Development and validation of fuel stub motion model for the disrupted core of a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kawada, Kenichi; Suzuki, Toru*

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 53(12), p.3930 - 3943, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2021.06.018

To improve the capability of the SAS4A code, which simulates the initiating phase of core disruptive accidents for MOX-fueled Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs), the authors have investigated in detail the physical phenomena under unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) conditions in a previous paper. As the conclusion of the last article, fuel stub motion, in which the residual fuel pellets would move toward the core central region after fuel pin disruption, was identified as one of the key phenomena to be appropriately simulated for the initiating phase of ULOF. In the present paper, a simple model describing fuel stub motion, which was not modeled in the previous SAS4A code, was newly proposed. The applicability of the proposed model was validated through a series of analyses for the CABRI experiments, by which the stub motion would be represented with reasonable conservativeness for the reactivity evaluation of disrupted core.

Manufacture of substitutive assemblies for MONJU reactor decommissioning

Sakakibara, Hiroshi; Aoki, Nobuhiro; Muto, Masahiro; Otabe, Jun; Takahashi, Kenji*; Fujita, Naoyuki*; Hiyama, Kazuhiko*; Suzuki, Hirokazu*; Kamogawa, Toshiyuki*; Yokosuka, Toru*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2020-020, 73 Pages, 2021/03

JAEA-Technology-2020-020.pdf:8.26MB

The decommissioning is currently in progress at the prototype fast breeder reactor Monju. Fuel assemblies will be taken out of its core for the first step of the great task. Fuel assemblies stand on their own spike plugged into a socket on the core support plate and support with adjacent assemblies through their housing pads each other, resulting in steady core structure. For this reason, some substitutive assemblies are necessary for the purpose of discharging the fuel assemblies of the core. Monju side commissioned, therefore, Plutonium Fuel Development Center to manufacture the substitutive assemblies and the Center accepted it. This report gives descriptions of design, manufacture, and shipment in regard to the substitutive assemblies.

Corrosion resistance of a cast steel overpack for high-level radioactive waste disposal in Japan

Ogawa, Yusuke*; Suzuki, Satoru*; Taniguchi, Naoki; Kawasaki, Manabu*; Suzuki, Hiroyuki*; Takahashi, Rieko*

Materials and Corrosion, 72(1-2), p.52 - 66, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1002/maco.202011781

Cast steel is one of the promising alternative to forged steel that is the current reference material for carbon steel overpack. In this study, the full-scale cast steel overpack was produced experimentally and the distribution of casting defects were investigated. The corrosion test regarding corrosion rate and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility were also conducted using samples taken from the full-scale cast steel overpack and the corrosion resistance of cast steel was compared with that of forged steel. From above two corrosion tests, it can be said that the corrosion resistance of cast steel is mostly the same as that of forged steel.

Spallation and fragmentation cross sections for 168 MeV/nucleon Xe ions on proton, deuteron, and carbon targets

Sun, X. H.*; Wang, H.*; Otsu, Hideaki*; Sakurai, Hiroyoshi*; Ahn, D. S.*; Aikawa, Masayuki*; Fukuda, Naoki*; Isobe, Tadaaki*; Kawakami, Shunsuke*; Koyama, Shumpei*; et al.

Physical Review C, 101(6), p.064623_1 - 064623_12, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.101.064623

The spallation and fragmentation reactions of Xe induced by proton, deuteron and carbon at 168 MeV/nucleon were studied at RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory via the inverse kinematics technique. The cross sections of the lighter products are larger in the carbon-induced reactions due to the higher total kinetic energy of carbon. The energy dependence was investigated by comparing the newly obtained data with previous results obtained at higher reaction energies. The experimental data were compared with the results of SPACS, EPAX, PHITS and DEURACS calculations. These data serve as benchmarks for the model calculations.

Shell structure of the neutron-rich isotopes Co

Lokotko, T.*; Leblond, S.*; Lee, J.*; Doornenbal, P.*; Obertelli, A.*; Poves, A.*; Nowacki, F.*; Ogata, Kazuyuki*; Yoshida, Kazuki; Authelet, G.*; et al.

Physical Review C, 101(3), p.034314_1 - 034314_7, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.101.034314

The structures of the neutron-rich Co isotopes were investigated via () knockout reactions at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, RIKEN. Level schemes were reconstructed using the coincidence technique, with tentative spin-parity assignments based on the measured inclusive and exclusive cross sections. Comparison with shell-model calculations suggests coexistence of spherical and deformed shapes at low excitation energies in the Co isotopes.

Published electronic media are becoming Grey

Kumazaki, Yui; Suzuki, Satoru; Kanazawa, Masashi*; Kunii, Katsuhiko; Yonezawa, Minoru; Itabashi, Keizo*

The Grey Journal; An International Journal on Grey Literature, 15(1), p.45 - 50, 2019/04

JAEA Library focuses on collecting conference proceedings and technical reports which are very important and referred materials for our users in the field of nuclear science and technology. There are an increasing number of cases that they are published in electronic media such as CD-ROM and flash memories. There are problems as to manage such electronic media in a library. Largest problems for electronic media would be the long-term preservation and permanent access. Lifetime of electronic media are much shorter compared with paper and/or microfilm. In this regard, the JAEA library is struggling to preserve electronic media including related PCs and software for a long-term. One of the effective countermeasure should be preserving PCs and software to browse, emulation and migration to another media. However, our countermeasure is not good enough for users and preservation. The authors would like to present JAEA Library's current activities on long term preservation and use of electronic media, and it comes to the conclusion the fact that even published electronic media are becoming grey literature in certain environment.

Complexation properties and structural character of lanthanides complexes of -hetero donor ligand BIZA

Kobayashi, Toru; Akutsu, Kazuhiro*; Nakase, Masahiko*; Suzuki, Shinichi; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Yaita, Tsuyoshi

Separation Science and Technology, 54(13), p.2077 - 2083, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/01496395.2019.1575880

Development of separation reagent, which can efficiently separate lanthanides, is of increasing importance because it concerns establishment of purification and recycle techniques rare-earth elements. In our research group, several hetero donor type ligands, which have both oxygen and heterocyclic nitrogen atoms as donor atoms, were developed and revealed that this type of ligands show the selective complexation with specific lanthanide. In this paper, we will discuss the lanthaides complexation properties of the hetero donor type ligand containing benzimidazole group as nitrogen donor (-methyl--phenyl-2-(1-benzimidazol-2-yl)-pyridine-6-carboxamide) based on structural investigation by crystallography.

Lanthanides complexation properties of O, N-hetero donor ligand PTA

Kobayashi, Toru; Suzuki, Shinichi; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Yaita, Tsuyoshi

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 5, p.74 - 77, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.5.74

Development of extractant, which can efficiently separate actinides, is of increasing importance because it concerns establishment and simplification of separation techniques in nuclear fuel cycle and decontamination of radioactive wastes. In this study, the complexation properties of N-alkyl-N-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-2-carboxamide (PTA) with trivalent lanthanides (Ln) were investigated based on structural analysis by using X-ray crystallography and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) methods. As a result, it is revealed that two PTA molecules coordinate with Ln as tridentate ligand via two nitrogen in phenanthroline moiety and one oxygen in amide moiety in both crystal and solution states. The slight difference in coordination bond distances are observed between Eu and Nd complexes, this difference corresponds to the difference in ionic radius between Nd and Eu. This result indicates slight difference in ionic radii of Ln hardly affects coordination properties of PTA.

Sedimentation behavior of mixed solid particles

Sheikh, Md. A. R.*; Son, E.*; Kamiyama, Motoki*; Morioka, Toru*; Matsumoto, Tatsuya*; Morita, Koji*; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kamiyama, Kenji; Suzuki, Toru*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(6), p.623 - 633, 2018/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1419888

During core-disruptive accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors, the sedimentation behavior of fragmented debris is crucial for in-vessel retention. The height of the beds formed may influence both the cooling of the bed and the neutronic characteristics. To develop an experimental database of bed formation behavior, a series of experiments using simulant materials, namely, AlO, ZrO, and stainless steel, were performed under gravity-driven discharge of solid particles from a nozzle into a quiescent cylindrical water pool. The bed height was measured for particles of different size, density, and sphericity, and an injection nozzle with varying diameter, injection velocity, and injection height. From these experiments, an empirical correlation was established to predict the bed height for both homogeneous and mixed particles for the different properties. This correlation reproduces reasonably well the experimental trend in bed height.

Experimental study on debris bed characteristics for the sedimentation behavior of solid particles used as simulant debris

Shamsuzzaman, M.*; Horie, Tatsuro*; Fuke, Fusata*; Kamiyama, Motoki*; Morioka, Toru*; Matsumoto, Tatsuya*; Morita, Koji*; Tagami, Hirotaka; Suzuki, Toru*; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 111, p.474 - 486, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2017.09.011