Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center

1. Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center Dr. Cameron Goodwin

2. RINSC Reactor • Owned by the State • 2 MW pool type nuclear reactor • Located on the Bay Campus of URI • Used for research, education, and industry services

3. RINSC Facilities • Six beam tubes for neutron experiments • One tangential thru tube • A thermal column for thermal neutron use • Gamma ray experiment facilities • Two pneumatic tube systems for activation analysis • A flux trap & adjacent core locations for long irradiations

4. Past and Current Uses • High Level Gamma Irradiation • Solar Radiation Experiments • Neutron Scattering • Materials Studies • Protein Studies • Neutron Activation Analysis • Atmospheric Chemistry • Cell Tracking / BioMed • BioPal • Kidney Failure Diagnostics • Educational • URI • Providence College • Three Rivers Community College • High Schools

5. SMR Licensing Insights

6. What is a SMR? • Advanced Reactors • Those reactors whose designs are not similar to the LLW designs • SMR is a subset • Small modular reactor • Less than 300 MW • SMRs are envisioned to require limited on-site preparation and substantially reduce the lengthy construction times that are typical of the larger units. • Additional modules can be added incrementally as demand for energy increases. • Includes iPWR but is not limited to • Other designs • HTGR • SFR • LMR

8. Benefits of SMRs • SMRs offer the advantage of lower initial capital investment, scalability, and siting flexibility at locations unable to accommodate more traditional larger reactors. • Lower Capital Investment • Scalability • Siting Flexibility • Gain Efficiency

9. Benefits Cont’d • Nonproliferation: SMRs also provide safety and potential nonproliferation benefits to the United States and the wider international community. • Most built below grade for safety and security enhancements, addressing vulnerabilities to both sabotage and natural phenomena hazard scenarios. • Some designed to operate for extended periods without refueling. • International Marketplace: There is both a domestic and international market for SMRs.

10. iPWR SMR Designs • mPower • Westinghouse • NuScale • Holtec

11. mPower Design

12. mPower Review • DOE FOA Award • Awarded to the mPower America team of Babcock & Wilcox, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Bechtel, includes efforts to complete design certifications, site characterization, licensing, first-of-a-kind engineering activities, and the associated NRC review processes. • The goal of this program is to support commercial operations of an SMR by 2022; the mPower team has developed a plan that expects to achieve a commercial operation date of October 2021. • Key Activities for the mPower America team include: • Submit Design Certification application to the NRC by mid-2014 for approval by 2018 • Perform site characterization at TVA’s Clinch River Site • Submit a Construction Permit Application to the NRC by mid-2015 for approval by 2018 • Advance the balance of plant design • Grow the U.S. based supply chain by mitigating challenges to domestic market entry and broad commercialization

13. mPower and the NRC • Pre-application interactions • Public meetings monthly • NRC is working on a Design Specific Review Standard (DSRS) • Draft is completed • Final will be completed by time of application • This process compared the mPower design with the current SRP and allowed the NRC reviewers to note differences • Chapter 7 completely revised and restructured; • Intended to promote efficient, effective risk-informed reviews • Top-down approach where greater emphasis is placed on design principles – redundancy, independence, diversity and defense-in-depth, predictability and repeatability • Part 50 – Clinch River

14. Westinghouse Design

15. Westinghouse SMR Review • Competing for 2nd FOA • No announcement as of yet • Review expected to begin 2ndQtr 2014 • No DSRS • Westinghouse will be relying on SRP • Design is smaller version of AP1000 • This could increase length of review • Pre-application interactions have ramped up since Summer 2013

16. NuScale

17. NuScale Review • Competing for 2nd DOE FOA • Application expected 3rdQtr 2015 • NRC is currently working on developing Draft DSRS • Many public meetings are being held for pre-application • Biggest hurdle for design is Control Room Staffing

18. Holtec

19. Holtec Review • Applied for 2nd DOE FOA • Expected 4thQtr CY16 • Limited pre-application interactions at this time

20. NRC’s Advanced Reactor Program • Focused on preparing the agency for reviews of applications related to the design, construction and operation of advanced reactors • Identify and resolve significant policy, technical and licensing issues • Develop the regulatory framework to support efficient and timely licensing reviews • Engage in research focused on key areas to support licensing reviews • Engage reactor designers, potential applicants, industry and DOE in meaningful pre-application interactions • Establish an advanced reactors training curriculum for NRC staff • Remain cognizant of international developments and programs

21. Known SMR Licensing Issues • Emergency Planning • Source term • Security • EPZ • Control Room Staffing • Control of multiple units • Reactor Operator Requirements • Control Room Design/Layout • Identification of shared systems • How to employ PRA • Implementation of control system architectures • Licensing of construction and operation of subsequent modules with operating modules • Annual Fees • Modularity

22. Pre-Application Licensing Challenges • Level of design information available in pre-application • Ideal • Design complete enough to inform all review sections • Reality • Varying levels of design completion for each review section • Potential efficiency gains in review process by working activities in pre-application phase • Review process aided by improved documentation in applications (e.g., fewer RAIs) • More knowledge about the design • Earlier engagement of public stakeholders in the review process • Vendor participation required for success

23. Non-LWR Work • Aging workforce at NRC • Little to no non-LWR experience • NGNP Review • ADAMS Accession No. ML13002A157 • Final NRC feedback addresses • Licensing basis event selection • Naming conventions for event categories • Frequency cutoffs for DBE and BDBE regions • Proposed process and categorization • Mechanistic Source terms • DOE/INL’s proposed mechanistic approach is consistent with NRC Commission approved positions

24. Non-LWRs Cont’d • Containment functional performance • NRC staff stated that more fuel testing needed to be performed • Emergency preparedness • The NRC staff is open to considering alternative treatment of EP for advanced reactors • Review of GIF SFR Design Criteria • Generic GDCs • Since GDCs in Appendix A are specific to light-water reactors (LWRs), this requirement is especially challenging for potential future licensing applicants pursuing advanced (non-LWR) technologies and designs. • DOE-NE and NRC agree that consideration should be given to pursuing the following objective: • Develop generic GDCs (derived from Appendix A of 10 CFR 50) and develop technology-specific GDCs for at least one reactor type (TBD) to supplement the generic GDCs for compliance with 10 CFR 50.34., 52.47 and 52.79.

25. Who to Contact at NRC? • SMRs are handled by the Office of New Reactors • Division of Advanced Reactors and Regulations – Mike Mayfield • Split into two branches • Stu Magruder • Stewart.magruder@nrc.gov • Anna Bradford • Anna.bradford@nrc.gov • Electronic Distribution of SMR Documents • http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html

26. Questions?