FORNAX-A1.0 for calculation of fission product release amount from fuel rods of pin-in-block-type high temperature gas-cooled reactors

Aihara, Jun

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-003, 77 Pages, 2022/06

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-003.pdf:1.62MB

FORNAX-A1.0 is a calculation code for amount of fission product (FP) released from fuel rods of pin-in-type high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs). FORNAX-A1.0 is based on Fick's laws of diffusion and can calculate FP release amount from fuel rod under normal operation and accidents without failure (including oxidation) of graphite sleeves and fuel compacts and without melting of fuel kernel, for example, stopping fission and increase in temperature and/or failure fraction of coated fuel particles. This report is for explanation of outline, basic formulae and numerical analysis method of FORNAX-A1.0 code.

A Statistical approach for modeling the effect of hot press conditions on the mechanical strength properties of HTGR fuel elements

Aihara, Jun; Kuroda, Masatoshi*; Tachibana, Yukio

Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 28) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE28-64507

To maintain the structural integrity of fuel elements for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) under disaster conditions, strong and oxidation-resistant fuel elements should be further developed. The HTGR fuel elements employ a hot-pressed silicon carbide (SiC)/carbon (C) mixed matrix to improve the oxidative resistance. Hot-press conditions such as pressure, temperature, and duration would be one of the factors that affect the strength of the HTGR fuel elements. To identify the optimal hot-press conditions for preparing the high-strength fuel elements, modelling their effects on the mechanical-strength properties of the HTGR fuel elements should be evaluated quantitatively. In this study, the response surface model, which represents the relationship between the hot-press conditions and the mechanical-strength properties, has been constructed by introducing statistical design-of-experiment approaches.

Influences of the ZrC coating process and heat treatment on ZrC-coated kernels used as fuel in Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor in Japan

Aihara, Jun; Ueta, Shohei; Honda, Masaki*; Mizuta, Naoki; Goto, Minoru; Tachibana, Yukio; Okamoto, Koji*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(1), p.107 - 116, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1806137

The concept of a Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) has been proposed for purpose of more safely reducing amount of recovered Pu. This concept employs coated fuel particles (CFPs) with ZrC coated PuO-YSZ kernel and with tristructural (TRISO) coating for very high Pu burn-up and high nuclear proliferation resistance. In this report, we investigate the microstructure of the region that includes the surface of an as-fabricated CeO-YSZ kernel simulating PuO-YSZ kernel. We found both Zr-rich grains and Ce-rich grains to be densely distributed in that region including surface of CeO-YSZ kernel. On the other hand, it has been reported that there was a porous region near surface of the CeO-YSZ kernel of Batch I. This finding confirms that Ce-rich grains near surface of CeO-YSZ kernels coated with ZrC layers have been corroded during the deposition of the ZrC layer, whereas the Zr-rich grains were hardly affected.

Development of fabrication and inspection technologies for oxidation-resistant fuel element for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

Aihara, Jun; Yasuda, Atsushi*; Ueta, Shohei; Ogawa, Hiroaki; Honda, Masaki*; Ohira, Koichi*; Tachibana, Yukio

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 18(4), p.237 - 245, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J19.002

Development of fabrication and inspection technologies of oxidation resistant fuel element for improvement of safety of high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) in severe oxidation accident was carried out. Simulated coated fuel particles (CFPs), alumina particles, were over-coated with mixed powder of Si, C and small amount of resin to form over-coated particles, and over-coated particles were molded and hot-pressed to sinter simulated oxidation resistant fuel elements with SiC/C mixed matrix. Simulated oxidation resistant fuel elements with matrix whose Si/C mole ratio is 1.00 were fabricated. Failure fraction of CFPs in fuel elements is one of very important inspection subjects of HTGR fuel. It is essential that CFPs are extracted from fuel elements without additional failure. Development of method for extraction of CFPs was carried out. Desolation of SiC by KOH method or pressurized acidolysis method should be applied to extraction of CFPs.

Development of fabrication technology for oxidation-resistant fuel elements for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

Aihara, Jun; Honda, Masaki*; Ueta, Shohei; Ogawa, Hiroaki; Ohira, Koichi*; Tachibana, Yukio

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 18(1), p.29 - 36, 2019/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J17.027

Japan Atomic Energy Agency carried out development of fabrication technology of oxidation resistant fuel element for improvement of safety of high temperature gas-cooled reactors in serious oxidation accident, based on precursor research in former JAEA. Dummy coated fuel particles (alumina particles) were over-coated with mixed powder of Si, C and small amount of resin to form over-coated particles, and over-coated particles were molded and hot-pressed to sinter dummy oxidation resistant fuel elements with SiC/C mixed matrix. We fabricated dummy oxidation resistant fuel elements with matrix whose Si/C mole ratio (about 0.551) is three times as large as that in precursor research. Si peak was not detected by X-ray diffraction of matrix. Better oxidation resistant was confirmed with oxidation test in 20% O at 1673 K than that of ordinal fuel compact with ordinal graphite/carbon matrix. All dummy coated fuel particles were held in specimen after 10 h oxidation.

Study on Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor in Japan; Design study of fuel and reactor core

Goto, Minoru; Aihara, Jun; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Ueta, Shohei; Fukaya, Yuji; Okamoto, Koji*

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

JAEA has conducted design studies of a Pu-burner HTGR. The Pu-burner HTGR incinerates Pu by fission, and hence a high burn-up is required for the efficient incineration. In the fuel design, a thin ZrC layer, which acts as an oxygen getter and suppresses the internal pressure, was coated on the fuel kernel to prevent the CFP failure at the high burn-up. A stress analysis of the SiC layer, which acts as a pressure vessel for the CFP, was performed for with consideration of the depression effect due to the ZrC layer. As a result, the CFP failure fraction at high burn-up of 500 GWd/t satisfied the target value. In the reactor core design, an axial fuel shuffling was employed to attain the high burn-up, and the nuclear burn-up calculations with the whole core model and the fuel temperature calculations were performed. As a result, the nuclear characteristics, which are the shutdown margin and the temperature coefficient of reactivity, and the fuel temperature satisfied their target values.

Investigation of irradiated properties of extended burnup TRISO fuel

Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Kenzhin, Y.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Shibata, Taiju

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (INP) conducts an irradiation test and post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel and materials to develop the extend burnup fuel up to 100 GWd/t-U collaboratively with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under projects in a frame of the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC). Cylindrical fuel compact specimens consisting of newly-designed TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) coated fuel particles and a matrix made of graphite material were manufactured in Japan. An irradiation test of the fuel specimens using a helium-gas swept capsule designed and constructed in the INP has been performed up to 100 GWd/t-U in the WWR-K research reactor by April 2015. In the next stage, PIEs with the irradiated fuel specimens have been started in February 2017 as a new ISTC project. Several PIE technologies by non-destructive and destructive techniques with irradiated fuel compacts were developed by the INP. This report presents the developed technologies and interim results of the PIE for high burning TRISO fuel.

Development of security and safety fuel for Pu-burner HTGR, 2; Design study of fuel and reactor core

Goto, Minoru; Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Fukaya, Yuji; Tachibana, Yukio; Okamoto, Koji*

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/07

A PuO-YSZ fuel kernel with a ZrC coating, which enhances safety, security and safeguard, namely: 3S-TRISO fuel, was proposed to introduce to the plutonium-burner HTGR. In this study, the efficiency of the ZrC coating as the free-oxygen getter was examined based on a thermochemical calculation. A preliminary study on the feasibility of the 3S-TRISO fuel was conducted focusing on the internal pressure. Additionally, a nuclear feasibility of the reactor core was studied. As a result, all the amount of the free-oxygen is captured by a thin ZrC coating under 1600C and coating ZrC on the fuel kernel should be very effective method to suppress the internal pressure. The internal pressure of the 3S-TRISO fuel at 500 GWd/t is lower than that of UO kernel TRISO fuel whose feasibility had been already confirmed and the 3S-TRISO fuel should be feasible. The fuel shuffling allows to achieve 500 GWd/t. The temperature coefficient of reactivity is negative during the operation period and thus the nuclear feasibility of the reactor core should be achievable.

Confirmation of feasibility of fabrication technology and characterization of high-packing fraction fuel compact for HTGR

Mizuta, Naoki; Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Shibata, Taiju

JAEA-Technology 2017-004, 22 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Technology-2017-004.pdf:2.71MB

Confirmation of feasibility of fabrication technology and characterization of the high-packing fraction fuel compact of High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) fuel were carried out. Fuel compacts were fabricated with CFP packing fraction targeted at 33 percent by the same manufacturing condition of HTTR fuel compact. SiC-defective fraction, compressive strength and internal CFP distribution of the compact, important parameters to guarantee its integrity, were evaluated. The high-packing fuel compacts showed as same level of SiC-defective fraction as that of HTTR first loading fuel, 810, and larger compressive strength than the HTTR fuel criteria, 4,900N. The feasibility of fabrication technology and the performance for the high-packing fraction fuel compact was confirmed.

Irradiation test and post irradiation examination of the high burnup HTGR fuel

Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Shaimerdenov, A.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Chakrov, P.*; Sakaba, Nariaki

Proceedings of 8th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2016) (CD-ROM), p.246 - 252, 2016/11

In order to examine irradiation performance of the new Tri-structural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel for the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) at the burnup around 100 GWd/t, a capsule irradiation test was conducted by WWR-K research reactor in the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of Kazakhstan. The irradiated TRISO fuel was designed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and fabricated in basis of the HTTR fuel technology in Japan. The fractional release of fission gas from the fuel during the irradiation shows good agreement with the predicted one released from as-fabricated failed TRISO fuel. It was suggested that unexpected additional fuel failure would not occur during the irradiation up to 100 GWd/t. In addition, the post-irradiation examination (PIE) with the irradiated fuel is planned to qualify TRISO fuel integrity and upgrade HTGR fuel design for further burnup extension.