Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Morishita, Masaki*; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ando, Masanori; Ashida, Takashi; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Doda, Norihiro; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fukano, Yoshitaka; et al.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

This book is a collection of the past experience of design, construction, and operation of two reactors, the latest knowledge and technology for SFR designs, and the future prospects of SFR development in Japan. It is intended to provide the perspective and the relevant knowledge to enable readers to become more familiar with SFR technology.

Variation in formation and migration of self-interstitial atom clusters in electron irradiated copper with material purity and specimen preparation method

Sato, Yuki*; Abe, Yosuke; Okubo, Kenji*; Tanioka, Takashi*

Philosophical Magazine, 102(12), p.1152 - 1172, 2022/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/14786435.2022.2042610

Using in situ observation with high-voltage electron microscope, one-dimensional (1D) migration of self-interstitial atom (SIA) clusters under electron irradiation at 300 K was surveyed for copper materials of five nominal purities and TEM specimens prepared with three methods. In standard (STD) specimens that were prepared through cold rolling and annealing in the vacuum, formation and 1D migration of SIA clusters did not depend much on the nominal purity. In non-annealed (NA) specimens, prepared from high purity materials through mechanical processing and electropolishing, defect structure was coarser than in STD specimens. Results of bulk annealing (BA) specimens showed that annealing of as-received block material had minor effects. Above results were discussed based on the hypothesis that impurity atoms existing in as-received materials and those induced by annealing act as traps for SIA clusters.

Manufacturing miniature beam window for accelerator-driven system by cutting T91 steel

Watanabe, Nao; Sugawara, Takanori; Okubo, Nariaki; Nishihara, Kenji

JAEA-Technology 2020-026, 59 Pages, 2021/03

JAEA-Technology-2020-026.pdf:3.95MB

As a part of partitioning and transmutation technology development to reduce the burden of radioactive disposal, an investigation of Accelerator-Driven System (ADS) has been performed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency. A beam window, which is an inherent structure of the ADS, is planned to be made from T91 steel and its shape is a thin hemisphere shell. However, it had never been tried to manufacture it out of T91 steel. In this investigation, we tried to manufacture miniature beam windows by cutting T91 steel, and to discuss the process, manufacturing accuracy and geometry measurement methods. As a result, considering a real scale ADS beam window, a figure error between designing and machining ones is estimated to be about 5%. Its effect would be very small to the structural strength.

Status report of the chopper spectrometer 4SEASONS

Kajimoto, Ryoichi; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Inamura, Yasuhiro; Kamazawa, Kazuya*; Ikeuchi, Kazuhiko*; Iida, Kazuki*; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Murai, Naoki; Kira, Hiroshi*; Nakatani, Takeshi; et al.

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 1021(1), p.012030_1 - 012030_6, 2018/06

BB2016-1727.pdf:0.39MB

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1021/1/012030

Progress of design and related researches of sodium-cooled fast reactor in Japan

Kamide, Hideki; Sakamoto, Yoshihiko; Kubo, Shigenobu; Oki, Shigeo; Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Kamiyama, Kenji

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Next Generation Nuclear Systems for Sustainable Development (FR-17) (USB Flash Drive), 10 Pages, 2017/06

Development of a sodium-cooled fast reactor has been implemented in Japan from the viewpoint of severe accident countermeasures in order to strengthen safety of a fast reactor since the Great East Japan Earthquake. This paper describes the progress of design study and research and development related to safety enhancement and the severe accident countermeasures. For the purpose of strengthening of decay heat removal function, several researches have been carried out on the decay heat removal in a core disruptive accident (CDA), diversity and applicability of decay heat removal systems, and thermal hydraulic evaluation methods. In order to elucidate the behavior of molten fuel during CDA, some in-pile and out-of-pile tests has been performed by international collaboration including basic experiments. Core design was also improved from the viewpoint of preventing the occurrence of severe accident.

Experiments EAGLE project for fast reactor safety; A Joint-research program with the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC/RK)

Kamiyama, Kenji; Sato, Ikken; Kubo, Shigenobu

Enerugi Rebyu, 36(11), p.46 - 49, 2016/11

no abstracts in English

3D geostatistical modeling of fracture system in a granitic massif to characterize hydraulic properties and fracture distribution

Koike, Katsuaki*; Kubo, Taiki*; Liu, C.*; Masoud, A.*; Amano, Kenji; Kurihara, Arata*; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Lanyon, B.*

Tectonophysics, 660, p.1 - 16, 2015/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2015.06.008

This study integrates 3D models of rock fractures from different sources and hydraulic properties aimed at identifying relationships between fractures and permeability. A geostatistical method (GEOFRAC) that can incorporate orientations of sampled data was applied to 50,900 borehole fractures for spatial modeling of fractures over a 12 km by 8 km area, to a depth of 1.5 km. GEOFRAC produced a plausible 3D fracture model, in that the orientations of simulated fractures correspond to those of the sample data and the continuous fractures appeared near a known fault. Small-scale fracture distributions with dominant orientations were also characterized around the two shafts using fracture data from the shaft walls. By integrating the 3D model of hydraulic conductivity using sequential Gaussian simulation with the GEOFRAC fractures from the borehole data, the fracture sizes and directions that strongly affect permeable features were identified.

Dismantlement of large fusion experimental device JT-60U

Ikeda, Yoshitaka; Okano, Fuminori; Sakasai, Akira; Hanada, Masaya; Akino, Noboru; Ichige, Hisashi; Kaminaga, Atsushi; Kiyono, Kimihiro; Kubo, Hirotaka; Kobayashi, Kazuhiro; et al.

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 13(4), p.167 - 178, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J14.007

The JT-60U torus was disassembled so as to newly install the superconducting tokamak JT-60SA torus. The JT-60U used the deuterium for 18 years, so the disassembly project of the JT-60U was the first disassembly experience of a fusion device with radioactivation in Japan. All disassembly components were stored with recording the data such as dose rate, weight and kind of material, so as to apply the clearance level regulation in future. The lessons learned from the disassembly project indicated that the cutting technologies and storage management of disassembly components were the key factors to conduct the disassembly project in an efficient way. After completing the disassembly project, efforts have been made to analyze the data for characterizing disassembly activities, so as to contribute the estimation of manpower needs and the radioactivation of the disassembly components on other fusion devices.

A Scenario of core disruptive accident for Japan sodium-cooled fast reactor to achieve in-vessel retention

Suzuki, Toru; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Nakai, Ryodai; Koyama, Kazuya*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 51(4), p.493 - 513, 2014/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2013.877405

As the most promising concept of SFRs, the JAEA has selected the advanced loop-type fast reactor, so-called JSFR. The safety design requirements of JSFR for design extension condition are the prevention of severe accidents and the mitigation of severe-accident consequences. For the mitigation of severe-accident consequences, in particular, the In-Vessel Retention (IVR) against postulated Core Disruptive Accidents (CDAs) is required. In order to investigate the sufficiency of these safety requirements, a CDA scenario should be constructed, in which the elimination of power excursion and the in-vessel cooling of core materials are evaluated so as to achieve IVR. In the present study, the factors leading to IVR failure were identified by creating phenomenological diagrams, and the effectiveness of design measures against them were evaluated based on experimental data and computer simulations. This is an unprecedented approach to the construction of a CDA scenario, and is an effective method to objectively investigate the factors of IVR failure and design measures against them. It was concluded that mechanical/thermal failures of the reactor vessel could be avoided by adequate design measures, and a clear vision for achieving IVR was obtained.

Deposition of hydroxyapatite on SiC nanotubes in simulated body fluid

Taguchi, Tomitsugu; Miyazaki, Toshiki*; Iikubo, Satoshi*; Yamaguchi, Kenji

Materials Science & Engineering C, 34, p.29 - 34, 2014/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2013.10.007

SiC nanotubes can become candidate reinforcement materials for dental and orthopedic implants due to their light weight and excellent mechanical properties. However, it has not been reported about the development of bioactive SiC materials. In this study, hydroxyapatites were found to on SiC nanotubes treated with NaOH and subsequently HCl solution after soaking in simulated body fluid. On the other hand, hydroxyapatites did not deposit on as-received SiC nanotubes, the SiC nanotubes with NHOH solution treatment and SiC bulk materials with NaOH and subsequently HCl solution treatment. Therefore, we succeeded in the development of bioactive SiC nanotubes by downsizing SiC materials to nanometer size and treating with NaOH and subsequently HCl solutions for the first time.