Experimental study on prevention of high cycle thermal fatigue at the core outlet of advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor; Characteristics of temperature fluctuations and countermeasures to mitigate temperature fluctuations at a bottom of upper internal structure

Kobayashi, Jun; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ezure, Toshiki; Nagasawa, Kazuyoshi*; Kurihara, Akikazu; Tanaka, Masaaki

JAEA-Research 2022-009, 125 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Research-2022-009.pdf:29.22MB

The design studies of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (Advanced- SFR) have been carried out by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). At the core outlet, temperature fluctuations occur due to mixing of hot sodium from the fuel assembly with cold sodium from the control rod channels and radial blanket assembly. These temperature fluctuations may cause high cycle thermal fatigue around a bottom of Upper Internal Structure (UIS) located above the core. Therefore, we conducted a water experiment using a 1/3 scale 60 degree sector model that simulated the upper plenum of the advanced loop-type sodium-cooled reactor. And we proposed some countermeasures against large temperature fluctuations that occur at the bottom of the UIS. In this report, we have summarized that the effect of the countermeasure structure to mitigate the temperature fluctuation generated at the bottom of UIS is confirmed, and the Reynolds number dependency of the countermeasure structure and the characteristics of the temperature fluctuation on the control rod surface.

Water experiments on thermal striping phenomena at the core outlet of an advanced sodium-cooled fast reactor, 1; Proposal of countermeasures to mitigate temperature fluctuations around control rods

Kobayashi, Jun; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ezure, Toshiki; Kurihara, Akikazu; Tanaka, Masaaki

Hozengaku, 20(3), p.89 - 96, 2021/10

Hot sodium from the fuel assembly can mix with cold sodium from the control rod (CR) channel and the blanket assemblies at the bottom plate of the Upper Internal Structure (UIS) of Advanced-SFR. Temperature fluctuation due to mixing of the fluids at different temperature between the core outlet and cold channel may cause high cycle thermal fatigue on the structure around the bottom of UIS. A water experiment using a 1/3 scale 60 degree sector model simulating the upper plenum of the Advanced-SFR has been conducted to examine countermeasures for the significant temperature fluctuation generated around the bottom of UIS. We focused on the temperature fluctuations near the primary and backup control rod channels, and studied the countermeasure structure to mitigate the temperature fluctuation through temperature distribution and flow velocity distribution measurements. As a result, effectiveness of the countermeasure to mitigate the temperature fluctuation intensity was confirmed.

Release behavior of radionuclides from MOX fuels irradiated in a fast reactor during heating tests

Tanaka, Kosuke; Sato, Isamu*; Onishi, Takashi; Ishikawa, Takashi; Hirosawa, Takashi; Katsuyama, Kozo; Seino, Hiroshi; Ohno, Shuji; Hamada, Hirotsugu; Tokoro, Daishiro*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 536, p.152119_1 - 152119_8, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152199

In order to obtain the release rate coefficients from fuels for fast reactors (FRs), heating tests and the subsequent analyses of the fission products (FPs) and actinides that are released were carried out using samples of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel pellets irradiated at the experimental fast reactor Joyo. Three heating tests targeting temperatures of 2773, 2973 and 3173 K were conducted using an FP release behavior test apparatus equipped with a high-frequency induction furnace and solid FP sampling systems consisting of a thermal gradient tube (TGT) and filters. Irradiated fuel pellets were placed into a tungsten crucible, then loaded into the induction furnace. The temperature was raised continuously at a heating rate of 10 K/s to the targeted temperature and maintained for 500 s in a flowing argon gas atmosphere. The FPs and actinides released from the MOX fuels and deposited in the TGT and filters were quantified by gamma-ray spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. Based on the analysis, the release rates of radionuclides from MOX fuels for FR were obtained and compared with literature data for light water reactor (LWR) fuels. The release rate coefficients of FPs obtained in this study were found to be similar to or lower than the literature values for LWR fuels. It was also found that the release rate coefficient data for actinides were within the range of variation of literature values for LWR fuels.

Post-irradiation examinations of annular mixed oxide fuels with average burnup 4 and 5% FIMA

Cappia, F.*; Tanaka, Kosuke; Kato, Masato; McClellan, K.*; Harp, J.*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 533, p.152076_1 - 152076_14, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2020.152076

Observation of the competing fission modes in Pt

Tsekhanovich, I.*; Andreyev, A. N.; Nishio, Katsuhisa; Denis-Petit, D.*; Hirose, Kentaro; Makii, Hiroyuki; Matheson, Z.*; Morimoto, Koji*; Morita, Kosuke*; Nazarewicz, W.*; et al.

Physics Letters B, 790, p.583 - 588, 2019/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2019.02.006

First direct mass measurements of nuclides around = 100 with a multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph

Ito, Yuta*; Schury, P.*; Wada, Michiharu*; Arai, Fumiya*; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Hirayama, Yoshikazu*; Ishizawa, Satoshi*; Kaji, Daiya*; Kimura, Sota*; Koura, Hiroyuki; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 120(15), p.152501_1 - 152501_6, 2018/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.152501

Masses of Es, Fm and the transfermium nuclei Md, and No, produced by hot- and cold-fusion reactions, in the vicinity of the deformed neutron shell closure, have been directly measured using a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrograph. The masses of Es and Md were measured for the first time. Using the masses of Md as anchor points for decay chains, the masses of heavier nuclei, up to Bh and Mt, were determined. These new masses were compared with theoretical global mass models and demonstrated to be in good agreement with macroscopic-microscopic models in this region. The empirical shell gap parameter derived from three isotopic masses was updated with the new masses and corroborate the existence of the deformed neutron shell closure for Md and Lr.

Adsorption of platinum-group metals and molybdenum onto aluminum ferrocyanide in spent fuel solution

Onishi, Takashi; Sekioka, Ken*; Suto, Mitsuo*; Tanaka, Kosuke; Koyama, Shinichi; Inaba, Yusuke*; Takahashi, Hideharu*; Harigai, Miki*; Takeshita, Kenji*

Energy Procedia, 131, p.151 - 156, 2017/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.421

no abstracts in English

Fabrication and short-term irradiation behaviour of Am-bearing MOX fuels

Kihara, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Kosuke; Koyama, Shinichi; Yoshimochi, Hiroshi; Seki, Takayuki; Katsuyama, Kozo

NEA/NSC/R(2017)3, p.341 - 350, 2017/11

https://www.oecd-nea.org/pt/iempt14/

In order to investigate the effect of the addition of americium to MOX fuels on the irradiation behaviour, the "Am-1" program is being conducted at the JAEA. The Am-1 program consists of two short-term irradiation tests of 10-min and 24-h irradiation periods, and a steady-state irradiation test. The short-term irradiation tests and their post irradiation examinations (PIEs) have been successfully completed. To date, the data for PIE of the Am-MOX fuels focused on the microstructural evolution and redistribution behaviour of Am at the initial stage of irradiation have been obtained and reported. In this paper, the results obtained from the Am-1 program are reviewed and detailed descriptions of the fabrication and inspection techniques for the Am-MOX fuels prepared for the program are provided. PIE data for the Am-MOX fuels at the initial stage of irradiation have been accumulated. In this paper, unpublished PIE data for the Am-MOX fuels are also presented.

Study of the reaction Ca + Cm Lv at RIKEN-GARIS

Kaji, Daiya*; Morita, Kosuke*; Morimoto, Koji*; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Asai, Masato; Fujita, Kunihiro*; Gan, Z.*; Geissel, H.*; Hasebe, Hiroo*; Hofmann, S.*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 86(3), p.034201_1 - 034201_7, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.86.034201

The fusion reaction of Ca + Cm Lv was studied using the gas-filled recoil-ion separator GARIS at RIKEN. A total of seven and spontaneous-fission decay chains were observed, which would originate from the reaction products of the element 116, Lv and Lv. Decay properties observed in the chains are in good agreement with the previously published ones. However, one of the chains showed a discrepancy, indicating the new spontaneous-fission branch in Cn or the production of the new isotope Lv.

High temperature physicochemical properties of irradiated fuels

Ishikawa, Takashi; Onishi, Takashi; Hirosawa, Takashi; Tanaka, Kosuke; Katsuyama, Kozo

Proceedings of 54th Annual Meeting of Hot Laboratories and Remote Handling (HOTLAB 2017) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2017/00

http://hotlab.sckcen.be/proceedings