Dr. David Diamond
Brookhaven National Lab
Dr. David Diamond is Chief Scientist in the Nuclear Energy Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He has extensive experience in nuclear reactor safety, primarily through his work for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission but also for regulatory bodies in more than a half dozen countries as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency. His technical contributions are in the application of neutronics and thermal-hydraulics models, and the combining of deter-ministic and statistical analyses. The applications have been to problems in light and heavy wa-ter power and non-power reactors. He is currently working on projects related to accident anal-ysis in: boiling water reactors, the advanced pressurized water reactor, small modular reactors, the NBSR test reactor, and the aqueous homogeneous reactor. He has chaired many interna-tional panels, is a fellow of the American Nuclear Society and a recipient of the Tommy Thom-son Award for contributions to reactor safety.
Small Modular Reactors—Smaller and Smarter?
Small modular reactors (SMRs) would have the advantage of requiring less capital outlay for a utility and of being more in line with the grid in smaller markets. However, the idea behind most SMRs is not just to build a scaled down version of a large nuclear power plant but rather to build something that is smarter. At the very least this means having unique economic advantages and a design that can be shown to be safer than current designs. This presentation will introduce the three types of SMRs of interest, namely, integrated pressurized water reactors (iPWRs), gas cooled reactors, and liquid-metal cooled reactors. The focus will be on two designs (iPWRs) that are expected to be the first to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for Design Certification. By looking at their unique design features and regulatory issues, the challenges and potential for these designs will become apparent.