LicensingandRegulatoryFrameworkforSmallModularNuclearReactors

LoganSitNorthCarolinaStateUniversity

AmericanNuclearSociety

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SmallModularReactors(SMRs)• Clean,consistentenergytoreplaceretiringplants• Lessthan300Mwe output• Modularity• MassProductionCapabilities• Manydesignsincludemorepassivesafetyfeatures• UndergroundSiting• LWRsandnon-LWRs

2Source:SRSCommunityResourceOrganization

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RegulatoryHurdles

• Safety– AccidentScenarioAnalysis– MechanisticSourceTerms– EmergencyPlanningZone

• Siting• Staffing

– ControlRoom– Security

• Design-BasisConsiderations– ModuleLicensing– ApplicationProcess

Source:NRC

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AccidentScenarioAnalysis

• Currentregulationsposeacceptancecriteriaforspecificpossibleaccidents

• NotallpossibleaccidentswillapplytoallSMRdesigns

• DesignBasisandBeyondDesignBasisAccidents(DBA&BDBA)

• ProbabilisticRiskAssessment(PRA)

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Recommendations:1. ApplicantsdevelopextensivePRAbeforesubmissiontobase

safetyanalyseson2. NRCusetechnology-neutralthresholdbasedonPRAtodetermine

DBAsandBDBAs

Source:B&W

EmergencyPlanningZone(EPZ)

• CurrentRegulationis10mileexposureand50mileingestionradius

• Plant-based

• Scalable

Source:NRC

6Recommendation:NRCuseoff-sitedosebasisforEPZ

ControlRoomStaffing

• Currentregulationsscalablewithpowerunits

• Differenttasksandlevelsofautomationperdesign

• Nooperationalexperiencefortheseadvanceddesigns

• Impossibletomakeuniformstandards

Source:DukeEnergy

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Recommendation:NRCwillreviewcase-by-casehumanfactorsengineeringplanandreviewbasedonNUREG-0711objectives

Security Staffing

• Currentregulationssetminimumof10armedresponders• Newcriterionneeded• Plantcharacteristics

Source:CBSNews

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Recommendation:NRCuse

1. Modules2. EntryPoints

Ascriteriaforregulatingsecuritystaffnumbers

ApplicationProcess• 10CFRPart50:individualconstructionandoperatinglicenses• 10CFRPart52:combinedconstructionandoperatinglicense(COL)

– Optional:EarlySitePermit(ESP)– Optional:DesignCertification(DC)

Pros Cons

Part50 NRC:MoreExperienced

Industry: Possibly slowertimeline

Industry:Could buildplant,butnotreceiveoperatinglicense

Part52 Industry: Possiblymorestreamlined

NRC:Nodesignhascompletedthisprocessbefore

Industry:Certaindesignchangesrequirefederalrulemaking

Recommendation:NRCusephasedDCApplicationinPart529

Summary of RecommendationsCategory Recommendations

AccidentSelection 1. Applicants developextensivePRA2. NRCusethresholdvalueinPRAforanalyzing DBAs and

BDBAs

Mechanistic SourceTerms IndustrycollaborationwithnationallabsEmergency PlanningZone NRCusedose-based criteriabasedonsevereDBAcalculation

forestablishingEPZ

Siting 1. NRCusecurrentregulationsapplied forprobable DBA2. NRCseekguidance forrevisionofseismicandgeological

acceptancecriteria

ControlRoomStaff NRCevaluatestaffoncase-by-casebasis; notscalable

SecurityStaff NRC regulate basedonnumber ofentrypointsandnumberofmodules

ModuleLicensing NRClicenseindividualmodule licenseswithlicenseappendix

ApplicationProcess ApplicantsusePart50orNRCuse phasedDCAprocess forPart52

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QUESTIONS?

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