Diverse microbiome functions, limited temporal variation and substantial genomic conservation within sedimentary and granite rock deep underground research laboratories

Amano, Yuki; Sachdeva, R.*; Gittins, D.*; Anantharaman, K.*; Lei, S.*; Valentin-Alvarado, L. E.*; Diamond, S.*; Beppu, Hikari*; Iwatsuki, Teruki; Mochizuki, Akihito; et al.

Environmental Microbiome (Internet), 19, p.105_1 - 105_17, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00649-3

Complete genome sequence of sp. strain V2501 isolated from 250 m below the ground level in Horonobe, Hokkaido, Japan

Ueno, Akio*; Sato, Kiyoshi*; Tamamura, Shuji*; Murakami, Takuma*; Inomata, Hidenori*; Tamazawa, Satoshi*; Amano, Yuki; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Naganuma, Takeshi*; Igarashi, Toshifumi*

Microbiology Resource Announcements (Internet), 13(11), p.e00108-24_1 - e00108-24_4, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00108-24

Release behavior of gaseous ruthenium tetroxide during heating of high-level liquid waste simulant during simulated accident conditions

Yoshida, Naoki; Ono, Takuya; Amano, Yuki; Yoshida, Ryoichiro; Abe, Hitoshi; Yamane, Yuichi

Nuclear Technology, 210(10), p.1999 - 2007, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2306688

A malfunction of the cooling system of high-level liquid waste (HLLW) and failure of countermeasures may lead to the "evaporation to dryness due to the loss of cooling functions" (EDLCF) of HLLW. In the EDLCF, ruthenium (Ru) can be released at a greater fraction to initial amount than other elements in HLLW by forming gaseous Ru. It is important to identify the chemical form of the released gaseous Ru to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the events impacting the source term assessment of Ru in this accident, such as particle formation, gas absorption and deposition on migration pathways. In this study, we observed the ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy of the off-gas generated during the heating of an HLLW simulant. Employing a program that allows the separation and quantification of known components within the spectrum (ruthenium tetroxide (RuO), nitrogen dioxide, and nitric acid), we attempted to analyze the composition of gaseous Ru within the generated off-gas. Our findings reveal RuO as the main component of the gaseous Ru in off-gas after comparing the total amount of released Ru and the RuO released amount obtained via spectroscopic analysis.

Validation study on SFR core bowing codes using Joyo ex-core experiment data; Multiple duct bowing benchmark

Wozniak, N.*; Shemon, E.*; Feng, B.*; Ohgama, Kazuya; Doda, Norihiro; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Futagami, Satoshi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Ota, Hirokazu*; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Cycle (GLOBAL2024) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2024/10

To enhance the accuracy of the safety evaluations in sodium-cooled fast reactors, it is necessary to develop a method to realistically evaluate the reactivity caused by core deformation. In this regard, Japan and the United States jointly conducted a benchmark analysis of thermal bowing experiments using multiple ducts of Joyo-type fuel assembly. The aim was to confirm the validity of the core bowing analysis codes. Comparisons of analysis and test results revealed that the core bowing analysis codes used by both countries were able to reasonably predict the thermal bowing of a row of assemblies.

Effectiveness evaluation of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures against excessive earthquake, 2; Accident sequences analysis

Kurisaka, Kenichi; Nishino, Hiroyuki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management & Asian Symposium on Risk Assessment and Management (PSAM17 & ASRAM2024) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2024/10

The objective of this study is to implement an effectiveness evaluation of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures against excessive earthquake. In this study, those measures for improving resilience have an effect to enlarge their seismic safety margin. To evaluate effectiveness of those measures, seismic core damage frequency (CDF) is selected as an index. Reduction of CDF as an effectiveness index is quantified by applying seismic PRA technology. Target system is a loop-type next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor, which adopts the building isolated from horizontal seismic ground motion. Even if the reactor vessel (RV) is buckled due to seismic shaking, it is expected that the RV maintains stable state without unstable failure such as rupture, collapse. Realistic consideration of the post-buckling behavior is regarded as a measure for improving resilience in this study. We set two cases for improving the resilience in the accident sequences analysis. The first case assumes low-cycle fatigue failure after buckling as the realistic failure mode of the RV, and we applied the fragility evaluated in our study. After the RV fatigue failure, the behavior of failure propagation is very uncertain. As the second case, the median seismic capacity to loss of reactor level is assumed to be slightly larger than that of fatigue failure of the RV. Analyses for both cases were performed, and the results were compared to the base case indicating significant reduction of CDF. Within the assumption, the measures for improving the resilience were significantly effective for decreasing CDF in excessive earthquake up to several times of a design basis ground motion. The seismic PRA technology could serve to the effectiveness evaluation of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures against excessive earthquake.

Effectiveness evaluation of the measures for improving resilience at ultra-high temperatures

Onoda, Yuichi; Nishino, Hiroyuki; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management & Asian Symposium on Risk Assessment and Management (PSAM17 & ASRAM2024) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2024/10

We developed the measures for improving resilience of the sodium-cooled fast reactor structure using the failure mitigation technology and evaluated the effectiveness of the measures. To prevent core damage in the event of an accident progressing to an ultra-high temperature state, both measures to prevent overpressure in the reactor vessel and measures to cool the reactor core are required. As a core cooling measure, we developed a core cooling concept that promotes radiant heat transfer from the reactor vessel and cools the containment vessel outer surface by natural convection named Containment Vessel Auxiliary Cooling System (CVACS). We developed a method to use the reduction rate of core damage frequency as an indicator for effectiveness of the measures for improving resilience. The core damage frequency was evaluated by calculating the core cooling performance using CVACS, reflecting the results of structural analysis and human reliability analysis. By implementing measures for improving resilience in addition to existing measures, the core damage frequency of Japan loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor caused by LOHRS has been reduced to about one-hundredth of the previous level.

Methanotrophic archaea host diverse and interacting extrachromosomal elements

Shi, L.-D.*; West-Roberts, J.*; Schoelmerich, M. C.*; Penev, P. I.*; Chen, L.-X.*; Amano, Yuki; Lei, S.*; Sachdeva, R.*; Banfield, J. F.*

Nature Microbiology (Internet), 9(9), p.2422 - 2433, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01740-8

Thinning behavior of solid boron carbide immersed in molten stainless steel for core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor

Emura, Yuki; Takai, Toshihide; Kikuchi, Shin; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Yokoyama, Hiroki*; Sakamoto, Kan*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(7), p.911 - 920, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2287109

Suggestions for energy storage best mix to achieve carbon neutrality, 1; Development of energy storage best mix

Kato, Yukitaka*; Yamano, Hidemasa

Dai-28-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2024/06

The research committee of energy storage technologies toward carbon neutrality developed four suggestions: 1) Development of energy storage best mix, 2) Transformation to green society, 3) utilization of heat storage technologies, and 4) Development of energy storage strategy beyond 2050. This paper describes suggestion 1) Development of energy storage best mix in response to large-scale deployments of variable renewable energy.

Combustion properties of glove-box panel resins under fire accidents

Tashiro, Shinsuke; Uchiyama, Gunzo; Ono, Takuya; Amano, Yuki; Yoshida, Ryoichiro; Watanabe, Koji*; Abe, Hitoshi; Yamane, Yuichi

Nuclear Technology, 10 Pages, 2024/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2024.2329832

Contributing to the confinement safety evaluation of glove-box (GB) connected with high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters for radioactive materials under fire accidents, combustion tests of a flammable polymer, Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and a flame retardant polymer, Polycarbonate (PC), as typical GB panel resins have been conducted with an engineering-scale combustion apparatus. The combustion properties such as the mass loss rate (MLR) and the heat release rate (HRR) of PMMA and PC were investigated in the combustion tests. In the tests with the same shapes, it was found the followings; MLRs and HRRs of PMMA were larger than those of PC under the same supply flow rate into the combustion cell (Fv); MLRs and HRRs of PMMA and PC were constant under different Fv. Moreover, in the tests of PMMA with different cross section areas (S), MLRs and HRRs were found to be proportional to S. Using these results, the relationships of MLR and HRR to S of PMMA and PC were deduced.