Improvement of the laboratory calibration experiment method for a borehole extensometer measurement using a straddle-sliding-packer system

Sakuma, Keisuke; Ishii, Eiichi; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tamura, Tomonori

Zairyo, 75(3), p.166 - 172, 2026/03

https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.2025.00103

A borehole extensometer using a conventional straddle-sliding-packer system has been developed as a method for evaluating the shear compliance of a fault. In this study, we re-evaluated the laboratory experiment method for determining the compliance of the packer system which is required when applying the borehole extensometer method. The packer compliance measured by the previous method using a single packer was compared with that derived from a method using double packers, where the latter method more reproduces the actual in-situ test conditions. The results showed that the previous method using a single packer may over- or under-estimate the packer compliance, and the difference between those from the methods using a single packer and double packers is greater with smaller packer pressure. We also found that the packer compliance depends on the packer pressure and increases with decreasing packer pressure. Therefore, it is desired to conduct laboratory experiments using double packers at packer pressure close to the in-situ test conditions. The knowledge obtained by this study improves the reliability of the borehole extensometer measurement using a straddle-sliding-packer system.

Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project; Investigation program for the fiscal year 2025

Nakayama, Masashi; Ishii, Eiichi; Hayano, Akira; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Murakami, Hiroaki; Ono, Hirokazu; Takeda, Masaki; Mochizuki, Akihito; Ozaki, Yusuke; Kimura, Shun; et al.

JAEA-Review 2025-027, 80 Pages, 2025/09

JAEA-Review-2025-027.pdf:6.22MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to enhance the reliability of relevant technologies for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste through investigating the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rocks at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. In the fiscal year 2025, we continue R&D on "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment" and "Demonstration of repository design options". These are identified as key R&D challenges to be tackled in the Horonobe underground research plan for the fiscal year 2020 onwards. In the "Study on near-field system performance in geological environment", we continue to obtain data from the full-scale engineered barrier system performance experiment, and work on the specifics of the full-scale engineered barrier system dismantling experiment. As for "Demonstration of repository design options", the investigation, design, and evaluation techniques are to be systemized at various scales, from the tunnel to the pit, by means of an organized set of evaluation methodologies for confinement performance at these respective scales. Preliminary borehole investigations will be conducted within a 500 m gallery, with the objectives of obtaining rock strength and rock permeability data, as well as surveying the extent of the excavation damaged zone surrounding the test tunnel via tomographic analysis. A planning study for the in-situ construction test will be conducted to investigate the construction of backfill material and watertight plugs. The volume of water inflow associated with the excavation of the 500 m gallery will be observed, and its magnitude will be compared with the range of water inflow predicted in the analysis. The test plan to determine the extent of the excavation damaged zone around the pit, which is planned to be constructed in the 500 m gallery, will be studied to determine the in-situ excavation damaged zone. In addition, the investigation and evaluation methods for the amount of water inflow from fractures and the extent of the excavation damaged zone around the pit will be organized. Concerning the construction and maintenance of the subsurface facilities, excavation of the West Access Shaft and the 500 m gallery will continue. It is anticipated that the construction of the facilities will be completed by the end of the fiscal year 2025. In addition, we continue R&D on the following three tasks in the Horonobe International Project; Task A: Solute transport experiment with model testing, Task B: Systematic integration of repository technology options, and Task C: Full-scale engineered barrier system dismantling experiment.

Observational evidence of elastic shear displacement along a minor fault in soft siliceous mudstone

Tamura, Tomonori; Ishii, Eiichi; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Yagi, Keisuke*

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 9 Pages, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-025-05138-8

Intercalative and non-intercalative photo-recharge using all-solid-state cells for solar energy conversion and storage

Yoshimoto, Masataka*; Tamura, Kazuhisa; Watanabe, Kenta*; Shimizu, Keisuke*; Horisawa, Yuhei*; Kobayashi, Takeshi*; Tsurita, Hanae*; Suzuki, Kota*; Kanno, Ryoji*; Hirayama, Masaaki*

Sustainable Energy & Fuels (Internet), 8(6), p.1236 - 1244, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SE01636F

Photo-rechargeable systems, which can efficiently convert and store solar energy into chemical energy within single devices, are essential to harness sunlight effectively. Photo-(de)intercalation plays a pivotal role in the functionality of photorechargeable systems. Nevertheless, the photo-(de)intercalation process has not been conclusively confirmed owing to potential interference from side reactions, such as the decomposition of liquid electrolytes and the elution of electrode materials. In this study, we successfully demonstrated photo-responsive Li-deintercalation using an all-solid-state thin-film battery comprised of epitaxially-grown anatase TiO doped with Nb (a-TiO:Nb) as the cathode. Under light irradiation, Li-deintercalation occurred and was subsequently reversibly intercalated into a-TiO:Nb during discharge.

Reports of electro-polishing implementation for quarter-wave resonators, 2

Nii, Keisuke*; Ida, Yoshiaki*; Ueda, Hideki*; Yamaguchi, Takanori*; Kabumoto, Hiroshi; Kamiya, Junichiro; Kondo, Yasuhiro; Tamura, Jun; Harada, Hiroyuki; Matsui, Yutaka; et al.

Proceedings of 19th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.601 - 604, 2023/01

no abstracts in English

Reactions of the LiMnO cathode in an all-solid-state thin-film battery during cycling

Hikima, Kazuhiro*; Hinuma, Yoyo*; Shimizu, Keisuke*; Suzuki, Kota*; Taminato, So*; Hirayama, Masaaki*; Masuda, Takuya*; Tamura, Kazuhisa; Kanno, Ryoji*

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13(6), p.7650 - 7663, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c18030

We evaluated the structural change of the cathode material LiMnO that was deposited as an epitaxial film with an (001) orientation in an all-solid-state battery. In case of the electrode with LiPO coating. Experiments revealed a structural change to a high-capacity (activated) phase that proceeded gradually and continuously with cycling. The activated phase barely showed any capacity fading. We propose a mechanism of structural change with cycling: charging to a high voltage at a sufficiently low Li concentration typically induces irreversible transition to a phase detrimental to cycling that could, but not necessarily, be accompanied by the dissolution of Mn and/or the release of O into the electrolyte, while a gradual irreversible transition to an activated phase happens at a similar Li concentration under a lower voltage.

Present status of TIARA at JAEA

Yuyama, Takahiro; Ishibori, Ikuo; Kurashima, Satoshi; Yoshida, Kenichi; Ishizaka, Tomohisa; Chiba, Atsuya; Yamada, Keisuke; Yokoyama, Akihito; Usui, Aya; Miyawaki, Nobumasa; et al.

Proceedings of 12th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.302 - 304, 2015/09

http://www.pasj.jp/web_publish/pasj2015/proceedings/PDF/FSP0/FSP010.pdf

no abstracts in English

Enhancement of the methodology of repository design and post-closure performance assessment for preliminary investigation stage, 2; Progress report on NUMO-JAEA collaborative research in FY2012 (Joint research)

Shibata, Masahiro; Sawada, Atsushi; Tachi, Yukio; Hayano, Akira; Makino, Hitoshi; Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Mitsui, Seiichiro; Oda, Chie; Kitamura, Akira; Osawa, Hideaki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2013-037, 455 Pages, 2013/12

JAEA-Research-2013-037.pdf:42.0MB

Following FY2011, JAEA and NUMO have conducted a collaborative research work which is designed to enhance the methodology of repository design and performance assessment in preliminary investigation stage. With regard to (1) study on rock suitability in terms of hydrology, the tree diagram of methodology of groundwater travel time has been extended for crystalline rock, in addition, tree diagram for sedimentary rock newly has been organized. With regard to (2) study on scenario development, the existing approach has been improved in terms of a practical task, and applied and tested for near field focusing on the buffer. In addition, the uncertainty of some important processes and its impact on safety functions are discussed though analysis. With regard to (3) study on setting radionuclide migration parameters, the approaches for parameter setting have been developed for sorption for rocks and solubility, and applied and tested through parameter setting exercises for key radionuclides.

Sorption of Eu(III) on granite; EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, batch and modeling studies

Fukushi, Keisuke*; Hasegawa, Yusuke*; Maeda, Koshi*; Aoi, Yusuke*; Tamura, Akihiro*; Arai, Shoji*; Yamamoto, Yuhei*; Aosai, Daisuke*; Mizuno, Takashi

Environmental Science & Technology, 47(22), p.12811 - 12818, 2013/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/es402676n

Eu(III) sorption on granite was examined by the combined microscopic and macroscopic approaches. Polished thin sections of the granite were reacted with solutions containing 10 M of Eu(III) and analyzed using EPMA and LA-ICP-MS. The Eu enrichment up to 6 wt.% was observed on most of the biotite grains. The Eu-enriched parts commonly lose K, which is the interlayer cation of biotite, indicating that the sorption mode is cation exchange in the interlayer. Batch Eu(III) sorption experiments on granite and biotite powders were conducted. The macroscopic sorption behavior of biotite was consistent with that of granite. The obtained sorption edges can be reproduced reasonably by the modeling considering single-site cation exchange reactions. Granite is complex mineral assemblages. However, the combined microscopic and macroscopic approaches revealed that elementary reactions by single phase can be representative for the bulk sorption reaction in complex mineral assemblages.

Enhancement of the methodology of repository design and post-closure performance assessment for preliminary investigation stage; Progress report on NUMO-JAEA collaborative research in FY2011 (Joint research)

Shibata, Masahiro; Sawada, Atsushi; Tachi, Yukio; Makino, Hitoshi; Hayano, Akira; Mitsui, Seiichiro; Taniguchi, Naoki; Oda, Chie; Kitamura, Akira; Osawa, Hideaki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2012-032, 298 Pages, 2012/09

JAEA-Research-2012-032.pdf:33.68MB

JAEA and NUMO have conducted a collaborative research work which is designed to enhance the methodology of repository design and performance assessment in preliminary investigation phase. The topics and the conducted research are follows; (1) Study on selection of host rock: in terms of hydraulic properties, items for assessing rock property, and assessment methodology of groundwater travel time has been organized with interaction from site investigation. (2) Study on development of scenario: the existing approach has been embodied, in addition, the phenomenological understanding regarding dissolution of and nuclide release from vitrified waste, corrosion of the overpack, long-term performance of the buffer are summarized. (3) Study on setting nuclide migration parameters: the approach for parameter setting has been improved for sorption and diffusion coefficient of buffer/rock, and applied and tested for parameter setting of key radionuclides. (4) Study on ensuring quality of knowledge: framework for ensuring quality of knowledge has been studied and examined aimed at the likely disposal facility condition.