Current status and future prospects of the Horonobe International Project

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ozaki, Yusuke; Hayano, Akira; Ono, Hirokazu; Tachi, Yukio

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 67(6), p.354 - 358, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.67.6_354

Japan Atomic Energy Agency launched the Horonobe International Project (HIP) utilizing the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. The main objectives of this project are to develop and demonstrate advanced technologies to be used in repository design, operation and closure and a realistic safety assessment in deep geological disposal, and to encourage and train the next generation of engineers and researchers. In this review, an overview of the HIP is presented.

Excavation damaged zone around a simulated disposal pit for high level radioactive waste disposal excavated in soft sedimentary rock

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ozaki, Yusuke; Ono, Hirokazu; Ishii, Eiichi

Dai-16-Kai Iwa No Rikigaku Kokunai Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), p.269 - 274, 2025/01

We investigated the development of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) induced by the excavation of modeled disposal pit which was excavated as a part of the full-scale engineering barrier experiment at 350 m depth. Seismic and electric tomography surveys, observation of rock core samples, borehole televiewer surveys and three-dimensional excavation analysis were performed to evaluate the extent of the EDZ around the pit. It was clarified that the EDZ was developed 0.8 to 1.6 m from the wall of the pit at a relatively shallower depth caused by the effect of the EDZ induced around the floor of the gallery. The extent of the EDZ was gradually reduced along the depth, and the maximum extension was 0.3 m from the wall of the pit at the deeper section.

Current status and future prospects of the Horonobe International Project (HIP), 4; Task C: Full-scale Engineering Barrier System (EBS) dismantling experiment

Ono, Hirokazu

Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 31(2), p.140 - 143, 2024/12

https://nuce.aesj.or.jp/jnuce/vol31/jnuce-vol31-2-p140-143.pdf

In the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, after emplacement of an EBS, the near-field environment is affected by processes such as heat release from the waste, groundwater infiltration into the EBS, swelling and deformation of the buffer material, and chemical reactions between groundwater and minerals. It is crucial to develop simulation codes to evaluate such coupled thermal-hydraulic-stress-chemical (THMC) processes for safety assessment of geological disposal. The full-scale vertical-emplacement EBS experiment (Horonobe EBS experiment) has been undertaken in the 350 m gallery of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) with the Horonobe geological environment. In the Horonobe EBS experiment, various sensors were installed in the buffer and backfill material to obtain the data required to evaluate coupled THMC processes in near-field. In Task C of the Horonobe International Project (HIP), the dismantling experiment of the Horonobe EBS experiment will be carried out and the data obtained from this experiment will be used to understand the coupled processes and to evaluate the simulation code.

Variation of electrical resistivity distribution around the opened and backfilled tunnel in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Ozaki, Yusuke; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ono, Hirokazu; Kimura, Shun

Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media; Observation, Modeling, and Application (CouFrac2024) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2024/11

Electrical resistivity tomography was repeatedly carried out to investigate the changes of the electrical resistivity distribution around 350m Niche No. 2 and No. 4 in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. The electrical resistivity around Niche No. 2 did not change so much after the high resistive zone appeared around the tunnel by the excavation under opened condition during the studied period. Around Niche No. 4, the electrical resistivity was investigated under closed condition by engineered barrier system (EBS) where the EBS and surrounding rocks were disturbed artificially by water injection and heating. Our results could capture the change in the distribution of electrical resistivity due to the artificial disturbances in and around of Niche No. 4. These results would help us to understand the time lapse behavior of excavation damaged zone and re-saturation process in and around the EBS from the construction to the closure.

Measurements of thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) behavior in the engineered barrier system (EBS) and surrounding rock during the in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of EBS

Ozaki, Yusuke; Ono, Hirokazu; Aoyagi, Kazuhei

Shigen, Sozai Koenshu (Internet), 6 Pages, 2023/09

In the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, the in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system was performed at the 350 m stage to develop the technology for geological disposal. Several measurements have been conducted in and around the test drift to investigate the time dependent impact of the experiment on the rock and backfilled tunnel. Some measurement results are introduced in this presentation.

Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Kitazato, Kohei*; Milliken, R. E.*; Iwata, Takahiro*; Abe, Masanao*; Otake, Makiko*; Matsuura, Shuji*; Takagi, Yasuhiko*; Nakamura, Tomoki*; Hiroi, Takahiro*; Matsuoka, Moe*; et al.

Nature Astronomy (Internet), 5(3), p.246 - 250, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-01271-2

Here we report observations of Ryugu's subsurface material by the Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS3) on the Hayabusa2 spacecraft. Reflectance spectra of excavated material exhibit a hydroxyl (OH) absorption feature that is slightly stronger and peak-shifted compared with that observed for the surface, indicating that space weathering and/or radiative heating have caused subtle spectral changes in the uppermost surface. However, the strength and shape of the OH feature still suggests that the subsurface material experienced heating above 300 C, similar to the surface. In contrast, thermophysical modeling indicates that radiative heating does not increase the temperature above 200 C at the estimated excavation depth of 1 m, even if the semimajor axis is reduced to 0.344 au. This supports the hypothesis that primary thermal alteration occurred due to radiogenic and/or impact heating on Ryugu's parent body.

Effect of water vapor on re-saturation process in EBS performance of re-saturation process by Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupled analysis

Sato, Shin*; Ono, Hirokazu; Tanai, Kenji; Yamamoto, Shuichi*; Fukaya, Masaaki*; Shimura, Tomoyuki*; Niunoya, Sumio*

Jiban Kogaku Janaru (Internet), 15(3), p.529 - 541, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3208/jgs.15.529

no abstracts in English

Synthesis report on the R&D for the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Project carried out during fiscal years 2015-2019

Nakayama, Masashi; Saiga, Atsushi; Kimura, Shun; Mochizuki, Akihito; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ono, Hirokazu; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Takeda, Masaki; Hayano, Akira; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2019-013, 276 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Research-2019-013.pdf:18.72MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rock at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. The investigations will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). According to the research plan described in the 3rd Mid- and Long- term Plan of JAEA, "Near-field performance study", "Demonstration of repository design option", and "Verification of crustal-movement buffering capacity of sedimentary rocks" are important issues of the Horonobe URL Project, and schedule of future research and backfill plans of the project will be decided by the end of 2019 Fiscal Year. The present report summarizes the research and development activities of these 3 important issues carried out during 3rd Medium to Long-term Research Phase.

A New approach for measuring the muon anomalous magnetic moment and electric dipole moment

Abe, Mitsushi*; Bae, S.*; Beer, G.*; Bunce, G.*; Choi, H.*; Choi, S.*; Chung, M.*; da Silva, W.*; Eidelman, S.*; Finger, M.*; et al.

Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (Internet), 2019(5), p.053C02_1 - 053C02_22, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptz030

This paper introduces a new approach to measure the muon magnetic moment anomaly and the muon electric dipole moment (EDM) at the J-PARC muon facility. The goal of our experiment is to measure and using an independent method with a factor of 10 lower muon momentum, and a factor of 20 smaller diameter storage-ring solenoid compared with previous and ongoing muon g-2 experiments with unprecedented quality of the storage magnetic field. Additional significant differences from the present experimental method include a factor of 1000 smaller transverse emittance of the muon beam (reaccelerated thermal muon beam), its efficient vertical injection into the solenoid, and tracking each decay positron from muon decay to obtain its momentum vector. The precision goal for is a statistical uncertainty of 450 parts per billion (ppb), similar to the present experimental uncertainty, and a systematic uncertainty less than 70 ppb. The goal for EDM is a sensitivity of ecm.

Data of tracer migration test and borehole investigations for fracture zone in the Wakkanai formation at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Tsushima, Masahito*; Takeda, Masaki; Ono, Hirokazu

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-008, 78 Pages, 2018/10

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-008.pdf:6.73MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-008(errata).pdf:0.11MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2018-008-appendix(DVD-ROM).zip:263.67MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "geoscientific study" and "research and development on geological disposal" in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL). In-situ tracer migration test for fracture and matrix in the argillaceous rock, called for Wakkanai formation, has been conducted in the Horonobe URL project. This report summarizes data of borehole investigations and tracer migration test for fracture zone.