Measurement of density and viscosity for molten salts

Sato, Rika*; Nishi, Tsuyoshi*; Ota, Hiromichi*; Hayashi, Hirokazu; Sugawara, Takanori; Nishihara, Kenji

Dai-43-Kai Nihon Netsu Bussei Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (CD-ROM), 3 Pages, 2022/10

no abstracts in English

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2022)

Sasao, Eiji; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Akiomi; Shimada, Koji; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Fujita, Natsuko; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

JAEA-Review 2022-022, 29 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Review-2022-022.pdf:0.97MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2022. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2022 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques

CFD analysis of natural circulation in LBE-cooled accelerator-driven system

Sugawara, Takanori; Watanabe, Nao; Ono, Ayako; Nishihara, Kenji; Ichihara, Kyoko*; Hanzawa, Kohei*

Proceedings of 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/03

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has investigated an accelerator-driven system (ADS) to transmute minor actinides (MAs) included in high level wastes discharged from nuclear power plants. The ADS is a lead-bismuth cooled tank-type reactor with 800 MW thermal power. It is supposed that the ADS is safer than conventional critical reactors because it is operated in a subcritical state. The previous study performed the transient analyses for the typical ADS accidents such as unprotected loss of flow or beam overpower. It was shown that all calculation cases except loss of heat sink (LOHS) satisfied the no-damage criteria. To avoid the damage by LOHS, the ADS equips Direct Reactor Auxiliary Cooling System (DRACS) to remove the decay heat. The most important points of a DRACS operation are its reliability and to ensure the flowrate in a natural circulation state. This study aims to perform the CFD analysis of the natural circulation to clarify the flowrate in the ADS reactor vessel.

Re-examinations of MA fuel composition for accelerator-driven system and its heat removal

Sugawara, Takanori; Moriguchi, Daisuke*; Ban, Yasutoshi; Tsubata, Yasuhiro; Takano, Masahide; Nishihara, Kenji

JAEA-Research 2021-008, 63 Pages, 2021/10

JAEA-Research-2021-008.pdf:4.43MB

This study aims to perform the neutronics calculations for accelerator-driven system (ADS) with a new fuel composition based on the SELECT process developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency because the previous studies had used the ideal MA (minor actinide) fuel composition without uranium and rare earth elements. Through the neutronics calculations, it is shown that two calculation cases, with/without neptunium, satisfy the design criteria. Although the new fuel composition includes uranium and rare earth elements, the ADS core with the new fuel composition is feasible and consistent with the partitioning and transmutation (P&T) cycle. Based on the new fuel composition, the heat removal during fuel powder storage and fuel assembly assembling is evaluated. For the fuel powder storage, it is found that a cylindrical tube container with a length of 500 [mm] and a diameter of 11 - 21 [mm] should be stored under water. For the fuel assembly assembling, CFD analysis indicates that the cladding tube temperature would satisfy the criterion if the inlet velocity of air is larger than 0.5 [m/s]. Through these studies, the new fuel composition which is consistent with the P&T cycle is obtained and the heat removal with the latest conditions is investigated. It is also shown that the new fuel composition can be practically handled with respect to heat generation, which is one of the most difficult points in handling MA fuel.

Immortal experimental loop at JAEA; Post-process and validation

Watanabe, Nao; Obayashi, Hironari; Sugawara, Takanori; Sasa, Toshinobu; Nishihara, Kenji; Castelliti, D.*

Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.248 - 261, 2019/08

For the R&D for lead-bismuth eutectic alloy (LBE) cooled Accelerator Driven System (ADS), installation of experimental facility using LBE spallation target dedicated for ADS materials irradiation under flowing high temperature LBE environment is planned within the J-PARC project. JAEA has recently finalized the construction of "IMMORTAL", a demonstrative test loop representing a 1:1 model of the above LBE spallation target system. Such facility pursues several different objectives such as studies on the thermal-hydraulic behavior of the target, and validation of the LBE physical properties, the pressure drops and the heat transfer correlations. These results will be useful for design of the facility and LBE target/cooled ADS. In the frame of a bi-lateral collaboration between JAEA and SCK-CEN, a benchmark exercise on the experimental results from IMMORTAL has been carried out. The calculations have been performed with RELAP5-3D System Thermal-Hydraulic code. To assess and predict the thermal-hydraulic behavior of its primary loop, RELAP5-3D calculation models have been configured. The calculated results from these models represented that a valid contribution towards the validation of the LBE properties and empirical correlations present in RELAP5-3D code.

Evaluation of heat removal during the failure of the core cooling for new critical assembly

Eguchi, Yuta; Sugawara, Takanori; Nishihara, Kenji; Tazawa, Yujiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Proceedings of 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-26) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE26-82012

In order to investigate the basic neutronics characteristics of the accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS), JAEA has a plan to construct a new critical assembly in the J-PARC project, Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P). This study aims to evaluate the natural cooling characteristics of TEF-P core which has large decay heat by minor actinide (MA) fuel, and to achieve a design that does not damage the core and the fuels during the failure of the core cooling system. In the evaluation of the TEF-P core temperature, empty rectangular lattice tube outer of the core has a significant effect on the heat transfer characteristics. The experiments by using the mockup device were performed to validate the heat transfer coefficient and experimental results were obtained. By using the obtained experimental results, the three-dimensional heat transfer analysis of TEF-P core were performed, and the maximum core temperature was obtained, 294C. This result shows TEF-P core temperature would be less than 327C that the design criterion of temperature.

Reaction rate analyses of accelerator-driven system experiments with 100 MeV protons at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Pyeon, C. H.*; Vu, T. M.*; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sugawara, Takanori; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nishihara, Kenji; Kim, S. H.*; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki*; Nakajima, Ken*; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(2), p.190 - 198, 2018/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1389314

At the Kyoto University Critical Assembly, a series of reaction rate experiments is conducted on the accelerator-driven system (ADS) with spallation neutrons generated by the combined use of 100 MeV protons and a lead and bismuth target in the subcritical state. The reaction rates are measured by the foil activation method to obtain neutron spectrum information on ADS. Numerical calculations are performed with MCNP6.1 and JENDL/HE-2007 for high-energy protons and spallation process, JENDL-4.0 for transport and JENDL/D-99 for reaction rates. The reaction rates depend on subcriticality is revealed by the accuracy of the C/E (calculation/experiment) values. Nonetheless, the accuracy of the reaction rates at high-energy thresholds remains an important issue in the fixed-source calculations.

Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of lead sample reactivity experiments at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Pyeon, C. H.*; Fujimoto, Atsushi*; Sugawara, Takanori; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nishihara, Kenji; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki*; Nakajima, Ken*; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 185(3), p.460 - 472, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2016.1272976

Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses of lead (Pb) isotope cross sections are conducted with the use of sample reactivity experiments at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). With the combined use of the SRAC2006 and MARBLE code systems, attempts are made to precisely examine the contributions of the reactions and energy regions of Pb isotope cross sections to reactivity based on the covariance data of JENDL-4.0. Moreover, the effect of decreasing uncertainty is discussed in terms of the accuracy of sample reactivity by applying the cross section adjustment method to the uncertainty analyses. From the results of the sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, the reliability of Pb isotope cross sections, such as the Pb isotope covariance data of JENDL-4.0, is compared with the JENDL-3.3, ENDF/B-VII.0, and JEFF-3.1 libraries.

Development of three-dimensional reactor analysis code system for accelerator-driven system, ADS3D and its application with subcriticality adjustment mechanism

Sugawara, Takanori; Nishihara, Kenji; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Oizumi, Akito; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 53(12), p.2018 - 2027, 2016/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2016.1179600

In order to perform the parametric survey for an Accelerator-Driven System (ADS) core with the subcriticality adjustment mechanism, a new calculation code system, ADS3D, was developed on MARBLE which is a comprehensive and versatile framework for reactor analysis. ADS3D can calculate the transportation of neutrons, the burn-up performance and the fuel exchange by deterministic method in three-dimensional calculation models. The application of ADS3D was also presented for the neutronics design of the ADS core with the control rod. Through the neutronics calculation, it was shown that the maximum proton beam current was decreased from 20.5mA to 11.6mA by the installation of control rods.

Fabrication and test results of testing equipment for remote-handling of MA fuel, 2; Evaluation of heat transfer parameter crossing rectangular lattice matrix

Eguchi, Yuta; Sugawara, Takanori; Nishihara, Kenji; Tazawa, Yujiro; Inoue, Akira; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

JAEA-Technology 2015-052, 34 Pages, 2016/03

JAEA-Technology-2015-052.pdf:5.02MB

Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P) planned in the J-PARC project uses minor actinide (MA) fuel which has large decay heat. So it is necessary to consider the increase of the core temperature when the core cooling system is stopped. This change of the core temperature was evaluated by thermal conduction analysis. It was found that the impact of thermal insulation in the empty rectangular lattice matrix area was large. So it is necessary to verify reliability and accuracy of heat transfer effect used in this area. Testing equipment was fabricated to verify the accuracy of calculation model for the empty lattice matrix which was the free convection model of sealed fluid. By using this equipment, thermal distribution and one dimensional heat flow through the lattice were measured. It was observed that the actual equivalent thermal conductivity in the lattice was larger than the free convection model. It was also confirmed that the insertion of the aluminum block into the empty lattice could achieve the higher equivalent thermal conductivity. These results could be the useful data for the thermal conduction analysis.