Kinsey, Jim C. | Search NASA

DOE OSTI2016

Licensing basis event selection framework for advanced reactors - 18818

This paper describes key aspects of the risk-informed, performance-based licensing methodology as developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project. The discussion focuses on an event selection process using modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) design attributes and identifies how top-level regulatory criteria can be placed on a frequency-consequence (F-C) curve. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff evaluations of the proposed approach are included. In addition, important lessons learned during the NGNP prelicensing effort and their potential applications to alternative advanced reactor designs are presented. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Cost saving opportunities in emergency planning at nuclear power plants - 18819

This paper identifies generalized offsite emergency planning costs for 2014 covering twenty different commercial nuclear plant locations in the U.S. This information was analyzed to quantify the potential cost savings associated with reduction in offsite emergency planning zone size as a function of sixteen offsite emergency planning standards contained in 10 CFR 50.47(b). Mean annual operating and maintenance costs and startup costs for a typical offsite nuclear power plant emergency planning program were $2.25 M and $10 M, respectively. However, if a reactor design technical basis were developed that allowed for a reduction in offsite plume emergency planning zone (EPZ) size from the nominal 10 mile standard currently used, collocation of that EPZ with the site plant boundary could produce programmatic savings in excess of 90% over a typical 40 year plant life. Lesser, but still potentially significant savings, are possible if the plume EPZ were resized to five and two miles. Negligible potential cost savings were identified with reductions in the ingestion pathway EPZ size which has been typically set at 50 miles. (authors)

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗