Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Robustness Characteristics of Innovative and Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems

Since the early seventies, a lot of effort has been put in trying to define/evaluate the proliferation resistance of nuclear energy systems and their associated nuclear fuel cycles. Past studies put in evidence how it wasn’t possible to conceive a proliferation-free nuclear fuel cycle (hence the need of a suitable safeguard system), but also stressed that not all the available options are equivalent. The topic has become of renewed interest in the context of the innovative reactor and nuclear energy systems design concepts, presently under development. New reactors will have to exhibit and demonstrate enhanced features with respect to the existing ones. It is common practice to classify Proliferation Resistance (PR) and Physical Protection (PP) characteristics of a system in intrinsic, i.e. belonging to the system, and extrinsic, such as those related to the application of international safeguards. This paper will summarise in a critical way some of the Proliferation Resistance & Physical Protection (PR&PP) intrinsic features as emerged so far in a number of studies and reports available in this field and can contribute to provide a first input to designers to brainstorm on a number of possible requirements. This survey is part of JRC activity in contribution to Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

SEVINI Filippo;  COJAZZI Giacomo;  RENDA Guido; 

2007-10-23

Office for Official Publications of the European Commission

JRC38146