Core and safety design for France-Japan common concept on sodium-cooled fast reactor

Takano, Kazuya; Oki, Shigeo; Ozawa, Takayuki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Ogura, Masashi*; Yamada, Yumi*; Koyama, Kazuya*; Kurita, Koichi*; Costes, L.*; et al.

EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies (Internet), 8, p.35_1 - 35_9, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2022040

The France and Japan teams have carried out collaborative works to have common technical views regarding a sodium-cooled fast reactor concept. Japan has studied the feasibility of an enhanced high burnup low-void effect (CFV) core and fuel using oxide dispersion-strengthened steel cladding in ASTRID 600. Regarding passive shutdown capabilities, Japan team has performed a preliminary numerical analysis for ASTRID 600 using a complementary safety device, called a self-actuated shutdown system (SASS), one of the safety approaches of Japan. The mitigation measures of ASTRID 600 against a severe accident, such as a core catcher, molten corium discharge assembly, and the sodium void reactivity features of the CFV core, are promising to achieve in-vessel retention for both countries. The common design concept based on ASTRID 600 is feasible to demonstrate the SFR core and safety technologies for both countries.

Development of safety design criteria and safety design guidelines for Generation IV sodium-cooled fast reactors

Futagami, Satoshi; Kubo, Shigenobu; Sofu, T.*; Ammirabile, L.*; Gauthe, P.*

Proceedings of International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety; Strengthening Safety of Evolutionary and Innovative Reactor Designs (TIC 2022) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/10

Event tree analysis for material relocation on core catcher in a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Kan, Taro*; Shibata, Akihiro*; Hourcade, E.*; Dirat, J. F.*

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/08

In this paper, the approach to event tree development and the scope of the event tree analysis were described with key points on core catcher loading. For the analytical conditions, two core catcher loading conditions were given as bounding and conservative cases. For important heading of the event tree, key important phenomena were included: strong back design, fuel-coolant interaction and quench in the sodium plenum design, jet attack, criticality and coolability on the core catcher. In this paper, preliminary trial quantification was attempted using a probability ranking table which is based on engineering judgement. This event tree analysis has identified the dominant sequence, and clarified the effect of the core catcher loading and effectiveness of design measures. This study suggests that the criticality measure is very important for the core catcher study.

Progress in conceptual design of a pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactor in Japan

Kato, Atsushi; Kubo, Shigenobu; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Miyagawa, Takayuki*; Uchita, Masato*; Suzuno, Tetsuji*; Endo, Junji*; Kubo, Koji*; Murakami, Hisatomo*; Uzawa, Masayuki*; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2022/04

The authors are carrying out conceptual design studies for a pool-type sodium-cooled fast reactor. There are main challenges such as measures against severe earthquake in Japan, thermal hydraulic in a reactor vessel (RV), a decay heat removal system design. When the JP-pool SFR of 650 MWe is installed in Japan, it shall be designed against the severe seismic conditions. Additionally, a newly three-dimensional seismic isolation system is under development.

Development of methodology to evaluate mechanical consequences of vapor expansion in SFR severe accident transients; Lessons learned from previous France-Japan collaboration and future objectives and milestones

Bachrata, A.*; Gentet, D.*; Bertrand, F.*; Marie, N.*; Kubota, Ryuzaburo*; Sogabe, Joji; Sasaki, Keisuke; Kamiyama, Kenji; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2022/04

In the frame of France-Japan collaboration, one of the objectives is to define and assess the calculation methodologies, and to investigate the phenomenology and the consequences of severe accident scenarios in sodium fast reactors (SFRs). A methodology whose purpose is to assess the loadings of the structures induced by a Fuel Coolant Interaction (FCI) taking place in the sodium plenum of SFR has been defined in the frame of the collaboration between France and Japan during 2014-2019. The work progress will be spread over the period 2020-2024 and the main objectives and milestones will be introduced in the paper. The objective of studies is to comprehensively address the margin between the limit of integrity of the main vessel structures and the loadings resulting from severe accidents. For this purpose, the SIMMER mechanistic calculation code simulates core disruptive accident sequences in SFRs. A fluid structure dynamics tool evaluates this interaction i.e. EUROPLEXUS is used in CEA studies and AUTODYN tool is used in JAEA studies. In the paper, a benchmark study is described in order to illustrate the evaluation of vapour expansion phase in the hot plenum. To do that, joint input data are used on the basis of an ASTRID 1500 MWth core degraded state after the power excursion which leads to vapour expansion. The most penalizing case was evidenced in this study by suppressing the action of transfer tube in-core mitigation devices in SIMMER input deck and thus privileging the upward molten core ejection. Even if the most penalizing case was evidenced in this paper, no significant RV deformation was observed in both EUROPLEXUS and AUTODYN calculation results. The assumed mechanical energy was small for the core expansion phase.

First-principles modeling for dislocation motion of HEA alloys

Tsuru, Tomohito; Itakura, Mitsuhiro; Yuge, Koretaka*; Aoyagi, Yoshiteru*; Shimokawa, Tomotsugu*; Kubo, Momoji*; Ogata, Shigenobu*

Proceedings of 4th International Symposium on Atomistic and Multiscale Modeling of Mechanics and Multiphysics (ISAM-4) (Internet), p.59 - 62, 2019/08

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are chemically complex single- or multi-phase alloys with crystal structures. There are no major components but five or more elements are included with near equiatomic fraction. In such a situation, deformation behavior can no longer be described by conventional solid solution strengthening model. Some HEAs, indeed, show higher strengthening behavior and anomalous slip. However, the mechanisms of these features have yet to be understood. In the present study, we investigate the core structure of dislocations in BCC-HEAs using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We found that core structure of a screw dislocation is identified as is the case with common BCC metals. On the other hand, dislocation motion should be different from pure BCC metals because of chemical and configurational disorder around dislocation core. We confirmed the specific feature of dislocation motion in HEAs by two-dimensional Peierls potential surface.

Coolability evaluation of debris bed on core catcher in a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Matsuo, Eiji*; Sasa, Kyohei*; Koyama, Kazuya*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kubo, Shigenobu; Hourcade, E.*; Bertrand, F.*; Marie, N.*; Bachrata, A.*; Dirat, J. F.*

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2019/05

Discharged molten-fuel from the core during Core Disruptive Accident (CDA) could become solidified particle debris by fuel-coolant interaction in the lower sodium plenum, and then the debris could form a bed on a core catcher located at the bottom of the reactor vessel. Coolability evaluations for the debris bed are necessary for the design of the core catcher. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the coolability of the debris bed on the core catcher for the ASTRID design. For this purpose, as a first step, the coolability calculations of the debris beds formed both in short term and later phase have been performed by modeling only the debris bed itself. Thus, details of core catcher design and decay heat removal system are not described in this paper. In all the calculations, coolant temperature around the debris bed is a parameter. The calculation tool is the debris bed module implemented into a one-dimensional plant dynamics code, Super-COPD. The evaluations have shown that the debris beds formed both in short term and later phase are coolable by the design which secures sufficient coolant flow around the core catcher located in the cold pool.

Seismic evaluation for a large-sized reactor vessel targeting SFRs in Japan

Uchita, Masato*; Miyagawa, Takayuki*; Dozaki, Koji*; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Kubo, Shigenobu; Hayafune, Hiroki; Suzuno, Tetsuji*; Fukasawa, Tsuyoshi*; Kamishima, Yoshio*; Fujita, Satoshi*

Proceedings of 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) (CD-ROM), p.380 - 386, 2018/04

It is well-known that pool-type SFRs are the main streams recently in a field of Generation IV reactors. The pool-type encloses primary pumps and IHXs located around the core barrel in a main vessel. Consequently, the main vessel diameter trends to be larger than that of loop-types. From the viewpoint of commercialization in the future, a target of the vessel diameter and its weight including Sodium coolant will increase further. In this paper, the prospects are described in terms of seismic design and structural integrity for the thermal loadings to prevent buckling of the reactor vessel based on parameter studies with diameters of the vessel. In addition, the seismic isolation device which will be effective as a countermeasure is proposed in order to secure a margin against buckling of a large reactor vessel.

Study on safety design concept for future sodium-cooled fast reactors in Japan

Kubo, Shigenobu; Shimakawa, Yoshio*

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

This paper describes safety design concept for future sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) in Japan, which is based on the safety design criteria and safety design guidelines developed in the auspices of the international forum of generation IV nuclear energy systems. Inherent and/or passive design features are utilized based on SFRs characteristics such as low pressure, high thermal inertia of the system. Lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident is one of important issues to be incorporated into the safety design concept. In order to realize commercial SFRs in the future, robust and rational safety design should be pursued by integrating various factors into the design and limiting additional specific systems, structures and components. Existing engineering principle for the design and manufacturing of SFR's components, and innovative technologies introduced in the FaCT project are keys to achieve the safety concept.

Development of prototype reactor maintenance, 1; Application to piping system of sodium-cooled reactor prototype

Kotake, Shoji*; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Takaya, Shigeru; Otaka, Masahiko; Kubo, Shigenobu; Arai, Masanobu; Kunogi, Kosuke; Ito, Takaya*; Yamaguchi, Akira*

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/04

A maintenance management required to prototype nuclear power reactors is proposed. Monitoring and control of sodium impurity and thermal transient are extremely important for sodium boundary maintenance for sodium-cooled fast reactors. At the fast stage of the prototype reactor Monju operation, degradation mechanism on the piping should be demonstrated based on operation experiences. Therefore inspection on a representative position for crack indication and pipe thickness is proposed. Due to less experience of SFR plants, early detection of boundary failure is considered. For a matured operation stage, when degradation mechanism is well demonstrated based on inspection data, inspection cycle could be extended. And for commercial reactors, maintenance without inspection will be established based on accumulated operation experiences including those of the prototype reactor Monju.