Phenomena identification ranking tables for accident tolerant fuel designs applicable to severe accident conditions

Khatib-Rahbar, M.*; Barrachin, M.*; Denning, R.*; Gabor, J.*; Gauntt, R.*; Herranz, L. E.*; Hobbins, R.*; Jacquemain, D.*; 丸山 結; Metcalf, J.*; et al.

NUREG/CR-7282, ERI/NRC 21-204 (Internet), 160 Pages, 2021/04

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is preparing to accept anticipated licensing applications for the commercial use of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) in commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. It is the objective of the NRC to evaluate the effects of ATF designs on severe accident behavior, and to determine potential changes to the NRC severe accident analysis computer codes that would simulate plant conditions using ATFs commensurate with the accuracy in accident analyses involving conventional fuels. This report documents the development of Phenomena Identification and Ranking Tables (PIRTs) for near-term ATFs under severe accident conditions in light water reactors (LWRs). The PIRTs were developed by a panel of experts for various near-term ATF design concepts (i.e., FeCrAl cladding, zirconium alloy cladding coated with chromium, and CrO dopants in uranium dioxide fuels) in addition to the impacts from fuel enrichment and burnup. Panel members also considered the severe accident implications of the longer-term ATF concepts. The main figures-of-merit considered in this ranking process are the amount of fission products released into the containment and the quantity of combustible gases generated during an accident. Special focus is given to whether existing severe accident codes and models would be sufficient as applied to LWRs employing these fuels, and whether additional experimental studies or model development would be warranted.

Main findings, remaining uncertainties and lessons learned from the OECD/NEA BSAF Project

Pellegrini, M.*; Herranz, L.*; Sonnenkalb, M.*; Lind, T.*; 丸山 結; Gauntt, R.*; Bixler, N.*; Morreale, A.*; Dolganov, K.*; Sevon, T.*; et al.

Nuclear Technology, 206(9), p.1449 - 1463, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1724731

The OECD/NEA Benchmark Study at the Accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (BSAF) project, which started in 2012 and continued until 2018, was one of the earliest responses to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi. The project, divided into two phases addressed the investigation of the accident at Unit 1, 2 and 3 by Severe Accident (SA) codes until 500 h focusing on thermal-hydraulics, core relocation, Molten Corium Concrete Interaction (MCCI) and fission products release and transport. The objectives of BSAF were to make up plausible scenarios based primarily on SA forensic analysis, support the decommissioning and inform SA codes modeling. The analysis and comparison among the institutes have brought up vital insights regarding the accident progression identifying periods of core meltdown and relocation, Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) and Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) leakage/failure through the comparison of pressure, water level and CAMS signatures. The combination of code results and inspections (muon radiography, PCV inspection) has provided a picture of the current status of the debris distribution and plant status. All units present a large relocation of core materials and all of them present ex-vessel debris with Unit 1 and Unit 3 showing evidences of undergoing MCCI. Uncertainties have been identified in particular on the time and magnitude of events such as corium relocation in RPV and into cavity floor, RPV and PCV rupture events. Main uncertainties resulting from the project are the large and continuous MCCI progression predicted by basically all the SA codes and the leak pathways from RPV to PCV and PCV to reactor building and environment. The BSAF project represents a pioneering exercise which has set the basis and provided lessons learned not only for code improvement but also for the development of new related projects to investigate in detail further aspects of the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

The Joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3

Plompen, A. J. M.*; Cabellos, O.*; De Saint Jean, C.*; Fleming, M.*; Algora, A.*; Angelone, M.*; Archier, P.*; Bauge, E.*; Bersillon, O.*; Blokhin, A.*; et al.

European Physical Journal A, 56(7), p.181_1 - 181_108, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00141-9

本論文では、核分裂と核融合のための統合評価済み核データファイルのバージョン3.3(JEFF-3.3)について説明する。中性子との反応が重要な核種のU, U, Pu, Am, Na, Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, Au, Pb, Biについて、新しい核データ評価結果を示す。JEFF-3.3には、核分裂収率, 即発核分裂スペクトル, 核分裂平均中性子発生数の新しいデータが含まれる。更に、放射崩壊, 熱中性子散乱, ガンマ線放出, 中性子による放射化, 遅発中性子, 照射損傷に関する新しいデータも含まれている。JEFF-3.3は、TENDLプロジェクトのファイルで補完しており、光子, 陽子, 重陽子, 三重陽子, He核, アルファ粒子による反応ライブラリについては、TENDL-2017から採用した。また、不確かさの定量化に対する要求の高まりから、多くの共分散データが新しく追加された。JEFF-3.3を用いた解析の結果と臨界性, 遅発中性子割合, 遮蔽, 崩壊熱に対するベンチマーク実験の結果を比較することにより、JEFF-3.3は幅広い原子核技術の応用分野、特に原子力エネルギーの分野において優れた性能を持っていることが分かった。

Magnetic-field and composition tuned antiferromagnetic instability in the quantum spin-liquid candidate NaYbO

Guo, J.*; Zhao, X.*; 河村 聖子; Ling, L.*; Wang, J.*; He, L.*; 中島 健次; Li, B.*; Zhang, Z.*

Physical Review Materials (Internet), 4(6), p.064410_1 - 064410_7, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.4.064410

NaYbO has been reported as a possible host for the quantum spin-liquid state. Here, the composition-dependent polycrystalline NaYbO (, 0.03, and 0.07) has been investigated by combining high-field magnetizations and inelastic neutron scattering techniques. For the sample, no signature of a magnetic order is observed down to 0.3 K. Inelastic neutron scattering measurement suggests a continuous low-energy excitation spectrum centered at momentum transfer ~ and extending up to energy transfer ~meV. In contrast, and 0.07 samples exhibit magnetic transitions at 1.1 and 2.3 K, respectively. High-field magnetization measurements indicate similar behaviors for and 0.03 samples including plateau-like features at the 1/3 saturated magnetization, which implies that the spin disorder in the sample might be suppressed preceding the emergence of the up-up-down phase. This composition- and field-dependent study allows us to construct complete phase diagrams indicating that NaYbO is a promising candidate for the quantum spin-liquid state in close proximity to the antiferromagnetic instability tuned by the application of magnetic fields as well as controlling the concentration of Na ion vacancies.

Non-destructive analysis of samples with a complex geometry by NRTA

Ma, F.; Kopecky, S.*; Alaerts, G.*; 原田 秀郎; Heyse, J.*; 北谷 文人; Noguere, G.*; Paradela, C.*; alamon, L.*; Schillebeeckx, P.*; et al.

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 35(3), p.478 - 488, 2020/03

AA2019-0356.pdf:2.54MB

https://doi.org/10.1039/C9JA00342H

The use of Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis to characterize homogeneous samples not fulfilling good transmission geometry conditions is discussed. Analytical expressions for such samples have been derived and implemented in the resonance shape analysis code REFIT. They were validated by experiments at the time-of-flight facility GELINA using a set of metallic natural copper samples. The expressions were used to derive sample characteristics by a least squares adjustment to experimental transmission data. In addition, the resonance parameters of Cu for energies below 6 keV, which are reported in the literature and recommended in evaluated data libraries, were verified. This research was implemented under the subsidiary for nuclear security promotion of MEXT.

Ultralow thermal conductivity from transverse acoustic phonon suppression in distorted crystalline -MgAgSb

Li, X.*; Liu, P.-F.*; Zhao, E.*; Zhang, Z.*; Guide, T.*; Le, M. D.*; Avdeev, M.*; 池田 一貴*; 大友 季哉*; 古府 麻衣子; et al.

Nature Communications (Internet), 11(1), p.942_1 - 942_9, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14772-5

高性能の熱電材料実現には低熱伝導率が必要であり、その機構としてはフォノンの非調和によるもの、あるいは、結晶構造の動的な乱れによるフォノンの散乱によるものがあげられ、どちらも中性子散乱でその現象が明らかにされている。我々は中性子散乱と第一原理計算を組み合わせ、-MgAgSbにおいて、静的な結晶構造の乱れとフォノンの非調和性が組み合わされて極端に低い熱伝導率が実現されているということを見いだしたので、これを報告する。

Fine structure in the decay of U

Sun, M. D.*; Liu, Z.*; Huang, T. H.*; Zhang, W. Q.*; Andreyev, A. N.; Ding, B.*; Wang, J. G.*; Liu, X. Y.*; Lu, H. Y.*; Hou, D. S.*; et al.

Physics Letters B, 800, p.135096_1 - 135096_5, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2019.135096

Fine structure in the decay of U was observed in the fusion-evaporation reaction Re(Ar,p3n) by using fast digital pulse processing technique. Two -decay branches of U feeding the ground state and 244 keV excited state of Th were identified by establishing the decay chain UThRaRn. The -particle energy for the ground-state to ground-state transition of U was determined to be 8993(17) keV, 213 keV higher than the previous value, the half-life was updated to be 62s. Evolution of nuclear structure for =131 even- isotones from Po to U was discussed in the frameworks of nuclear mass and reduced -decay width, a weakening octupole deformation in the ground state of U relative to its lighter isotones Ra and Th was suggested.

Main findings, remaining uncertainties and lessons learned from the OECD/NEA BSAF Project

Pellegrini, M.*; Herranz, L.*; Sonnenkalb, M.*; Lind, T.*; 丸山 結; Gauntt, R.*; Bixler, N.*; Morreale, A.*; Dolganov, K.*; Sevon, T.*; et al.

Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.1147 - 1162, 2019/08

The OECD/NEA Benchmark Study at the Accident of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS project (BSAF) has started in 2012 until 2018 as one of the earliest responses to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The project addressed the investigation of the accident at Units 1, 2 and 3 by severe accident (SA) codes focusing on thermal-hydraulics, core relocation, molten core/concrete interaction (MCCI) and fission products release and transport. The objectives of BSAF were to make up plausible scenarios based primarily on SA forensic analysis, support the decommissioning and inform SA codes modeling. The analysis and comparison among the institutes have brought up vital insights regarding the accident progression identifying periods of core meltdown and relocation, reactor vessel (RV) and primary containment vessel (PCV) leakage/failure through the comparison of pressure, water level and CAMS measurement. The combination of code results and inspections has provided a picture of the current state of the debris distribution and plant state. All units present a large relocation of core materials and all of them present ex-vessel debris with units 1 and 3 showing evidences of undergoing MCCI. Uncertainties have been identified in particular on the time and magnitude of events such as corium relocation in RV and into cavity floor, RV and PCV rupture events. Main uncertainties resulting from the project are the large and continuous MCCI progression predicted by basically all the SA codes and the leak pathways from RV to PCV and PCV to reactor building and environment. The BSAF project represents a pioneering exercise which has set the basis and provided lessons learned not only for code improvement but also for the development of new related projects to investigate in details further aspects of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS accident.

Nuclear structure of Ni from the (,) reaction

Elekes, Z.*; Kripk, *; Sohler, D.*; Sieja, K.*; 緒方 一介*; 吉田 数貴; Doornenbal, P.*; Obertelli, A.*; Authelet, G.*; 馬場 秀忠*; et al.

Physical Review C, 99(1), p.014312_1 - 014312_7, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.99.014312

(,)反応によるNiの核構造の探索実験を行った。Lenzi, Nowacki, Poves, Sieja相互作用を用いた殻模型計算では実験結果を説明しうる陽子空孔状態が得られており、理論的な断面積計算は実験値とよい一致を与えた。実験で得られたすべての状態を理論的に一意に決定することはできなかったが、過去の実験結果と同様にNi同位体でのZ = 28の大きなshell gapを示す結果が得られた。

ETSON-MITHYGENE benchmark on simulations of upward flame propagation experiment in the ENACCEF2 experimental facility

Bentaib, A.*; Chaumeix, N.*; Grosseuvres, R.*; Bleyer, A.*; Gastaldo, L.*; Maas, L.*; Jallais, S.*; Vyazmina, E.*; Kudriakov, S.*; Studer, E.*; et al.

Proceedings of 12th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-12) (USB Flash Drive), 11 Pages, 2018/10

In the framework of the French MITHYGENE project, the new highly instrumented ENACCEF2 facility was built at the Institut de Combustion Aerothermique Reactivite et Environnement (ICARE) of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Orleans (France) to address the flame propagation in hydrogen combustion during a severe accident. The ENACCEF2 facility is a vertical tube of 7.65 m height and 0.23 m inner diameter. In the lower part of the tube, annular obstacles are installed to promote turbulent flame propagation. At the initiative of the MITHYGENE project consortium and the European Technical Safety Organisation Network (ETSON), a benchmark on hydrogen combustion was organised with the goal to identify the current level of the computational tools in the area of hydrogen combustion simulation under conditions typical for safety considerations for NPP. In the proposed paper, the simulation results obtained by participating organizations, using both Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and lumped-parameter computer codes, are compared to experimental results and analysed.