Analysis of deposits inside the reactor at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in JFY2021; The Subsidy program of "Project of Decommissioning and Contaminated Water Management (Development of Analysis and Estimation Technology for Characterization of Fuel Debris)" starting FY2021

Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Sasaki, Shinji; Onishi, Takashi; Nakayoshi, Akira; Arai, Yoichi; Sato, Takumi; Ohgi, Hiroshi; Sekio, Yoshihiro; Yamaguchi, Yukako; Morishita, Kazuki; et al.

JAEA-Data/Code 2023-005, 418 Pages, 2023/12

JAEA-Data-Code-2023-005-01.pdf:24.59MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2023-005-02.pdf:32.18MB

For safe and steady decommissioning of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), information concerning composition and physical/chemical properties of fuel debris generated in the reactors should be estimated and provided to other projects conducting the decommissioning work including the retrieval of fuel debris and the subsequent storage. For this purpose, in FY2021, samples of contaminants (the wiped smear samples and the deposits) obtained through the internal investigation of the 1F Unit 2 were analyzed to clarify the components and to characterize the micro-particles containing uranium originated from fuel (U-bearing particles) in detail. This report summarized the results of analyses performed in FY2021, including the microscopic analysis by SEM and TEM, radiation analysis, and elemental analysis by ICP-MS, as a database for evaluating the main features of each sample and the probable formation mechanism of the U-bearing particles.

Step-by-step challenge of debris characterization for the decommissioning of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS)

Kurata, Masaki; Okuzumi, Naoaki*; Nakayoshi, Akira; Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Koyama, Shinichi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(7), p.807 - 834, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2040393

Immediately after the 1F-accident, various attempts have been made to evaluate the fuel debris characteristics toward the decommissioning of 1F. The present review outlines those attempts. In the years immediately following the 1F-accident, the knowledge obtained from the 1F-site (especially from the damaged reactors of Units 1, 2 and 3) was extremely limited. The approximate location of fuel debris was investigated by muon tomography, and its characteristics were roughly estimated based on the past findings such as the results of the Three Mile Island-II accident investigation in the United States, which gave us information of prototypical accident scenarios and debris characteristics for pressurized water reactor accident. After that, various internal investigation robots were developed, and from 2017, investigation of the inside of the reactor containment vessel was started using these robots. Consequently, these three units were found to have core damage status and debris distribution that were rather different from what had been expected based on the typical accident scenario of a pressurized water reactor. In parallel, a small amount of U-bearing particle was recovered from the smear samples of these robots. The analysis of these particles is ongoing to get information relevant to fuel debrsi body. Furthermore, international collaboration is ongoing mainly under OECD/NEA, including accident analysis and debris characterization. From now on, one need to further understand 1F-accident scenario and progress debris characterization based on these 1F-site information.

Review of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station debris endstate location in OECD/NEA preparatory study on analysis of fuel debris (PreADES) project

Nakayoshi, Akira; Rempe, J. L.*; Barrachin, M.*; Bottomley, D.; Jacquemain, D.*; Journeau, C.*; Krasnov, V.; Lind, T.*; Lee, R.*; Marksberry, D.*; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 369, p.110857_1 - 110857_15, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.110857

Much is still not known about the end-state of core materials in each of the units at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Daiichi) that were operating on March 11, 2011. The Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Development has launched the Preparatory Study on Analysis of Fuel Debris (PreADES) project as a first step to reduce some of these uncertainties. As part of the PreADES Task 1, relevant information was reviewed to confirm the accuracy of graphical depictions of the debris endstates at the damaged Daiichi units, which provides a basis for suggesting future debris examinations. Two activities have been completed within the PreADES Task 1. First, relevant knowledge from severe accidents at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 was reviewed, along with results from prototypic tests and hot cell examinations, to glean insights that may inform future decommissioning activities at Daiichi. Second, the current debris endstate diagrams for the damaged reactors at Daiichi were reviewed to confirm that they incorporate relevant knowledge from plant observations and from severe accident code analyses of the BSAF (Benchmark Study of the Accident at Daiichi Nuclear Power Station) 1 and 2 projects. This paper highlights Task 1 insights, which have the potential to not only inform future Decontamination and Decommissioning activities at Daiichi, but also provide important perspectives for severe accident analyses and management, particularly regarding the long term management of a damaged nuclear site following a severe accident.

Material characterization of the VULCANO corium concrete interaction test with concrete representative of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plants

Brissonneau, L.*; Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Piluso, P.*; Gousseau, J.*; David, C.*; Testud, V.*; Roger, J.*; Bouyer, V.*; Kitagaki, Toru; Nakayoshi, Akira; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 528, p.151860_1 - 151860_18, 2020/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2019.151860

Knowledge obtained from dismantling of large-scale MCCI experiment products for decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Nakayoshi, Akira; Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Kitagaki, Toru; Washiya, Tadahiro; Bouyer, V.*; Journeau, C.*; Piluso, P.*; Excoffier, E.*; David, C.*; Testud, V.*

Proceedings of International Topical Workshop on Fukushima Decommissioning Research (FDR 2019) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2019/05

Current situation of OECD/NEA, Preparatory Study on Analysis of Fuel debris (PreADES) project

Nakayoshi, Akira; Bottomley, D.; Washiya, Tadahiro

Proceedings of 56th Annual Meeting on Hot Laboratories and Remote Handling (HOTLAB 2019) (Internet), 3 Pages, 2019/00

Investigation of a LiCl-KCl-UCl system using a combination of X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analyses

Nakayoshi, Akira; Kitawaki, Shinichi; Fukushima, Mineo; Murakami, Tsuyoshi*; Kurata, Masaki

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 441(1-3), p.468 - 472, 2013/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2013.06.019

Electrorefining is one of the main steps of pyroreprocessing where spent nuclear fuels are recycled. Electrorefining is conducted in a molten salt of LiCl-KCl eutectic (59:41 mol%) containing actinide chlorides (AnCl) at 773 K. In order to operate and maintain the electrorefiner, it is necessary to accumulate fundamental data on LiCl-KCl-AnCl salt such as the melting point. In this study, based on X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis, a partial phase diagram of (LiCl-KCl)eut.-UCl pseudo-binary system and partial phase diagram of LiCl-KCl-UCl system were developed, which UCl concentration was up to 20 mol%.

Anodic behaviour of a metallic U-Pu-Zr alloy during electrorefining process

Murakami, Tsuyoshi*; Sakamura, Yoshiharu*; Akiyama, Naoyuki*; Kitawaki, Shinichi; Nakayoshi, Akira; Fukushima, Mineo

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 414(2), p.194 - 199, 2011/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2011.03.009

An electrorefining is one of the main steps of pyrochemical reprocessing of spent metallic fuels (U-Zr, U-Pu-Zr). The electrorefining is carried out dissolving a portion of Zr together with actinides to accomplish a high dissolution ratio of actinides. However, the electrorefining with Zr co-dissolution should bring some practical problems in the pyrochemical reprocessing. Therefore, electrorefining tests of non-irradiated U-Pu-Zr alloy were performed with minimizing the amount of Zr dissolved in LiCl-KCl-(U, Pu, Am)Cl melts at 773 K. The tests were performed both by potentiostatic electrolysis at -1.0 V (Ag/Ag) that was more negative than the Zr dissolution potential and by galvanostatic electrolysis with a limited amount of Zr dissolution. The ICP-AES analysis of the anode residues confirmed that a high dissolution ratio of actinides (U; 99.6%, Pu; 99.9%) was successfully demonstrated at both electrolyses.

Ingot formation using uranium dendrites recovered by electrolysis in LiCl-KCl-PuCl-UCl melt

Fukushima, Mineo; Nakayoshi, Akira; Kitawaki, Shinichi; Kurata, Masaki*; Yahagi, Noboru*

Proceedings of 3rd International ATALANTE Conference (ATALANTE 2008) (CD-ROM), 4 Pages, 2008/05

Products on solid cathodes recovered from metal pyrochemical processing were processed to obtain uranium ingot. Studies on process conditions for uranium forming, assay recovered uranium products and by-products and evaluation of mass balance were carried out. In this tests, it is confirmed that uranium ingots can be obtained with heating the products up to more than melting temperature of metal uranium under normal pressure because adhered salt cover the uranium not to oxidize it during uranium cohering. Volatilization of americium is very small under the condition of high temperature.

Neutron induced reaction and Re/Os chronometer

Segawa, Mariko; Nagai, Yasuki*; Masaki, Tomohiro*; Temma, Yasuyuki*; Shima, Tatsushi*; Makii, Hiroyuki*; Mishima, Kenji*; Ueda, Hitoshi*; Nakayoshi, Akira*; Ota, Takeshi*; et al.

no journal, , 

Re-Os pair is known as the most promising nuclear cosmochronometer with considerable potential. However, there remains non-trivial problems related to an excited neutron capture reaction of Os at a stellar temperature. Firstly, Os is produced and depleted by the slow process nucleosynthesis. Hence, it is necessary to obtain both the production and depletion rates of Os. Secondly, Os is depleted not only by its ground state neutron capture reaction but also by an excited state neutron capture reaction of Os in a stellar temperature. In the present study, we have measured the neutron capture reaction cross sections for Os, Os and Os accurately and neutron inelastic scattering reaction cross section for Os off the ground state of Os to its 9.75-keV first excited statein the neutron energy range from 10 to 100 keV. The measurements of the neutron capture reactions have been carried out by detecting a prompt -ray by means fan anti-Compton NaI(Tl) spectrometer. The (n, n') reaction cross section for Os has been measured with use of four Li-glass scintillation detectors. Based on these new capture cross sections, we reestimate on the basis of a careful reaction cross section calculation the correction factor F for the neutron capture on the 9.75-keV first excited state in Os as a function of stellar temperature, as required to derive the age of the galaxy within the Re-Os chronology.