Physical property investigation of gloves for glove boxes in nuclear fuel reprocessing plants; Physical properties of used gloves and estimation of its life-time

Yamamoto, Masahiko; Nishida, Naoki; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Nemoto, Ryo*; Hayashi, Hiroyuki*; Kitao, Takahiko; Kuno, Takehiko

JAEA-Technology 2023-004, 30 Pages, 2023/06

JAEA-Technology-2023-004.pdf:1.94MB

Glove-box gloves, that are used for handling nuclear fuel materials at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, have an expiration date by internal rules. All gloves are replaced at a maximum of every 4-year. However, degrees of glove deterioration varies depending on its usage environment such as frequency, chemicals, and radiation dose. Therefore, physical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, hardness of gloves are measured and technical evaluation method for the glove life-time is established. It was found that gloves without any defects in its appearance have enough physical properties and satisfies the acceptance criteria values of new gloves. Thus, it was considered that the expired gloves could be used for total of 8-year, by adding 4-year of new glove life-time. In addition, the results of extrapolation by plotting the glove's physical properties versus the used years showed that the physical properties at 8-year is on the safer side than the reported physical properties of broken glove. Also, the data are not significantly different from the physical properties of the long-term storage glove (8 and 23 years). Based on these results, life-time of gloves at TRP is set to be 8-year. The frequency of glove inspections are not changed, and if any defects is found, the glove is promptly replaced. Thus, the risk related to glove usage is not increased. The cost of purchasing gloves, labor for glove replacement, and the amount of generated waste can be reduced by approximately 40%, respectively, resulting in more efficient and rationalized glove management.

Temperature of thermal spikes induced by swift heavy ions

Matsuzaki, Shota*; Hayashi, Hiroaki*; Nakajima, Kaoru*; Matsuda, Makoto; Sataka, Masao*; Tsujimoto, Masahiko*; Toulemonde, M.*; Kimura, Kenji*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 406(Part B), p.456 - 459, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2016.12.019

Progress report of Japanese simulation research projects using the high-performance computer system Helios in the International Fusion Energy Research Centre

Ishizawa, Akihiro*; Idomura, Yasuhiro; Imadera, Kenji*; Kasuya, Naohiro*; Kanno, Ryutaro*; Satake, Shinsuke*; Tatsuno, Tomoya*; Nakata, Motoki*; Nunami, Masanori*; Maeyama, Shinya*; et al.

Purazuma, Kaku Yugo Gakkai-Shi, 92(3), p.157 - 210, 2016/03

http://www.jspf.or.jp/Journal/PDF_JSPF/jspf2016_03/jspf2016_03-157.pdf

The high-performance computer system Helios which is located at The Computational Simulation Centre (CSC) in The International Fusion Energy Research Centre (IFERC) started its operation in January 2012 under the Broader Approach (BA) agreement between Japan and the EU. The Helios system has been used for magnetised fusion related simulation studies in the EU and Japan and has kept high average usage rate. As a result, the Helios system has contributed to many research products in a wide range of research areas from core plasma physics to reactor material and reactor engineering. This project review gives a short catalogue of domestic simulation research projects. First, we outline the IFERC-CSC project. After that, shown are objectives of the research projects, numerical schemes used in simulation codes, obtained results and necessary computations in future.

Field-angle resolved flux-flow resistivity as a phase-sensitive probe of unconventional Cooper pairing

Higashi, Yoichi*; Nagai, Yuki; Machida, Masahiko; Hayashi, Nobuhiko*

Physical Review B, 88(22), p.224511_1 - 224511_6, 2013/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.88.224511

no abstracts in English

Phase-sensitive flux-flow resistivity in unconventional superconductors

Higashi, Yoichi*; Nagai, Yuki; Machida, Masahiko; Hayashi, Nobuhiko*

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 400(2), p.022025_1 - 022025_4, 2012/12

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/400/2/022025

no abstracts in English

Research on engineering technology in the full-scale demonstration of EBS and operation technology for HLW disposal; Research report in 2009 (Joint research)

Nakatsuka, Noboru; Hatanaka, Koichiro; Sato, Haruo; Sugita, Yutaka; Nakayama, Masashi; Miyahara, Shigenori; Asano, Hidekazu*; Saito, Masahiko*; Suyama, Yasuhiro*; Hayashi, Hidero*; et al.

JAEA-Research 2010-060, 50 Pages, 2011/02

JAEA-Research-2010-060.pdf:6.7MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Radioactive Waste Management Funding and Research Center (RWMC) concluded the letter of cooperation agreement on the research and development of radioactive waste disposal in April, 2005, and have been carrying out the collaboration work described above based on the agreement. JAEA have been carrying out the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project which is intended for sedimentary rock in the Horonobe town, Hokkaido, since 2001. In the project, geoscientific research and research and development on geological disposal technology are being promoted. Meanwhile, the government (the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) has been promoting construction of equipments for the full-scale demonstration of engineered barrier system and operation technology for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal since 2008, to enhance publics understanding to the geological disposal of HLW, using underground facility, etc. RWMC received an order of the project in fiscal year 2009 (2009/2010) continuing in fiscal year 2008 (2008/2009). Since topics in this project are included in the Horonobe URL Project, JAEA carried out this project as collaboration work continuing in fiscal year 2008. This report summarizes the results of engineering technology carried out in this collaboration work in fiscal year 2009. In fiscal year 2009, a part of the equipments for equipment of buffer material and visualization test apparatus for water penetration in buffer material were produced and house for the equipments and apparatus was constructed.

Small jump of specific heat and small gap in iron pnictide superconductors

Nakai, Noriyuki; Nakamura, Hiroki; Ota, Yukihiro; Nagai, Yuki*; Hayashi, Nobuhiko*; Machida, Masahiko

Physica C, 470(Suppl.1), p.S368 - S369, 2010/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2010.01.055

Research on engineering technology in the full-scale demonstration of EBS and operation technology for HLW disposal; Research report in 2008 (Joint research)

Nakatsuka, Noboru; Hatanaka, Koichiro; Sato, Haruo; Sugita, Yutaka; Nakayama, Masashi; Miyahara, Shigenori; Asano, Hidekazu*; Saito, Masahiko*; Suyama, Yasuhiro*; Hayashi, Hidero*; et al.

JAEA-Research 2009-044, 53 Pages, 2010/01

JAEA-Research-2009-044.pdf:9.03MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Radioactive Waste Management Funding and Research Center (RWMC) effect an agreement about research and development of high level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal and carried out research and technological development about geological disposal technology. JAEA has been carried out the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project which is intended for sedimentary rock and the Project includes geoscientific research and geological disposal technology. RWMC carried out an investigation about full-scale demonstration of engineered barrier system (EBS) and operation technology for HLW disposal, under the contract with the Natural Resources and Energy Agency, Ministry of Economy, the Trade and Industry. The investigation aims to obtain the citizens' understanding of the geological disposal. This work includes the full-scale demonstration of operation technology in the Horonobe URL. This joint research is about engineering technology concerned with the work. In 2008 fiscal year (2008/2009), the master plan of the work was made, and a part of the device for transportation of engineered barrier was made, and it has begun the exhibition of full-scale bentonite block and overpack.

Simulation study for the orientation of the driven vortex lattice in an amorphous superconductor

Nakai, Noriyuki; Hayashi, Nobuhiko; Machida, Masahiko

Physica C, 469(15-20), p.1106 - 1109, 2009/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2009.05.208

We investigate the orientation of the vortex lattice driven by an applied current by means of numerical simulations based on the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) theory. A lattice order is restored by a current driving of vortices under the influence of random vortex pinnings. The orientation of the moving vortex lattice is different between the presence and the absence of vortex pinnings. In the absence of vortex pinnings, the lattice vector is parallel to the direction of vortex motion. On the other hand, in the presence of vortex pinnings and in the collective vortex flow phase, we found that the lattice vector is perpendicular to the direction of vortex motion, which is consistent with the experimental observation under intermediate magnetic fields in an amorphous superconductor.

First-principle electronic structure calculations for magnetic moment in iron-based superconductors; An LSDA + negative U study

Nakamura, Hiroki; Hayashi, Nobuhiko; Nakai, Noriyuki; Okumura, Masahiko; Machida, Masahiko

Physica C, 469(15-20), p.908 - 911, 2009/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2009.05.096

In order to resolve a discrepancy of the magnetic moment on Fe between the experimental and calculation results, we perform first-principle electronic structure calculations for iron-based superconductors LaFeAsOF in which and by using the LSDA+ framework. Consequently, we confirm in both the mother and doped compounds that negative correction is crucial in matching the calculated magnetic moment with the observed one. A reason of the negative correction is that the Coulomb interaction on Fe orbitals is unexpectedly screened than LSDA's expectation. We discuss which type of situation emerges when the negative is a good correction in these compounds.