Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Morishita, Masaki*; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ando, Masanori; Ashida, Takashi; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Doda, Norihiro; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fukano, Yoshitaka; et al.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

This book is a collection of the past experience of design, construction, and operation of two reactors, the latest knowledge and technology for SFR designs, and the future prospects of SFR development in Japan. It is intended to provide the perspective and the relevant knowledge to enable readers to become more familiar with SFR technology.

Thermal fatigue test on dissimilar welded joint between Gr.91 and 304SS

Wakai, Takashi; Kobayashi, Sumio; Kato, Shoichi; Ando, Masanori; Takasho, Hideki*

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE25-66099

This paper describes a thermal fatigue test on a structural model with a dissimilar welded joint. In the present design of JSFR, there may be dissimilar welded joints between ferritic and austenitic steels especially in IHX and SG. Creep-fatigue is one of the most important failure modes in JSFR components. However, the creep-fatigue damage evaluation method has not been established for dissimilar welded joint. To investigate the evaluation method, structural test will be needed for verification. Therefore, a thermal fatigue test on a thick-wall cylinder with a circumferential dissimilar welded joint between Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel and 304SS was performed. Since the coefficients of thermal expansion of these steels were significantly different, buttering layer of Ni base alloy was installed between them. After the completion of the test, deep cracks were observed at the HAZ in 304SS, as well as at HAZ in Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel. There were many tiny surface cracks in BM of 304SS. According to the fatigue damage evaluation based on the finite element analysis results, the largest fatigue damage was calculated at HAZ in 304SS. Large fatigue damage was also estimated at BM of 304SS. Fatigue cracks were observed at HAZ and BM of 304SS in the test, so that analytical results are in a good agreement with the observations. However, though relatively small fatigue damage was estimated at HAZ in Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel, deep fatigue cracks were observed in the test. To identify the cause of such a discrepancy between the test and calculations, we performed a series of finite element analyses. Some metallurgical investigations were also performed.

Creep-fatigue tests of double-end notched bar made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel

Shimomura, Kenta; Kato, Shoichi; Wakai, Takashi; Ando, Masanori; Hirose, Yuichi*; Sato, Kenichiro*

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 9 Pages, 2015/05

This paper describes experimental and analytical works to confirm that the design standard for SFR components sufficiently covers possible failure mechanisms. Creep-fatigue damage evaluation method in JSME design standard for SFR components has been constructed based on experiments and/or numerical analyses of conventional austenitic stainless steels, such as 304SS. Since the material characteristics of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel are substantially different from those of austenitic stainless steels, it is required to verify the applicability of the design standards to the SFR components made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel. A series of uni-axial creep-fatigue tests were conducted using double-ended notch bar specimens made of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel under displacement controlled condition with 30 minute holding. The curvature radii of the specimens were 1.6mm, 11.2mm and 40.0mm. The specimen having 1.6mm notch and 11.2mm notch failed from outer surface but the specimen having 40.0mm notch showed obvious internal crack nucleation. In addition, though total duration time of the creep-fatigue test was only 2,000 hours, a lot of creep voids and inter granular crack growth were observed. To clarify the cause of such peculiar failure, some additional experiments were performed, as well as some numerical analyses. We could point out that such a peculiar failure aspect might result from corresponding stress distribution in the cross section. As a result of a series of investigations, possible causes of such peculiar failure could be narrowed down. A future investigation plan was proposed to clarify the most significant cause.

Development of structural codes for JSFR based on the system based code concept

Asayama, Tai; Wakai, Takashi; Ando, Masanori; Okajima, Satoshi; Nagae, Yuji; Takaya, Shigeru; Onizawa, Takashi; Tsukimori, Kazuyuki; Morishita, Masaki

Proceedings of 2014 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2014) (DVD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2014/07

This paper overviews the ongoing research and development as well as activities for codification of structural codes for the Japan Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR). Not only the design and construction code which has been published and updated on a regular basis, codes on welding, fitness-for-service, leak-before-break evaluation as well as the guidelines for structural reliability evaluation are being developed. The basic strategy for the development is to fully take advantage of the favorable technical characteristics associated with sodium-cooled fast reactors; the codes will be developed based on the System Based Code concept. The above mentioned set of codes are planned to be published from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2016.

Determination of electrochemical corrosion potential along the JMTR in-pile loop, 2; Validation of ECP electrodes and the extrapolation of measured ECP data

Hanawa, Satoshi; Nakamura, Takehiko; Uchida, Shunsuke; Kus, P.*; Vsolak, R.*; Kysela, J.*; Sakai, Masanori*

Nuclear Technology, 183(1), p.136 - 148, 2013/07

https://doi.org/10.13182/NT13-A16998

no abstracts in English

Improvements in plastic enclosure system for glovebox decommissioning

Watahiki, Masatoshi; Akai, Masanori; Nakai, Koji; Iemura, Keisuke; Yoshino, Masanori*; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro; Suzuki, Kazunori

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 11(1), p.101 - 109, 2012/02

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J10.037

Gloveboxes used for plutonium fuel development and fabrication are eventually dismantled for replacement or decommissioning. Since equipment interior and the inner surface of gloveboxes are contaminated in radioactive materials, glovebox dismantling work is performed by workers wearing an air fed suit with mechanical tools in a plastic enclosure system to control the spread of contamination. Various improvements of enclosure system are implemented including modification of the rooms to decontaminate and undress the air fed suit and introduction of inflammable filter and safety film near the size reduction workspace against fire. We describe the countermeasures deployed in the enclosure system against potential hazards and how these devices work in the real dismantling activities.

Design, construction and operation of general control system of Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF-GCS) in J-PARC

Sakai, Kenji; Oi, Motoki; Kai, Tetsuya; Watanabe, Akihiko; Nakatani, Takeshi; Higemoto, Wataru; Shimomura, Koichiro*; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Kaminaga, Masanori

JAEA-Technology 2009-042, 44 Pages, 2009/08

JAEA-Technology-2009-042.pdf:35.33MB

A general control system for the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF-GCS) at J-PARC has an advanced and independent system for control of the mercury target, including a large amount of mercury, three moderators with supercritical hydrogen, and cooling systems with radioactive water. Although the MLF-GCS is an independent system, it works closely with the accelerator and other facility control systems within J-PARC. The MLF have succeeded in the first proton beam injection and neutron beam generation in May 2008, and succeeded the muon beams generation in September 2008. The design and construction of the MLF-GCS has finished before the first proton beam injection. It has been operated stably and efficiently in the off- and on- beam commissioning. This paper reports on the design, construction and operation of the MLF-GCS.

Developmental status of a server system for the MLF general control system

Oi, Motoki; Kai, Tetsuya; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Sakai, Kenji; Kaminaga, Masanori; Futakawa, Masatoshi

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 600(1), p.120 - 122, 2009/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2008.11.071

The Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of J-PARC has the general control system (MLF-GCS) that controls all subsystems of the MLFAccording to classifying into each function, the MLF-GCS consists of three layers of a PLC (programmable logic controller) link layer, server layer and external network layer. The PLC link layer is an inner layer and core part of the MLF-GCS. The server layer acquires various data from the inner and outer layer. The server systems also protect the core part of the MLF-GCS from network troubles of external LANs by mediating between the inner and outer layer. The server systems play an important role for realizing advanced and independent control in the MLF. A modeling and construction of the server systems have been almost finished, and an improvement and optimization of them are now in progress. This paper gives an overview of the server systems for the MLF-GCS and reports on their development status.

Progress in R&D efforts on the energy recovery linac in Japan

Sakanaka, Shogo*; Ago, Tomonori*; Enomoto, Atsushi*; Fukuda, Shigeki*; Furukawa, Kazuro*; Furuya, Takaaki*; Haga, Kaiichi*; Harada, Kentaro*; Hiramatsu, Shigenori*; Honda, Toru*; et al.

Proceedings of 11th European Particle Accelerator Conference (EPAC '08) (CD-ROM), p.205 - 207, 2008/06

Future synchrotron light sources based on the energy-recovery linacs (ERLs) are expected to be capable of producing super-brilliant and/or ultra-short pulses of synchrotron radiation. Our Japanese collaboration team is making efforts for realizing an ERL-based hard X-ray source. We report recent progress in our R&D efforts.

Effect of V and Nb on precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of high Cr steel

Onizawa, Takashi; Wakai, Takashi; Ando, Masanori; Aoto, Kazumi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 238(2), p.408 - 416, 2008/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2006.09.013

This paper studies the long term efficiency and stability of strengthening mechanisms provided by V and Nb in high chromium ferritic steels. These elements are believed to improve the high temperature strength of high Cr steels by precipitating as carbides and/or nitrides, namely fine MX particles. However, the long term efficiency and stability of such precipitation strengthening mechanisms provided by the fine MX particles have not been clarified yet. A series of trial products controlling V and Nb contents is produced and mechanical tests are conducted to investigate the effect of these elements on the mechanical properties and the long term stability of the MX strengthening mechanism. Before and after a long term aging process, metallurgical examinations and quantitative analyses are conducted to investigate the effect of these elements on the microstructure evolutions. Based on these results, the long term efficiency and stability of the strengthening mechanisms provided by the fine MX particles are discussed.