少量燃料デブリの構外輸送に向けたA型輸送容器の適用性評価

坂本 雅洋; 奥村 啓介; 神野 郁夫; 松村 太伊知; 寺島 顕一; Riyana E. S.; 溝上 暢人*; 溝上 伸也*

JAEA-Research 2024-017, 14 Pages, 2025/03

JAEA-Research-2024-017.pdf:1.34MB

東京電力ホールディングス株式会社福島第一原子力発電所では、2号機から燃料デブリの試験的取り出しを行い、回収物を構外輸送し茨城地区で分析することが計画されている。取り出された燃料デブリの分析結果は、将来的な燃料デブリ管理の各工程(取り出し、収納、移送、保管等)の検討にフィードバックされ、必要な技術開発に活用することが期待されている。試験的取り出しでサンプリングされる燃料デブリは数グラム程度が予定されており、その後、段階的に取り出し規模を拡大させていくことになる。試験的取り出しにおいては、構外輸送に係る関係法令に則って事前に合理的な輸送容器を検討することが必要になる。本報では物質組成や性状が不明瞭な燃料デブリ回収物の安全評価に資するため、少量燃料デブリの構外輸送に向けたA型輸送容器の適用性評価を行った。

Development of a theoretical scaling factor method for the inventory estimation of difficult-to-measure nuclide Cs-135 in fuel debris and radioactive wastes

坂本 雅洋; 奥村 啓介; 神野 郁夫; 松村 太伊知; 寺島 顕一; Riyana E. S.; 金子 純一*; 溝上 暢人*; 溝上 伸也*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 10 Pages, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2478926

In this paper, we propose a new nuclide inventory estimation method based on computational methods, called a "theoretical scaling factor method" for difficult-to-measure (DTM) nuclides in fuel debris and radioactive wastes. The theoretical scaling factor method provides a method similar to a conventional scaling factor method. The theoretical scaling factor method, however, does not require performing many measurements to obtain correlations between a key nuclide which is easy-to-measure and a DTM nuclide. Instead of actual analytical measurements, the results of theoretical calculations are used. A correlation equation between the key nuclide and the DTM nuclide is created based on the results of theoretical calculations, and the DTM nuclide is deterministically estimated using the measurement value of the key nuclide only. In this paper, we selected Cs-135 as the DTM nuclide and Cs-137 as the key nuclide. Cs-135 has a long half-life of 2.310 years and is one of the important fission products in the safety evaluation for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, because it dissolves and migrates in groundwater easily. We confirmed the validity of the proposed method using measured data of Cs-137 and Cs-135 on radioactive wastes from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) accident obtained by many researchers. It can be used as a rational and efficient technology to reduce the analysis costs of various types of fuel debris and radioactive waste present at 1F.

Characterization of bremsstrahlung and -rays of fuel debris

松村 太伊知; 奥村 啓介; 藤田 学*; 坂本 雅洋; 寺島 顕一; Riyana, E. S.

Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 199, p.110298_1 - 110298_8, 2022/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110298

The characterization of bremsstrahlung and -rays from fuel debris differs from that of spent fuels evaluated to date, due to factors such as material composition and release of volatile fission products. In this work, in order to clarify the conditions under which the effect of bremsstrahlung compared to the total photons (bremsstrahlung and -rays) in fuel debris is maximized, the average energies and dose rates from the energy spectra of bremsstrahlung and -rays on the fuel debris surface were obtained using a Monte Carlo simulation. In the simulation, the average energies and dose rates were evaluated with consideration of the composition, size, fission product release, and retrieval time of the fuel debris. The simulation showed that the composition with the largest amount of change to the average total photons energy caused by bremsstrahlung was the molten fuel debris, and the composition with the maximum fraction of bremsstrahlung in the dose rate was the UO. The maximum value of the fraction of bremsstrahlung in the dose rate was evaluated to be about 17%. This work is expected to contribute to the prediction of the radiation characteristics of the fuel debris that will be retrieved from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in the near future.

A Prediction method for the dose rate of fuel debris depending on the constituent elements

寺島 顕一; 奥村 啓介

Journal of Advanced Simulation in Science and Engineering (Internet), 8(1), p.73 - 86, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.15748/jasse.8.73

In 2021, fuel debris samplings are planned to start as part of a step-by-step process at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The dose rate of the fuel debris for safety treatments of the fuel debris should be predicted. However, various elements are mixed in the fuel debris, and thus predicting the dose rate will be challenging. Therefore, we conducted a large number of Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations for cases where parameters such as fuel debris size, composition, and density were significantly changed. Consequently, we obtained a simple and analytical formula that can predict the dose rate using a minimum number of parameters.

Calculation of gamma and neutron emission characteristics emitted from fuel debris of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Riyana, E. S.; 奥村 啓介; 寺島 顕一

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(9-10), p.922 - 931, 2019/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1621781

Determination of fuel debris location and distribution inside primary containment vessel of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is important to decide further decommissioning step and strategy. We calculate neutron flux produced from fuel debris and secondary particles photon resulted from neutron reaction with nuclides inside fuel debris, including direct photon emission from FPs in fuel debris. Neutron and gamma characteristics resulted from calculation could be use as basis for determination suitable spectrometer system or detector for searching, localizing and treatment of fuel debris.

Machine-learning guided discovery of a new thermoelectric material

岩崎 悠真*; 竹内 一郎*; Stanev, V.*; Gilad Kusne, A.*; 石田 真彦*; 桐原 明宏*; 井原 和紀*; 澤田 亮人*; 寺島 浩一*; 染谷 浩子*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 9, p.2751_1 - 2751_7, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-39278-z

Thermoelectric technologies are becoming indispensable in the quest for a sustainable future. Recently, an emerging phenomenon, the spin-driven thermoelectric effect (STE), has garnered much attention as a promising path towards low cost and versatile thermoelectric technology with easily scalable manufacturing. However, progress in development of STE devices is hindered by the lack of understanding of the fundamental physics and materials properties responsible for the effect. In such nascent scientific field, data-driven approaches relying on statistics and machine learning, instead of more traditional modeling methods, can exhibit their full potential. Here, we use machine learning modeling to establish the key physical parameters controlling STE. Guided by the models, we have carried out actual material synthesis which led to the identification of a novel STE material with a thermopower an order of magnitude larger than that of the current generation of STE devices.

燃料デブリ探査のためのバブルディテクターの中性子照射試験

寺島 顕一; 松村 太伊知; 冠城 雅晃; 坂本 雅洋; Riyana, E. S.; 奥村 啓介

no journal, , 

福島第一原子力発電所(1F)の燃料デブリを検知する手法の1つとして、自発核分裂,誘起核分裂,または(,n)反応に起因する中性子を検出する方法が考えられる。しかし、燃料デブリの性状や適用場所に応じて、バックグラウンドガンマ線や中性子線の強度は大きく変わることが予想され、事前のガンマ線遮蔽の最適化は困難である。バブルディテクー(BD)は、中性子照射により発生する気泡数から中性子積算線量を計測するものであり、ガンマ線に不感,小型,軽量,電源・ケーブル不要,目視確認が可能といった特長を有する。また、極少の中性子線場でも、照射時間を長く設定することにより検出できる可能性がある。そこで、BDの1F現場への適用性を評価するため、BDの中性子照射試験を行い、照射条件に依存した基礎データを取得した。本発表では、本試験で得られた結果を踏まえて、1F現場への適用性について報告する。

Study on the criticality monitoring method by measurements of short-half-life noble-gas fission products for the criticality monitoring of fuel debris inside a primary containment vessel of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations

Riyana, E. S.; 坂本 雅洋; 松村 太伊知; 寺島 顕一; 奥村 啓介

no journal, , 

We investigated the possibility of estimating the effective neutron multiplication factor (keff) of the fuel-debris inside the primary containment vessel (PCV) of unit-2 of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) using remote gas-radioactivity measurement. Our calculation result demonstrates the correlation between keff and the activity ratio (AR) of Kr-to-Xe for various fuel debris compositions and geometry. We also show the time-dependent behavior of the AR of Kr-to-Xe when the keff changes suddenly in PCV.

Analytical study for detection method of fuel debris derived from MOX fuel

寺島 顕一; 坂本 雅洋; 松村 太伊知; Riyana E. S.; 神野 郁夫; 奥村 啓介

no journal, , 

At the time of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, mixed oxide (MOX) fuels were partially loaded in the core of Unit-3 while not in Unit-1 and Unit-2. Since the MOX fuel contain larger amount of plutonium even if its burnup degree is relatively smaller than that of UO fuel, it is expected to distinguish whether fuel debris are originated from MOX or UO. Therefore, we focused on Cm and Eu generated until the accident. From the burnup calculations, the possibility of a method for detecting the MOX-derived fuel debris was suggested.

Preliminary study on nuclear materials imaging in fuel debris from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station using a neutron pinhole camera

Riyana E. S.; 坂本 雅洋; 松村 太伊知; 寺島 顕一; 奥村 啓介; 神野 郁夫

no journal, , 

Information on the quantity of nuclear materials in fuel debris is crucial in screening and categorizing the fuel debris for storage consideration and quantity reduction. However, the types of materials (U, Pu, steel, Zr, concrete, etc.), physical form, chemical form, and density involved in the fuel debris may have a wide variety, and it is difficult to quantify nuclear materials inside it. Since most neutron emitters are actinides (such as U, Pu, and Cm) and non-volatile, the distribution of those neutron sources also represents the distribution of nuclear materials in fuel debris. We propose a method to observe nuclear materials distribution in fuel debris by acquiring spatial distribution of neutron sources using a neutron pinhole camera.