Key Technical Issues and Engineering Practices of Operating License Extension for Research Reactors in China

Abstract

In 2019, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued Order No.8 “Regulations on Safety Licensing Procedures for Nuclear Power Plants, Research Reactors, and Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities”, and repealed HAF001/03 “Regulations on Application and Issuance of Safety Licensing Certificates for Research Reactors”. The new regulation will unify the license management requirements of research reactors and commercial reactors, which puts forward new requirements for aging management and license renewal of research reactors. The Order No.8 has made new provisions on the operating license extension (OLE) for China’s research reactors. Compared with the previous implementation of OLE in accordance with HAF001/03, the technical route and license application process for OLE of research reactors need to be changed accordingly. High-flux engineering test reactors (HFETR) and swimming pool light water reactor (49-2 reactor) have carried out a pioneering exploration for the research reactor OLE. Based on the in-depth summary of the OLE engineering experience of the two research reactors, the main work contents and technical requirements for the renewal of the research reactor license were clarified. This paper was based on the related regulatory requirements for the OLE of research reactors in China, drew on the practice of commercial reactor safety demonstration for OLE, analyzed the experience of HFETR and 49-2 reactor OLE projects, summarized the main technical requirements and key technical issues for conducting OLE safety demonstration of research reactors in accordance with the requirements of Order No. 8, and provided reference for the subsequent OLE safety demonstration of research reactors in China.

Keywords

• research reactor
• operating license extension
• time-limited aging analysis
• aging management