Decommissioning of JMTR and study for construction of a new material testing reactor

Kaminaga, Masanori; Kusunoki, Tsuyoshi; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Hori, Naohiko; Naka, Michihiro

IAEA-TECDOC-1943, p.45 - 56, 2021/02

https://www.iaea.org/publications/14806/sustainability-and-self-reliance-of-national-nuclear-institutions

The JMTR operation was once stopped in order to have a check & review in August 2006, and the refurbishment and restart of JMTR was finally determined by the national discussion. The refurbishment was started from FY2007, and was finished in March 2011. However, at the end of the FY2010, the Great-Eastern-Japan-Earthquake occurred, and functional tests before the JMTR restart were delayed. On the other hand, based on the safety assessments considering the 2011 earthquake new regulatory requirements have established on Decmber18, 2013 by the NRA. The new regulatory requirements include the satisfaction of integrities for the updated earthquake forces, Tsunami, the consideration of natural phenomena, and the management of consideration in the Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA) to protect fuel damage and to mitigate impact of the accidents. Analyses related to the new regulatory requirements have intensively been performed timely, and an application to the NRA had been submitted in March 27, 2015. After submission of application, seismic resistance assessment of JMTR reactor building was carried out by assuming the standard earthquake ground motion of 810 ga. As the results, it was found that seismic reinforcement work for reactor building and reactor pool wall were required. As a result, it became clear that at least 7 years of reinforcement work period and cost of about 40 billion yen are required for seismic reinforcement and to meet new regulatory standards. At the same time, it was made clear that high availability such as 8 operation cycles per year as originally planned cannot be expected due to aiging problem. For this reason, JAEA positioned JMTR as a decommissioning facility in the mid- and long-term plan of JAEA announced in April 2017. On the other hand, JAEA started to study the construction of a new material testing reactor. The examination results will be compiled by the end of FY2019. In this paper, outline of JMTR decommissioning plan is described.

Internship using nuclear facilities in Oarai Research and Development Center

Takemoto, Noriyuki; Itagaki, Wataru; Kimura, Nobuaki; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Nakatsuka, Toru; Hori, Naohiko; Ooka, Makoto; Ito, Haruhiko

JAEA-Review 2013-063, 34 Pages, 2014/03

JAEA-Review-2013-063.pdf:8.46MB

Nuclear energy is important from a viewpoint of economy and energy security in Japan. However, the lack of nuclear engineers and scientists in future is concerned after the sever accident of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has occurred. Institute of National Colleges of Technology planned to carry out training programs for human resource development of nuclear energy field including on-site training in nuclear facilities. Oarai Research and Development Center in Japan Atomic Energy Agency cooperatively carried out an internship for nuclear disaster prevention and safety utilizing the nuclear facilities such as the JMTR. Thirty two students joined in total in the internship from FY 2011 to FY2013. In this paper, contents and results of the internship are reported.

Conceptual design of multipurpose compact research reactor; Annual report FY2011

Watahiki, Shunsuke; Hanakawa, Hiroki; Imaizumi, Tomomi; Nagata, Hiroshi; Ide, Hiroshi; Komukai, Bunsaku; Kimura, Nobuaki; Miyauchi, Masaru; Ito, Masayasu; Nishikata, Kaori; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2013-021, 43 Pages, 2013/07

JAEA-Technology-2013-021.pdf:5.12MB

The number of research reactors in the world is decreasing because of their aging. On the other hand, the necessity of research reactor, which is used for human resources development, progress of the science and technology, industrial use and safety research is increasing for the countries which are planning to introduce the nuclear power plants. From above background, the Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center began to discuss a basic concept of Multipurpose Compact Research Reactor (MCRR) for education and training, etc., on 2010 to 2012. This activity is also expected to contribute to design tool improvement and human resource development in the center. In 2011, design study of reactor core, irradiation facilities with high versatility and practicality, and hot laboratory equipment for the production of Mo-99 was carried out. As the result of design study of reactor core, subcriticality and operation time of the reactor in consideration of an irradiation capsule, and about the transient response of the reactor to the reactivity disturbance during automatic control operation, it was possible to do automatic operation of MCRR, was confirmed. As the result of design study of irradiation facilities, it was confirmed that the implementation of an efficient mass production radioisotope Mo-99 can be expected. As the result of design study with hot laboratory facilities, Mo-99 production, RI export devised considered cell and facilities for exporting the specimens quickly was designed.

Design, fabrication and transportation of Si rotating device

Kimura, Nobuaki; Imaizumi, Tomomi; Takemoto, Noriyuki; Tanimoto, Masataka; Saito, Takashi; Hori, Naohiko; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Romanova, N. K.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Martyushov, A.*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2012-012, 34 Pages, 2012/06

JAEA-Technology-2012-012.pdf:12.91MB

Si semiconductor production by Neutron Transmutation Doping (NTD) method using the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) has been investigated in Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in order to expand industry use. As a part of investigations, irradiation test of silicon ingot for development of NTD-Si with high quality was planned using WWR-K in Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP), National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC-RK) based on one of specific topics of cooperation (STC), Irradiation Technology for NTD-Si (STC No.II-4), on the implementing arrangement between NNC-RK and the JAEA for "Nuclear Technology on Testing/Research Reactors" in cooperation in research and development in nuclear energy and technology. As for the irradiation test, Si rotating device was fabricated in JAEA, and the fabricated device was transported with irradiation specimens from JAEA to INP-NNC-RK. This report described the design, the fabrication, the performance test of the Si rotating device and transportation procedures.

Conceptual design for simulator of irradiation test reactors

Takemoto, Noriyuki; Oto, Tsutomu; Magome, Hirokatsu; Izumo, Hironobu; Hori, Naohiko

JAEA-Technology 2012-011, 53 Pages, 2012/03

JAEA-Technology-2012-011.pdf:4.22MB

A simulator of irradiation test reactors has been developed since JFY 2010 for understanding reactor behavior and for upskilling in order to utilize for a nuclear human resource development (HRD) and to promote partnership with developing countries which have a plan to introduce nuclear power plant. The simulator is designed based on the one of the irradiation test reactors, the JMTR, and it simulates operating, irradiation tests and various kinds of accidents caused in the reactor and the irradiation facility. The development of the simulator is sponsored by the Japanese government as one of the specialized projects of advanced research infrastructure in order to promote basic as well as applied researches. The training of operation using the simulator will be started for the nuclear HRD from JFY 2012. This report summarizes the result of the conceptual design of the simulator in JFY 2010.

Training program for students and young engineers in JMTR

Takemoto, Noriyuki; Izumo, Hironobu; Hori, Naohiko; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Suzuki, Masahide

JAEA-Conf 2011-003, p.265 - 269, 2012/03

https://jopss.jaea.go.jp/pdfdata/JAEA-Conf-2011-003.pdf

The JMTR is expected to be a key infrastructure to contribute the nuclear Human Resource Development (HRD) by a research and On-Job-Training (OJT) in order to support global expansion of nuclear power industry. The training program for Asian young researchers and engineers were started from JFY 2011 in JAEA, and ten trainees from Kazakhstan and Thailand had attended in this program in JFY 2011. In addition, in the nuclear HRD initiative program sponsored by the MEXT, the training course was newly established for domestic students and young engineers from JFY 2010 to JFY 2012. In this course, basic understanding on irradiation test and post irradiation examination is aimed to achieve by overall and practical training such as the neutronic/thermal designs of irradiation capsule, post irradiation examination, measurement and evaluation of neutron fluence, etc. using the JMTR and the related facilities. The 1st training course was held with 10 trainees in JFY 2010. The 2nd and 3rd training courses were also held with 19 trainees and 16 trainees in JFY 2011. From JFY 2012, two courses will be held in every year, and 20 trainees will be accepted in each course.

Conceptual design of multipurpose compact research reactor; Annual report FY2010 (Joint research)

Imaizumi, Tomomi; Miyauchi, Masaru; Ito, Masayasu; Watahiki, Shunsuke; Nagata, Hiroshi; Hanakawa, Hiroki; Naka, Michihiro; Kawamata, Kazuo; Yamaura, Takayuki; Ide, Hiroshi; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2011-031, 123 Pages, 2012/01

JAEA-Technology-2011-031.pdf:16.08MB

The number of research reactors in the world is decreasing because of their aging. However, the planning to introduce the nuclear power plants is increasing in Asian countries. In these Asian countries, the key issue is the human resource development for operation and management of nuclear power plants after constructed them, and also the necessity of research reactor, which is used for lifetime extension of LWRs, progress of the science and technology, expansion of industry use, human resources training and so on, is increasing. From above backgrounds, the Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center began to discuss basic concept of a multipurpose low-power research reactor for education and training, etc. This design study is expected to contribute not only to design tool improvement and human resources development in the Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center but also to maintain and upgrade the technology on research reactors in nuclear power-related companies. This report treats the activities of the working group from July 2010 to June 2011 on the multipurpose low-power research reactor in the Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center and nuclear power-related companies.

Feasibility study of sublimation type Tc master-milker; Comparison with PZC based wet method

Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Yamabayashi, Hisamichi*; Tanase, Masakazu*; Fujisaki, Saburo*; Sato, Norihito*; Hori, Naohiko; Awaludin, R.*; Gunawan, A. H.*; Lubis, H.*; Mutalib, A.*

JAEA-Technology 2011-019, 18 Pages, 2011/06

JAEA-Technology-2011-019.pdf:2.61MB

Feasibility study of sublimation type Tc master-milker was carried out as a Mo/T production development with the JMTR. As the feasibility study, the experimental equipment for sublimation method and wet method with PZC based Tc solution were tentatively manufactured, and their properties as the master-milker were investigated by comparing two methods with each other. As a result, it was found that the Tc recovery rate and process time of the sublimation method were about 80% and 1.5 hour, respectively, and the similar values were observed with the wet method. Superior points of the sublimation method are easier operation and reusability of the used MoO comparing with the wet method. On the other hand, disadvantageous point is that the Tc recovery rate decreases with the increase of treating amount of MoO.

Status of development on Mo production technologies in JMTR

Inaba, Yoshitomo; Iimura, Koichi; Hosokawa, Jinsaku; Izumo, Hironobu; Hori, Naohiko; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 58(3), p.1151 - 1158, 2011/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2011.2144620

The Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) is now under refurbishment, and the operation of the new JMTR will start in FY 2011. The new JMTR has a plan to produce Mo, which is the parent nuclide of Tc, and two Mo production technologies have been developed: one is a solid irradiation method, and the other is a solution irradiation method. In this paper, the present status of the development on the Mo production technologies with the solid and solution irradiation methods was described. In the solid irradiation method, it was found that JMTR can provide about 20% of the Mo imported into Japan. In the solution irradiation method, the fundamental characteristics of the aqueous molybdate solutions selected as candidates for the irradiation target were cleared by the -ray irradiation test.

Feasibility study on mass production of (n,)Mo

Jun, B. J.; Tanimoto, Masataka; Kimura, Akihiro; Hori, Naohiko; Izumo, Hironobu; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko

JAEA-Research 2010-046, 103 Pages, 2011/01

JAEA-Research-2010-046.pdf:2.63MB

The world is currently suffering from a severe shortage of Mo and various R&Ds have been given for its availability. The only but critical shortage of (n,)Mo is its extremely low specific activity, which gives inconveniency in the extraction of Tc and is consequently converted to additional cost. Potential technologies which make the (n,)Mo competitive by reducing the additional cost are already available. Because Japan and Korea import all Mo from long distance, the cost benefit of local (n,)Mo production in these countries is especially large. In this report, we studied feasibility of the mass (n,)Mo production from viewpoints of global and regional status of Mo demand and supply, competitiveness with other production methods, requirements and flow of the Mo, production capability, cost, convenience in usage, and alternative technologies to overcome its shortage.