Electrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel may be an alternative to aqueous processing and is considered more attractive for fast reactor fuel cycles. Molten salt processing of the fuel may simplify the number of processing steps, but the nuclear industry worldwide has much less operational experience with this technology, including safeguards and security. As interest in electrochemical processing grows in the U.S. and other countries, it is important to understand how to address materials accountancy and security in this unique environment. For this work, a model of a commercial-scale electrochemical plant was developed in Matlab Simulink for design and analysis of integrated safeguards and security systems. The model tracks the mass flow rates of the fuel and salt through the various unit operations and simulates materials accountancy, process monitoring measurements, and physical protection. These measurements are then used to calculate inventory balances during normal operation and diversion scenarios. The model analysis enables one to identify various strategies and options for safeguarding nuclear material, contingent upon the feasibility of the measurement technology. This paper describes the model development, measurement options and strategies, and performance under diversion scenarios.4
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DedicationWith deep love and gratitude, I dedicate this endeavor to my family who love me, teach me, encourage me, believe in me and inspire me -especially to Mary Jane and Amelia Jane, and to honor the memories of Cruzita, José Dolores, Sarah, David, and Rudolfo v
This article describes how features of event tree analysis and Monte Carlo–based discrete event simulation can be combined with concepts from object-oriented analysis to develop a new risk assessment methodology, with some of the best features of each. The resultant object-based event scenario tree (OBEST) methodology enables an analyst to rapidly construct realistic models for scenarios for which an a priori discovery of event ordering is either cumbersome or impossible. Each scenario produced by OBEST is automatically associated with a likelihood estimate because probabilistic branching is integral to the object model definition. The OBEST methodology is then applied to an aviation safety problem that considers mechanisms by which an aircraft might become involved in a runway incursion incident. The resulting OBEST model demonstrates how a close link between human reliability analysis and probabilistic risk assessment methods can provide important insights into aviation safety phenomenology.
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