employing multi‐mathematical models to address some of the issues including subjectivity and uncertainties in the current assessment methodologies.

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Section: Current Status Of Non‐proliferation Research Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuclear non‐proliferation review and improving proliferation resistance assessment in the future

et al. 2020

Int J Energy Res

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“…It is well known that the typical light water reactors have provided cost‐effective and continual energy with mitigating small release of greenhouse gases (CO, CO 2 , and SO x ) . After the Fukushima accident, researches on inherent safety technologies such as passive cooling and redundant and marginal design concept are taken into considerations in the nuclear industries . The concept of the small modular reactor satisfies perfectly such design goals in addition to an ultra‐long fuel cycle length without any fuel replacement or recharging based on breeding fissile isotopes by neutron capture reaction of fertile isotopes such as U‐238 and Th‐232 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of self-sustainable small modular reactor with multiple fissile and fertile layers

Park

Jung

et al. 2017

Int J Energy Res

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Summary In order to achieve the challenging design goal of a future‐advanced small modular reactor, this paper suggests newly three concepts for small modular reactor such as a fissile and fertile multiple arrangement, a molten‐fueled salt coolant, and a self‐adjustable pitch size. The multiple arrangements of fissile and fertile layers makes it possible to enhance breeding fissile isotopes through the optimal placement of the thinner fissile layer between the thicker fertile regions in the core. The second idea of a creative use of molten‐fueled salt as a coolant decreases the fuel loading as well as promotes safety significantly even if a severe core accident happens such as the loss of coolant accident. In that case, the reactor maintains the subcritical state owing to loss of molten‐fueled salt coolant that contributes loss of neutron source. When the fuel is melt down, it is smeared into coolant that incorporates the molten‐fueled salt coolant and both fuel and coolant are circulated simultaneously like the typical molten salt breeder reactor. The third idea of the new small modular reactor is an automatic size change of fuel lattice pitch, which plays an important role on keeping reactivity swing within a specified limit. This self‐adjustment of fuel rod and assembly pitch sizes can be realized by using of the shape memory material such as Ti‐Ni alloy in the fuel assembly bottom grid. Simulation results of the Monte Carlo depletion calculations indicate that the proposed brand‐new small modular reactor system is sufficiently achievable by providing an ultra‐long fuel cycle length and a sufficiently low reactivity swing through the optimization of design parameters. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Small Modular Reactors in Canada: Eroding Public Oversight and Canada’s Transition to Sustainable Development

Blaise¹,

Stensil²

2020

Nuclear Non-Proliferation in International Law - Volume V

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Proliferation issues related to fast SMRs

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Nuclear non‐proliferation review and improving proliferation resistance assessment in the future

Nuclear non‐proliferation review and improving proliferation resistance assessment in the future

Design of self-sustainable small modular reactor with multiple fissile and fertile layers

Small Modular Reactors in Canada: Eroding Public Oversight and Canada’s Transition to Sustainable Development

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