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DOE OSTI · 3002078

Control Boundary Analysis for Liquid-Fueled Molten Salt Reactors

Chirayath, Sunil S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000173896846)·DeGuire, Thomas G. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0009000475152540)·Shah, Manit D. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000236009504)·Arno, Maggie M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000293636168)·Hogue, Karen K. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000159261510)
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Abstract

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will likely require license applicants for liquid-fueled molten salt reactors (MSRs) with circulating fuel to submit a nuclear material control and accounting (MC&A) plan or provide a detailed MC&A program description for the facility. In liquid-fueled MSRs with special nuclear material (SNM) in bulk form (i.e., not in discrete items) and with rapidly changing quantities due to fuel transmutation and depletion, a novel MC&A approach is needed because traditional nuclear material accounting methods with material balance evaluations will not be sufficient. This report details the continued efforts carried out at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during FY 2025 to develop a distinct MC&A approach suitable specifically for domestic safeguards of the first-of-a-kind MSRs. These efforts are built on previous ORNL efforts reported in ORNL/SPR-2023/3181 and ORNL/SPR-2024/3555.

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Chirayath, Sunil S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000173896846), DeGuire, Thomas G. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0009000475152540), Shah, Manit D. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000236009504), Arno, Maggie M. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000293636168), Hogue, Karen K. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)] (ORCID:0000000159261510). 2025-09-01. Control Boundary Analysis for Liquid-Fueled Molten Salt Reactors. https://doi.org/10.2172/3002078

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