U.S. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Front-End Domestic Safeguards

The Materials Protection Accounting and Control Technologies (MPACT) program supports front-end domestic safeguards activities through direct-funded activities at U.S. National Laboratories, the GAIN program, the NEUP program, and the SBIR/STTR program.

The MPACT program follows a DEVELOP – DEMONSTRATE – DEPLOY approach and has ongoing front-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 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 front-end domestic safeguards activities include:

Direct-Funded U.S. National Laboratory Activities:

• Advanced reactor fuel fabrication MC&A needs (contact MPACT for specific information)
• Enrichment plant domestic safeguards system performance modeling (contact MPACT for specific information)
• LWR fuel fabrication plant holdup monitoring
• LWR fuel fabrication standards development for MC&A

NEUP Activities:

• University of Colorado, Boulder: Advancing NMA of TRISO-Fueled pebbles using fast and accurate gamma-ray spectroscopy.

SBIR/STTR Activities:

• Proportional Technologies: High-Rate Neutron Detector for Nuclear Material Accountancy and Control (NMAC)
• H3D: High Signal-to-Noise Pixelated CZT Directional Spectrometer for Generalized Holdup Measurements