High temperature gas-cooled reactors

Takeda, Tetsuaki*; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Aihara, Jun; Aoki, Takeshi; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ho, H. Q.; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Imai, Yoshiyuki; et al.

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.5, 464 Pages, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-05383-9

As a general overview of the research and development of a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) in JAEA, this book describes the achievements by the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) on the designs, key component technologies such as fuel, reactor internals, high temperature components, etc., and operational experience such as rise-to-power tests, high temperature operation at 950C, safety demonstration tests, etc. In addition, based on the knowledge of the HTTR, the development of designs and component technologies such as high performance fuel, helium gas turbine and hydrogen production by IS process for commercial HTGRs are described. These results are very useful for the future development of HTGRs. This book is published as one of a series of technical books on fossil fuel and nuclear energy systems by the Power Energy Systems Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Study of container using hybrid technique for sulfuric acid decomposition of thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur process

Ioka, Ikuo; Iwatsuki, Jin; Kuriki, Yoshiro*; Kawai, Daisuke*; Yokota, Hiroki*; Kubo, Shinji; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Sakaba, Nariaki

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 7(3), p.19-00377_1 - 19-00377_11, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.19-00377

A thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur processes (IS process) is one of candidates for the large-scale production of hydrogen with high cost performance. Severe corrosive environment which is thermal decomposition of sulfuric acid exists in the IS process. A hybrid material with the corrosion-resistance and the ductility was made by a plasma spraying and laser treatment. The specimen had excellent corrosion resistance in the condition of 95 mass% boiling sulfuric acid. This was attributed to the formation of SiO on the surface. To confirm the production characteristics of a container using the hybrid material, the container which has a welded part, a chamfer, a curved surface was experimentally made. There was no detachment in the plasma spraying and laser treated layer of the container after the laser treatment. It was confirmed that the construction of the container with high corrosion resistance in sulfuric acid was possible in the hybrid technique.

Washout of clay-rich gouge in a pregrouted fault zone and increase of groundwater inflow during tunnel excavation in Neogene siliceous mudstone (Horonobe, Japan)

Ishii, Eiichi; Hashimoto, Yuta; Inagaki, Daisuke*

Proceedings of 10th Asian Regional Conference of International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG ARS 2015) (USB Flash Drive), 4 Pages, 2015/09

This manuscript describes unpredicted inflow which occurred during tunnel excavation for a permeable fault zone with clay-rich gouge although the fault zone was pregrouted. Some observational evidence indicates that the gouge was increasingly washed out into the tunnel through the rockbolts penetrating the gouge and the boundary between the shotcrete and the gouge on the excavation side wall during excavation. The resultant piping/erosion of the gouge probably accelerated groundwater flow from the outer aquifer of the pregrouted zone to the tunnel. After an excavation outcrop exposing the fault zone was temporarily shotcreted, major inflow occurred from the nucleated flow channel in the fault zone, breaking the shotcrete. When a fault zone including such clay-rich gouge is pregrouted, washout of the gouge during tunnel excavation should be fully cared because the gouge itself is not cemented by pre-grouting due to its low-porosity.

Investigations for av change of an excavation damaged zone with time at the 250 m gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Kubota, Kenji*; Tokiwa, Tetsuya; Kondo, Keiji; Inagaki, Daisuke

Doboku Gakkai Rombunshu, C (Chiken Kogaku) (Internet), 70(4), p.412 - 423, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.2208/jscejge.70.412

The authors have been conducting seismic and resistivity tomography surveys in a gallery of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in order to investigate an extent of an excavation damaged zone (EDZ) along time. The objective of this paper is to discuss an influence of fracture distribution and water saturation of a rock mass on variations in seismic velocity and the value of apparent resistivity in an EDZ. Based on the result of seismic tomography survey, the extent of a layer which has low seismic velocity was about 1.0 m from the gallery wall after excavation of the tomography area. From the results of resistivity tomography survey, the value of apparent resistivity has not changed remarkably along time. To investigate a relationship between variations in seismic velocity and density of fracture in the survey area, the authors built a three dimensional fracture model around the tomography area. From the comparison of seismic velocity with density of fracture, seismic velocity decreased almost linearly as the density of fracture increased. Also, it was found that density of fracture in the layer of low seismic velocity could be estimated using a simple numeric model. From this result, seismic tomography survey and investigation of density of fracture are suitable method for evaluation of an EDZ.

A Study of mechanical stability of support elements and surrounding rock mass during shaft sinking through a fault

Tsusaka, Kimikazu*; Inagaki, Daisuke*; Nago, Makito*; Ijiri, Yuji*

Proceedings of 8th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS-8) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2014/10

Quantitative assessment of an Excavation Damaged Zone from variations in seismic velocity and fracture distribution around a gallery in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Kondo, Keiji; Inagaki, Daisuke

Rock Engineering and Rock Mechanics; Structures in and on Rock Masses, p.487 - 492, 2014/05

https://doi.org/10.1201/b16955-82

In a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal project, it will be important to evaluate an Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ). In particular, in an EDZ, new fractures are expected to develop in response to excavation. These fractures can cause increase in permeability of rock mass around the gallery. In order to investigate density of these fractures in an EDZ, the authors integrated information of fracture mapping of a gallery into a result of seismic tomography survey conducted in the Horonobe underground Research Laboratory. As a result, seismic velocity decreased almost linearly as the density of fracture increased. Also, it was found that density of fracture in an EDZ is expected to be evaluated by the trend which is calculated from simple numeric model. This analysis provides useful data for HLW disposal from a viewpoint that one can evaluate condition of fractures in an EDZ using the result of seismic tomography survey.

A Study of the regional stress and the stress state in the galleries of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Tokiwa, Tetsuya; Kondo, Keiji; Inagaki, Daisuke; Kato, Harumi*

Proceedings of 6th International Symposium on In-situ Rock Stress (RS 2013) (CD-ROM), p.331 - 338, 2013/08

In a high-level radioactive waste disposal, initial stress state is important for designing support and layout of repository. Based on the background, objectives of this paper is to investigate the state of regional stress in detail and change of initial stress state along construction of the Underground Research Laboratory (URL). Hydraulic fracturing tests and observation of the borehole breakouts through borehole televiewer logging have been conducted in the boreholes around the Horonobe URL and in the galleries of the URL. As a result, the values of the stress measured in the boreholes around the URL increased along depth and the orientations of the maximum horizontal stress were different between a map scale fault. In addition, values of initial stresses measured in the galleries were less than those of boreholes around the URL and orientation of the maximum horizontal stress were different in each depth of the gallery. These results suggest that measurements of the stress in the galleries are important for modification of the layout designed before construction of the URL.

Relationship between rock mass properties and damage of a concrete lining during shaft sinking in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project

Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Inagaki, Daisuke; Nago, Makito*; Kamemura, Katsumi*; Matsubara, Makoto*; Shigehiro, Michiko*

Proceedings of ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress 2013 (WTC 2013)/39th General Assembly, p.2014 - 2021, 2013/05

https://doi.org/10.1201/b14769-276

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been constructing three shafts to a depth of 500 m in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project. In this study, in consideration of support patterns installed, a relationship between the rock mass properties and mechanical response to excavation was investigated in detail during the construction of the East Access Shaft below a depth of 250 m. Since the shaft has intersected several faults with the size greater than the shaft diameter, some amounts of rock spalling have occurred and cracks have severely developed in a concrete lining in highly fractured zones. The results of pre-excavation grouting were compared with the results of fracture mapping in the shaft wall obtained during the shaft sinking. Applicability of several support patterns installed to control massive spalling during the shaft sinking was also analysed using the results of geometry profiling of shaft wall using a three-dimensional laser scanner and convergence measurements. As a result, based the empirical relationships among the characteristics of rocks, dimension of spalling, damage of a concrete lining and support patterns, a flow chart for selection of span of a concrete lining was proposed to control its severe damage prior to shaft excavation.

Initial stress measurement by hydraulic fracturing method in diatomaceous mudstone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Kondo, Keiji; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Inagaki, Daisuke; Sugita, Yutaka; Kato, Harumi*; Niunoya, Sumio*

Dai-13-Kai Iwa No Rikigaku Kokunai Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (CD-ROM), p.583 - 588, 2013/01

no abstracts in English

Geomechanical assessment of excavation damaged zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, Japan

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Tsusaka, Kimikazu; Tokiwa, Tetsuya; Kondo, Keiji; Inagaki, Daisuke

Dai-13-Kai Iwa No Rikigaku Kokunai Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (CD-ROM), p.905 - 910, 2013/01

In a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal project, quantitative evaluation of the extent of excavation damaged zone (EDZ), which is estimated to cause the mechanical, hydrological and geochemical effect to the rock. In Horonobe URL, P-wave tomography survey and rock core observation in the tomography area were conducted at the depth of 250 m to evaluate EDZ. In addition to these in-situ measurement and observation, the authors conducted numerical analysis to identify damaged zone. As a result of P-wave tomography, remarkable low velocity layer was extended about 0.6 m from the drift wall. From the result of rock core observation, the region which has several EDZ fractures developed to 0.3 m from the gallery wall. Furthermore, the numerical analysis showed that the failure zone was extended about 0.2 m from the drift wall. From these results, the authors concluded that the extension of remarkable low velocity layer matched with the extension of the region which has several EDZ fractures.