Development of failure mitigation technologies for improving resilience of nuclear structures, 1; Failure mitigation by passive safety structures without catastrophic failure

笠原 直人*; 山野 秀将; 中村 いずみ*; 出町 和之*; 佐藤 拓哉*; 一宮 正和*

Transactions of the 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/03

本研究では、受動安全構造を適用することによって破損拡大抑制方法を提案する。受動安全構造のアイデアを超高温条件および過大地震時の次世代高速炉に適用した。

超高真空材料プロセス研究のためのガス精密制御の自動化; 表面反応の放射光リアルタイム観察への応用

中村 孝史*; 山本 幸男*; 荒川 正和*; 丸山 晃生*; 吉越 章隆

産業応用工学会論文誌, 11(2), p.109 - 114, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.12792/jjiiae.11.2.109

SPring-8のBL23SUに設置された表面化学実験ステーションは、放射光軟X線を使って様々な機能性材料の表面および界面の研究に利用されている。固体表面とガスとの化学反応の理解を進めるためには、ガスの精密流量制御が必須である。本論文では、超高真空(分子流領域)におけるガスと表面の反応の実験精度および再現性を改善するための自動ガス流量コンピュター制御システムを報告する。ガス圧力制御のために、スローリークバルブのフィードバック制御システムを開発した。開発したシステムによって、装置エキスパートの実験者と同等以上の反応実験が可能となった。

Citizen science observation of a gamma-ray glow associated with the initiation of a lightning flash

鶴見 美和*; 榎戸 輝掲*; 一方井 祐子*; Wu, T.*; Wang, D.*; 篠田 太郎*; 中澤 知洋*; 辻 直樹*; Diniz, G.*; 片岡 淳*; et al.

Geophysical Research Letters, 50(13), p.e2023GL103612_1 - e2023GL103612_9, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103612

Gamma-ray glows are observational evidence of relativistic electron acceleration due to the electric field in thunderclouds. However, it is yet to be understood whether such relativistic electrons contribute to the initiation of lightning discharges. To tackle this question, we started the citizen science "Thundercloud Project," where we map radiation measurements of glows from winter thunderclouds along Japan's sea coast area. We developed and deployed 58 compact gamma-ray monitors at the end of 2021. On 30 December 2021, five monitors simultaneously detected a glow with its radiation distribution horizontally extending for 2 km. The glow terminated coinciding with a lightning flash at 04:08:34 JST, which was recorded by the two radio-band lightning mapping systems, FALMA and DALMA. The initial discharges during the preliminary breakdown started above the glow, that is, in vicinity of the electron acceleration site. This result provides one example of possible connections between electron acceleration and lightning initiation.

Neutron total and capture cross-section measurements of Gd and Gd in the thermal energy region with the Li-glass detectors and NaI(Tl) spectrometer installed in J-PARCMLFANNRI

木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 岩本 修; 岩本 信之; 原田 秀郎; 片渕 竜也*; 寺田 和司*; 堀 順一*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(6), p.678 - 696, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2134224

Neutron total and capture cross-section measurements of Gd and Gd were performed in the ANNRI at the MLF of the J-PARC. The neutron total cross sections were determined in the energy region from 5 to 100 meV. At the thermal neutron energy, the total cross sections were obtained to be 59.41.7 and 251.94.6 kilobarn for Gd and Gd, respectively. The neutron capture cross sections were determined in the energy region from 3.5 to 100 meV with an innovative method by taking the ratio of the detected capture event rate between thin and thick samples. At the thermal energy, the capture cross sections were obtained as 59.02.5 and 247.43.9 kilobarn for Gd and Gd, respectively. The present total and capture cross sections agree well within the standard deviations. The results for Gd were found to be consistent with the values in JENDL-4.0 and the experimental data given by Mastromarco et al. and Leinweber et al. within one standard deviation. Moreover, the present results for Gd agreed with the evaluated data in JENDL-4.0 and the experimental data by Mller et al. within one standard deviation and agreed with the data by Mastromarco et al. within 1.4 standard deviations. However, they disagree (11% larger) with the experimental result by Leinweber et al.

Fast-neutron capture cross section data measurement of minor actinides for development of nuclear transmutation systems

片渕 竜也*; 岩本 修; 堀 順一*; 木村 敦; 岩本 信之; 中村 詔司; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 遠藤 駿典; 芝原 雄司*; 寺田 和司*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 281, p.00014_1 - 00014_4, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202328100014

Long-lived minor actinides (MA) in nuclear waste from nuclear power plants are a long-standing issue to continue nuclear energy production. To solve the issue, researchers have suggested nuclear transmutation, in which long-lived radionuclides are transmuted into stable or shorter-life nuclides via neutron-induced nuclear reactions. Development of nuclear transmutation systems as an accelerator-driven system requires accurate neutron nuclear reaction data. The present research project entitled "Study on accuracy improvement of fast-neutron capture reaction data of long-lived MAs for development of nuclear transmutation systems" have been conducted as a joint collaboration, including Tokyo Tech, Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Kyoto University. This project focuses on the neutron capture reaction of MAs, especially Np, Am and Am, in the fast neutron energy region. The final goal of this project is to improve the accuracies of the neutron capture cross sections of Np, Am and Am employing a high-intensity neutron beam from a spallation source of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) that reduces uncertainties of measurement. To achieve the goal, a neutron beam filter system in J-PARC, sample characteristic assay, and theoretical reaction model study were developed. In this contribution, the overview and results of the project will be presented.

研究施設等廃棄物のトレンチ埋設施設におけるスカイシャイン線量評価

中村 美月; 出雲 沙理; 小川 理那; 仲田 久和; 天澤 弘也; 坂井 章浩

JAEA-Technology 2022-025, 73 Pages, 2022/12

JAEA-Technology-2022-025.pdf:1.64MB

日本原子力研究開発機構は、研究施設等廃棄物の埋設処分事業の実施主体として、浅地中処分の実施に向けた検討を進めている。研究施設等廃棄物の埋設処分事業では埋設施設の操業中の安全評価として、ピット施設、トレンチ施設及び受入検査施設からの直接線及びスカイシャイン線による敷地境界での実効線量が、「第二種廃棄物埋設施設の位置、構造及び設備の基準に関する規則の解釈」に規定された50Sv/y以下となることを示す必要がある。直接線及びスカイシャイン線による実効線量が50Sv/y以下とするためには、各施設から敷地境界までの距離を120m以上とすることが、概念設計の結果に基づき立地基準案では示された。一方、令和元年に埋設対象廃棄体の物量調査を行い、その結果、トレンチ処分対象の廃棄体等本数が概念設計時に比べて増加し、トレンチ施設に係る施設規模等の設計が変更された。そこで、本報告書では2次元Sn輸送計算コードDOT3.5を用いて、設計変更後のトレンチ施設からの距離に応じた敷地境界でのスカイシャイン線量評価の感度解析を実施した。各トレンチ施設1基あたりの評価及び各トレンチ施設の重畳評価の結果、どちらの評価結果においても各施設から120m離れた敷地境界でのスカイシャイン線による実効線量が50Sv/y以下となることを確認した。

Possible future upgrades of the direct-geometry chopper spectrometer 4SEASONS

梶本 亮一; 中村 充孝; 蒲沢 和也*; 稲村 泰弘; 飯田 一樹*; 池内 和彦*; 石角 元志*

EPJ Web of Conferences, 272, p.02007_1 - 02007_8, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202227202007

4SEASONS is a direct geometry time-of-flight spectrometer installed in the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility, the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. It is used to study atomic andspin dynamics in the energy range of meV to meV. Since more than a decade has crossed after the first inelastic scattering experiment, it is essential to consider upgrading the instrument to improve its flexibility and performance. In this paper, we discuss the possible medium-term upgrades of key components of the instrument like the chopper system, which are achievable with the current technology and at reasonable cost. Herein, we demonstrated that 4SEASONS can improve the energy resolution by a factor of two, remove frame overlap of adjacent incident energies, significantly improve the asymmetry in the pulse shape, and increase the flux by a factor of 1.5, without major technical difficulties.

Development plan of failure mitigation technologies for improving resilience of nuclear structures

笠原 直人*; 山野 秀将; 中村 いずみ*; 出町 和之*; 佐藤 拓哉*; 一宮 正和*

Transactions of the 26th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT-26) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2022/07

破壊制御を利用して、設計想定を超える事象によって破損が生じた場合に、その拡大を抑制する技術の開発を進めている。開発課題として、(1)超高温時の破損拡大抑制技術、(2)課題地震時の破損拡大抑制技術、(3)原子炉構造レジリエンス向上手法の3つの計画を立てた。

KeV-neutron capture cross-section measurement of Au with a Cr-filtered neutron beam at the ANNRI beamline of MLF/J-PARC

Rovira Leveroni, G.; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典; 岩本 修; 岩本 信之; 片渕 竜也*; 児玉 有*; 中野 秀仁*; 佐藤 八起*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(5), p.647 - 655, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1997666

Cr-filtered keV-neutron experiments were performed in the Accurate Neutron-Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (ANNRI) beamline in the Materials and Life Science (MLF) facility of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) to measure the neutron capture cross-section of Au. The energy range of the neutron filtering system at ANNRI was extended through the use of 15 cm of Cr as filter material to tailor quasi-monochromatic neutron peaks with averaged neutron energies of 133.4 and 45.0 keV. The performance of the Cr filter assembly was evaluated by means of experimental capture and transmission analyses, together with the use of Monte-Carlo simulations. The present Au neutron capture cross-section results provide agreement within uncertainties with the JENDL-4.0 standard evaluated library and the IAEA standard data library further demonstrating the capabilities of the neutron filtering system at ANNRI.

Development of a neutron beam monitor for nuclear data measurement using spallation neutron source

中野 秀仁*; 片渕 竜也*; Rovira Leveroni, G.*; 児玉 有*; 寺田 和司*; 木村 敦; 中村 詔司; 遠藤 駿典

JAEA-Conf 2021-001, p.166 - 170, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2021-001

In neutron capture cross section measurement, monitoring the number of the incident neutrons is necessary. However, in measurement with J-PARC/ANNRI, direct neutron monitoring system has not been employed. Conventional neutron detectors cannot be used as a beam monitor at ANNRI because of two reasons, high counting rate environment and gamma-flash. In general, a semiconductor detector or an inorganic scintillator, which is adopted for a neutron detector, has relatively longer response time and is unsuitable for beam monitoring at ANNRI. Therefore, a combination of a thin plastic scintillator and a LiF foil was selected as a detection system, whose fast response enabled detecting neutrons at a high counting rate. Low gamma ray sensitivity of a thin plastic scintillator allows measuring fast TOF region without count loss or detector paralysis. The geometry of the LiF foil, the plastic scintillator, and photomultiplier tube (PMT) was designed. The optimal thickness of the LiF foil was determined with simulation codes, SRIM and PHITS. The detector system was tested under the high neutron irradiation condition at J-PARC /ANNRI. A neutron TOF spectrum was successfully measured without significant count loss or detector paralysis. A neutron energy spectrum was driven from difference of TOF spectrum with and without LiF. The neutron spectrum was compared with a past neutron spectrum and good agreement was obtained. Statistic error was 0.68 at 6.0 meV even though measurement times in this study were short.