Year
2004
Abstract
The Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) has studied the methodologies of nuclear proliferation resistance assessment to improve the strategy for commercialized Fast Reactor Systems. The work has been focused on the development of a quantitative assessment methodology for nuclear proliferation resistance. A Working Group was established to discuss and develop the methodology. During this process, a trial of quantitative assessment was carried out and the result was used in a second trial. Both trials used the options that have been investigated for the future nuclear fuel cycle in the initial study by the Feasibility Study (FS) on Commercialized Fast Reactor Systems (JNC-FS) *1. JNC-FS is one of the JNC’s missions that reviews and evaluates a wide range of technical options incorporating innovative technologies. The initial application of the methodology was carried out to contribute to screening of the nuclear cycle options that might be used. Although the methodology was seen as useful for that purpose, the Working Group concluded that a different methodology would be needed during the detailed concept design stage. This paper will review these trials and discuss the Working Group study, especially pointing out lessons learned from these trials. This paper will also discuss new directions that this study should follow.