Safety and operational issues in off-grid SMRs in remote locations and their potential solutions

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One of the potential applications of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is for remote off-grid deployment. Due to the remote locations, it is not always feasible to station a sufficient number of operating and supporting staff on-site. A few SMR designs were also proposed for below-grade installation, which may cause additional difficulties and technical challenges for manual inspection/information-gathering. The remote locations also render an SMR vulnerable to potential adversaries, e.g., cyber-attacks and sabotage. Therefore, SMRs in remote locations will require reliable communication channels for safety and safeguarding radioactive materials, both locally on-site and through long-distance telemetry. The safety and operation of a nuclear installation rely on information collected from a large number of sensors measuring vital physical parameters. This data is forwarded to control centers and/or emergency response teams for action. Data transmission within a confined space or to remote locations will require highly reliable communication systems. In this case, it can cover multiple pressure and shielding boundaries on-site or a vast distance with a variety of geographical conditions. There are still many unknowns to be investigated specifically for off-grid SMRs deployed in remote locations. The proposed project first investigates issues generic to different types of off-grid SMRs, and identifies specific needs for remote monitoring and operation, with a specific focus on the safety and safeguarding of radioactive materials in these plants. Then, the second part of the project is to design and prototype a novel multichannel communication system specifically for off-grid SMRs in remote locations. The knowledge generated from the proposed project will provide the CNSC with a comprehensive list of questions relevant to regulation for off-grid SMRs in remote locations with limited on-site staffing, and potential solutions to enhance operational safety and safeguard against nuclear proliferation with the help of advanced communication and information technologies.