Experimental analyses of Am and U fission reaction rates at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Pyeon, C. H.*; Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 195(11), p.1144 - 1153, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1932220

Measurements of Am and U fission reaction rates are conducted with the use of two single fission chambers in the solid-moderated and solid-reflected core at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). Critical irradiation experiments of Am and U foils are carried out, and the measured result of Am/U is 0.0424 0.0019; also, calculation/experiment values between calculated (MCNP6.1 with JENDL-4.0, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and JEFF-3.3) and measured results of Am/U range among 0.93 0.04, 0.94 0.04, and 0.93 0.04, respectively. Through a comparison between the measured and calculated results, the Am fission cross-section data of the three major nuclear data libraries are successfully validated, demonstrating the same accuracy as that of previous minor actinide irradiation experiments at KUCA. Importantly, the comparison also provides the complemental data of integral experiments of Am fission reaction rates that confirm the accuracy of the Am fission cross-section data.

Critical mass evaluation of minor actinides in aqueous solution; Data for criticality safety assessment of separation process

Morita, Yasuji; Fukushima, Masahiro; Kashima, Takao*; Tsubata, Yasuhiro

JAEA-Data/Code 2020-013, 38 Pages, 2020/09

JAEA-Data-Code-2020-013.pdf:1.94MB

Critical Masses of Cm, Am and the mixture were calculated in metal-water mixtures with water reflector as a basic data for criticality safety assessment of minor actinide separation process. In the mixture of Cm-244 and Cm-245, higher ratio of Cm-245 gives smaller critical mass, but the amount of Cm-245 in the critical mass can be obtained by concentration of Cm-245 in the Cm mixture without depending on the Cm-245 ratio. Critical mass of Cm isotope mixture with 30% Cm-245 was smaller than that of Pu isotope mixture in the practical reprocessing (71% Pu-239 + 17% Pu-240 + 12% Pu-241). When Cm is separated from other element including Am and the solution is concentrated, measure for the critical accident has to be taken. Critical mass of Am-242m is smaller than that of Cm-245, but the ratio of Am-242m in the Am contained in practical spent fuel is small enough, about several percent, and therefore the critical accident by Am does not have to be considered. That by the mixture of Am and Cm does not either.

Sample worth measurements of lead and bismuth in low-enriched uranium region at A-core of KUCA for ADS

Fukushima, Masahiro; Oizumi, Akito; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURNS Progress Report 2019, P. 143, 2020/08

For the design study of ADS, integral experimental data of nuclear characteristics of LBE is necessary to validate cross sections of lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi). The calculation agree with experiment for the Bi sample worth. On the other hand, the calculation overestimates for the Pb sample worth.

Systematic measurements and analyses for lead void reactivity worth in a plutonium core and two uranium cores with different enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Oizumi, Akito; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hayes, D.*; Hutchinson, J.*; McKenzie, G.*; McSpaden, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 194(2), p.138 - 153, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1663089

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worth was conducted systematically in three fast spectra with different fuel compositions on the Comet critical assembly of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Previous experiments in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb and a low-enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb systems had been performed in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A follow-on experiment in a plutonium (Pu)/Pb system has been completed. The Pu/Pb system was constructed using lead plates and weapons grade plutonium plates that had been used in the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) of Argonne National Laboratory until the 1990s. Furthermore, the HEU/Pb system was re-examined on the Comet critical assembly installed newly with a device that can guarantee the gap reproducibility with a higher accuracy and precision, and then the experimental data was re evaluated. Using the lead void reactivity worth measured in these three cores with different fuel compositions, the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VIII.0, were tested with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP version 6.1. As a result, the calculations by ENDF/B-VIII.0 were confirmed to agree with lead void reactivity worth measured in all the cores. It was furthermore found that the calculations by JENDL 4.0 overestimate by more than 20% for the Pu/Pb core while being in good agreements for the HEU/Pb and LEU/Pb cores.

First nuclear transmutation of Np and Am by accelerator-driven system at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Pyeon, C. H.*; Yamanaka, Masao*; Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Chiba, Go*; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Endo, Tomohiro*; Van Rooijen, W. G.*; Hashimoto, Kengo*; Sakon, Atsushi*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(8), p.684 - 689, 2019/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1618406

This study demonstrates, for the first time, the principle of nuclear transmutation of minor actinide (MA) by the accelerator-driven system (ADS) through the injection of high-energy neutrons into the subcritical core at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly. The main objective of the experiments is to confirm fission reactions of neptunium-237 (Np) and americium-241 (Am), and capture reactions of Np. Subcritical irradiation of Np and Am foils is conducted in a hard spectrum core with the use of the back-to-back fission chamber that obtains simultaneously two signals from specially installed test (Np or Am) and reference (uranium-235) foils. The first nuclear transmutation of Np and Am by ADS soundly implemented by combining the subcritical core and the 100 MeV proton accelerator, and the use of a lead-bismuth target, is conclusively demonstrated through the experimental results of fission and capture reaction events.

Sample worth measurements with systematically changed mixing ratios of lead and bismuth in A-core of KUCA for ADS

Fukushima, Masahiro; Oizumi, Akito; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURNS Progress Report 2018, P. 143, 2019/08

https://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2018/ProgRep2018.html

For the design study of ADS, integral experimental data of nuclear characteristics of LBE is necessary to validate cross sections of lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi). In present study, sample worth measurements were carried out with systematically changed mixing ratios of lead and bismuth, which would be complementary to the previous data of Pb and Bi samples individually measured in FY 2013 and FY 2017, respectively.

Measurement of MA reaction rates using spallation neutron source

Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURRI Progress Report 2017, P. 50, 2018/08

http://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2017/PR9.pdf

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the reaction rates of Neptunium-237 (Np) and Americium-241 (Am) using the nuclear spallation neutron source in the KUCA for 3 hours. The observed distributions of pulse-height of Np and Am fission reactions were significantly different from the ones generally observed in critical and pulsed neutron source (PNS) experiments because of the influence of the -ray generated by the nuclear spallation reaction. On the other hand, the capture reaction rate of Np was measured in this experiment. The capture reaction rate of the critical experiment which was available to be measured the fission reaction rate of Np and Am was almost 8 times larger than that of this experiment. Consequently, reducing the influence of the generated by the nuclear spallation reaction and extending the duration of the irradiation to 24 or more hours would be necessary for detecting signals of fission reactions under the spallation neutron source.

Analyses with latest major nuclear data libraries of the fission rate ratios for several TRU nuclides in the FCA-IX experiments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Okajima, Shigeaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 54(7), p.795 - 805, 2017/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1299644

A series of integral experiments was conducted in FCA assemblies with systematically changed neutron spectra covering from the intermediate to fast ones. The experiments provide systematic data of central fission rates for TRU nuclides containing minor actinides, Np, Pu, Pu, Pu, Am, Am, and Cm. Latest major nuclear data libraries, JENDL-4.0, ENDF/B-VII.1, and JEFF-3.2, were tested using benchmark models regarding the fission rate ratios relative to Pu. For all the libraries, the benchmark tests by a Monte Carlo calculation code show obvious overestimations particularly for the fission rate ratios of Cm to Pu. Additionally, a large discrepancy about by 20% between the libraries is revealed for the fission rate ratio of Pu to Pu measured in the intermediate neutron spectrum. The cause of discrepancy is furthermore clarified by sensitivity analyses.

Benchmark tests of newly-evaluated data of U for CIELO project using integral experiments of uranium-fueled FCA assemblies

Fukushima, Masahiro; Kitamura, Yasunori*; Yokoyama, Kenji; Iwamoto, Osamu; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Leal, L. C.*

Proceedings of International Conference on the Physics of Reactors; Unifying Theory and Experiments in the 21st Century (PHYSOR 2016) (USB Flash Drive), p.605 - 619, 2016/05

A nuclear data of U has been recently evaluated for the CIELO (Collaborative International Evaluated Library Organization) project. We tested the newly-evaluated data of U using integral experiments of the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) performed at JAEA. We selected two integral data of uranium-fueled FCA assemblies; one is the sodium-void reactivity worth of FCA XXVII-1 assembly and the other is the criticalities of the seven assemblies of FCA IX. The benchmark tests support the evaluation done in the resonance regions. However, the U capture cross section above the unresolved resonance range needs further investigation.

Benchmark models for criticalities of FCA-IX assemblies with systematically changed neutron spectra

Fukushima, Masahiro; Kitamura, Yasunori; Kugo, Teruhiko; Okajima, Shigeaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 53(3), p.406 - 424, 2016/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2015.1054911