Difference in expansion and dehydration behaviors between NH- and K-montmorillonite

Kawakita, Ryohei; Saito, Akito*; Sakuma, Hiroshi*; Anraku, Sohtaro; Kikuchi, Ryosuke*; Otake, Tsubasa*; Sato, Tsutomu*

Applied Clay Science, 231, p.106722_1 - 106722_7, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106722

Safety improvements in demolition and removal activities with air-fed suit for Plutonium Fuel Facility Decommissioning

Kikuchi, Haruka; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 21(1), p.50 - 63, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J20.035

The air fed suit is a kind of personal protective equipment that provides purified air through a hose and that protects a worker from radiation hazards. In the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of the JAEA, the suit is used for size reduction and dismantlement of radioactively contaminated, in particular with plutonium, gloveboxes and equipment. Although the suit has been widely adopted in the similar activities, there still exist potential hazards due to the limiting features of the suit itself and its supplemental system. In fact, we had faced with several unexpected problems regarding such restricted aspects during the dismantling activities. To address these failure potentials, we have implemented various countermeasures and improvements to enhance the workers safety. We describe the disadvantages of the air fed suit system and positive feedbacks we have implemented.

Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Kitazato, Kohei*; Milliken, R. E.*; Iwata, Takahiro*; Abe, Masanao*; Otake, Makiko*; Matsuura, Shuji*; Takagi, Yasuhiko*; Nakamura, Tomoki*; Hiroi, Takahiro*; Matsuoka, Moe*; et al.

Nature Astronomy (Internet), 5(3), p.246 - 250, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-01271-2

Here we report observations of Ryugu's subsurface material by the Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS3) on the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. Reflectance spectra of excavated material exhibit a hydroxyl (OH) absorption feature that is slightly stronger and peak-shifted compared with that observed for the surface, indicating that space weathering and/or radiative heating have caused subtle spectral changes in the uppermost surface. However, the strength and shape of the OH feature still suggests that the subsurface material experienced heating above 300 C, similar to the surface. In contrast, thermophysical modeling indicates that radiative heating does not increase the temperature above 200 C at the estimated excavation depth of 1 m, even if the semimajor axis is reduced to 0.344 au. This supports the hypothesis that primary thermal alteration occurred due to radiogenic and/or impact heating on Ryugu's parent body.

Radiation imaging using a compact Compton camera inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station building

Sato, Yuki; Tanifuji, Yuta; Terasaka, Yuta; Usami, Hiroshi; Kaburagi, Masaaki; Kawabata, Kuniaki; Utsugi, Wataru*; Kikuchi, Hiroyuki*; Takahira, Shiro*; Torii, Tatsuo

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(9), p.965 - 970, 2018/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1473171

Mineralogical, physical and chemical investigation of compacted Kunigel V1 bentonite in contact with a steel heater in the ABM test package 1 experiment, sp Laboratory, Sweden

Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Isogai, Takeshi*; Kikuchi, Hirohito*; Sato, Hisao*; Svensson, D.*

Clay Minerals, 52(1), p.127 - 141, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.2017.052.1.09

Compacted bentonite has been considered as a candidate of engineering barrier material in many countries for the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste. SKB set up an in situ experiment (named ABM project) to compare the stability of different bentonites under the conditions exposed to an iron source and elevated temperature (up to 130C as maximum) at the sp Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden. Results for the Japanese bentonite (Kunigel V1) are summarized in the present paper. Mineralogical investigation using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) suggested that no indication of smectite transformation or newly formed clay phases were observed. However, a distinct change of exchangeable cations of smectite was indicated (i.e., from Na type to Fe type) in the bentonite at the vicinity of the steel heater. Physical investigation by measurements of hydraulic conductivity and swelling property suggested that no significant change occur in the bentonite even at the vicinity of the steel heater. Such results might be considered due to the limited portion affected by the iron-bentonite interactions and partially occurred ion exchange reactions. Chemical investigation based on the measurements of methylane blue (MB), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable cations showed that the lateral distribution for these parameters were basically constant without the significant gradient.

Design and manufacture of Joyo upper core structure for replacement

Ota, Katsu; Ushiki, Hiroshi*; Maeda, Shigetaka; Kawahara, Hirotaka; Takamatsu, Misao; Kobayashi, Tetsuhiko; Kikuchi, Yuki; Tobita, Shigeharu; Nagai, Akinori

JAEA-Technology 2015-026, 180 Pages, 2015/11

JAEA-Technology-2015-026.pdf:79.87MB

In the experimental fast reactor Joyo, it was confirmed that the top of the irradiation test sub-assembly of "MARICO-2" (material testing rig with temperature control) had bent onto the in-vessel storage rack as an obstacle and had damaged the upper core structure (UCS). The replacement of the UCS was conducted from May to December 2014. The design and manufacture of UCS was started from 2008, and the installation of UCS was completed successfully in November 21th 2014. The major results gained during the design and manufacture of UCS is as follows.

Annual report of Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (April 1, 2013 - March 31, 2014)

Sato, Takeshi; Muto, Shigeo; Akiyama, Kiyomitsu; Aoki, Kazufumi; Okamoto, Akiko; Kawakami, Takeshi; Kume, Nobuhide; Nakanishi, Chika; Koie, Masahiro; Kawamata, Hiroyuki; et al.

JAEA-Review 2014-048, 69 Pages, 2015/02

JAEA-Review-2014-048.pdf:13.91MB

JAEA was assigned as a designated public institution under the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act and under the Armed Attack Situations Response Act. Based on these Acts, the JAEA has the responsibility of providing technical support to the national government and/or local governments in case of disaster responses or response in the event of a military attack, etc. In order to fulfill the tasks, the JAEA has established the Emergency Action Plan and the Civil Protection Action Plan. In case of a nuclear emergency, NEAT dispatches specialists of JAEA, supplies the national government and local governments with emergency equipment and materials, and gives technical advice and information. In normal time, NEAT provides various exercises and training courses concerning nuclear disaster prevention to those personnel taking an active part in emergency response institutions of the national and local governments, police, fire fighters, self-defense forces, etc. in addition to the JAEA itself. The NEAT also researches nuclear disaster preparedness and response, and cooperates with international organizations. In the FY2013, the NEAT accomplished the following tasks: (1) Technical support activities as a designated public institution in cooperation with the national and local governments, etc. (2) Human resource development, exercise and training of nuclear emergency response personnel for the national and local governments, etc. (3) Researches on nuclear disaster preparedness and response, and sending useful information (4) International contributions to Asian countries on nuclear disaster preparedness and response in collaboration with the international organizations

Present status of J-PARC linac

Oguri, Hidetomo; Hasegawa, Kazuo; Ito, Takashi; Chishiro, Etsuji; Hirano, Koichiro; Morishita, Takatoshi; Shinozaki, Shinichi; Ao, Hiroyuki; Okoshi, Kiyonori; Kondo, Yasuhiro; et al.

Proceedings of 11th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.389 - 393, 2014/10

http://www.pasj.jp/web_publish/pasj2014/proceedings/PDF/FSP0/FSP021.pdf

no abstracts in English

HCM12A Cr-rich oxide layer investigation using 3D atom probe

Kikuchi, Kenji*; Okada, Noriyuki*; Kato, Mikio*; Uchida, Hiroshi*; Saito, Shigeru

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 450(1-3), p.237 - 243, 2014/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.09.011

Three-dimensional atom probe techniques were applied to the investigation on the oxide scale in 12Cr ferritic-martensitic steel, HCM12A. A duplex oxide scale was formed in lead bismuth eutectic at 450-500C, during 5500 h. Samples were located 500-700 nm away from the boundary between magnetite and Fe-Cr spinel layers, while the total oxide layer thickness is 18 m. It detected super enrichment of Cr with a size of ten nm roughly, as well as depletion of Fe and enrichment of O at the same site. Surrounding the Cr super enrichment area, enrichment of Si was newly noticed due to the scanned profile of detected atom counts. It is also confirmed that Pb and Bi concentration in the observed spinel region is almost null or less than 0.01 atomic percent, which is possible detecting lowest limit.

Experimental study on sodium-concrete reaction mechanism in sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Shin; Seino, Hiroshi; Ohno, Shuji

Nihon Kikai Gakkai Rombunshu, B, 79(808), p.2650 - 2654, 2013/12

https://doi.org/10.1299/kikaib.79.2650

For countermeasure against sodium leak, structural concrete is protected by steel liner in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). However, if considering severe and unexpected accidental condition such as breach of steel liner by intensive sodium leak, the reaction with liquid sodium and concrete potentially may occur. For the purpose of elucidating the mechanism of the sodium-concrete reaction in SFRs, kinetic study of the sodium (Na)-silica (SiO) reaction has been carried out by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) technique. The Na-SiO reaction temperaturewas identified from DSC curves. It was found that reactivity of Na-SiO reaction is similar with the reaction between Na and aggregate of practical used concrete. Based on the measured reaction temperature, rate constant of Na-SiO reaction was obtained. Thermal analysis results indicated that Na-SiO reaction could occur under the elevated temperature in the timeframe of sodium-concrete reaction.