Design Principles And Practices To Enhance Nuclear Security

The interest in new nuclear power plant designs and the evolution of the radiological sabotage threats provide opportunities to incorporate design measures that enhance and increase the cost-effectiveness of nuclear security. The paper presents design principles, gleaned from the application of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Security Series 16 (NSS-16), Identification of Vital Areas at Nuclear Facilities, to Generation III nuclear power plants. The principles related to the design of process and safety systems address hardening them against sabotage and reducing the number of areas requiring protection (e.g., vital areas as mandated by IAEA NSS-13, Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities). Many of the design principles also enhance inherent plant safety. The paper also presents design principles that address the physical layout of nuclear facilities to reduce the number of areas requiring protection, enhance security response force effectiveness, and reduce the operational impact of plant security measures. Finally, the paper presents design practices, addressing the design process, to reduce the cost of security measures and reduce the likelihood of nuclear security back fits over the life of the nuclear power plant.