Quantitative evaluation of leakage flow rate in the sealing part using graphite gland packing to mount a hydrogen separation membrane tube for HI decomposition membrane reaction

杉本 千紘; Myagmarjav, O.; 田中 伸幸; 野口 弘喜; 竹上 弘彰; 久保 真治

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 95, p.98 - 107, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.10.334

The thermochemical iodine-sulfur (IS or SI) process can produce hydrogen by decomposing water through chemical reactions and nuclear heat. The hydrogen iodine (HI) decomposition reaction of the IS process thermally decomposes HI at ca. 500C to produce hydrogen. The thermal efficiency of hydrogen production in the thermochemical IS process can be effectively enhanced using a membrane reactor for the HI decomposition reaction; hydrogen separation membrane tubes made of ceramic are attached to a tube plate via sealing parts. The applicability of a sealing method using the expanded graphite grand packing was investigated. During 50 thermal cycles ranging between 25 C-450 C and gas pressure of 0.2-0.8 MPa (gauge), the leakage flow rate was approximately 210 Pa m s. This value is comparable to a detection limit of the standard bubble leak test, indicating that this sealing method works effectively.

Effect of neutron beam properties on dose distributions in a water phantom for boron neutron capture therapy

石川 諒尚; 田中 浩基*; 中村 哲志*; 熊田 博明*; 櫻井 良憲*; 渡辺 賢一*; 吉橋 幸子*; 棚上 裕生*; 瓜谷 章*; 鬼柳 善明*

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 11 Pages, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrae076

From the viewpoints of the advantage depths (ADs), peak tumor dose, and skin dose, we evaluated the effect of neutron beam properties, namely, the ratio between thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes (thermal/epithermal ratio), fast neutron component, and -ray component on the dose distribution. Several parameter surveys were conducted with respect to the beam properties of neutron sources for boron neutron capture therapy assuming boronophenylalanine as the boron agent using our dose calculation tool, called SiDE. The ADs decreased by 3% at a thermal/epithermal ratio of 20% - 30% compared with the current recommendation of . The skin dose increased with the increasing thermal/epithermal ratio, reaching a restricted value of 14 Gy-eq at a thermal/epithermal ratio of . The fast neutron component was modified using two different models, namely, the "linear model," in which the fast neutron intensity decreases log-linearly with the increasing neutron energy, and the "moderator thickness (MT) model," in which the fast neutron component is varied by adjusting the moderator thickness in a virtual beam shaping assembly. Although a higher fast neutron component indicated a higher skin dose, the increment was at a fast neutron component of Gy cm for both models. Furthermore, in the MT model, the epithermal neutron intensity was higher at a fast neutron component of Gy cm compared with the current recommendation of Gy cm. The -ray component also caused no significant disadvantages up to several times larger compared with the current recommendation.

先進型原子炉の設計プロセスの革新を実現するARKADIAの開発(設計最適化支援ツールARKADIA-Designの開発状況)

田中 正暁; 堂田 哲広; 浜瀬 枝里菜; 桑垣 一紀; 森 健郎; 岡島 智史; 菊地 紀宏; 吉村 一夫; 松下 健太郎; 橋立 竜太; et al.

第28回動力・エネルギー技術シンポジウム講演論文集(インターネット), 5 Pages, 2024/06

先進型原子炉システムの設計最適化や安全評価を支援する「AI支援型革新炉ライフサイクル最適化手法(ARKADIA)」の一部として、設計基準事象までの設計課題に適用する「ARKADIA-Design」の整備を進めてきた。本報では、今後の開発課題とともに、ARKADIA-Designにおける、炉心設計及び炉構造設計、並びに保全に関わる点検工程の最適化プロセスの実装状況と、最適化検討とともに個別評価におけるプラント挙動の解析に必要な複数の解析コードの連成解析技術の整備状況を報告する。

地質環境の長期安定性に関する研究 年度計画書(令和5年度)

丹羽 正和; 島田 耕史; 末岡 茂; 藤田 奈津子; 横山 立憲; 小北 康弘; 福田 将眞; 中嶋 徹; 鏡味 沙耶; 小形 学; et al.

JAEA-Review 2023-017, 27 Pages, 2023/10

JAEA-Review-2023-017.pdf:0.94MB

本計画書では、高レベル放射性廃棄物の地層処分技術に関する研究開発のうち、深地層の科学的研究の一環として実施している地質環境の長期安定性に関する研究について、第4期中長期目標期間(令和4年度令和10年度)における令和5年度の研究開発計画を取りまとめた。本計画の策定にあたっては、これまでの研究開発成果や大学等で行われている最新の研究成果に加え、地層処分事業実施主体や規制機関等の動向を考慮した。研究の実施にあたっては、地層処分事業における概要・精密調査や国の安全規制に対し研究成果を適時反映できるよう、(1)調査技術の開発・体系化、(2)長期予測・影響評価モデルの開発、(3)年代測定技術の開発の三つの枠組みで研究開発を推進する。

Development plan for coupling technology between high temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR and Hydrogen Production Facility, 2; Development plan for coupling equipment between HTTR and Hydrogen Production Facility

水田 直紀; 守田 圭介; 青木 健; 沖田 将一朗; 石井 克典; 倉林 薫; 安田 貴則; 田中 真人; 井坂 和義; 野口 弘喜; et al.

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2023/05

High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is expected to extend the use of nuclear heat to a wider spectrum of industrial applications such as hydrogen production, high efficiency power generation, etc., due largely to high temperature heat supply capability as well as inherent safe characteristics. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have been contracted by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, to conduct its Hydrogen Production Demonstration Project Utilizing Very High Temperature. The primary objective of this project is to establish "coupling technology" between HTGR and hydrogen production facility in accordance with "Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050". From this fiscal year, JAEA initiated a program to produce hydrogen using an HTTR (High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor) to develop coupling technologies between HTGR and hydrogen production facility required for a massive, cost-effective and carbon-free hydrogen production technology. This paper describes the development plan for coupling equipment which is required for an HTTR heat application test as coupling technologies between an HTTR and a hydrogen production facility. The coupling equipment is composed of a high temperature isolation valve to prevent the ingress of the flammable gas and/or the leakage of radioactive materials for nuclear facility, a secondary helium gas circulator to feed a high temperature helium gas, and a high temperature insulation pipe to transport of a high temperature helium gas from an Internal Heat Exchanger (IHX) to a hydrogen production facility. The development plan of coupling equipment contains each target and draft schedule.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

大島 宏之; 森下 正樹*; 相澤 康介; 安藤 勝訓; 芦田 貴志; 近澤 佳隆; 堂田 哲広; 江沼 康弘; 江連 俊樹; 深野 義隆; et al.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

ナトリウム冷却高速炉(SFR: Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor)の歴史や、利点、課題を踏まえた安全性、設計、運用、メンテナンスなどについて解説する。AIを利用した設計手法など、SFRの実用化に向けた設計や研究開発についても述べる。

Fabrication, permeation, and corrosion stability measurements of silica membranes for HI decomposition in the thermochemical iodine-sulfur process

Myagmarjav, O.; 柴田 愛*; 田中 伸幸; 野口 弘喜; 久保 真治; 野村 幹弘*; 竹上 弘彰

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(56), p.28435 - 28449, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.06.079

In this study, a corrosion-stable silica ceramic membrane was developed to be used in H purification during the hydrogen iodide decomposition (2HI H + I), which is a new application of the silica membranes. From a practical perspective, the membrane separation length was enlarged up to 400 mm and one end of the membrane tubes was closed to avoid any thermal variation along the membrane length and sealing issues. The silica membranes consisted of a three-layer structure comprising a porous -AlO ceramic support, an intermediate layer, and a top silica layer. The intermediate layer was composed of -AlO or silica, and the top silica layer that is H selective was prepared via counter-diffusion chemical vapor deposition of a hexyltrimethoxysilane. A membrane using a silica intermediate layer exhibited a higher H/SF selectivity but lower H permeance with compared with the membrane using a -AlO intermediate layer. The membrane using the silica intermediate layer was more stable in corrosive HI gas than a membrane with a -AlO intermediate layer after 300 h of stability tests. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of 400-mm-long closed-end silica membranes supported on Si-formed -AlO tubes produced via chemical vapor deposition method. In conclusion, the developed silica membranes seem suitable for membrane reactors that produce H on large scale using HI decomposition in the thermochemical iodine-sulfur process.

Development of a membrane reactor with a closed-end silica membrane for nuclear-heated hydrogen production

Myagmarjav, O.; 田中 伸幸; 野村 幹弘*; 野口 弘喜; 今井 良行; 上地 優; 久保 真治; 竹上 弘彰

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 137, p.103772_1 - 103772_7, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103772

Hydrogen production from nuclear energy has attracted considerable interest as a clean energy solution to address the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability. With respect to the large-scale and economical production of hydrogen using nuclear energy, the thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur (IS) process is a promising method. The IS process uses sulfur and iodine compounds to decompose water into its elemental constituents, hydrogen and oxygen, by using three coupled chemical reactions: the Bunsen reaction; sulfuric acid decomposition; and hydrogen iodide (HI) decomposition. The decomposition of HI is the efficiency-determining step of the process. In this work, a membrane reactor with a silica membrane closed on one end was designed, and its potential for hydrogen production from HI decomposition was explored. In the reactor-module design, only one end of the membrane tube was fixed, while the closed-end of the tube was freely suspended to avoid thermal expansion effects. The closed-end silica membranes were prepared for the first time by a counter-diffusion chemical vapor deposition of hexyltrimethoxysilane. In application, HI conversion of greater than 0.60 was achieved at a decomposition temperature of 400C. Thus, the membrane reactor with closed-end silica membrane was shown to produce a successful equilibrium shift in the production of hydrogen via HI decomposition in the thermochemical IS process.

Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu

北里 宏平*; Milliken, R. E.*; 岩田 隆浩*; 安部 正真*; 大竹 真紀子*; 松浦 周二*; 高木 靖彦*; 中村 智樹*; 廣井 孝弘*; 松岡 萌*; et al.

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

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

2019年4月「はやぶさ2」ミッションは、地球に近い炭素質の小惑星(162173)リュウグウの人工衝撃実験を成功させた。これは露出した地下物質を調査し、放射加熱の潜在的な影響をテストする機会を提供した。はやぶさ2の近赤外線分光器(NIRS3)によるリュウグウの地下物質の観測結果を報告する。発掘された材料の反射スペクトルは、表面で観測されたものと比較して、わずかに強くピークがシフトした水酸基(OH)の吸収を示す。これは、宇宙風化や放射加熱が最上部の表面で微妙なスペクトル変化を引き起こしたことを示している。ただし、このOH吸収の強度と形状は、表面と同様に、地下物質が300Cを超える加熱を経験したことを示している。一方、熱物理モデリングでは、軌道長半径が0.344AUに減少しても、推定される掘削深度1mでは放射加熱によって温度が200Cを超えて上昇しないことが示されている。これは、リュウグウ母天体が放射加熱と衝撃加熱のいずれか、もしくは両方により熱変化が発生したという仮説を裏付けている。

Hydriodic iodide and iodine permeation characteristics of fluoropolymers as a lining material

田中 伸幸; 野口 弘喜; 上地 優; 竹上 弘彰; 久保 真治

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45(35), p.17557 - 17561, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.04.186

熱化学水素製造法ISプロセスでは、HI-I-HO溶液環境に対する耐食材料としてPTFEやPFA等のフッ素系高分子をライニングした機器が用いられる。PTFEやPFAはHIやIを透過することが定性的には知られているが、材料腐食の観点からISプロセスの機器の信頼性評価のためには透過速度を定量的に評価する必要がある。本報では、PTFE及びPFA膜を用いてHI及びIの透過流束の測定を行い、定量データを取得した。この際、膜厚及び分圧に対して、規格化した透過係数を導入することで、膜固有の透過特性を評価することに成功した。また、透過係数に対してアレニウス型の実験式を整理し、プラント設計に使用できるようにした。これらの結果を基にして、プラントにおいて最適なテフロンライニング材の適応条件を明らかにした。