A collaboration on INPRO case study of the proliferation resistance of the DUPIC fuel cycle

The INPRO methodology was evaluated by reviewing the INPRO methodology, applying the INPRO methodology to the DUPIC fuel cycle and providing recommendations for the improvement of the INPRO methodology. The INPRO methodology was generally evaluated for the basic principles, user requirements and acceptance limits, which were defined in the INPRO Phase 1A report for the five areas of the economics, sustain ability and environmental effect, safety, waste management and the proliferation-resistance. This evaluation established a basis for the INPRO methodology to be applicable to the undeveloped part of the evaluation methodology in the area of the proliferation-resistance. For the evaluation of the DUPIC fuel cycle proliferation-resistance by the INPRO methodology, the DUPIC fuel cycle was divided into 8 steps and the proliferation-resistance of each step was generally evaluated. Because the proliferation-resistant characteristics of the DUPIC fuel cycle except for the DUPIC fuel fabrication step are similar to those of the pressurized water reactor or CANDU reactor fuel cycle, the proliferation-resistance of the DUPIC fuel fabrication step was evaluated in detail by the INPRO methodology. Through the evaluation of the INPRO methodology, the weakness of the current INPRO methodology was identified and recommendations were made to improve the INPRO methodology. For the evaluation of the adequacy of the INPRO methodology, regarding the five basic principles and five user requirements of the INPRO Phase 1A report, this study has recommended two basic principles and two user requirements for each basic principle, and provided the relationship between basic principles and user requirements. Therefore this study has achieved the research objectives. In addition, this study has also suggested an innovative concept of the optimum cost estimation method to evaluate the robustness of the nuclear system from the viewpoint of the proliferation-resistance