U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Back-End Domestic Safeguards
MPACT Salt Sampler Approach
The Materials Protection Accounting and Control Technologies (MPACT) program supports back-end domestic safeguards activities through direct-funded activities at U.S. National Laboratories, the GAIN program, the NEUP program, and the SBIR/STTR program.
MPACT Salt Sampling – Dip Sampler
The MPACT program follows a DEVELOP – DEMONSTRATE – DEPLOY approach and has ongoing back-end domestic safeguards activities ranging from fundamental R&D (TRL 1-3) through installation and operation at nuclear facilities (TRL 9). MPACT publishes research through publicly available reports and conferences (INMM, ANS, ESARDA). MPACT protects proprietary information with industry partners and publishes non-proprietary aspects of industry engagement for general MC&A use.
MPACT Salt Sampling – Vacuum Assist Sampler
MPACT products include Safeguards and Security By Design (SSBD) concepts for nuclear fuel cycle facilities, Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) nuclear and process monitoring instrumentation, and safeguards system performance models. The products are made available to U.S. individuals, universities, and commercial entities at no cost.
Current and recent MPACT back-end domestic safeguards activities include:
MPACT-Developed Sampling line in Electrorefiner
Direct-Funded U.S. National Laboratory Activities:
- SSBD study on a domestic pyroprocessing facility
- SSBD focus study on electrorefiner design
- Safeguards system (MC&A) performance models for U.S. recycling R&D
- Molten salt MC&A instrumentation development
- Molten salt sampling and an automated molten salt sampler for MC&A and processing applications
NEUP Activities:
- North Carolina State University: Plasma-Bubble Spectroscopy: A Method for Real-Time Material Quantification in Molten Salts
- Texas A&M University: Materials Accountancy During Disposal and Waste Processing of Molten Salt Reactor Fuel Salts
- Brigham Young University: Development of a Thin-Layer Electrochemical Sensor for Molten Salt Reactors and Fuel Cycle Processes
SBIR/STTR Activities:
- Radiation Monitoring Devices: High Count Rate, High Temperature Neutron/Gamma Detector for Advanced Reactors
- H3D: Ruggedized, High-Resolution CZT Spectrometer for Operation in Inert Hot Cells
MPACT Salt Sampling – Core Sampler 2
MPACT Salt Sampling – Core Sampler 2
MPACT Salt Sampling – Core Sampler 2
MPACT Salt Sampling – Core Sampler 2