Advanced reactor concepts and safety

The need for some consistency in the terms used to describe the evolution of methods for ensuring the safety of nuclear reactors has been identified by the IAEA. This is timely since there appears to be a danger that the precision of many valuable words is being diluted and that a new jargon may appear that will confuse rather than aid the communication of important but possibly diverse philosophies and concepts. Among the difficulties faced by the nuclear industry is promoting and gaining a widespread understanding of the risks actually posed by nuclear reactors. In view of the importance of communication to both the public and to the technical community generally, the starting point for the definition of terms must be with dictionary meanings and common technical usage. The nuclear engineering community should use such words in conformance with the whole technical world. This paper addresses many of the issues suggested in the invitation to meet and also poses some additional issues for consideration. Some examples are the role of the operator in either enhancing or degrading safety and how the meaning or interpretation of the word 'safety' can be expected to change during the next few decades. It is advantageous to use criteria against which technologies and ongoing operating performance can be judged provided that the criteria are generic and not specific to particular reactor concepts. Some thoughts are offered on the need to frame the criteria carefully so that innovative solutions and concepts are fostered, not stifled