Analysis of fuel assemblies inclination due to upper core support plate deflection for reactivity evaluation

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*

Transactions of the 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/03

To investigate possibility of the insertion of the reactivity by the deflection of the upper core support plate, structural mechanics analyses of the domain consisting of the fuel assemblies and core support plates and evaluation of the reactivity due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies in EBR-II were carried out. As a result, it was indicated that the upper core support plate deflected downward larger at the low flowrate condition than that at the high flowrate condition and positive reactivity was inserted due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies at the low flowrate condition.

Impact of the ground-state 4 symmetry for anisotropic hybridization in the heavy-fermion superconductor CeNiGe

Fujiwara, Hidenori*; Nakatani, Yasuhiro*; Aratani, Hidekazu*; Kanai, Yuina*; Yamagami, Kohei*; Hamamoto, Satoru*; Kiss, Takayuki*; Yamasaki, Atsushi*; Higashiya, Atsushi*; Imada, Shin*; et al.

Physical Review B, 108(16), p.165121_1 - 165121_10, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.108.165121

JSME series in thermal and nuclear power generation Vol.3 (Sodium-cooled fast reactor development; R&Ds on thermal-hydraulics and safety assessment towards social implementation)

Tanaka, Masaaki; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi; Yokoyama, Kenji; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Wakai, Takashi; Asayama, Tai

Dai-27-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/09

The book, JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation Vol.3 Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor, was published as a 30th anniversary memorial project of Power & Energy Systems Division. This paper describes an introduction of the book on a part of key technologies regarding safety assessment, thermal-hydraulics, neutronics, and fuel and material development. This introductory paper also provides an overview of an integrated evaluation system named ARKADIA to offer the best possible solutions for challenges arising during the design process, safety assessment, and operation of a nuclear plant over its life cycle, in active use of the R&D efforts and knowledges on thermal-hydraulics and safety assessment with state-of-the-art numerical analysis technologies.

Interlaboratory comparison of electron paramagnetic resonance tooth enamel dosimetry with investigations of the dose responses of the standard samples

Toyoda, Shin*; Inoue, Kazuhiko*; Yamaguchi, Ichiro*; Hoshi, Masaharu*; Hirota, Seiko*; Oka, Toshitaka; Shimazaki, Tatsuya*; Mizuno, Hideyuki*; Tani, Atsushi*; Yasuda, Hiroshi*; et al.

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 199(14), p.1557 - 1564, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncad150

Interlaboratory comparison studies are important for radiation dosimetry in order to demonstrate how the technique is universally available. The set of standard samples are examined in each participating laboratory in the present study. After a set of standard samples together with the samples with unknown doses, which were prepared in the same laboratory as the standard samples, are measured at a participating laboratory, those samples are sent to another participating laboratory for next measurement. There is some small difference observed in the sensitivity (the slope of the dose response line) of the standard samples while the differences in the obtained doses for the samples with unknown doses are rather systematic, implying that the difference is mostly due to the samples but not to measurements.

Application of quasi-Monte Carlo and importance sampling to Monte Carlo-based fault tree quantification for seismic probabilistic risk assessment of nuclear power plants

Kubo, Kotaro; Tanaka, Yoichi; Hakuta, Yuto*; Arake, Daisuke*; Uchiyama, Tomoaki*; Muramatsu, Ken

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 10(4), p.23-00051_1 - 23-00051_17, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.23-00051

The significance of probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) of nuclear power plants against external events was re-recognized after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Regarding the seismic PRA, handling correlated failures of systems, components, and structures (SSCs) is very important because this type of failure negatively affects the redundancy of accident mitigation systems. The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute initially developed a fault tree quantification methodology named the direct quantification of fault tree using Monte Carlo simulation (DQFM) to handle SSCs' correlated failures in detail and realistically. This methodology allows quantifying the top event occurrence probability by considering correlated uncertainties related to seismic responses and capacities with Monte Carlo sampling. The usefulness of DQFM has already been demonstrated. However, improving its computational efficiency would allow risk analysts to perform several analyses. Therefore, we applied quasi-Monte Carlo and importance sampling to the DQFM calculation of simplified seismic PRA and examined their effects. Specifically, the conditional core damage probability of a hypothetical pressurized water reactor was analyzed with some assumptions. Applying the quasi-Monte Carlo sampling accelerates the convergence of results at intermediate and high ground motion levels by an order of magnitude over Monte Carlo sampling. The application of importance sampling allows us to obtain a statistically significant result at a low ground motion level, which cannot be obtained through Monte Carlo and quasi-Monte Carlo sampling. These results indicate that these applications provide a notable acceleration of computation and raise the potential for the practical use of DQFM in risk-informed decision-making.

Development of a statistical evaluation method for core hot spot temperature in sodium-cooled fast reactor under natural circulation conditions

Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Iwasaki, Takashi*; Murakami, Satoshi*; Tanaka, Masaaki

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 410, p.112377_1 - 112377_15, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112377

To enhance the safety of sodium-cooled fast reactors, the decay heat in the core must be removed by natural circulation even if the AC power supply to the forced circulation equipment is lost. Under natural circulation conditions, sodium flow is driven by buoyancy, and flow velocity and temperature distribution influence each other. Thus, it is difficult to evaluate the core hot spot temperature by deterministically considering the uncertainties affecting flow and heat. In this study, a statistical evaluation method is developed for the core hot spot temperature by using Monte Carlo sampling methods. The applicability of the core hotspot evaluation method was confirmed in three representative events during natural circulation decay heat removal operations in loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactors.

Validation practices of multi-physics core performance analysis in an advanced reactor design study

Doda, Norihiro; Kato, Shinya; Hamase, Erina; Kuwagaki, Kazuki; Kikuchi, Norihiro; Ohgama, Kazuya; Yoshimura, Kazuo; Yoshikawa, Ryuji; Yokoyama, Kenji; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; et al.

Proceedings of 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20) (Internet), p.946 - 959, 2023/08

https://dx.doi.org/10.13182/NURETH20-40118

An innovative design system named ARKADIA is being developed to realize the design of advanced nuclear reactors as safe, economical, and sustainable carbon-free energy sources. This paper focuses on ARKADIA-Design for design studies as a part of ARKADIA and introduces representative verification methods for numerical analysis methods of the core design. ARKADIA-Design performs core performance analysis of sodium-cooled fast reactors using a multiphysics approach that combines neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, core mechanics, and fuel pin behavior analysis codes. To confirm the validity of these analysis codes, validation matrices are identified with reference to experimental data and reliable numerical analysis results. The analysis models in these codes and the representative practices for the validation matrices are described.

Development of element functions and design optimization procedures with knowledge- and AI-aided design integration approach for advanced reactor lifecycle in ARKADIA

Tanaka, Masaaki; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Okano, Yasushi; Uchibori, Akihiro; Yokoyama, Kenji; Seki, Akiyuki; Wakai, Takashi; Asayama, Tai

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2023/05

Improvement of reactivity model of core deformation in plant dynamics analysis code during unprotected loss of heat sink event in EBR-II

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

The benchmark analyses for the unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) tests in the pool-type experimental SFR in the United States, EBR-II (BOP-301 and BOP-302R) have been conducted in order to validate the evaluation method of the reactivity feedback equipped in the plant dynamics analysis code named Super-COPD. In this study, 1D-CFD coupled analyses adding the core bowing reactivity model were conducted. Through the analysis, the applicability of the modified reactivity model was confirmed for the BOP-301 test. For the BOP-302R test, consideration of the core restraint system in the core and modeling the control rod driveline expansion reactivity was indicated.

Investigation of hydrogen superoxide adsorption during ORR on Pt/C catalyst in acidic solution for PEFC by high energy resolution XAFS

Yamamoto, Naoki*; Matsumura, Daiju; Hagihara, Yuto*; Tanaka, Kei*; Hasegawa, Yuta*; Ishii, Kenji*; Tanaka, Hirohisa*

Journal of Power Sources, 557, p.232508_1 - 232508_10, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.232508