SMR, which has recently been in the spotlight, has several advantages. However, it poses additional challenges in the areas of new design, digitalization, security, safety and safeguards. Among them, security refers to measures to protect nuclear materials and facilities from unauthorized access, theft, or destruction. Safeguards refer to measures to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. The relationship between security and safeguards is complex and constantly evolving. In general, security measures are designed to protect nuclear materials and facilities from physical attack, while safeguards are designed to track and monitor the movement of nuclear materials and prevent them from being used to create nuclear weapons. In some areas security and safeguards work in complementary ways, and in other areas they conflict. But ultimately, finding a balance is what is effective and efficient. In conclusion, although the security and safeguards of SMRs have different key objectives, they are closely related and must be implemented comprehensively and consistently to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities, the public, and the environment. In this paper, we investigate how the safety and safeguards of SMR are currently being researched and analyze what difficulties there are when assuming that they are operated as a single interface.

A sample size calculation algorithm was developed in a prototype version to select inspection samples in domestic bulk handling facilities. This algorithm determines sample sizes of three verification methods satisfying target detection probability for defected items corresponding to one significant quantity (8 kg of plutonium, 75 kg of uranium 235). In addition, instead of using the approximation equation-based algorithm presented in IAEA report, the sample size calculation algorithm based on hypergeometric density function capable of calculating an accurate non-detection probability is adopted. The algorithm based the exact equation evaluates non-detection probability more accurately than the existing algorithm based on the approximation equation, but there is a disadvantage that computation time is considerably longer than the existing algorithm due to the large amount of computational process. It is required to determine sample size within a few hours using laptop-level performance because sample size is generally calculated with an inspector’s portable laptop during inspection activity. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the calculation speed of the algorithm based on the exact equation. In this study, algorithm optimization was conducted to improve computation time. In order to determine optimal sample size, the initial sample size is calculated first, and the next step is to perform an iterative process by changing the sample size to find optimal result. Most of the computation time occurs in sample size optimization process performing iterative computation. First, a non-detection probability calculation algorithm according to the sample sizes of three verification methods was improved in the iterative calculation process for optimizing sample size. A computation time for each step within the algorithm was reviewed in detail, and improvement approaches were derived and applied to some areas that have major effects. In addition, the number of iterative process to find the optimal sample size was greatly reduced by applying the algorithm based on the bisection method. This method finds optimal value using a large interval at the beginning step and reduces the interval size whenever the number of repetitions increases, so the number of iterative process is less than the existing algorithm using unit interval size. Finally, the sample sizes were calculated for 219 example cases presented by the IAEA report to compare computation time. The existing algorithm took about 15 hours, but the improved algorithm took only about 41 minutes using high performance workstation (about 22 times faster). It also took 87 minutes for calculating the cases using a regular laptop. The improved algorithm through this study is expected to be able to apply the sample size determination process, which was performed based on the approximate equation due to the complexity and speed issues of the past calculation process, based on the accurate equation.

The measurement activities to evaluate material balance of nuclear material are usually performed by operator. It is because that the IAEA does not have enough manpower to carry out nuclear measurement accountancy of all nuclear materials in the world. Therefore, the IAEA should consider scenarios which facility operator tries to divert nuclear material for misuse by distorting measurement record. It is required to verify the operator’s measurement data whether it is normal or not. IAEA measures inventory items using their own equipment which is independent of facility operator equipment for verification. Since all inventory lists cannot be verified due to limited resources, the number of items to be verified is determined through statistical method which is called as sample size calculation. They measure for the selected items using their own equipment and compares with operator’s record. The IAEA determines sample size by comprehensively considering targeted diverted nuclear material amount and targeted non-detection probability and performance of measurement equipment. In general, the targeted diverted nuclear material amount is considered significant quantity (plutonium: 8 kg, uranium-235: 75 kg). If the targeted non-detection probability or the performance of the verification equipment is low, the sample size increases, and on the contrary, in the case of high non-detection probability or good performance of verification equipment, even a small sample size is satisfied. It cannot be determined from a single sample size calculation because there are so many sample size combinations for each verification equipment and there are many diversion scenarios to be considered. So, IAEA estimates initial sample size based on statistical method to reduce calculation load. And then they calculate non-detection probability for a combination of initial sample size. Through the iteration calculation, the sample size that satisfies the closest to the target value is derived. The sample size calculation code has been developed to review IAEA’s calculation method. The main difference is that IAEA calculates sample size based on approximate equation, while in this study, sample size is calculated by exact equation. The benchmarking study was performed on reference materials. The data obtained by the code show similar results to the reference materials within an acceptable range. The calculation method developed in this study will be applied to support IAEA and domestic inspection activities in uranium fuel fabrication facility.