Studying the impact of deuteron non-elastic breakup on Zr + d reaction cross sections measured at 28 MeV/nucleon

Chillery, T.*; Hwang, J.*; Dozono, Masanori*; Imai, Nobuaki*; Michimasa, Shinichiro*; Sumikama, Toshiyuki*; Chiga, Nobuyuki*; Ota, Shinsuke*; Nakayama, Shinsuke; 49 of others*

Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (Internet), 2023(12), p.121D01_1 - 121D01_11, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptad139

The deuteron is a loosely bound system which can easily break up into its constituent proton and neutron whilst in the presence of Coulomb and nuclear fields. Previous experimental studies have shown that this breakup process has a significant impact on residual nucleus production from deuteron bombardment in the high energy range of 50 - 210 MeV/nucleon. However, there remains a lack of cross-section data at energies below 50 MeV/nucleon. The current study determined Zr + d reaction cross sections under inverse kinematics at approximately 28 MeV/nucleon using the BigRIPS separator, OEDO beamline, and SHARAQ spectrometer. Cross sections from this research were compared with previous measurements and theoretical calculations. The experimental results show a large enhancement of the production cross sections of residual nuclei, especially those produced from a small number of particle emissions, compared to the proton-induced reaction data at similar bombarding energy. The DEURACS calculation, which quantitatively takes deuteron-breakup effects into account, reproduces the data well. As a long-lived fission product, Zr remains a challenge for nuclear waste disposal and treatment. This study's low-energy data may assist future consideration of nuclear-waste treatment facilities, where Zr + d may feasibly transmute the waste into short-lived/stable nuclei.

Permeability change in macro-fractured granite using water including clay

Nara, Yoshitaka*; Kato, Masaji*; Sato, Tsutomu*; Kono, Masanori*; Sato, Toshinori

Journal of MMIJ, 138(4), p.44 - 50, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.2473/journalofmmij.138.44

It is important to understand the long-term migration of radionuclides when considering rock engineering projects such as the geological disposal of radioactive waste. The network of fractures and pores in a rock mass plays a major role in fluid migration as it provides a pathway for fluid flow. The geometry of a network can change due to fracture sealing by some fine-grained materials over long-term periods. In the present study, we use a macro-fractured granite sample to investigate the change of permeability that occurs under the flow of water that includes two different amounts of clay. Findings showed that clay accumulated in a fracture and that the permeability (hydraulic conductivity) of the granite sample decreased over time, which was greater in for the higher clay content. We concluded that the accumulation of clay minerals in the fracture decreased the permeability of the rock. Furthermore, we consider that the filling and closure of fractures in rock is possible under the flow of groundwater that includes clay minerals.

Quasifree neutron knockout reaction reveals a small -Orbital component in the Borromean nucleus B

Yang, Z. H.*; Kubota, Yuki*; Corsi, A.*; Yoshida, Kazuki; Sun, X.-X.*; Li, J. G.*; Kimura, Masaaki*; Michel, N.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Yuan, C. X.*; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 126(8), p.082501_1 - 082501_8, 2021/02

AA2020-0819.pdf:1.29MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.082501

A quasifree (,) experiment was performed to study the structure of the Borromean nucleus B, which had long been considered to have a neutron halo. By analyzing the momentum distributions and exclusive cross sections, we obtained the spectroscopic factors for and orbitals, and a surprisingly small percentage of 9(2)% was determined for . Our finding of such a small component and the halo features reported in prior experiments can be explained by the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum, revealing a definite but not dominant neutron halo in B. The present work gives the smallest - or -orbital component among known nuclei exhibiting halo features and implies that the dominant occupation of or orbitals is not a prerequisite for the occurrence of a neutron halo.

Permeability measurement for macro-fractured granite using water including clay

Nara, Yoshitaka*; Kato, Masaji*; Sato, Tsutomu*; Kono, Masanori*; Sato, Toshinori

Proceedings of 5th ISRM Young Scholars' Symposium on Rock Mechanics and International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future (YSRM 2019 and REIF 2019) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/12

It is important to understand the long-term migration of radionuclides considering carious rock engineering projects such as the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. The network of fractures and pores in a rock mass can play important roles as the pathway of the fluid flow of rock. Usually groundwater contains fine-grained minerals such as clays. It is probable that the accumulation of the fine-grained minerals occurs in a fracture if the groundwater flows in a fracture in a rock. In this study, we have conducted the permeability measurement using water including clays. Specifically, we used a macro-fractured granite as a rock sample, and investigated the change of the permeability under the flow of the water including clays. It was shown that the hydraulic conductivity decreased with elapsed time.

Precipitation of minerals on rock kept in water with different calcium ion concentrations

Nara, Yoshitaka*; Kuwatani, Ryuta*; Kono, Masanori*; Sato, Toshinori; Kashiwaya, Koki*

Zairyo, 67(7), p.730 - 737, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.67.730

Information of confining ability of rock is important for the geological disposal of radioactive wastes. To maintain or improve the confining ability of rocks, it is important to seal pores and cracks. In this study, we investigated the precipitation of minerals on the rock surface. As rock samples, we used Berea sandstone and Toki granite in this study. It was shown that precipitation occurred on the surface of rock specimens kept in calcium hydroxide solution for 1 month if the concentration was high. Specifically, if the concentration of calcium hydroxide solution was higher than 300 mg/l, the precipitation occurred obviously. After keeping rock specimens in calcium hydroxide solution, the weight of the rock samples increased and the concentration of calcium ion decreased by the precipitation. It is considered that the calcium ion in water was used for the precipitation on rock surfaces. Since the precipitation has been recognized for rock surfaces, it is possible to seal pores and cracks in rocks. Therefore, it is also possible to keep or decrease the permeability of rocks by the precipitation of calcium compounds.

Application of transient pulse method to permeability measurement for clay

Kato, Masaji*; Nara, Yoshitaka*; Okazaki, Yuki*; Kono, Masanori*; Sato, Toshinori; Sato, Tsutomu*; Takahashi, Manabu*

Zairyo, 67(3), p.318 - 323, 2018/03

https://doi.org/10.2472/jsms.67.318

To ensure the safe geological disposal of radioactive wastes, it is important to determine the permeability of clays. The transient pulse test is suitable to apply to the low permeability materials, because it takes relatively short term to determine the permeability. Usually we increase the upstream pore pressure in the measurement with the transient pulse test. However, it is impossible to determine the permeability of clay in this procedure because of the increase of pore pressure. Therefore, the transient pulse test has never been applied to the determination of permeability of clays. In this study, we tried to apply the transient pulse test to a clay obtained in Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory to determine the permeability with decreasing the downstream pore pressure. It was clarified that the transient pulse test with decreasing downstream pore pressure is appropriate from the measurements of granite and sandstone. It was shown that the permeability of a clay was determined by the transient pulse test with decreasing the downstream pore pressure, which agreed with the permeability determined from the falling head test. The measurement time of the transient pulse test is much shorter than that of the falling head test. It is concluded that the transient pulse test is appropriate for the determination of the permeability of clays.

Investigation of countermeasure against local temperature rise in vessel cooling system in loss of core cooling test without nuclear heating

Ono, Masato; Shimizu, Atsushi; Kondo, Makoto; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Tochio, Daisuke; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 2(4), p.044502_1 - 044502_4, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4032478

In the loss of forced core cooling test using High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), the forced cooling of reactor core is stopped without inserting control rods into the core and cooling by Vessel Cooling System (VCS) to verify safety evaluation codes to investigate the inherent safety of HTGR be secured by natural phenomena to make it possible to design a severe accident free reactor. The VCS passively removes the retained residual heat and the decay heat from the core via the reactor pressure vessel by natural convection and thermal radiation. In the test, the local temperature was supposed to exceed the limit from the viewpoint of long-term use at the uncovered water cooling tube by thermal reflectors in the VCS, although the safety of reactor is kept. Through a cold test, which was carried out by non-nuclear heat input from gas circulators with stopping water flow in the VCS, the local higher temperature position was specified although the temperature was sufficiently lower than the maximum allowable working temperature, and natural circulation of water had insufficient cooling effect on the temperature of water cooling tube below 1C. Then, a new safe and secured procedure for the loss of forced core cooling test was established, which will be carried out soon after the restart of HTTR.

Loss of core cooling test without one cooling line in Vessel Cooling System (VCS) of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR)

Fujiwara, Yusuke; Nemoto, Takahiro; Tochio, Daisuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Ono, Masato; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Takada, Shoji

Proceedings of 24th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-24) (DVD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2016/06

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE24-60858

In HTTR, the test was carried out at the reactor thermal power of 9 MW under the condition that one cooling line of VCS was stopped to simulate the partial loss of cooling function from the surface of RPV in addition to the loss of forced cooling flow in the core simulation. The test results showed that temperature change of the core internal structures and the biological shielding concrete was slow during the test. Temperature of RPV decreased several degrees during the test. The temperature decrease of biological shielding made of concrete was within 1C. The numerical result simulating the detail configuration of the cooling tubes of VCS showed that the temperature rise of cooling tubes of VCS was about 15 degree C, which is sufficiently small, which did not significantly affect the temperature of biological shielding concrete. As the results, it was confirmed that the cooling ability of VCS can be kept in case that one cooling line of VCS is lost.

Development of transportation container for the neutron startup source of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR)

Shimazaki, Yosuke; Ono, Masato; Tochio, Daisuke; Takada, Shoji; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Taiki; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Shinohara, Masanori

Proceedings of International Topical Meeting on Research Reactor Fuel Management and Meeting of the International Group on Reactor Research (RRFM/IGORR 2016) (Internet), p.1034 - 1042, 2016/03

In High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), three neutron holders containing Cf with 3.7 GBq for each are loaded in the graphite blocks and inserted into the reactor core as a neutron startup source which is changed at the interval of approximately ten years. These neutron holders containing the neutron sources are transported from the dealer's hot cell to HTTR using the transportation container. The holders loading to the graphite block are carried out in the fuel handling machine maintenance pit of HTTR. There were two technical issues for the safety handling work of the neutron holder. The one is the radiation exposure caused by significant movement of the container due to an earthquake, because the conventional transportation container was so large (1240 mm, h1855 mm) that it can not be fixed on the top floor of maintenance pit by bolts. The other is the falling of the neutron holder caused by the difficult remote handling work, because the neutron holder capsule was also so long (155 mm, h1285 mm) that it can not be pulled into the adequate working space in the maintenance pit. Therefore, a new and low cost transportation container, which can solve the issues, was developed. To avoid the neutron and ray exposure, smaller transportation container (820mm, h1150 mm) which can be fixed on the top floor of maintenance pit by bolts was developed. In addition, to avoid the falling of the neutron holder, smaller neutron holder capsule (75 mm, h135 mm) with simple handling mechanism which can be treated easily by manipulator was also developed. As the result of development, the neutron holder handling work was safely accomplished. Moreover, a cost reduction for manufacturing was also achieved by simplifying the mechanism of neutron holder capsule and downsizing.

Near term test plan using HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor)

Takada, Shoji; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Shinohara, Masanori; Tochio, Daisuke; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Ono, Masato; Yanagi, Shunki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 271, p.472 - 478, 2014/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2013.12.018

JAEA has carried out research and development to establish the technical basis of HTGRs using HTTR. To connect hydrogen production system to HTTR, it is necessary to ensure the reactor dynamics when thermal-load of the system is lost. Thermal-load fluctuation test is planned to demonstrate the reactor dynamics stability and to validate plant dynamics codes. It will be confirmed that the reactor become stable state during losing a part of removed heat at heat-sink. A temperature coefficient of reactivity is one of the important parameters for core dynamics calculations, and changes with burnup because of variance of fuel compositions. Measurement of temperature coefficient of reactivity has been conducted to confirm the validity of calculated temperature coefficient of reactivity. A LOFC test using HTTR has been carried out to verify the inherent safety under the condition of LOFC while the reactor shut-down system disabled.