Simulation study on the design of nondestructive measurement system using fast neutron direct interrogation method to nuclear materials in fuel debris

Maeda, Makoto; Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Kureta, Masatoshi; Ozu, Akira; Komeda, Masao; Toh, Yosuke

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(7), p.617 - 628, 2019/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1611500

Corrigendum; Study of the neutron multiplication effect in an active neutron method [J Nucl Sci Technol. 2017;54(11):1233-1239]

Komeda, Masao; Ozu, Akira; Mori, Takamasa; Nakatsuka, Yoshiaki; Maeda, Makoto; Kureta, Masatoshi; Toh, Yosuke

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(8), P. 962, 2018/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1426290

We correct the derivation of equations in the derivation of equations in the paper of "Study of the neutron multiplication effect in an active neutron methods [J Nucl Sci Technol. 2017;54(11):1233-1239]". Although the derivations are not correct, the obtained equations are correct. Therefore, the results and discussions of the paper remain the same.

Production and detection of fission-induced neutrons following fast neutron direct interrogation to various dry materials containing U

Sakoda, Akihiro; Nakatsuka, Yoshiaki; Ishimori, Yuu; Nakashima, Shinichi; Komeda, Masao; Ozu, Akira; Toh, Yosuke

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(6), p.605 - 613, 2018/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1417175

For better nuclear material accountancy, we had developed a non-destructive assay system dedicated to uranium waste drums (JAWAS-N: JAEA Waste Assay System at Ningyo-toge). The system is based on a fast neutron direct interrogation (FNDI) method. To clarify the characteristics of the FNDI method and the performance of JAWAS-N, experimental and computational mock-up tests were carried out using various dry materials that contained known amounts of natural uranium. As a result, linearity between the die-away time () and the counts of fast neutrons attributed to U fission was confirmed experimentally and analytically. Moreover, the MCNP simulation was performed to discuss the radial and axial dependences of U fission probability, neutron detection efficiency, and sensitivity on uranium distributions in the drum. The simulation results agreed with the empirical results reported in a previous paper, providing valuable information on the practice of FNDI-based uranium determination. Furthermore, the nominal detection limits of natural uranium in JAWAS-N were estimated to be 15, 4, and 2 g for = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 msec, respectively. The findings obtained here will contribute to the implementation of the FNDI method to assess the quantities of U in actual uranium waste drums.

Characterization study of four candidate technologies for nuclear material quantification in fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Nagatani, Taketeru; Komeda, Masao; Shiba, Tomooki; Nauchi, Yasushi*; Maeda, Makoto; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Kosuge, Yoshihiro*; Kureta, Masatoshi; Tomikawa, Hirofumi; Okumura, Keisuke; et al.

Energy Procedia, 131, p.258 - 263, 2017/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.447

Study of the neutron multiplication effect in an active neutron method

Komeda, Masao; Ozu, Akira; Mori, Takamasa; Nakatsuka, Yoshiaki; Maeda, Makoto; Kureta, Masatoshi; Toh, Yosuke

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 54(11), p.1233 - 1239, 2017/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1359118

The previous active neutron method cannot remove the influence of the multiplication effect of neutrons produced by second- and subsequent fission reactions, and it might overestimate the amount of nuclear material if an item contains large amounts. In this paper, we discussed the correction method for the neutron multiplication effect on the measured data in the fast neutron direct interrogation (FNDI) method, one of the active neutron methods, supposing that the neutron multiplication effect is caused mainly by third-generation neutrons from the second-fission reactions under the condition that the forth-generation neutrons are much fewer. This paper proposed a correction method for the neutron multiplication effect in the measured data. Moreover we have shown a possibility that this correction method gives rough estimates of the effective neutron multiplication factor and the subcriticality.

R&D of active neutron NDA techniques for nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security, 3; Validation of neutron transport code for design of NDA system

Maeda, Makoto; Komeda, Masao; Tobita, Hiroshi; Ozu, Akira; Kureta, Masatoshi; Bogucarska, T.*; Crochemore, J. M.*; Varasano, G.*; Pedersen, B.*

Dai-37-Kai Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nippon Shibu Nenji Taikai Rombunshu (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/02

JAEA and EC/JRC are carrying out collaborative research to develop NDA techniques that can be utilized for quantification of high radioactive special nuclear materials such as spent fuel and next generation minor actinide fuels. In the research, reliability of neutron transport codes is important because it is utilized for design and development of a demonstration system of next-generation Differential Die-away (DDA) technique in JAEA. In order to evaluate the reliability, actual neutron flux distribution in a sample cavity was examined in PUNITA device using JRC type DDA technique and JAWAS-T device using JAEA type DDA technique, and then the measurement results were compared with the simulation results obtained by the neutron transport codes. The neutron flux distribution in the target matrix was also examined in the PUNITA and compared with the simulation results. We report on the measurement and simulation results of the neutron flux distribution and evaluation results of the reliability of the neutron transport codes.

Comparison between simulation and experimental results for neutron flux in DDA systems

Maeda, Makoto; Komeda, Masao; Ozu, Akira; Kureta, Masatoshi; Toh, Yosuke; Bogucarska, T.*; Crochemore, J. M.*; Varasano, G.*; Pedersen, B.*

EUR-28795-EN (Internet), p.694 - 701, 2017/00

http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC107151/esarda_symposium_proceedings-final.pdf

Design and burn-up analyses of new type holder for silicon neutron transmutation doping

Komeda, Masao; Arai, Masaji; Tamai, Kazuo*; Kawasaki, Kozo*

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 113, p.60 - 65, 2016/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2016.04.014

We designed and fabricated a new type holder that achieved uniform doping under long-term use at JRR-3. The new type holder uses an aluminum alloy and BC particles as filter materials to ensure uniform vertical flux distribution. Although the amount of filter material decreases with long-term use, it was found that the doping distribution did not change by much until 800 h. The lifetime of the new type holder (of the order of hundreds of hours) depends mainly on the amount of trapped radioactive isotopes. This indicates that the decrease in filtering ability over the filter's lifetime is not significant. The filtering ability remains stable for a long time, and the difference in the vertical doping distribution is 1.08 at 1600 h and 1.18 at 4000 h. The irradiation efficiency is expected to increase by 1.7 times when using the new type holder.

Applicability evaluation of candidate technologies for nuclear material quantification in fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station; Active neutron technique (Interim report)

Komeda, Masao; Maeda, Makoto; Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Tobita, Hiroshi; Hattori, Kentaro; Shimofusa, Taichi; Ozu, Akira; Kureta, Masatoshi

Proceedings of INMM 57th Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2016/07

We are working on the development of a non-destructive assay (NDA) measurement system using the Fast Neutron Direct Interrogation (FNDI) method. The FNDI method is a kind of active neutron technique and can measure the total amounts of fissile materials (U-235, Pu-239, Pu-241). We have already carried out design analyses of an NDA measurement system for measuring the debris assuming use of the Three Mile Island (TMI) canister model. The result was presented at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) 56th Annual Meeting. Since then, we have modified the design of the NDA measurement system for the fuel debris and canister models at 1F. In this paper, we provide the calculation and evaluation results using the modified NDA measurement system. Moreover, we provide analytical investigations of the influence of fuel debris including high fissile material content on measurements.

Development of non-destructive assay system using fast neutron direct interrogation method for actual uranium waste drums

Ozu, Akira; Komeda, Masao; Kureta, Masatoshi; Zaima, Naoki; Nakatsuka, Yoshiaki; Nakashima, Shinichi

Nippon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 15(2), p.115 - 127, 2016/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J15.011

A non-destructive assay system using the fast neutron direct interrogation method has been developed to put its method into practical use for the determination of uranium (U) mass contained in actual uranium-contaminated waste drums. The method is capable of measuring the fissile mass in a drum by counting the number of fission neutrons resulting from nuclear fission reactions between the fissile materials contained in a drum and thermal neutrons generated by 14 MeV fast neutrons irradiated from outside the drum. The performance test employing simulated metal waste drums demonstrated that a natural uranium mass of as low as 10 g could be detected within an error of 20% regardless of the distribution of uranium samples in the drum. A demonstration test employing actual waste drums could determine the uranium mass by using a newly developed correction method for deriving the fissile mass in a drum. It has been proved by the experimental validation tests that the assay system equipped with the correction method is very useful for the accountancy of the waste drums.