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Imaizumi, Yuya; Kamiyama, Kenji; Matsuba, Kenichi
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 206, p.110658_1 - 110658_10, 2024/10
Wen, J.*; Kamada, Yuto*; Yokoyama, Kosei*; Matsumoto, Tatsuya*; Liu, W.*; Morita, Koji*; Imaizumi, Yuya; Tagami, Hirotaka; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 31st International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE31) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/08
Johnson, M.*; Emura, Yuki; Clavier, R.*; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji; Brayer, C.*; Journeau, C.*
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 423, p.113165_1 - 113165_14, 2024/07
Experimental investigation of two interactions between molten jets and sodium, pertaining to severe accidents in a sodium-cooled fast reactor, have been undertaken at the JAEA's MELT facility. X-ray imaging and debris analysis reveal rapid formation of a crust at the melt coolant-interface, instigating thermal fragmentation events. Heat transfer calculations at the jet-coolant interface, supported by particle tracking velocimetry characterisation of the jet velocity, imply the formation of a solid crust within milliseconds of contact with the coolant. A mechanism for enhanced thermal fragmentation is proposed, inspired by observations from the X-ray imaging of coolant entrainment into the jet.
Imaizumi, Yuya; Aoyagi, Mitsuhiro; Kamiyama, Kenji; Matsuba, Kenichi; Akaev, A.*; Mikisha, A.*; Baklanov, V.*; Vurim, A.*
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 194, p.110107_1 - 110107_11, 2023/12
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)Matsuba, Kenichi; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 2023 International Congress on Advanced in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2023) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/04
A series of Fuel-Coolant Interaction (FCI) experiments discharging about 1 kg of molten stainless steel (SS), one of prototypic materials, into a sodium pool (about 30 cm in diameter, about 1 m in depth) has been conducted at the MELT facility of Japan Atomic Energy Agency. X-ray visualization program confirmed that molten SS jets with diameters of about 1 to 2 cm were broken up by FCIs which occurred with sodium vapor expansion at depths near the initial sodium level. Responses of thermocouples suggested that the jets were rapidly cooled near the initial sodium level and became SS fragments before reaching the bottom of the sodium pool. Results of experiments with molten SS jets confirmed that an evaluation methodology for jet breakup under sodium-cooled conditions needs to be developed by taking into account effects of thermal parameters related to sodium vaporization as well as conventional parameters, such as density ratio of a jet and coolant, and jet diameter.
Yamamoto, Seishiro*; Odaira, Naoya*; Ito, Daisuke*; Ito, Kei*; Saito, Yasushi*; Imaizumi, Yuya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Konsoryu, 37(1), p.79 - 85, 2023/03
Yamamoto, Seishiro*; Odaira, Naoya*; Ito, Daisuke*; Ito, Kei*; Saito, Yasushi*; Imaizumi, Yuya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 12th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS12) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/10
Kato, Shinya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji; Akaev, A.*; Vurim, A.*; Baklanov, V.*
Proceedings of 13th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-13) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2022/09
The In-Vessel Retention (IVR) of molten-core in Core Disruptive Accidents (CDAs) is of prime importance in enhancing the safety of sodium-cooled fast reactors. One of the main subjects in ensuring IVR is to design the Control Rod Guide Tube (CRGT) which allows effective discharge of molten core materials from the core region. The effectiveness of the CRGT design is assessed through CDA analyses, and it is reasonable for these analyses to develop a computer code collaborated with experimental researches. Thus, experiments addressing the discharge behavior of the molten-core materials through the CRGT have proceeded as one of the subjects in the collaboration research named the EAGLE-3 project, and the obtained experimental results are reflected in the development of the SIMMER code. In this project, a series of out-of-pile tests using molten-alumina as the fuel simulant was conducted to understand the discharge behavior of molten-core materials through the CRGT. In this study, in order to investigate the effect of an internal structure in the CRGT on the discharge behavior of the molten-core materials, the data of an out-of-pile test in which the molten-alumina penetrated to a duct with the internal structure were analyzed. In addition, the post-test analysis using the SIMMER code was conducted and the results were compared with the test results.
Matsushita, Hatsuki*; Kobayashi, Ren*; Sakai, Takaaki*; Kato, Shinya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 13th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-13) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2022/09
During core disruptive accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors, the molten core material flows through flow channels, such as the control rod guide tubes, into the core inlet plenum under the core region. The molten core material can be cooled and solidified while impinging on a horizontal plate of the inlet plenum in a sodium coolant. However, the solidification and cooling behaviors of molten core materials impinged on a horizontal structure have not been sufficiently studied thus far. Notably, this is an important phenomenon that needs to be elucidated from the perspective of improving the safety of sodium-cooled fast reactors. Accordingly, a series of experiments on discharging a simulated molten core material (alumina: AlO) into a sodium coolant on a horizontal structure was conducted at the experimental facility of the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In this study, analyses on the sodium experiments using SIMMER-III as the fast reactor safety evaluation code were performed. The analysis methods were validated by comparing the results and experiment data. In addition, the cooling and solidification behaviors during jet impingement were evaluated. The results indicated that the molten core material exhibited fragmentation owing to the impingement on the horizontal plate and was, therefore, scattered toward the periphery. Furthermore, the simulated molten core material was evaluated to be cooled by sodium and subsequently solidified.
Imaizumi, Yuya; Aoyagi, Mitsuhiro; Kamiyama, Kenji; Matsuba, Kenichi; Akayev, A. S.*; Mikisha, A. V.*; Baklanov, V. V.*; Vurim, A. D.*
Dai-26-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2022/07
The cooling of the residual core materials after the fuel discharge from the SFR core in the core disruptive accident can significantly affect the distribution fraction of the core materials which is an important factor for the in-vessel retention (IVR). The cooling of the residual core materials is called "in-place cooling". For the evaluation of the in-place cooling, behavior in a SFR core was simulated by SIMMER-III, and method of phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) was applied based on the analysis result. Experiment which focuses on the thermal-hydraulic phenomena which were extracted by the PIRT was conducted in the framework of EAGLE-3 project. Continuous oscillation of sodium level which can occur in the phase of in-place cooling of SFRs was observed in the experiment, and analysis by the SIMMER-III was conducted. By investigation of the analysis result, difference between the experiment and analysis results was revealed to be due to remaining and occupation of non-condensable gas above the sodium level which would be unrealistic in the experiment. Gas mixture model between non-condensable gas and sodium vapor was developed to solve this problem, and coincidence between experiment and analysis results was largely improved by this new model.
Matsuba, Kenichi; Shinohara, Masanori; Toyooka, Junichi; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Sumita, Junya
Enerugi, Shigen, 43(4), p.218 - 223, 2022/07
In the global trend toward decarbonization, Japan has a policy to pursue all options, including nuclear power, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to meet the public requirements for nuclear power, it is important to promote the development of advanced reactors, including the Small Modular Reactor (SMR), as one of the promising options. This article describes the domestic and international trends of SMR development, introduces the activities of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for the development of advanced reactors including SMRs, and concludes with the future prospect for the introduction of advanced reactor including SMRs in Japan.
Johnson, M.*; Delacroix, J.*; Journeau, C.*; Brayer, C.*; Clavier, R.*; Montazel, A.*; Pluyette, E.*; Matsuba, Kenichi; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2022/04
Fuel-coolant interactions in the event of molten fuel discharge to the lower plenum of a sodium cooled fast reactor is under investigation as part of a French-Japanese experimental collaboration on severe accidents. The MELT facility enables the X-ray visualisation of the quenching of molten core material jets in sodium at kilogram-scale. The SERUA facility, currently under preparation, is presented for the investigation of boiling heat transfer at elevated melt-coolant interface temperatures. In this article, the status of the collaboration using these facilities is presented.
Kamiyama, Kenji; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kato, Shinya; Imaizumi, Yuya; Mukhamedov, N.*; Akayev, A.*; Pakhnits, A.*; Vurim, A.*; Baklanov, V.*
Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2022/04
Matsuba, Kenichi; Kato, Shinya; Kamiyama, Kenji; Akayev, A. S.*; Baklanov, V. V.*
Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 28) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/08
In order to obtain experimental knowledge on fragmentation and cooling behavior of molten core material discharged into regions where the depth and volume of sodium are limited, a series of out-of-pile experiments using molten alumina as a simulant for molten core material was conducted. It was found that following mechanisms might be involved in the fragmentation and cooling behavior in a shallow sodium pool: (1) FCI which occurs at location of impingement of the molten jet on the bottom plate promotes fragmentation. (2) If there is a sufficient amount of sodium as a heat sink outside the region, heat exchange by sodium flow in and out due to vapor expansion and condensation suppresses the sodium temperature rise. (3) This temperature suppression contributes to effective cooling of molten core material. In the future study, in order to confirm the mechanisms which was clarified in this study, analytical evaluation of the experimental result will be carried out using a simulation tool.
Johnson, M.*; Journeau, C.*; Matsuba, Kenichi; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 151, p.107881_1 - 107881_13, 2021/02
Times Cited Count:9 Percentile:82.82(Nuclear Science & Technology)High-resolution X-ray imaging was employed at the JAEA MELT facility to visualize a kilogram-scale interaction between a jet of high temperature molten stainless steel and sodium. A novel software, SPECTRA, has been developed for the quantitative characterization of jet quenching and fragmentation. Tracking and 3D reconstruction of the melt phase traversing the imaging window enabled the detection of 72% of the debris mass recovered post-experiment. The rebounding of melt fragments confirmed a solid outer crust at the melt-coolant interface, while a thermal fragmentation event induced rapid vapor expansion. Jet fragmentation is best explained by the vaporization of coolant entrained within the melt jet generating an internal over-pressure sufficient for fragmentation of the crust. Thermal fragmentation produced a bimodal debris size distribution of coarse jet shells and finer fragments.
Igarashi, Kai*; Onuki, Ryoji*; Sakai, Takaaki*; Kato, Shinya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2020/08
Ito, Daisuke*; Kurisaki, Tatsuya*; Ito, Kei*; Saito, Yasushi*; Imaizumi, Yuya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.6430 - 6439, 2019/08
In core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor, cooling of residual fuel debris formed in the reactor core is one of important factors to achieve in-vessel retention of the fuel. To clarify the feasibility of the cooling which is called "in-place cooling", characteristics of gas-liquid two-phase flow in the debris bed must be well understood. Since the debris bed can be formed in a confined flow channel in the core, effect of the channel wall cannot be neglected. Thus, this study aims to clarify the effect of the wall on two-phase flow characteristics in the debris bed, which was simulated as a particle bed packed in a pipe. The pressure drop was measured and compared with results by previous models, and porosity and void fraction distributions were measured by X-ray radiography. Then, the pressure drop evaluation model was modified considering the wall effect, and the applicability of the models was discussed.
Kato, Shinya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji; Ganovichev, D. A.*; Baklanov, V. V.*
Proceedings of 2019 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2019) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2019/05
In order to ensure In-Vessel Retention (IVR) of molten-core in Core Disruptive Accident (CDA), we are investigating the possibility of the molten-core discharge through the control rod guide tube (CRGT) to prevent energetics due to exceeding the prompt criticality. Internal structures of the CRGT, such as a sodium-flow regulator when the CRGT is connected to the high-pressure plenum, may disturb the discharge of molten-core from the core region. Based on above background, an experimental program to clarify characteristics of molten-core discharge through the CRGT has been commenced as one of subjects under a joint study with National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC-RK) named EAGLE-3 project. An experiment using molten-alumina as fuel simulant and sodium was conducted at the out-of-pile test facility owned by NNC-RK to investigate sodium cooling effect around the sodium flow regulator on its destruction. The experimental result represented that void development at the initiation of molten-alumina discharge eliminated liquid-phase sodium from the discharge path and this also eliminated sodium cooling effect around the sodium flow regulator. As a result, early destruction of the sodium flow regulator and massive discharge of molten alumina occurred in turn.
Imaizumi, Yuya; Aoyagi, Mitsuhiro; Kamiyama, Kenji; Matsuba, Kenichi; Ganovichev, D. A.*; Baklanov, V. V.*
Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2019/05
The cooling of the residual core materials after the fuel discharge from the core in the accident of SFRs can significantly affect the distribution fraction of the core materials, which is an important factor for the in-vessel retention (IVR). For the evaluation of the cooling of the residual core materials which is called "in-place cooling", behavior in a SFR core was analyzed preliminary by SIMMER-III. Based on the analysis result, method of phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) was applied. Fundamental experiment focusing on three thermal-hydraulic phenomena those were extracted by PIRT was considered in order to investigate them and utilize it for validation of the SIMMER-III. To achieve continuous oscillation of sodium level which can occur in the phase of in-place cooling of SFRs, analytical survey was conducted by SIMMER-III. As a result of that, the effects of experimental conditions on the oscillation amplitude and the duration time were clarified quantitatively, which are necessary to determine the specific experimental conditions.
Kurisaki, Tatsuya*; Ito, Daisuke*; Ito, Kei*; Saito, Yasushi*; Imaizumi, Yuya; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji
Proceedings of 11th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-11) (Internet), 3 Pages, 2018/11
In the evaluation of the in-place cooling which is for the residual core materials in the severe accident of sodium-cooled fast reactors, pressure loss of two-phase flow in debris bed is one of the important factors. Although Lipinski model is already proposed for the pressure loss evaluation, the accuracy would decrease when the porosity is not homogeneous. Thus, experiment to measure the pressure loss in a packed bed of non-homogeneous porosity distribution was conducted, and the Lipinski model was modified dividing the cross section to evaluate the pressure loss in it. As a result, it was confirmed that agreement of the experimental values with the values by modified Lipinski model was better than that with the original Lipinski model.