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Iwamoto, Osamu; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Kunieda, Satoshi; Minato, Futoshi; Nakayama, Shinsuke; Abe, Yutaka*; Tsubakihara, Kosuke*; Okumura, Shin*; Ishizuka, Chikako*; Yoshida, Tadashi*; et al.
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(1), p.1 - 60, 2023/01
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
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.
Oizumi, Akito; Sugawara, Takanori; Sagara, Hiroshi*
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 169, p.108951_1 - 108951_9, 2022/05
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)Research and development of the partitioning and transmutation (P&T) cycle with accelerator-drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides separated from the commercial cycles have been continuously conducted to reduce the amount of high-level radioactive waste contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. Because 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) that are required for the P&T cycle. In this study, the material attractiveness was evaluated assuming the theft or diversion of fuel assemblies from the fuel storage pool of the ADS facility in terms of nuclear security and non-proliferation. According to the results, quantitative components based on the fundamental fuel property were created as an important factor to decide the inspection goal for SGs and the design level for PPs required for the ADS facility. Additionally, the attractiveness of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies stored in the commercial boiling water reactor (BWR) facility was compared with that of the ADS. With regard to nuclear security, the ADS fuel was less attractive than the BWR MOX in every cycle. Regarding nuclear non-proliferation, the ADS fuel assembly had less attractive plutonium (Pu) than the BWR MOX, and the uranium (U) in the ADS fuel assembly was as attractive as (or slightly more attractive than) that of the BWR MOX owing to low spontaneous fission neutron. Furthermore, new issues were identified through this evaluation. With the current regulations, it was difficult to decide whether the ADS fuel before irradiation should be treated as fresh or spent, because the ADS fresh fuel contained more transuranium and rare earth than U and contained U whose main component was U-234 instead of U-238.
Okamura, Tomohiro*; Nishihara, Kenji; Katano, Ryota; Oizumi, Akito; Nakase, Masahiko*; Asano, Hidekazu*; Takeshita, Kenji*
JAEA-Data/Code 2021-016, 43 Pages, 2022/03
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.
Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nakano, Keita; Meigo, Shinichiro; Satoh, Daiki; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Sugihara, Kenta; Nishio, Katsuhisa; Ishi, Yoshihiro*; Uesugi, Tomonori*; Kuriyama, Yasutoshi*; et al.
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 15 Pages, 2022/00
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)Double-differential thick target neutron yields (TTNYs) for Fe, Pb, and Bi targets induced by 107-MeV protons were measured using the fixed-field alternating gradient accelerator at Kyoto University for research and development of accelerator-driven systems (ADSs) and fundamental ADS reactor physics research at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). Note that TTNYs were obtained with the time-of-flight method using a neutron detector system comprising eight neutron detectors; each detector has a small NE213 liquid organic scintillator and photomultiplier tube. The TTNYs obtained were compared with calculation results using Monte Carlo-based spallation models (i.e., INCL4.6/GEM, Bertini/GEM, JQMD/GEM, and JQMD/SMM/GEM) and the evaluated high-energy nuclear data library, i.e., JENDL-4.0/HE, implemented in the particle and heavy iontransport code system (PHITS). All models, including JENDL-4.0/HE, failed to predict high-energy peaks at a detector angle of 5. Comparing the energy- and angle-integrated spallation neutron yields at energies of
20 MeV estimated using the measured TTNYs and the PHITS indicated that INCL4.6/GEM would be suitable for the Monte Carlo transport simulation of ADS reactor physics experiments at the KUCA.
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.
Okamura, Tomohiro*; Katano, Ryota; Oizumi, Akito; Nishihara, Kenji; Nakase, Masahiko*; Asano, Hidekazu*; Takeshita, Kenji*
EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies (Internet), 7, p.19_1 - 19_13, 2021/11
Nuclear Material Balance code version 4.0 (NMB4.0) has been developed through collaborative R&D between Tokyo Institute of Technology and JAEA. Conventional nuclear fuel cycle simulation codes mainly analyze actinides and are specialized for front-end mass balance analysis. However, quantitative back-end simulation has recently become necessary for considering R&D strategies and sustainable nuclear energy utilization. Therefore, NMB4.0 was developed to realize the integrated nuclear fuel cycle simulation from front- to back-end. There are three technical features in NMB4.0: 179 nuclides are tracked, more than any other code, throughout the nuclear fuel cycle; the Okamura explicit method is implemented, which contributes to reducing the numerical cost while maintaining the accuracy of depletion calculations on nuclides with a shorter half-life; and flexibility of back-end simulation is achieved. The main objective of this paper is to show the newly developed functions, made for integrated back-end simulation, and verify NMB4.0 through a benchmark study to show the computational performance.
Pyeon, C. H.*; Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro
Nuclear Science and Engineering, 195(11), p.1144 - 1153, 2021/11
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)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.
Oizumi, Akito; Katano, Ryota; Kojima, Ryohei; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Pyeon, C. H.*
KURNS Progress Report 2020, P. 104, 2021/08
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 (FRRRs) of Neptunium-237 (Np) or Americium-243 (
Am) to Uranium-235 (
U) by using a single fission chambers in the KUCA. The results showed that the measured FRRRs of
Np/
U and
Am/
U were 0.048
0.003 and 0.042
0.004, respectively. The measured values will be used for verification of evaluated nuclear data by conducting detailed analyses.
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.
Okamura, Tomohiro*; Oizumi, Akito; Nishihara, Kenji; Nakase, Masahiko*; Takeshita, Kenji*
JAEA-Data/Code 2020-023, 32 Pages, 2021/03
Nuclear Material Balance code (NMB code) have been developed in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The NMB code will be updated with the function of mass balance analysis at the backend process such as reprocessing, vitrification and geological disposal. In order to perform its analysis with high accuracy, it is necessary to expand the number of FP nuclides calculated in the NMB code. In this study, depletion calculation by ORIGEN code was performed under 3 different burn-up conditions such as spent uranium fuel from light water reactor, and nuclides were selected from 5 evaluation indexes such as mass and heat generation. In addition, the FP nuclides required to configure a simple burnup chain with the same calculation accuracy as ORIGEN in the NMB code was selected. As the result, two lists with different number of nuclides, such as "Detailed list" and a "Simplified list", were created.
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.
Oizumi, Akito; Sugawara, Takanori; Sagara, Hiroshi*
Dai-41-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2020/11
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 accuracy of the safeguards (SGs) and the level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the partitioning and transmutation cycle. In this study, of the first cycle fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) in the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility was evaluated and it was compared with that of the MOX fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) for a general boiling water reactor (BWR). As a result, it made clear that the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility storing the first cycle fuel assemblies were required the SG detection accuracy and PP level equal to or lower than the MOX fuel assembly of the BWR since the ADS fuel assembly in the first cycle was less attractive than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR.
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.
Fukushima, Masahiro; Oizumi, Akito; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*
KURNS Progress Report 2019, P. 143, 2020/08
For the design study of ADS, integral experimental data of nuclear characteristics of LBE is necessary to validate cross sections of lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi). The calculation agree with experiment for the Bi sample worth. On the other hand, the calculation overestimates for the Pb sample worth.
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
Times Cited Count:4 Percentile:39.69(Nuclear Science & Technology)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.
Pyeon, C. H.*; Yamanaka, Masao*; Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Chiba, Go*; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Endo, Tomohiro*; Van Rooijen, W. G.*; Hashimoto, Kengo*; Sakon, Atsushi*; et al.
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(8), p.684 - 689, 2019/08
Times Cited Count:12 Percentile:86.85(Nuclear Science & Technology)This study demonstrates, for the first time, the principle of nuclear transmutation of minor actinide (MA) by the accelerator-driven system (ADS) through the injection of high-energy neutrons into the subcritical core at the Kyoto University Critical Assembly. The main objective of the experiments is to confirm fission reactions of neptunium-237 (Np) and americium-241 (
Am), and capture reactions of
Np. Subcritical irradiation of
Np and
Am foils is conducted in a hard spectrum core with the use of the back-to-back fission chamber that obtains simultaneously two signals from specially installed test (
Np or
Am) and reference (uranium-235) foils. The first nuclear transmutation of
Np and
Am by ADS soundly implemented by combining the subcritical core and the 100 MeV proton accelerator, and the use of a lead-bismuth target, is conclusively demonstrated through the experimental results of fission and capture reaction events.
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.
Fukushima, Masahiro; Oizumi, Akito; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*
KURNS Progress Report 2018, P. 143, 2019/08
For the design study of ADS, integral experimental data of nuclear characteristics of LBE is necessary to validate cross sections of lead (Pb) and bismuth (Bi). In present study, sample worth measurements were carried out with systematically changed mixing ratios of lead and bismuth, which would be complementary to the previous data of Pb and Bi samples individually measured in FY 2013 and FY 2017, respectively.
Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Pyeon, C. H.*
KURRI Progress Report 2017, P. 50, 2018/08
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 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.