1. Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center
My background
PhD In Nuclear Engineering focused on nuclear graphite
NRC work
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
Under utilized
Only 31 in the country

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 Neutron Scattering
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
The term “modular” refers to the ability to fabricate major components of the nuclear steam supply system in a factory environment and ship to the point of use.

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
Lower Capital Investment: Modular components and factory fabrication can reduce construction costs and duration.
Scalability: Can add additional units based on needed power
Siting Flexibility: SMRs can provide power for applications where large plants are not needed or sites lack the infrastructure to support a large unit. This would include smaller electrical markets, isolated areas, smaller grids, sites with limited water and acreage, or unique industrial applications. SMRs are expected to be attractive options for the replacement or repowering of aging fossil plants, or to provide an option for complementing existing industrial processes or power plants with an energy source that does not emit greenhouse gases.
Gain Efficiency: SMRs can be coupled with other energy sources, including renewables and fossil energy, to leverage resources and produce higher efficiencies and multiple energy end-products while increasing grid stability and security. Some advanced SMR designs can produce a higher temperature process heat for either electricity generation or industrial applications.

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.
International Marketplace: There is both a domestic and international market for SMRs, and U.S. industry is well positioned to compete for these markets. DOE hopes that the development of standardized SMR designs will also result in an increased presence of U.S. companies in the global energy market. 

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
SRP – Standard Review Plan

14. Westinghouse Design Thermal Output 800 MWt
Electrical Output > 225 MWe
Passive Safety Systems No operator intervention required
for 7 days
Core Design 17x17 Robust Fuel Assembly
8.0 ft / 2.4 m Active Length
< 5% Enriched U235
89 Assemblies
Soluble Boron and 37 Internal CRDMs
24 Month Refueling Interval

15. Westinghouse SMR Review
Competing for 2nd FOA
No announcement as of yet
Review expected to begin 2nd Qtr 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
The NuScale plant uses natural forces to operate and cool the plant. This eliminates the need for many of the large and complex systems required in today’s nuclear plants. This simplicity allows the NuScale Power Module to be factory-built and transported to site. This makes NuScale plants faster to construct, and less expensive to build and operate.
Each NuScale Power Module generates 45 megawatts of electrical power. Additional modules can be added, providing scalability as electricity demand grows. This gives customers with smaller power requirements economical, reliable, and carbon-free power in their portfolio. NuScale's 160MW thermal output also makes it a perfect fit for process heat and steam applications, such as refining, desalination, and district heating.

17. NuScale Review Competing for 2nd DOE FOA
Application expected 3rd Qtr 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
A Holtec Inherently-Safe Modular Underground Reactor (HI-SMUR™) Technology-based power generation system is engineered to provide 160MWe of Safe, Secure, Reliable, Clean energy to support the world's growing population and energy needs.

19. Holtec Review Applied for 2nd DOE FOA Expected 4th Qtr 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
Phenomena Identification and Ranking Table

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
Acceptance Review procedure

23. Non-LWR Work Aging workforce at NRC NGNP Review
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 Review of GIF SFR Design Criteria Generic GDCs
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 , and
The goals adopted by GIF provided the basis for identifying and selecting six nuclear energy systems for further development. The six selected systems employ a variety of reactor, energy conversion and fuel cycle technologies. Their designs feature thermal and fast neutron spectra, closed and open fuel cycles and a wide range of reactor sizes from very small to very large. Depending on their respective degrees of technical maturity, the Generation IV systems are expected to become available for commercial introduction in the period between 2015 and 2030 or beyond.

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
Anna Bradford
Electronic Distribution of SMR Documents
Nonproliferation: SMRs also provide safety and potential nonproliferation benefits to the United States and the wider international community. Most SMRs will be built below grade for safety and security enhancements, addressing vulnerabilities to both sabotage and natural phenomena hazard scenarios. Some SMRs will be designed to operate for extendedperiods without refueling. These SMRs could be fabricated and fueled in a factory, sealed and transported to sites for power generation or process heat, and then returned to the factory for defueling at the end of the life cycle. This approach could help to minimize the transportation and handling of nuclear material.

26. Questions?