Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Nuclear safeguards are techniques and procedures in place by the IAEA to ensure that civilian nuclear installations and materials are not used for nuclear proliferation. Proposed TRISO fuels and Generation IV reactors, specifically, Pebble Bed Reactors (PBRs), may pose challenges for nuclear safeguards, that need to adapt. This project concerns identification of nuclear safeguards challenges associated with these new types of reactors and fuels. The work shows that main challenges concern nuclear material accountancy, maintaining continuity of knowledge and to ensure detection of potential diversion of small quantities of nuclear material in the form of pebbles. Many authors have addressed this problem and proposed possible approaches to solve them, three examples being treating the fuel as bulk rather than items, applying the hybrid approach which mixes bulk and item handling, and applying safeguards by design. Some more specific and innovative approaches have also been proposed, such as the use of digital twins and statistical modelling.
Author: Usandizaga García, Sofía
Institution: Uppsala University
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7136095578
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