Corrosion behavior of iron-chrome alloys in liquid bismuth

Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Watanabe, Shigeki*; Ishioka, Noriko*

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 9(4), p.21-00397_1 - 21-00397_11, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.21-00397

For the mass production of astatine-211, a promising radiopharmaceutical for cancer treatment, the National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology has proposed the innovative "Liquid Bismuth Target System." The target window in this system must be made from a material that resists the highly corrosive liquid bismuth environment. To meet this requirement, a promising target window material was selected in corrosion experiments performed in stagnant liquid bismuth. Based on knowledge of corrosion in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic gained during the development of fast reactors and accelerator-driven subcritical systems, experiments were carried out under saturated dissolved oxygen and low oxygen conditions, and the corrosion behaviors of the specimens were evaluated. The FeCrAl-alloy exhibited the most excellent corrosion resistance, followed by FeCrMo-alloy. Both materials are suitable candidates for the target window.

Thermophysical properties of austenitic stainless steel containing boron carbide in a solid state

Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Yamano, Hidemasa

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 8(4), p.20-00540_1 - 20-00540_11, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.20-00540

In a core disruptive accident scenario, boron carbide, which is used as a control rod material, may melt below the melting temperature of stainless steel owing to the eutectic reaction with them. The eutectic mixture produced is assumed to extensively relocate in the degraded core, and this behavior plays an important role in significantly reducing the neutronic reactivity. However, these behaviors have never been simulated in previous severe accident analysis. To contribute to the improvement of the core disruptive accident analysis code, the thermophysical properties of the eutectic mixture in the solid state were measured, and regression equations that show the temperature (and boron carbide concentration) dependence are created.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 2; Kinetic study on eutectic reaction process between stainless steel with low boron carbide concentration and stainless steel

Kikuchi, Shin; Takai, Toshihide; Yamano, Hidemasa; Sakamoto, Kan*

Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 28) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE28-62252

In a postulated severe accidental condition of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), eutectic melting between boron carbide (BC) and stainless steel (SS) may occur. Thus, behavior of BC-SS eutectic melting is one of the phenomena to evaluate the core disruptive accidents in SFR. In this study, the reaction experiments using SS crucibles and the pellets of SS with low BC concentration as samples were performed to simulate the state of the reaction interface in which the eutectic reaction and interdiffusion of BC-SS have progressed to a certain extent. It was revealed that the rate constants of eutectic reaction between SS and SS with low BC concentration are smaller than that of BC-SS eutectic reaction at high temperatures.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 1; Project overview and progress until 2018

Yamano, Hidemasa; Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Kikuchi, Shin; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji; Fukuyama, Hiroyuki*; Higashi, Hideo*; Nishi, Tsuyoshi*; Ota, Hiromichi*; et al.

Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE2020-16102

One of the key issues in a core disruptive accident (CDA) evaluation in sodium-cooled fast reactors is eutectic reactions between boron carbide (BC) and stainless steel (SS) as well as its relocation. Such behaviors have never been simulated in CDA numerical analyses in the past, therefore it is necessary to develop a physical model and incorporate the model into the CDA analysis code. This study focuses on BC-SS eutectic melting experiments, thermophysical property measurement of the eutectic melt, and physical model development for the eutectic melting reaction. The eutectic experiments involve the visualization experiments, eutectic reaction rate experiments and material analyses. The thermophysical properties are measured in a range from solid to liquid state. The physical model is developed for a severe accident computer code based on the measured data of the eutectic reaction rate and the physical properties. This paper describes the project overview and progress of experimental and analytical studies conducted until 2018. Specific results in this paper are boron concentration distributions of solidified BC-SS eutectic sample in the eutectic melting experiments, which would be used for the validation of the eutectic physical model implemented into the computer code.

Post-test material analysis of eutectic melting reaction of boron carbide and stainless steel

Yamano, Hidemasa; Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro

Nihon Kikai Gakkai Rombunshu (Internet), 86(883), p.19-00360_1 - 19-00360_13, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1299/transjsme.19-00360

It is necessary to simulate a eutectic melting reaction and relocation behavior of boron carbide (BC) as a control rod material and stainless steel (SS) during a core disruptive accident in an advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor designed in Japan because the BC-SS eutectic relocation behavior has a large uncertainty in the reactivity history based on a simple calculation. A physical model simulating the eutectic melting reaction and relocation was developed and implemented into a severe accident simulation code. The developed model must be validated by using test data. To validate the physical model, therefore, the visualization tests of SS-BC eutectic melting reaction was carried out by contacting SS melts of several kg with a BC pellet heated up to about 1500 C. The tests have shown the eutectic reaction visualization as well as freezing and relocation of the BC-SS eutectic in upper part of the solidified test piece due to the density separation. Post-test material analyses by using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope techniques have indicated that FeB appeared at the BC-SS contact interface and (Fe,Cr)B at the top surface of the test piece. Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry has been applied to quantitative analysis of boron concentration distributions. The boron concentration was high at the upper surface and near the original position of the BC pellet.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactor, 2; Effect of BC addition on thermophysical properties of austenitic stainless steel in a solid state

Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.847 - 852, 2019/09

Thermophysical properties of stainless steel containing 5mass%-BC in the solid phase

Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) (CD-ROM), p.1007 - 1013, 2018/04

Development of evaluation procedure of vapor species transition behavior; Investigation of applicable measurement technology for estimation of chemical form and physical parameters, and validity verification

Takai, Toshihide; Sato, Isamu*; Yamashita, Shinichiro; Furukawa, Tomohiro

JAEA-Technology 2015-043, 56 Pages, 2016/02

JAEA-Technology-2015-043.pdf:23.14MB

Fundamental research on FP-chemistry for fission product release behaviors under severe accident was carried out for reinforcement of source term evaluation, and implementation of the 1F decommissioning R&D project. There were subjects to clarified (1) FP chemistry behavior between vapor species release and aerosol formation and (2) physical parameters which would be affect subsequent aerosol's chemical behavior, for improvement of FP transport model. Applicability of measuring/analyzing techniques presently used was studied for evaluating foregoing properties. And the validity was verified by trial measurements. In conclusion, Raman spectrometry and high temperature X-ray diffraction were hopeful to determine FP-chemical form against vapor/aerosol species and aerosol species, respectively. Combination use of cascade impactor and scanning type electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry was hopeful to determine physical parameters of aerosol.

Research program for the evaluation of fission product release and transport behavior focusing on FP chemistry

Sato, Isamu; Miwa, Shuhei; Tanaka, Kosuke; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Hirosawa, Takashi; Iwasaki, Maho; Onishi, Takashi; Osaka, Masahiko; Takai, Toshihide; Amaya, Masaki; et al.

Proceedings of 2014 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting/ Top Fuel / LWR Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM 2014) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2014/09

A new research program on severe accidents is lunched for the evaluation of FP release and transport behavior in BWR system. The purpose of the program is to improve the FP release and transport model using experimental database about FP chemistry focusing on Cs and I chemistry. In this program, effects of B including in control rod materials, BC for the Cs and I chemistry are paid attention. The experimental database used for the improvement will consist of results to obtain with newly-prepared test device under atmosphere with broad-ranging oxygen and/or steam partial pressure simulated those in BWR. The state of preparation for these experimental studies and analyses is introduced. In addition, the preliminary test was moved into action to show B chemical effect on Cs and I transport under one of the processes, which is deposited Cs compounds and B vapor and aerosol interaction. In this experiment, a "B stripping effect" to deposited CsI was observed.

Lab-scale water-splitting hydrogen production test of modified hybrid sulfur process working at around 550C

Takai, Toshihide; Kubo, Shinji; Nakagiri, Toshio; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 36(8), p.4689 - 4701, 2011/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.01.081

A thermo-chemical water-splitting hydrogen production process for sodium cooled FBR is under development based on Westinghouse sulfur process. A unique sulfur trioxide electrolysis is introduced in this process intended for the lowering the reaction temperature around the operation temperature of FBR (500550C). Key engineering issues for eliminating barriers to industrialization of this process were examined using a laboratory-stage apparatus. Adequacy of the components structure and control method was confirmed from the test results. Further it was found that a continuous hydrogen production system based on this process is achievable.