Archie's cementation factors for natural rocks; Measurements and insights from diagenetic perspectives

Yuan, X.*; Hu, Q. H.*; Fang, X.*; Wang, Q. M.*; Ma, Y.*; 舘 幸男

Sedimentary Geology, 465, p.106633_1 - 106633_14, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2024.106633

Archie's cementation factor, m, is a critical parameter for petrophysical studies, and the value is influenced by several factors such as the shape, type, and size of grains, degrees of diagenesis, and associated pore structure. Using integrated experimental and theoretical approaches, the goal of this study is to obtain the cementation factor of rocks (both reservoir rock and caprock) and assess the impact of diagenesis processes on the values of the cementation factor. Thirteen samples of geologically diverse rocks (six mudstones, four fossiliferous limestones, two marbles, and one sandstone) were selected to achieve these research objectives. Two approaches, the diffusion of gas tracers and the Bosanquet formula calculation using pore-throat sizes from mercury intrusion porosimetry analyses, were used to derive the cementation factors of these rock samples. These rocks were categorized into two groups based on the correlation between average pore-throat diameter and diffusivity, and an exponential-law relationship between the cementation factor and porosity was determined for these sample groups. In addition, thin-section petrography and field emission-scanning electron microscopy observations were utilized to investigate diagenetic processes, with four diagenetic patterns being established: (1) strong compaction, strong cementation, and weak dissolution-diagenesis pattern; (2) weak compaction, medium cementation, and weak dissolution-diagenesis pattern; (3) weak compaction, medium cementation, and strong dissolution-diagenesis pattern; and (4) fracture-matrix pattern. The results indicated that diagenetic processes and microfractures contribute to the variability in the cementation factors in these rock samples.

原子力災害時における避難退域時検査と除染基準に関する調査と考察

外川 織彦; 外間 智規; 平岡 大和; 齊藤 将大

JAEA-Research 2023-011, 78 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Research-2023-011.pdf:2.09MB

原子力災害時に大気へ放射性物質が放出された場合には、住民等の被ばくを低減するための防護措置として、自家用車やバス等の車両を利用して避難や一時移転が実施される。避難等を実施した住民等や使用した車両の汚染状況を確認することを目的として、原子力災害対策重点区域の境界周辺から避難所までの経路途中において避難退域時検査が行われる。その際に、我が国では表面汚染密度の測定によるOIL4=40,000cpmという値が除染を講じる基準として用いられる。しかし、この値が設定された経緯や導出方法については、系統的かつ詳細な記述や説明は公式文書には見受けられず、また原子力防災の専門家でさえも全体に亘って詳細に説明できる人はほとんどいないことを認識した。本報告書では、我が国の避難退域時検査における除染の基準として用いられるOIL4を科学的・技術的に説明するために、その導出方法を調査・推定するとともに、それらの結果について検討と考察を行うことを目的とした。この目的を達成するために、我が国における除染基準を設定する上での根拠を示すとともに、被ばく経路毎の線量基準に対応した表面汚染密度限度を導出する方法を調査・推定した。さらに、我が国におけるOIL4の位置付けと特徴、OIL4の改定時における留意点という観点から、OIL4に関する考察と提言を行った。

The Precipitation and redistribution of alloying element in Zircaloy-4 cladding tube oxidized in high-temperature steam

天谷 政樹

High Temperature Corrosion of Materials, 15 Pages, 2024/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11085-023-10216-9

Zirconium (Zr)-based alloys are widely used as fuel cladding material for light water reactors. Under a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) condition, the oxidation of fuel cladding by high-temperature steam induces the degradation of mechanical properties of the cladding and would affect the integrity of fuel rods and/or assemblies, etc., during LOCA. In this study, the distribution of the elements (zirconium, oxygen, tin, iron and chromium) in Zircaloy-4 cladding specimens oxidized in the temperature range of 1350- 1700 K in steam was analyzed along the radial direction of the specimens by using SEM/EPMA, and the cause of element distribution in the specimens was discussed in consideration of the morphology of precipitates in the specimens and hypothesized phase diagrams related to the elements contained in the specimens. The form of the particles precipitated and the comparison between SEM/EPMA results and hypothesized phase diagrams of Zr-Sn-O system suggested that the liquefaction of tin-rich material and/or Zr-(Fe,Cr) compounds occurred during the oxidation test. The results obtained indicate that Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes would start melting at the melting point of tin-oxide and the eutectic point of Zr-(Fe,Cr)compounds, which is much lower than the melting point of Zr, -Zr(O), or zirconium oxide (ZrO).

HTTR(高温工学試験研究炉)の試験・運転と技術開発(2021年度)

高温工学試験研究炉部

JAEA-Review 2023-016, 82 Pages, 2023/09

JAEA-Review-2023-016.pdf:2.31MB

HTTR(高温工学試験研究炉)は、茨城県東茨城郡大洗町にある日本原子力研究開発機構が建設した熱出力30MW及び原子炉出口冷却材温度950Cの我が国初の高温ガス炉である。HTTRの目的は高温ガス炉技術の基盤の確立及び高温ガス炉の安全性の実証等であり、1998年の臨界から現在まで、安全性実証試験、長期連続運転及び高温ガス炉の研究開発に関する各種実証試験を実施しており、高温ガス炉の実証試験並びに運転・保守に係る実績を有している。2021年度は、原子力規制委員会が定めた新規制基準対応に係る活動を完了し、2011年東北地方太平洋沖地震以来停止していたHTTRの運転を約10年ぶりに再開した。また、炉心冷却喪失試験(出力30%における循環機3台停止かつ炉容器冷却設備を停止した炉容器冷却設備停止試験)の安全性実証試験を実施した。本報告書は、2021年度に実施された新規制基準への対応状況、HTTRの運転・保守管理状況、実用高温ガス炉に向けた研究開発、高温ガス炉関係の国際協力の状況等についてまとめたものである。

Multi-dimensional characteristics of upward bubbly flows in a vertical large-size square channel

孫 昊旻; 功刀 資彰*; 横峯 健彦*; Shen, X.*; 日引 俊*

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 211, p.124214_1 - 124214_17, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2023.124214

An experiment for upward bubbly flows was conducted in a large square channel. The local void fraction, axial gas velocity, axial liquid velocity, interfacial area concentration, and Sauter mean diameter were measured at three axial locations. Based on the measurement data, the flow characteristics through flow development were investigated. The drift-flux parameters were directly determined from the local measurement data through their definitions. It was found that the distribution parameters and the void fractions could be fairly reproduced by the existing correlations for large circular pipes. Furthermore, the interfacial area concentrations could be predicted by existing correlations with reasonable accuracy.

A Predicted CRISPR-mediated symbiosis between uncultivated archaea

Esser, S. P.*; Rahlff, J.*; Zhao, W.*; Predl, M.*; Plewka, J.*; Sures, K.*; Wimmer, F.*; Lee, J.*; Adam, P. S.*; McGonigle, J.*; et al.

Nature Microbiology (Internet), 8(9), p.1619 - 1633, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01439-2

CRISPR-Cas systems defend prokaryotic cells from viruses, plasmids, and other mobile genetic elements. Capitalizing on multi-omics approaches, we show here that the CRISPR-Cas systems of uncultivated archaea also play an integral role in mitigating potentially detrimental interactions with episymbionts. A comprehensive analysis of CRISPR-Cas-based infection histories revealed that uncultivated deep-subsurface archaeal primary-producers defend themselves from archaeal episymbionts of the DPANN superphylum of archaea, some of which are known to fuse their membranes with their host. We show that host cells counter these attacks by deploying one of two CRISPR-Cas systems (type I-B and type III-A) to target and disrupt essential genes in the episymbiont. However, genome-scale modeling of metabolic interactions between two deep subsurface host-symbiont systems revealed that host cells also benefit from the symbionts via metabolic complementation. We speculate that populations of these uncultivated archaeal episymbionts are currently transitioning from a parasitic lifestyle to one of mutualism, as must have occurred in countless mutualistic systems known today. By expanding our analysis to thousands of archaeal genomes, we conclude that CRISPR-Cas mediated resistance to archaeal episymbiosis evolved independently in various archaeal lineages and may be a wide-spread evolutionary phenomenon.

Modelling heterogeneous hydration behaviour of bentonite by a FracMan-Thames coupling method for the Bentonite Rock Interaction Experiment (BRIE) at sp HRL

澤田 淳; 坂本 和彦*; 綿引 孝宜*; 今井 久*

SKB P-17-06, 154 Pages, 2023/08

An aim of Task 8, which was 8th modeling task of the SKB Task Forces on Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes, was to improve the knowledge of the bedrock-bentonite interface with regard to groundwater flow, mainly based on a set of data obtained by Bentonite Rock Interaction Experiment (BRIE) at sp. JAEA had developed an approach to Task 8 assuming that the discrete features dominate the delivery of groundwater to the bentonite columns emplaced into the vertically drilled boreholes from TASO tunnel floor, resulting in heterogeneous bentonite wetting behavior. This assumption was implemented as a FracMan Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model for groundwater flow. Due to the assumption, no permeable rock matrix was implemented. The variability and uncertainty of this stochastic "HydroDFN" model was constrained by conditioning the model to match measured fracture location and orientation, and specific capacity (transmissivity) data observed at five probe boreholes. Groundwater from the HydroDFN being delivered to the bentonite columns, was modeled using Thames code with implementing a specific feature at the interface between the fractured rock mass and the bentonite. This modeling approach and the assumption of fracture dominated bentonite wetting appears to be able to provide a reasonable approximation to the observed heterogeneous bentonite wetting behavior of BRIE. We would suggest that a systematic investigation at pilot holes, including both geological mapping of the fractures and also testing of the hydraulic properties, might be required to get more practical prediction of heterogeneous wetting behavior in bentonite, as observed in BRIE.

Cs transfer from soils contaminated by resuspended particles to Japanese mustard spinach in difficult-to-return zone of Fukushima

辰野 宇大*; 二瓶 直登*; 吉村 和也; 大手 信人*

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 332(6), p.1677 - 1686, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08899-0

This study investigated the transfer of Cs to crops and soil contamination by resuspended particles derived from airborne and ground surface. We conducted the cultivation test of a Japanese mustard spinach in pot placed at study fields. The soil in pots might be mainly contaminated by soil particles derived from the ground surface, and Cs transferred to the spinaches was observed. However, the proportion of water-exchangeable and organic fractions of Cs in the resuspended particles derived from airborne was greater than that from ground surface, resulting in the greater Cs transfer factor. Therefore, it is important to grasp the source of resuspended particles.

研究施設等廃棄物の埋設事業に係る安全規制制度整備の経緯

坂井 章浩

デコミッショニング技報, (64), p.24 - 33, 2023/05

原子力機構は、実施主体として研究施設等廃棄物の埋設事業を進めている。他方、原子力規制委員会では、埋設事業に関わる安全規制及び基準の整備が行われてきた。本報告は、原子力機構の埋設事業の計画とそれに対応した原子力規制委員会の規制及び基準の整備について紹介する。

Double diffusive dissolution model of UO pellet in molten Zr cladding

伊藤 あゆみ*; 山下 晋; 田崎 雄大; 垣内 一雄; 小林 能直*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.450 - 459, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2114956

The rapid dissolution of UO in molten Zr that could occur during fuel-cladding liquefaction at high temperatures and its kinetics were reformulated considering the convective mass transfer and the chemical effect at the UO/Zr interface. The mass transfer coefficient of U was obtained as a correlation including the aspect ratio term by CFD analysis. To explain the gap between the rapid dissolution rate observed in the experiments and the density-driven convective mass transfer, we introduced an idea in which the eutectic melting at the UO/Zr interface promotes the grain detachment owing to infiltration of the U-Zr-O liquid into the UO grain boundaries. The developed model was validated with UO-Zr crucible experiments at 2273 and 2373 K. The calculated mass percentage ratios of U/Zr agreed with the measurements and the transition times from rapid saturation to precipitation were consistent with the metallographic observations.