Nuclear 3S Integration and A/SMR Practice

Flashcards covering the technical, regulatory, and procedural aspects of Safety, Security, and Safeguards (3S) integration for Advanced and Small Modular Reactors (A/SMRs).

3S

A framework and goal representing the integration of safety, security, and safeguards together.

2S

A practical pairwise working unit, such as the interface between security and safeguards.

Interfaces

The points where a decision in one domain (safety, security, or safeguards) has consequences for another, involving shared systems, space, data, procedures, or requirement conflicts.

Leading indicators (Interface)

Metrics that measure whether a process is finding and fixing problems early, such as documented unresolved interface issues with an assigned owner before design freeze.

Lagging indicators (Interface)

Metrics that measure interface outcomes after the fact, such as problems identified during facility commissioning.

GUMBAL

A hypothetical pebble bed reactor model, deliberately scrubbed to resemble no real facility, used to demonstrate 3S walkthroughs and layout changes.

Scribe3D

A qualitative $3D$ modeling and simulation tool used for vulnerability analysis and scenario visualization, originating from game engine-based tabletop exercises.

PathTrace

A quantitative pathway analysis tool that complements the qualitative approach of Scribe3D.

DMA (Deliberate Motion Algorithm)

A notional future PIDAS concept utilizing sensor fusion (radar/lidar plus cameras) and ML to detect deliberate movement toward a facility to lower nuisance-alarm rates.

HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium)

Uranium with an enrichment level between $5\,\%$ and $20\,\%$ $U\text{-}235$, identifying it as more attractive for security and safeguards than conventional LEU.

2024 ADVANCE Act

Legislation supporting NRC modernization and advanced-reactor licensing.

Article 14 (IAEA safeguards agreement)

A provision that allows a state to temporarily withdraw nuclear material from safeguards for non-proscribed military use, such as naval reactor fuel.

Backfit

An NRC term of art per $10\text{ CFR }50.109$ for imposing new requirements on a facility that has already been built.

Retrofit

Plain language term used for the modification of a facility, preferred for mixed INMM/ANS audiences over specific regulatory jargon.

PIDAS (Perimeter Intrusion Detection and Assessment System)

A system requiring at least two overlapping, complementary sensor types per zone, maintaining roughly $90\,\%$ detection through environmental disturbance per DG-5076.

10 CFR 73.55 / DG-5076

Core NRC physical protection regulations covering a $45\text{-second}$ alarm assessment clock, vehicle barrier/standoff of $1.5\times$ the DBT explosive quantity, and search requirements.

Ballistic/blast tower

A security structure with a cost anchor of $2 \text{--} 8M$ per unit.

Bistatic microwave sensor pair

A security sensor component with a cost anchor of approximately $10k$.

Active IR pair

A security sensor component with a cost anchor of approximately $1.5k$.

Shark cage

A delay feature costing between $2 \text{--} 10k$ that adds an estimated $30\,\text{sec}$ to $1\,\text{min}$ of delay.

Effectiveness

One of three interface success bins, measuring whether integrated objectives still meet their primary goals.

Efficiency

One of three interface success bins, measuring the cost in dollars, space, staff, or burden.

Maturity

One of three interface success bins, measuring whether issues are found and closed early rather than surfacing at licensing.

The equipment interference story

An example from the GUMBAL model where a shark cage was found to physically block access or sightlines needed by another system, illustrating a visible geometry problem.

The radioactive-monitoring gap story

A cross-domain problem discovered by Sandia SMEs where facility locations were too radioactive for surveillance equipment to survive, identified years before construction.