A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESS FOR SAFEGUARDS DESIGN*

As the world engages in a nuclear renaissance, methodologies are needed to ensure the ability to meet requirements without adding tremendous additional financial burden to new fuel cycle facilities. The objectives of these methodologies are to develop processes, methods, technologies and tools that enable the design, evaluation, and operation of future nuclear facilities that are safe, secure, efficient, cost-effective, and that support the demonstration that these facilities meet all regulatory requirements. This paper presents current work on developing a systems engineering process for safeguards design and evaluation. Different types of fuel cycle facilities will implement various safeguards technologies for nuclear material control and accountability, including measurement equipment, process monitoring, and modeling and analysis tools. The process includes the following steps: define objectives and requirements; develop the design for the safeguards system; evaluate the system design; and iterate the design for optimal effectiveness. The initial basis for the safeguards systems engineering process developed in this work is a similar systems-based process that has been applied for over 25 years for physical protection systems – the Design and Evaluation Process Outline (DEPO). The purpose of the DEPO methodology is to enable the design of an integrated system that performs the physical security system functions to detect, delay and respond to adversary attacks. The initial version of the safeguards systems engineering process follows the pattern of the DEPO methodology, and uses the same system functions of detect, delay and respond. The implementation of these functions, however, is based on safeguards systems capabilities. For example, while detection for physical protection systems relies on sensors on fences and doors, detection for safeguards systems would rely on materials tracking and process monitoring measurements. The initial version of the process is described. One of the goals of this process development is to provide a framework within which safeguards technologies, including measurement equipment, and modeling and analysis tools, can be implemented to design and evaluate effective safeguards systems. The strategy of patterning the safeguards process after DEPO would support efforts to integrate safeguards and physical security in the future.