Measurements of circular polarization from the 0.75-eV p-wave resonance of the La(n,)La reaction

Endo, Shunsuke; Fujioka, Hiroyuki*; Goto, Yu*; Ino, Takashi*; Iwamoto, Osamu; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Kawamura, Shiori*; Kimura, Atsushi; Kitaguchi, Masaaki*; Kobayashi, Ryuju; et al.

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 45, p.011056_1 - 011056_8, 2026/06

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.45.011056

Hydroxyl group/fluorine disorder in deuterated magnesium hydroxyfluoride and behaviors of hydrogen bonds under high pressure

He, X.*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*; Komatsu, Kazuki*; Iizuka, Riko*; Okajima, Hajime*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Machida, Shinichi*; Abe, Jun*; Goto, Hirotada*; et al.

Journal of Molecular Structure, 1310, p.138271_1 - 138271_8, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.138271

High-pressure responses of the O-DF hydrogen bonds in deuterated magnesium hydroxyfluoride were investigated using neutron powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The Rietveld analysis at ambient conditions revealed a chemical formula of Mg(OD)F and hydroxyl group/fluorine disorder (OD/F disorder) in the crystal structure, which gave rise to two hydrogen-bonding configurations. The Rietveld analysis showed the hydrogen-bonding geometries remains up to 9.8 GPa, indicating no pressure-induced strengthening of hydrogen bonds. The Raman spectra at ambient conditions showed three hydroxyl stretching bands at 2613, 2694, and 2718 cm. The high frequencies of the O-D stretching modes indicated that the hydroxyls should be involved in weak or none hydrogen-bonding interactions. Up to 20.2 GPa, the mode initially centered at 2694 cm displayed a pressure-induced blue shift, revealing no strengthening of hydrogen bonds under compression. We discuss the existence of hydrogen bonds and the causes of the blue-shifting hydroxyls at ambient and at high pressures.

Re-evaluation of electricity generation cost of HTGR

Fukaya, Yuji; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sato, Hiroyuki; Goto, Minoru; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi (Internet), 21(2), p.116 - 126, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J21.005

An improvement electricity generation cost evaluation method for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) has been performed. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) had completed the commercial HTGR concept named Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor (GTHTR300) and the electricity generation cost evaluation method approximately a decade ago. The cost evaluation was developed based on the method of Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC). The FEPC method was drastically revised after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Moreover, the escalation of material and labor cost for the decade should be consider to evaluate the latest cost. Therefore, we revised the cost evaluation method for GTHTR300 and the cost was compared with that of Light Water Reactor (LWR). As a result, it was found that the electricity generation cost of HTGR of 7.9 yen/kWh is cheaper than that of LWR of 11.7 yen/kWh by approximately 30% at the capacity factor of 70%.

Behavior of light elements in iron-silicate-water-sulfur system during early Earth's evolution

Iizuka, Riko*; Goto, Hirotada*; Shito, Chikara*; Fukuyama, Ko*; Mori, Yuichiro*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11, p.12632_1 - 12632_10, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91801-3

The Earth's core consist of Fe-Ni alloy with some light elements (H, C, O, Si, S etc.). Hydrogen (H) is the most abundant element in the universe and one of the promising candidates. In this study, we have investigated the effects of sulfur(S) on hydrogenation of iron-hydrous silicate system containing saturated water in the ideal composition of the primitive Earth. We observed a series of phase transitions of Fe, dehydration of the hydrous mineral, and formation of olivine and enstatite with increasing temperature. The FeS formed as the coexisting phase of Fe under high-pressure and temperature condition, but its unit cell volume did not increase, suggesting that FeS is hardly hydrogenated. Recovered samples exhibited that H and S can be incorporated into solid Fe, which lowers the melting temperature as Fe(H)-FeS system. No detection of other light elements (C, O, Si) in solid Fe suggests that they dissolve into molten iron hydride and/or FeS in the later process of Earth's core-mantle differentiation.

Research and development activities of JAEA for HTGR system realization

Mineo, Hideaki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Goto, Minoru; Sato, Hiroyuki; Takegami, Hiroaki

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 62(9), p.504 - 508, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.62.9_504

High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is one of thermal neutron reactor-type that employs helium gas coolant and graphite moderator. It has excellent inherent safety and can supply high-temperature heat which can be used not only for electric power generation but also for a wide range of application such as hydrogen production. Therefore, HTGR is expected to be an effective technology for reducing greenhouse gases in Japan as well as overseas. In this paper, we will introduce the forefront of technological development that JAEA is working toward the realization of an HTGR system consisting of a high temperature gas reactor and heat utilization facilities such as gas-turbine power generation and hydrogen production.

Nuclear and thermal feasibility of lithium-loaded high temperature gas-cooled reactor for tritium production for fusion reactors

Goto, Minoru; Okumura, Keisuke; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Matsuura, Hideaki*; Nakaya, Hiroyuki*; Katayama, Kazunari*

Fusion Engineering and Design, 136(Part A), p.357 - 361, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2018.02.029

A High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is proposed as a tritium production device, which has the potential to produce a large amount of tritium using Li(n,)T reaction. In the HTGR design, generally, boron is loaded into the core as a burnable poison to suppress excess reactivity. In this study, lithium is loaded into the HTGR core instead of boron and is used as a burnable poison aiming to produce thermal energy and tritium simultaneously. The nuclear characteristics and the fuel temperature were calculated to confirm the feasibility of the lithium-loaded HTGR. It was shown that the calculation results satisfied the design requirements and hence the feasibility was confirmed for the lithium-loaded HTGR, which produce thermal energy and tritium.

Conceptual plant system design study of an experimental HTGR upgraded from HTTR

Ohashi, Hirofumi; Goto, Minoru; Ueta, Shohei; Sato, Hiroyuki; Fukaya, Yuji; Kasahara, Seiji; Sasaki, Koei; Mizuta, Naoki; Yan, X.; Aoki, Takeshi*

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

Conceptual design study of an experimental HTGR is performed to upgrade the plant system from Japanese High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to a commercial HTGR. Safety systems of HTTR are upgraded to demonstrate the commercial HTGR concept, such as a passive reactor cavity cooling system, a confinement, etc. An intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) is replaced by a steam generator (SG) for a process heat supply to demonstrate the technology for a commercial use. This paper describes the conceptual design study results of the plant system of the experimental HTGR.

Simultaneous measurement of neutron-induced fission and capture cross sections for Am at neutron energies below fission threshold

Hirose, Kentaro; Nishio, Katsuhisa; Makii, Hiroyuki; Nishinaka, Ichiro*; Ota, Shuya*; Nagayama, Tatsuro*; Tamura, Nobuyuki*; Goto, Shinichi*; Andreyev, A. N.; Vermeulen, M. J.; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 856, p.133 - 138, 2017/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.12.021

A Study on transmutation of LLFPs using various types of HTGRs

Kora, Kazuki*; Nakaya, Hiroyuki*; Matsuura, Hideaki*; Goto, Minoru; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Shimakawa, Satoshi*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 300, p.330 - 338, 2016/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.01.030

In order to investigate the potential of high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) for transmutation of long-lived fission products (LLFPs), numerical simulation of four types of HTGRs were carried out. In addition to the gas-turbine high temperature reactor system "GTHTR300", a small modular HTGR plant "HTR50S" and two types of plutonium burner HTGRs "Clean Burn with MA" and "Clean Burn without MA" were considered. The simulation results show that an early realization of LLFP transmutation using a compact HTGR may be possible since the HTR50S can transmute fair amount of LLFPs for its thermal output. The Clean Burn with MA can transmute a limited amount of LLFPs. However, an efficient LLFP transmutation using the Clean Burn without MA seems to be convincing as it is able to achieve very high burn-ups and produce LLFP transmutation more than GTHTR300. Based on these results, we propose utilization of variety of HTGRs for LLFP transmutation and storage.

Energy neutral phosphate fertilizer production using high temperature reactors; A Philippine case study

Haneklaus, N.*; Reyes, R.*; Lim, W. G.*; Tabora, E. U.*; Palattao, B. L.*; Petrache, C.*; Vargas, E. P.*; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sakaba, Nariaki; et al.

Philippine Journal of Science, 144(1), p.69 - 79, 2015/06

http://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/vol144no1/energy%20neutral%20phosphate%20fertilizer%20production.html

The Philippines may profit from extracting uranium (U) from phosphoric acid during fertilizer production in a way that the recovered U can be beneficiated and taken as raw material for nuclear reactor fuel. Used in a high temperature reactor (HTR) that provides electricity and/or process heat for fertilizer processing and U extraction, energy-neutral fertilizer production, an idea first proposed by Haneklaus et al., is possible. This paper presents a first case study of the concept regarding a representative phosphate fertilizer plant in the Philippines and exemplary HTR designs (HTR50S and GTHTR300C) developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). Three different arrangements (version I-III), ranging from basic electricity supply to overall power supply including on site hydrogen production for ammonia conversion, are introduced and discussed.