Investigating eutectic behavior and material relocation in BC-stainless steel composites using the improved MPS method

Ahmed, Z.*; Wu, S.*; Sharma, A.*; Kumar, R.*; 山野 秀将; Pellegrini, M.*; 横山 諒*; 岡本 孝司*

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 250, p.127343_1 - 127343_17, 2025/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2025.127343

The study aims to measure boron concentration through the unidirectional diffusion of boron within the stainless steel (SS) layers while evaluating the updated model ability to replicate melt relocation behavior and geometry. In the current MPS simulations, one scenario employed dummy walls as heat sources, while another scenario used SS surface particles as heat sources to avoid interference with the melt flow as it reached the bottom of the specimen.

Density of a molten stainless steel-BC alloy measured in the electrostatic levitation furnace onboard the international space station

石川 毅彦*; 織田 裕久*; 小山 千尋*; 下西 里奈*; 池内 留美子*; Paradis, P.-F.*; 岡田 純平*; 福山 博之*; 山野 秀将

International Journal of Microgravity Science and Application, 42(2), p.420202_1 - 420202_10, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.15011/jasma.42.420202

Samples of stainless steel (SS) - boron carbide (BC) alloys were levitated in the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace onboard the International Space Station (ISS-ELF) to measure the thermophysical properties of their melts. Melting of samples of two different compositions (SS-12.3, and 28 mass% BC) were attempted in the furnace. Even though only one sample (SS-12.3 mass% BC) could be melted, its density was successfully obtained.

Stress and plastic strain partitioning behaviors and those contributions to martensitic transformation of retained austenite in medium manganese and transformation-induced plasticity-aided bainitic ferrite steels

北條 智彦*; 小山 元道*; 熊井 麦弥*; Zhou, Y.*; 柴山 由樹; 城 鮎美*; 菖蒲 敬久; 齋藤 寛之*; 味戸 沙耶*; 秋山 英二*

ISIJ International, 65(2), p.284 - 296, 2025/02

https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2024-268

Stress and plastic strain distributions and those partitioning behaviors of ferrite and retained austenite were investigated in the medium manganese (Mn) and the transformation-induced plasticity-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steels, and the martensitic transformation behaviors of retained austenite during Luders elongation and work hardening were analyzed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction at SPring-8. The stress and plastic strain of retained austenite and volume fraction of retained austenite were remarkably changed during Luders deformation in the medium Mn steel, implying that the medium Mn steel possessed inhomogeneous deformation at the parallel part of the tensile specimen. On the other hand, the distributions of the stress, plastic strain and volume fraction of retained austenite were homogeneous and the homogeneous deformation occurred at the parallel part of the tensile specimen at the plastic deformation regime with work hardening in the medium Mn and TBF steels. The martensitic transformation of retained austenite at uders deformation in the medium Mn steel was possessed owing to the application of high stress and preferential deformation at retained austenite, resulting in a significant increase in the plastic deformation and reduction of stress in the retained austenite. The martensitic transformation of retained austenite at the plastic deformation regime with work hardening was induced by the high dislocation density and newly applied plastic deformation in retained austenite in the medium Mn steel whereas the TBF steel possessed gradual transformation of retained austenite which is applied high tensile stress and moderate plastic deformation.

Difference in accumulation of plutonium and curium isotopes formed in americium targets irradiated in Joyo and JMTR

大西 貴士; 小山 真一*; 横山 佳祐; 森下 一喜; 渡部 雅; 前田 茂貴; 矢野 康英; 大木 繁夫

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 432, p.113755_1 - 113755_17, 2025/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113755

The burning of minor actinide (MA) elements, such as neptunium (Np) and americium (Am), in fast reactors (FRs) has been proposed to reduce the volume of high-level radioactive waste. Evaluation of the transmutation behavior of Am for a wide spectral range from thermal to fast neutrons requires experimental validation based on the irradiation of Am targets with well-known isotopic compositions. Four samples each of two types of Am targets, Am-241 oxide and Am-243 oxide, were prepared and irradiated in the experimental fast reactor Joyo under fast neutron flux. Additionally, a ninth sample consisting of Am-241 oxide contained in a MgO pellet was prepared and irradiated in the JMTR under thermal neutron flux. All irradiated samples were analyzed by a radiochemical method. Indexes of the transmutation behavior such as the transmutation ratio, the ratio between burnup and accumulation of an actinide could be evaluated based on the analytical results.

Potential of the young age reference materials; CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb dates of Cenozoic zircons in Japan

長田 充弘; 福田 将眞; 末岡 茂; 中嶋 徹; 横山 立憲; Wall, C. J.*; 檀原 徹*; 岩野 英樹*; 田上 高広*

フィッション・トラックニュースレター, (37), p.11 - 13, 2024/12

近年、分析技術の発達により100万年以降の若い地質単元でもジルコンによるU-Th-Pb年代測定が可能となりつつある。しかしながら、その分析を評価しうる若い標準試料はほとんどない。本研究では、著者らが研究をすすめている100万年オーダーのジルコン試料(TRG04とOGPK)を対象に、同位体希釈表面電離質量分析(ID-TIMS)法によるU-Pb年代測定を試みた。その結果、それぞれ予察的に2.66540.0016Maおよび1.12660.0014MaのU-Pb年代を得た。

Application of energy-resolving neutron imaging to major-component analyses of materials using four-channel superconducting detector

Vu, TheDang*; 宍戸 寛明*; 相澤 一也; 奥 隆之; 及川 健一; 原田 正英; 小嶋 健児*; 宮嶋 茂之*; 曽山 和彦; 小山 富男*; et al.

IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 19(11), p.1888 - 1894, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1002/tee.24144

We proposed a novel superconducting detector called the current-biased kinetic inductance detector (CB-KID) for constructing a neutron transmission imager. We systematically studied the characteristics of the CB-KID to improve spatial resolution down to 10 m in transmission imaging. By analyzing neutron transmission spectra from 1 meV to 500 keV, we identified copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) as major components in commercial nuts and screws. Additionally, we successfully mapped the distribution of the SmSn compound using selective energy regions of pulsed neutrons and the CB-KID detector. It can reveal transmission spectra across a wide range of energies, from cold-neutron energies (meV) to higher neutron energies (up to 500 keV).

Study on heat transfer behavior of a rectangular particle bed with volumetric heating

Wen, J.*; 鎌田 悠斗*; 横山 貢成*; 松元 達也*; Liu, W.*; 守田 幸路*; 今泉 悠也; 田上 浩孝; 松場 賢一; 神山 健司

Proceedings of 31st International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE31) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE31-134313

To investigate the coolability of fuel debris bed immersed in molten steel, a rectangular experimental system was built in which the particle bed was volumetrically heated via direct current heating. The experimental apparatus consists of a particle bed immersed in water and a water pool above it, which simulate disrupted solid fuel and molten steel, respectively. Computer code simulations with reactor safety analysis code SIMMER-IV were performed to help understanding the heat transfer characteristics and to validate the applicability of the newly embedded momentum exchange function (MXF) models. Under the current experimental conditions, some key parameters like the particle bed average temperature, water pool average temperature, and temperature difference between the bed and the pool were evaluated to compare with the simulation results. The comparison results showed the most applicable MXF model under the current experimental conditions, and the analysis with it well reproduced the phenomena which was observed in the experiments.

Stress-controlled hydrogen embrittlement failure in U-bend high-strength steel

柴山 由樹; 北條 智彦*; 小山 元道*; 秋山 英二*

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 88, p.1010 - 1016, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.09.123

The effect of plastic deformation on the hydrogen embrittlement behavior of high-strength martensitic steels was investigated using a U-bend test. The hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility appeared to be enhanced with increasing plastic strain. Based on fractographic and stress-strain analyses, the maximum principal stress dominated the hydrogen embrittlement fracture. Although the apparent enhancement with increasing plastic deformation was observed, the origin of the enhancement was increased residual stress arising from the evolution of graded plastic strain during U-bending. We conclude that residual stress rather than plastic strain induced by plastic deformation strongly affects hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility in deformed high-strength steel components.

地質環境の長期安定性に関する研究 年度計画書(令和6年度)

丹羽 正和; 島田 顕臣; 浅森 浩一; 末岡 茂; 小松 哲也; 中嶋 徹; 小形 学; 内田 真緒; 西山 成哲; 田中 桐葉; et al.

JAEA-Review 2024-035, 29 Pages, 2024/09

JAEA-Review-2024-035.pdf:1.24MB

本計画書では、高レベル放射性廃棄物の地層処分技術に関する研究開発のうち、深地層の科学的研究の一環として実施している地質環境の長期安定性に関する研究について、第4期中長期目標期間(令和4年度令和10年度)における令和6年度の研究開発計画を取りまとめた。本計画の策定にあたっては、これまでの研究開発成果や大学等で行われている最新の研究成果に加え、地層処分事業実施主体や規制機関等の動向を考慮した。研究の実施にあたっては、地層処分事業における概要・精密調査や国の安全規制に対し研究成果を適時反映できるよう、(1)調査技術の開発・体系化、(2)長期予測・影響評価モデルの開発、(3)年代測定技術の開発の三つの枠組みで研究開発を推進する。

Thinning behavior of solid boron carbide immersed in molten stainless steel for core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor

江村 優軌; 高井 俊秀; 菊地 晋; 神山 健司; 山野 秀将; 横山 博紀*; 坂本 寛*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(7), p.911 - 920, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2287109

Boron carbide (BC)- stainless steel (SS) eutectic reaction behavior is one of the most important issues in the core disruptive accidents (CDAs) of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). In this study, the immersion experiments using BC pellets with molten SS were conducted to evaluate the CDA sequences such as contact event of solid BC with degraded core materials including SS at very high temperature. The immersion experiment aims at understanding the kinetic behavior of solid BC-liquid SS reaction based on the reduced thickness of BC pellet after the experiment in the temperature ranges from 1763 to 1943 K, which is higher than the temperature of solid BC-solid SS reaction. Based on the kinetic consideration of the reaction rate constants for solid BC-liquid SS reaction, it was found that similar temperature dependency was identified between solid BC-liquid SS and solid BC-solid SS. Besides, the reaction rate constants of solid BC-liquid SS were smaller than those of solid BC-solid SS extrapolated in higher temperature region by two or more orders of magnitude due to two different evaluation method for BC side/SS side. It was confirmed that this difference was reasonable through the consideration of previous reaction tests in solid-solid contact for BC side/SS side.