Achievement of safety demonstration tests using HTTR; Loss of forced cooling test at 100% reactor power (30 MW)

Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Kubo, Shinji; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Shinohara, Masanori; Saikusa, Akio; Nojiri, Naoki; Saito, Kenji; Furusawa, Takayuki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2025-005, 23 Pages, 2025/07

JAEA-Research-2025-005.pdf:2.68MB

A safety demonstration test under abnormal operating conditions using the HTTR (High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor) was conducted to demonstrate safety features of the HTGRs (High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors). Under a simulation of a control rod shutdown failure, all primary helium gas circulators were intentionally stopped during a steady-state operation at 100% reactor thermal power (30 MW), temporal changes of the reactor power and temperatures around the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) were obtained after the complete loss of forced heat removal from the reactor core. After the event (primary coolant flow stopped), the reactor power quickly decreased due to the negative reactivity feedback associated with the core temperature rise, and then the reactor power spontaneously shifted to a stable state of low power (about 1.2%) even after a recriticality. Heat dissipation from RPV surface to a surrounding vessel cooling system (water-cooled panels) ensured the amount of heat removal required to maintain the reactor temperature constant in the low power state. In this way, the transition from the event occurrence to the stable and safety state, i.e., inherent safety features of HTGRs, were demonstrated in the case of core forced cooling loss without active shutdown operations.

Development of wide range monitor for HTTR; Improvement for heat resistance performance against heat cycle

Kozawa, Takayuki; Suganuma, Takuro; Homma, Fumitaka; Higashimura, Keisuke*; Ukai, Takayuki*; Saito, Kenji

JAEA-Technology 2023-007, 24 Pages, 2023/06

JAEA-Technology-2023-007.pdf:2.24MB

To improve the reliability of the HTTR wide range monitor in a high-temperature environment, structural changes of the wide range monitor were investigated. It was clear that the structure for directly joins of the MI cable core wire and metal tube instead of the joins with lead wire is the most reliable method with shortest way. From a result of the thermal cycle tests and high temperature endurance tests for a mock-up connecting this connection parts, it was clear that the soundness of the connection part was maintained under the usage conditions of the HTTR.

Large reduction in the -axis knight shift on UTe with = 2.1 K

Matsumura, Hiroki*; Fujibayashi, Hiroki*; Kinjo, Katsuki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 92(6), p.063701_1 - 063701_5, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.92.063701

Drastic change in magnetic anisotropy of UTe under pressure revealed by Te-NMR

Kinjo, Katsuki*; Fujibayashi, Hiroki*; Nakamine, Genki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; et al.

Physical Review B, 105(14), p.L140502_1 - L140502_5, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.105.L140502

Improving the safety of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor "HTTR" based on Japan's new regulatory requirements

Hamamoto, Shimpei; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Tochio, Daisuke; Homma, Fumitaka; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Sekita, Kenji; Watanabe, Shuji; Furusawa, Takayuki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 388, p.111642_1 - 111642_11, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111642

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency adapted High-Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to meet the new regulatory requirements that began in December 2013. The safety and seismic classifications of the existing structures, systems, and components were discussed to reflect insights regarding High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) that were acquired through various HTTR safety tests. Structures, systems, and components that are subject to protection have been defined, and countermeasures to manage internal and external hazards that affect safety functions have been strengthened. Additionally, measures are in place to control accidents that may cause large amounts of radioactive material to be released, as a beyond design based accident. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission rigorously and appropriately reviewed this approach for compliance with the new regulatory requirements. After nine amendments, the application to modify the HTTR's installation license that was submitted in November 2014 was approved in June 2020. This response shows that facilities can reasonably be designed to meet the enhanced regulatory requirements, if they reflect the characteristics of HTGRs. We believe that we have established a reference for future development of HTGR.

Inhomogeneous superconducting state probed by Te NMR on UTe

Nakamine, Genki*; Kinjo, Katsuki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; Homma, Yoshiya*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 90(6), p.064709_1 - 064709_7, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.90.064709

Superconducting properties of heavy fermion UTe revealed by Te-nuclear magnetic resonance

Nakamine, Genki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; Homma, Yoshiya*; Li, D.*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 88(11), p.113703_1 - 113703_4, 2019/11

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.88.113703

Te-NMR study on a single crystal of heavy fermion superconductor UTe

Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Hattori, Taisuke; Higa, Nonoka; Nakamine, Genki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 88(7), p.073701_1 - 073701_4, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.88.073701

We report Te-NMR studies on a newly discovered heavy fermion superconductor UTe. Using a single crystal, we have measured the Te-NMR Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation rate for fields along the three orthorhombic crystal axes. The data confirm a moderate Ising anisotropy for both the static () and dynamical susceptibilities () in the paramagnetic state above about 20 K. Around 20 K, however, we have observed a sudden loss of NMR spin-echo signal due to sudden enhancement of the NMR spin-spin relaxation rate , when the field is applied along the easy axis of magnetization (= axis). This behavior suggests the development of longitudinal magnetic fluctuations along the axis at very low frequencies below 20 K.

Investigation of absorption characteristics for thermal-load fluctuation using HTTR

Tochio, Daisuke; Honda, Yuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Sekita, Kenji; Homma, Fumitaka; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Takada, Shoji; Nakagawa, Shigeaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 54(1), p.13 - 21, 2017/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2016.1201441

GTHTR300C is designed and developed in JAEA. The reactor system is required to continue a stable and safety operation as well as a stable power supply in the case that thermal-load is fluctuated by the occurrence of abnormal event in the heat utilization system. Then, it is necessary to demonstrate that the thermal-load fluctuation should be absorbed by the reactor system so as to continue the stable and safety operation could be continued. The thermal-load fluctuation absorption tests without nuclear heating were planned and conducted in JAEA to clarify the absorption characteristic of thermal-load fluctuation mainly by the reactor and by the IHX. As the result it was revealed that the reactor has the larger absorption capacity of thermal-load fluctuation than expected one, and the IHX can be contributed to the absorption of the thermal-load fluctuation generated in the heat utilization system in the reactor system. It was confirmed from there result that the reactor and the IHX has effective absorption capacity of the thermal-load fluctuation generated in the heat utilization system. Moreover it was confirmed that the safety estimation code based on RELAP5/MOD3 can represents the thermal-load fluctuation absorption behavior conservatively.

Spin model of O-based magnet in a nanoporous metal complex

Soda, Minoru*; Homma, Yuki*; Takamizawa, Satoshi*; Kawamura, Seiko; Nakajima, Kenji; Masuda, Takatsugu*

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 85(3), p.034717_1 - 034717_9, 2016/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.85.034717

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments are performed on the nanoporous metal complex Cu--1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (Cu-CHD) adsorbing O molecules to identify the spin model of the O-based magnet realized in the host complex. It is found that the magnetic excitations of Cu-CHDs adsorbing low- and high-concentration O molecules are explained by different spin models, the former by spin dimers and the latter by spin trimers. By using the obtained parameters and by assuming that the levels of the group of the highest energy states are reduced because of the nonnegligible spin dependence of the molecular potential of oxygen, the magnetization curves are explained quantitatively.