Measurement of 107-MeV proton-induced double-differential neutron yields for iron for research and development of accelerator-driven systems

Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nakano, Keita; Meigo, Shinichiro; Satoh, Daiki; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Ishi, Yoshihiro*; Uesugi, Tomonori*; Kuriyama, Yasutoshi*; Yashima, Hiroshi*; Nishio, Katsuhisa; et al.

JAEA-Conf 2022-001, p.129 - 133, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaea-conf-2022-001

For accurate prediction of neutronic characteristics for accelerator-driven systems (ADS) and a source term of spallation neutrons for reactor physics experiments for the ADS at Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA), we have launched an experimental program to measure nuclear data on ADS using the Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG) accelerator at Kyoto University. As part of this program, the proton-induced double-differential thick-target neutron-yields (TTNYs) and cross-sections (DDXs) for iron have been measured with the time-of-flight (TOF) method. For each measurement, the target was installed in a vacuum chamber on the beamline and bombarded with 107-MeV proton beams accelerated from the FFAG accelerator. Neutrons produced from the targets were detected with stacked, small-sized neutron detectors composed of the NE213 liquid organic scintillators and photomultiplier tubes, which were connected to a multi-channel digitizer mounted with a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), for several angles from the incident beam direction. The TOF spectra were obtained from the detected signals and the FFAG kicker magnet's logic signals, where gamma-ray events were eliminated by pulse shape discrimination applying the gate integration method to the FPGA. Finally, the TTNYs and DDXs were obtained from the TOF spectra by relativistic kinematics.

User manual of NMB4.0

Okamura, Tomohiro*; Nishihara, Kenji; Katano, Ryota; Oizumi, Akito; Nakase, Masahiko*; Asano, Hidekazu*; Takeshita, Kenji*

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-016, 43 Pages, 2022/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-016.pdf:3.06MB

The quantitative prediction and analysis of the future nuclear energy utilization scenarios are required in order to establish the advanced nuclear fuel cycle. However, the nuclear fuel cycle consists of various processes from front- to back-end, and it is difficult to analyze the scenarios due to the complexity of modeling and the variety of scenarios. Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Tokyo Institute of Technology have jointly developed the NMB code as a tool for integrated analysis of mass balance from natural uranium needs to radionuclide migration of geological disposal. This user manual describes how to create a database and scenario input for the NMB version 4.0.

Non-proliferation features in partitioning and transmutation cycle using accelerator-driven system, 2; Evaluation of of uranium in ADS fuel assembly

Oizumi, Akito; Sugawara, Takanori; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Dai-42-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/11

Research and development of partitioning and transmutation cycle with accelerator drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides (MAs) separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. Since the chemical form and composition of the fuels are different from those of the current commercial cycles, it is necessary to examine the inspection goal of the safeguards (SGs) and the design level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the partitioning and transmutation cycle. In this study, of the uranium (U) in the fuel assembly in the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility was evaluated and it was compared with the plutonium (Pu) in the MOX fuel assembly for a general boiling water reactor (BWR). As a result, it made clear that the U in the ADS fuel assembly had equal to or less attractive than the Pu in the BWR MOX fuel assembly. Moreover, a new issue has been extracted. It is difficult to determine whether the ADS fresh fuel should be considered as non-irradiated or irradiated fuel under the current regulatory standards because the ADS fresh fuel contains many MAs, rare-earths, and U rich U.

Experimental analyses of Am and U fission reaction rates at Kyoto University Critical Assembly

Pyeon, C. H.*; Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 195(11), p.1144 - 1153, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2021.1932220

Measurements of Am and U fission reaction rates are conducted with the use of two single fission chambers in the solid-moderated and solid-reflected core at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). Critical irradiation experiments of Am and U foils are carried out, and the measured result of Am/U is 0.0424 0.0019; also, calculation/experiment values between calculated (MCNP6.1 with JENDL-4.0, ENDF/B-VIII.0, and JEFF-3.3) and measured results of Am/U range among 0.93 0.04, 0.94 0.04, and 0.93 0.04, respectively. Through a comparison between the measured and calculated results, the Am fission cross-section data of the three major nuclear data libraries are successfully validated, demonstrating the same accuracy as that of previous minor actinide irradiation experiments at KUCA. Importantly, the comparison also provides the complemental data of integral experiments of Am fission reaction rates that confirm the accuracy of the Am fission cross-section data.

Material attractiveness evaluation of actinides in Pyroprocessing Facility for partitioning and transmutation cycle

Oizumi, Akito; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 7 Pages, 2021/08

Research and development of partitioning and transmutation (P&T) cycle with accelerator-drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides (MAs) separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has proposed a pyrochemical process for reprocessing ADS spent fuel with high decay heat and radioactivity due to the large amount of MA. Since the chemical form and composition of the fuels are different from those of the current commercial cycles, it is necessary to examine the inspection goal of the safeguards (SGs) and the design level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the P&T cycle. In this study, the material attractiveness was evaluated assuming the diversion of the Cd cathode and the nitride powder from the pyroprocessing in terms of non-proliferation. Additionally, they were compared with the material attractiveness of the MOX fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) for a conventional boiling water reactor (BWR). The Cd cathode used to recover actinides from ADS spent fuel by molten salt electrolysis in the pyroprocessing facility of P&T cycle was less attractive than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR because the Cd cathode included Pu having high decay heat. The nitride powder electrorefined from the ADS spent fuel was also less attractiveness than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR because of the same reasons of the Cd cathode.

Development of mass balance analysis code for various waste management scenario

Okamura, Tomohiro*; Oizumi, Akito; Nishihara, Kenji; Nakase, Masahiko*; Takeshita, Kenji*

Bulletin of the Laboratory for Advanced Nuclear Energy, 5, P. 31, 2021/02

The Takeshita Laboratory at Tokyo Institute of Technology has started to develop a Nuclear Material Balance code (NMB code) in collaboration with Japan Atomic Energy Agency. This report summarized the results of the joint research conducted in 2019.

Measurement of Am fission rates in low-enriched uranium region at A-core of KUCA

Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURNS Progress Report 2019, P. 14, 2020/08

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the fission reaction rate ratios (FRRs) of Americium-243 (Am) to Uranium-235 (U) by using a single fission chambers in the KUCA. The result showed that the measured FRR of Am/U were 0.042 0.002. These measured values will be used for verification of evaluated nuclear data by conducting detailed analyses.

Systematic measurements and analyses for lead void reactivity worth in a plutonium core and two uranium cores with different enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Oizumi, Akito; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hayes, D.*; Hutchinson, J.*; McKenzie, G.*; McSpaden, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 194(2), p.138 - 153, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1663089

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worth was conducted systematically in three fast spectra with different fuel compositions on the Comet critical assembly of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Previous experiments in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb and a low-enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb systems had been performed in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A follow-on experiment in a plutonium (Pu)/Pb system has been completed. The Pu/Pb system was constructed using lead plates and weapons grade plutonium plates that had been used in the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) of Argonne National Laboratory until the 1990s. Furthermore, the HEU/Pb system was re-examined on the Comet critical assembly installed newly with a device that can guarantee the gap reproducibility with a higher accuracy and precision, and then the experimental data was re evaluated. Using the lead void reactivity worth measured in these three cores with different fuel compositions, the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VIII.0, were tested with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP version 6.1. As a result, the calculations by ENDF/B-VIII.0 were confirmed to agree with lead void reactivity worth measured in all the cores. It was furthermore found that the calculations by JENDL 4.0 overestimate by more than 20% for the Pu/Pb core while being in good agreements for the HEU/Pb and LEU/Pb cores.

Measurement of MA reaction rates under sub-critical condition with spallation neutron source in A-core of KUCA for ADS

Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Chiba, Go*; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURNS Progress Report 2018, P. 38, 2019/08

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the fission reaction rate ratios (FRRs) of Neptunium-237 (Np) or Americium-241 (Am) to Uranium-235 (U) by using a back-to-back (BTB) fission chamber in the KUCA built as a sub-critical core (k = 0.998) with the nuclear spallation neutron source. The result showed that the measured FRRs of Np/U and Am/U were 0.014 0.002 and 0.023 0.005, respectively. These measured values will be used for verification of evaluated nuclear data by conducting detailed analyses.

Measurement of MA reaction rates using spallation neutron source

Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURRI Progress Report 2017, P. 50, 2018/08

http://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2017/PR9.pdf

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the reaction rates of Neptunium-237 (Np) and Americium-241 (Am) using the nuclear spallation neutron source in the KUCA for 3 hours. The observed distributions of pulse-height of Np and Am fission reactions were significantly different from the ones generally observed in critical and pulsed neutron source (PNS) experiments because of the influence of the -ray generated by the nuclear spallation reaction. On the other hand, the capture reaction rate of Np was measured in this experiment. The capture reaction rate of the critical experiment which was available to be measured the fission reaction rate of Np and Am was almost 8 times larger than that of this experiment. Consequently, reducing the influence of the generated by the nuclear spallation reaction and extending the duration of the irradiation to 24 or more hours would be necessary for detecting signals of fission reactions under the spallation neutron source.