Development of dynamic PRA methodology for external hazards in sodium-cooled fast reactor via applying Markov chain Monte Carlo method to severe accident analysis code; Assessment of accident management of assigning independent emergency diesel generators to each air cooler

Li, C.-Y.; Watanabe, Akira*; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

Development of dynamic PRA methodology for external hazards (Application of CMMC method to severe accident analysis code)

Li, C.-Y.; Watanabe, Akira*; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi

Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmepes.2022.26.A234

Identifying accident scenarios that could lead to severe accidents and evaluating their frequency of occurrence are essential issues. This study aims to establish the methodology of the dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) for sodium-cooled fast reactors that can consider the time dependency and the interdependence of each event. Specifically, the Continuous Markov chain Monte Carlo (CMMC) method is newly applied to the SPECTRA code, which analyzes the severe accident conditions of nuclear reactors, to develop an evaluation methodology for typical external hazards. Currently, a fault-tree model of air coolers of decay heat removal system is implemented as the CMMC method, and a series of preliminary analysis of the plant's transient characteristics under the scenario of volcanic ashfall has been conducted.

Improvement of intragranular fission gas behavior model for fuel performance code FEMAXI-8

Udagawa, Yutaka; Tasaki, Yudai

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-007, 56 Pages, 2021/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-007.pdf:5.05MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has released FEMAXI-8 in 2019 as the latest version of the fuel performance code FEMAXI, which has been developed to analyze thermal and mechanical behaviors of a single fuel rod in mainly normal operation conditions and anticipated transient conditions. This report summarizes a newly developed model to analyze intragranular fission gas behaviors considering size distribution of gas bubbles and their dynamics. While the intragranular fission gas behavior models implemented in the previous FEMAXI versions have supported only treating single bubble size for a given fuel element, the new model supports multiple gas groups according to their size and treats their dynamic behaviors, making the code more versatile. The model was first implemented as a general module that takes arbitrary number of bubble groups and spatial mesh division for a given fuel grain system. An interface module to connect the model to FEMAXI-8 was then developed so that it works as a 2 bubble groups model, which is the minimum configuration of the multi-grouped model to be operated with FEMAXI-8 at the minimum calculation cost. FEMAXI-8 with the new intragranular model was subjected to a systematic validation calculation against 144 irradiation test cases and recommended values for model parameters were determined so that the code makes reasonable predictions in terms of fuel center temperature, fission gas release, etc. under steady-state and power ramp conditions.

Critical mass evaluation of minor actinides in aqueous solution; Data for criticality safety assessment of separation process

Morita, Yasuji; Fukushima, Masahiro; Kashima, Takao*; Tsubata, Yasuhiro

JAEA-Data/Code 2020-013, 38 Pages, 2020/09

JAEA-Data-Code-2020-013.pdf:1.94MB

Critical Masses of Cm, Am and the mixture were calculated in metal-water mixtures with water reflector as a basic data for criticality safety assessment of minor actinide separation process. In the mixture of Cm-244 and Cm-245, higher ratio of Cm-245 gives smaller critical mass, but the amount of Cm-245 in the critical mass can be obtained by concentration of Cm-245 in the Cm mixture without depending on the Cm-245 ratio. Critical mass of Cm isotope mixture with 30% Cm-245 was smaller than that of Pu isotope mixture in the practical reprocessing (71% Pu-239 + 17% Pu-240 + 12% Pu-241). When Cm is separated from other element including Am and the solution is concentrated, measure for the critical accident has to be taken. Critical mass of Am-242m is smaller than that of Cm-245, but the ratio of Am-242m in the Am contained in practical spent fuel is small enough, about several percent, and therefore the critical accident by Am does not have to be considered. That by the mixture of Am and Cm does not either.

Development of experimental technology for simulated fuel-assembly heating to address core-material-relocation behavior during severe accident

Abe, Yuta; Yamashita, Takuya; Sato, Ikken; Nakagiri, Toshio; Ishimi, Akihiro

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 6(2), p.021113_1 - 021113_9, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4045450

Improvement in flow-sheet of extraction chromatography for trivalent minor actinides recovery

Watanabe, So; Senzaki, Tatsuya; Shibata, Atsuhiro; Nomura, Kazunori; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Nakatani, Kiyoharu*; Matsuura, Haruaki*; Horiuchi, Yusuke*; Arai, Tsuyoshi*

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 322(3), p.1273 - 1277, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06808-y

Quantitative risk assessment of accident managements against volcano ash hazard in a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Suzuki, Minoru*; Sakai, Takaaki*; Takata, Takashi; Doda, Norihiro

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmeicone.2019.27.1982

With an aim to establish a quantitative risk assessment of accident managements (AMs) for various external hazards, the plant dynamics analyses with Continuous Markov Chain Monte Carlo (CMMC) method were carried out to assess repeatedly occurred multi-failures by volcano ash in volcanic eruption event. AM repetition of the filter exchange to recover the cooling function of the air coolers were considered. The results showed that this method can evaluate the effectiveness of AM measures against volcanic ash fall events with respect to time progress.

Development of fuel performance code FEMAXI-8; Model improvements for light water reactor fuel analysis and systematic validation

Udagawa, Yutaka; Yamauchi, Akihiro*; Kitano, Koji*; Amaya, Masaki

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-016, 79 Pages, 2019/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-016.pdf:2.75MB

FEMAXI-8 is the latest version of the fuel performance code FEMAXI developed by JAEA. A systematic validation work has been achieved against 144 irradiation test cases, after many efforts have been made, in development of new models, improvements in existing models and the code structure, bug-fixes, construction of irradiation-tests database and other infrastructures.

Thermal behavior, structure, dynamic properties of aqueous glycine solutions confined in mesoporous silica MCM-41 investigated by X-ray diffraction and quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Yoshida, Koji*; Inoue, Takuya*; Torigoe, Motokatsu*; Yamada, Takeshi*; Shibata, Kaoru; Yamaguchi, Toshio*

Journal of Chemical Physics, 149(12), p.124502_1 - 124502_10, 2018/09

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5039892

Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements of aqueous glycine solutions confined in mesoporous silica (MCM-41) were performed at different glycine concentrations, pH, and loading ratio (= mass of glycine solution / mass of dry MCM-41) in the temperature range from 305 to 180 K to discuss the confinement effect on the thermal behavior, the structure, and the dynamic properties of the solutions.

Irradiation performance of sodium-bonded control rod for the fast breeder reactor

Sasaki, Shinji; Maeda, Koji; Furuya, Hirotaka*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(3), p.276 - 282, 2018/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1394229