structure observation of pyroelectric ceramics during power generation cycle

Kawasaki, Takuro; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Sakamoto, Tomokazu*; Murayama, Ichiro*; Kato, Takanori*; Baba, Masaaki*; Hashimoto, Hideki*; Harjo, S.; Aizawa, Kazuya; et al.

Journal of Applied Physics, 131(13), p.134103_1 - 134103_7, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0084166

Preliminary investigation of pretreatment methods for liquid scintillation measurements of environmental water samples using ion exchange resins

Nakasone, Shunya*; Yokoyama, Sumi*; Takahashi, Tomoyuki*; Ota, Masakazu; Kakiuchi, Hideki*; Sugihara, Shinji*; Hirao, Shigekazu*; Momoshima, Noriyuki*; Tamari, Toshiya*; Shima, Nagayoshi*; et al.

Plasma and Fusion Research (Internet), 15, p.2405027_1 - 2405027_3, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1585/pfr.15.2405027

A quick preprocessing system for tritium analysis of environmental samples is important to judge environmental influence of tritium releases due to accident or tritium-handling facilities. Analysis of tritium in water samples with liquid scintillation counting method requires removal of impurities such as organic matter and ion species from water samples. Generally, a distillation method is adopted as a pretreatment of analysis for tritium; however, the distillation method is a time-consuming process. The aim of this study is to evaluate a rapid pretreatment method for tritium analysis with ion exchange resin. From batch and column experiments that used inland water and ion exchange resin, we confirmed removals of impurities of the water sample and that the removal of impurities was possible for a short time (by 5 minutes).

Development of field estimation technique and improvement of environmental tritium behavior model

Yokoyama, Sumi*; Takahashi, Tomoyuki*; Ota, Masakazu; Kakiuchi, Hideki*; Sugihara, Shinji*; Hirao, Shigekazu*; Momoshima, Noriyuki*; Tamari, Toshiya*; Shima, Nagayoshi*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; et al.

Plasma and Fusion Research (Internet), 14(Sp.2), p.3405099_1 - 3405099_4, 2019/06

https://doi.org/10.1585/pfr.14.3405099

The Large Helical Device of the National Institute for Fusion Science started D-D experiments in 2017. To ensure the safety of the facility, it is important to develop evaluation methods for environmental tritium transfer. Tritiated water (HTO) in atmosphere and soil is transferred to plants, and organically bound tritium (OBT) is formed by photosynthesis. Prediction of OBT formation is important, because OBT accumulates in plants and causes dose through ingestion. The objective of this study is to estimate environmental tritium transfer using a simple compartment model and practical parameters. We proposed a simple compartment model consisting of air-soil-plant components, and tried to validate the model by comparison with a sophisticated model, SOLVEG. In this study, we plan to add wet deposition to the model and obtain parameters from measurements of soil permeability and tritium concentrations in air, soil and plants. We also establish rapid pretreatment methods for OBT analysis.

Characterization of the PTW 34031 ionization chamber (PMI) at RCNP with high energy neutrons ranging from 100 - 392 MeV

Theis, C.*; Carbonez, P.*; Feldbaumer, E.*; Forkel-Wirth, D.*; Jaegerhofer, L.*; Pangallo, M.*; Perrin, D.*; Urscheler, C.*; Roesler, S.*; Vincke, H.*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 153, p.08018_1 - 08018_5, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201715308018

At CERN, gas-filled ionization chambers PTW-34031 (PMI) are commonly used in radiation fields including neutrons, protons and -rays. A response function for each particle is calculated by the radiation transport code FLUKA. To validate a response function to high energy neutrons, benchmark experiments with quasi mono-energetic neutrons have been carried out at RCNP, Osaka University. For neutron irradiation with energies below 200 MeV, very good agreement was found comparing the FLUKA simulations and the measurements. In addition it was found that at proton energies of 250 and 392 MeV, results calculated with neutron sources underestimate the experimental data due to a non-negligible gamma component originating from the target Li(p,n)Be reaction.

Completion of solidification and stabilization for Pu nitrate solution to reduce potential risks at Tokai Reprocessing Plant

Mukai, Yasunobu; Nakamichi, Hideo; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Nishimura, Kazuaki; Fujisaku, Sakae; Tanaka, Hideki; Isomae, Hidemi; Nakamura, Hironobu; Kurita, Tsutomu; Iida, Masayoshi*; et al.

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2017/04

TRP has stored the plutonium in solution state for long-term since the last PCDF operation in 2007 was finished. After the great east Japan earthquake in 2011, JAEA had investigated the risk against potential hazard of these solutions which might lead to make hydrogen explosion and/or boiling of the solution accidents with the release of radioactive materials to the public when blackout. To reduce the risk for storing Pu solution (about 640 kg Pu), JAEA planned to perform the process operation for the solidification and stabilization of the solution by converted into MOX powder at PCDF in 2013. In order to perform PCDF operation without adaption of new safety regulation, JAEA conducted several safety measures such as emergency safety countermeasures, necessary security and safeguards (3S) measures with understanding of NRA. As a result, the PCDF operation had stared on 28th April, 2014, and successfully completed to convert MOX powder on 3rd August, 2016 for about 2 years as planned.

Applicability of the two-angle differential method to response measurement of neutron-sensitive devices at the RCNP high-energy neutron facility

Masuda, Akihiko*; Matsumoto, Tetsuro*; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Hagiwara, Masayuki*; Satoh, Daiki; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Iwase, Hiroshi*; Yashima, Hiroshi*; Nakane, Yoshihiro; Nishiyama, Jun*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 849, p.94 - 101, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2016.12.031

Quasi-monoenergetic high-energy neutron fields induced by Li(p,n) reactions are used for the response evaluation of neutron-sensitive devices. The quasi-monoenergetic high-energy field consists of high-energy monoenergetic peak neutrons and unwanted continuum neutrons down to the low-energy region. A two-angle differential method has been developed to compensate for the effect of the continuum neutrons in the response measurements. In this study, the two-angle differential method was demonstrated for Bonner sphere detectors, which are typical examples of moderator-based neutron-sensitive detectors, to investigate the method's applicability and its dependence on detector characteristics. Through this study, the adequacy of the two-angle differential method was experimentally verified, and practical suggestions were made pertaining to this method.

Progress of thermal hydraulic evaluation methods and experimental studies on a sodium-cooled fast reactor and its safety in Japan

Kamide, Hideki; Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Sakai, Takaaki; Tanaka, Masaaki

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 312, p.30 - 41, 2017/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.09.026

In the framework of the Generation-IV International Forum, the safety design criteria (SDC) incorporating safety-related Research and Development results on innovative technologies and lessons learned from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants accident has been established to provide the set of general criteria for the safety designs of structures, systems and components of Generation-IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (Gen-IV SFRs). A number of thermal-hydraulic evaluations are necessary to meet the concept of the criteria in the design studies of Gen-IV SFRs. This paper focuses on four kinds of thermal-hydraulic issues associated with the SDC, i.e., fuel subassembly thermal-hydraulics, natural circulation decay heat removal, core disruptive accidents, and thermal striping. Progress of evaluation methods on these issues is shown with activities on verification and validation (V and V) and experimental studies towards commercialization of SFR in Japan. These evaluation methods are planned to be eventually integrated into a comprehensive numerical simulation system that can be applied to all possible phenomena in SFR systems and that can be expected to become an effective tool for the development of human resource and the handing our knowledge and technologies down.

IS process hydrogen production test for components and system made of industrial structural material, 1; Bunsen and HI concentration section

Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Takegami, Hiroaki; Noguchi, Hiroki; Kamiji, Yu; Iwatsuki, Jin; Aita, Hideki; Kasahara, Seiji; Kubo, Shinji

Proceedings of 8th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2016) (CD-ROM), p.1022 - 1028, 2016/11

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has manufactured 100 NL/h-H-scale hydrogen test apparatus. In advance to conduct the continuous operation, we investigated performance of the components in each section of the IS process. In this paper, the results of test of Bunsen and HI concentration sections was shown. In Bunsen reaction, section, we confirmed that outlet gas flow rate included no SO gas, indicating that all the feed SO gas was absorbed to the solution in the Bunsen reactor for the Bunsen reaction. On the basis of these results, we evaluated that Bunsen reactor was workable. In HI concentration section, HI concentration was conducted by EED stack. As a result, it can concentrate HI in HIx solution as theoretically predicted on the basis of the previous paper. Based on the results added to that shown in Series II, we have conducted a trial continuous operation and succeeded it for 8 hours.

Proposal of benchmark problem of thermal striping phenomena in planar triple parallel jets tests for fundamental code validation in sodium-cooled fast reactor development

Kobayashi, Jun; Tanaka, Masaaki; Ohno, Shuji; Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Kamide, Hideki

Proceedings of 16th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-16) (USB Flash Drive), p.6664 - 6677, 2015/08

Numerical simulation is recognized an essential tool for the physical phenomena analysis and plant design study of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). In order to enhance credibility of the numerical results in the activities for plant design by using numerical simulations, it is recognized that verification and validation (V&V) process is very important. In this study, experiments for planar triple parallel jets mixing phenomena conducted in JAEA were proposed as benchmark problems for the code validation in the area of thermal striping study in the SFR development.

Investigation on thermal striping phenomena in Five Jets Modelled Water Test (FIWAT) simulating Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor

Aizawa, Kosuke; Kobayashi, Jun; Onojima, Takamitsu; Tanaka, Masaaki; Ohno, Shuji; Kamide, Hideki; Nagasawa, Kazuyoshi*

Proceedings of 10th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-10) (USB Flash Drive), 13 Pages, 2014/12

Thermal striping phenomenon is one of the most important issues in an advanced loop type sodium cooled reactor JSFR. Temperature fluctuation caused by mixing of fluids at different temperature from the control rod channels and the core fuel assemblies may touch the Core Instrument Plane (CIP) at bottom of the Upper Internal Structure (UIS) and cause high cycle thermal fatigue there. In JAEA, the 1/3-scaled Five Jets Water Test (FIWAT) has been performed in order to investigate thermal striping phenomena around the CIP. In the FIWAT, the test section was simulating a control rod channel, adjacent four fuel subassemblies and a part of the CIP. The flow rate ratio and the absolute velocity of hot jets as the reference experimental condition were equal to that of the JSFR and a third of JSFR, respectively. In the experiment, it was shown that the fluid temperature fluctuation characteristics around the structure depended on the flow rate ratio. The temperature fluctuation which showed sudden decrease and recovery like a spike form was intermittently observed in the fluid near the structure. The amplitude of such spike-like temperature fluctuation in the fluid was much mitigated on the structure surface.