The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP) conducted a virtual workshop with the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) on December 7-10 and 14-17, 2021, titled “Changes to a Facility under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 50.59 (10 CFR 50.59)” and Digital Upgrades to Research Reactors.” The workshop was the first half of a series on aging management of research reactors. The second half of the series will be scheduled at a later date.
During the workshop Dr. Steve Reese, Mr. Rich Holm, and Mr. Al Adams discussed the application of 10 CFR 50.59 to research reactors with several examples to help fully understand the process and how and when it is applicable. The process of evaluating and installing digital system upgrades was also discussed. Significant audience participation, including probing questions into the how and why of an evaluation, made for a very successful workshop.