「常陽」原子炉容器内構造物の放射化量と線量率分布の測定評価について

Measurement and analysis of in-vessel component activation and dose rate distribution in Joyo

山本 崇裕; 前田 茂貴   ; 伊藤 主税   

Yamamoto, Takahiro; Maeda, Shigetaka; Ito, Chikara

高速実験炉「常陽」では、計測線付実験装置の不具合に起因した燃料交換機能の一部阻害に係る復旧措置の一環として、平成26年5月に旧炉心上部機構(UCS)を撤去し、キャスクに収納した。旧UCSは、「常陽」建設時より使用された機器であり、高い表面線量率を有する。UCS交換作業用設備の合理的かつ安全な設計・製作・運用に資するため、「常陽」では、原子炉容器内の線量率分布を旧UCS撤去前に直接測定し、C/E補正する手法を導入することで、旧UCSの表面線量率の評価を行った。旧UCS引き抜き後、当該評価手法の妥当性を検証するため、プラスチックシンチレーション光ファイバ(PSF)検出器を用いて、旧UCSを収納したキャスクの軸方向線強度分布を測定し、計算値と比較した。その結果、測定値と計算値でピーク形状は一致し、C/E値は1.11.7となり、「常陽」旧UCSの表面線量率評価に用いた手法は、十分な信頼性を有することが確認できた。高速炉で長期間使用した大型構造物の当該線量率評価手法を適用した前例はなく、ここで蓄積された経験は、「常陽」の復旧のみならず、稀少な知見として、有用なものと考える。

In the experimental fast reactor Joyo, the damaged upper core structure (UCS) was retrieved into the cask in May 2014 for its replacement as a part of the restoration work of the incident concerning with the irradiation test sub-assembly named MARICO-2. The dose rate on UCS surface was quite high due to the activation for over 30 years operation. In order to attain the optimum safety design, manufacture and operation of equipment for UCS replacement, the method to evaluate UCS surface dose rate was developed on the basis of C/E obtained by the in-vessel dose rate measurement in Joyo. In order to verify the evaluation method, the axial -ray distribution measurement on the surface of the cask, which contained UCS, was conducted using a plastic scintillating optical fiber (PSF) detector. As a result, the measured axial -ray distribution on the cask surface had a peak on proper location with considering the cask shielding structure and agree well with the calculated distribution and the C/E of axial -ray distribution on the cask surface was ranged from 1.1 to 1.7. It was confirmed that the calculation for UCS replacement equipment design had a margin of conservatively. Then, the results showed that the applied evaluation method for UCS replacement equipment design was sufficiently reliable. In the in-vessel repair work for sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs), the design and work condition estimation are important. The accumulated experience provides valuable insights into further improvements for in-vessel repair techniques in SFRs.