Recent GEH Criticality Safety Activities in Support of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Abstract

The GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) nuclear criticality safety (NCS) function remains actively engaged in advancements to the nuclear fuel cycle. In addition to its traditional BWR fuel manufacturing, recent GEH emphasis to become more vertically integrated into front end (enrichment) and back end (reprocessing) fuel cycle technologies has had a dramatic impact on the NCS function. Required fundamental and practical research in various fields, such as general physics, computational methods, validation methodology, cross-section data processing, criticality safety assessments, risk-informed integrated safety analyses, and domestic and international nuclear packaging licensing, collectively present significant challenges to NCS staff. As the landscape of the GEH business growth opportunities continues to evolve over time, so does the required depth of NCS knowledge and technical expertise. This paper provides an overview of select NCS design, licensing, methods, and packaging activities in support of GEH nuclear fuel cycle business subsidiaries and concludes with some insight to technical and regulatory challenges.