Analysis methodology of the calculation code, WRAC-JAEA, for determining major indexes of corrosive circumstance in light water reactors

Uchida, Shunsuke; Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi

JAEA-Data/Code 2024-003, 119 Pages, 2025/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2024-003.pdf:11.29MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2024-003-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:0.28MB

The calculation code for determining corrosive circumstance in light water reactors, WRAC-JAEA, has been developed based on water radiolysis calculation codes for BWR. The code has involved several new calculation functions to apply it for PWR, i.e., (1) high temperature pH (pH), (2) pH effects on water radiolysis, (3) electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) based on the mixed potential theory, and (4) ECP based on the water radiolysis calculation results. Moderation of corrosive conditions in the primary cooling systems is one of the promising procedures to mitigate the loss of reliabilities of major components in the systems, especially in aging plants. However, water chemistry control for corrosive environment mitigation procedures are much different in BWRs and PWRs. In BWRs, intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of stainless steel is the dominant causes for determining plant reliability. It is difficult to increase pH and injected hydrogen amounts due to direct power cycle operation. So, precise control of hydrogen injection with supported by water radiolysis and ECP analyses has been carried out to keep material reliability. In PWRs, it is possible to maintain stable control of corrosive circumstances with higher pH and sufficiently large hydrogen concentration. Recently, it was pointed out that one of the major causes of primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of nickel alloys was hydrogen. The optimal hydrogen concentration should be evaluated to mitigate ECP without increasing hydrogen concentration. For this, a combined water radiolysis and ECP analysis code is required to determine the suitable hydrogen concentration and ECP. WRAC-JAEA can contribute not only to evaluation of corrosive conditions each of BWR and PWR, but also to prepare for suitable countermeasures for both BWR and PWR by cross-talking the knowledge and experience with assistance of the code results.

Optimization of dissolved hydrogen concentration for mitigating corrosive conditions of pressurised water reactor primary coolant under irradiation, 2; Evaluation of electrochemical corrosion potential

Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Uchida, Shunsuke; Lister, D. H.*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(8), p.867 - 880, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2127955

One of the major subjects for evaluating the corrosive conditions in the PWR primary coolant was to determine the optimal hydrogen concentration for mitigating PWSCC without any adverse effects on major structural materials. As suitable procedures for evaluating the corrosive conditions in PWR primary coolant, a couple of procedures, i.e., water radiolysis and ECP analyses, were proposed. The previous article showed the radiolysis calculation in the PWR primary coolant, which was followed by an ECP study here. The ECP analysis, a couple of a mixed potential model and an oxide layer growth model, was developed originally for BWR conditions, which was extended to PWR conditions with adding Li (Na) and H effects on the anodic polarization curves. As a result of comparison of the calculated results with INCA in-pile-loop experiment data as well as other experimental data, it was confirmed that the ECPs calculated with the coupled analyses agreed with the measured within 100mV discrepancies.

Large antisymmetric interlayer exchange coupling enabling perpendicular magnetization switching by an in-plane magnetic field

Masuda, Hiroto*; Seki, Takeshi*; Yamane, Yuta*; Modak, R.*; Uchida, Kenichi*; Ieda, Junichi; Lau, Y.-C.*; Fukami, Shunsuke*; Takanashi, Koki

Physical Review Applied (Internet), 17(5), p.054036_1 - 054036_9, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.17.054036

The antisymmetric interlayer exchange coupling (AIEC) was recently discovered, playing pivotal roles in magnetization switching of a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) through inducing magnetization canting. Large AIEC is reported for perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co/Ir/Co/Pt with wedge-shaped layers. The effective field of the AIEC is related with symmetric interlayer exchange coupling, providing guides to enhance the AIEC. We develop an extended Stoner-Wohlfarth model for a SAF, revealing key factors in its magnetization switching. Combining the theoretical knowledge and the experimental results, perpendicular magnetization switching is achieved solely by an in-plane magnetic field.

An Approach toward evaluation of long-term fission product distributions in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the severe accident

Uchida, Shunsuke; Karasawa, Hidetoshi; Kino, Chiaki*; Pellegrini, M.*; Naito, Masanori*; Osaka, Masahiko

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 380, p.111256_1 - 111256_19, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111256

It is essential to grasp the long-term distributions of FP as well as fuel debris all over the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) for safe completion of its decommissioning projects. The fuel debris is going to be removed from the plant under the severe conditions of FP being scattered during major decommissioning work, and then, the decommissioning projects are going to be terminated by storing safely the removed debris as recovered fertile materials or as materials for final radioactive disposal. In order to determine the FP distribution in the plant for the long period from the accident occurrence to the termination of the plant decommissioning, procedures for analyzing multi-term FP behaviors were proposed. The proposed procedures should be improved by applying the FP data measured in the plant and validated based on the feedback data. Then, the accuracy-improved procedures should be applied to estimate FP distribution during each period of the decommissioning projects.

Thickness dependence of spin Peltier effect visualized by thermal imaging technique

Daimon, Shunsuke*; Uchida, Kenichi*; Ujiie, Naomi*; Hattori, Yasuyuki*; Tsuboi, Rei*; Saito, Eiji

Applied Physics Express, 13(10), p.103001_1 - 103001_4, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/abb2b5

Improvement of plant reliability based on combining of prediction and inspection of crack growth due to intergranular stress corrosion cracking

Uchida, Shunsuke; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Kasahara, Shigeki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Okada, Hidetoshi*; Naito, Masanori*; Kojima, Masayoshi*; Kikura, Hiroshige*; Lister, D. H.*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 341, p.112 - 123, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.10.021

Improvement of plant reliability based on reliability-centered-maintenance (RCM) is going to be undertaken in NPPs. RCM is supported by risk-based maintenance (RBM). The combination of prediction and inspection is one of the key issues to promote RBM. Early prediction of IGSCC occurrence and its propagation should be confirmed throughout the entire plant systems which should be accomplished by inspections at the target locations followed by timely application of suitable countermeasures. From the inspections, accumulated data will be applied to confirm the accuracy of the code, to tune some uncertainties of the key data for prediction, and then, to increase their accuracy. The synergetic effects of prediction and inspection on application of effective and suitable countermeasures are expected. In the paper, the procedures for the combination of prediction and inspection are introduced.

An Empirical model for the corrosion of stainless steel in BWR primary coolant

Uchida, Shunsuke*; Hanawa, Satoshi; Naito, Masanori*; Okada, Hidetoshi*; Lister, D. H.*

Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology, 52(8), p.587 - 595, 2017/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/1478422X.2017.1357960

Based on the relationship among ECP, metal surface conditions, exposure time and other environmental conditions, a model to evaluate the ECP and corrosion rate of steel was developed by coupling a static electrochemical analysis and a dynamic oxide layer growth analysis. Major conclusion obtained on the model are as follows. The effect of HO and O concentrations on ECP were successfully explained as the effects of oxide layer growth. Hysteresis of ECP under changes in water chemistry conditions were successfully explained with the model. Decreases in ECP due to neutron exposure were explained well by radiation-induced diffusion in the oxide layers.

Concomitant enhancement of the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect and the thermal conductivity in a Pt/YIG/Pt system at low temperatures

Iguchi, Ryo*; Uchida, Kenichi*; Daimon, Shunsuke*; Saito, Eiji

Physical Review B, 95(17), p.174401_1 - 174401_7, 2017/05

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.95.174401

Evaluation of ECP measured in in-pile environment

Hanawa, Satoshi; Uchida, Shunsuke; Hata, Kuniki; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Kasahara, Shigeki*; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of 20th Nuclear Plant Chemistry International Conference (NPC 2016) (USB Flash Drive), 11 Pages, 2016/10

ECP is the exclusive index to evaluate corrosion condition directly at the points of interest in the mixing of neutron and -ray environment. ECP can be calculated through the combination of water radiolysis and ECP model. A water radiolysis model have been applied to experiments performed in in-pile loops in the experimental reactors and applicability was confirmed. An ECP model based on the Butler-Volmer equation was also prepared. ECP of stainless steel was measured under well controlled water chemistry condition in in-pile loop in the Halden reactor, and the model was applied to evaluate ECP measured in the Halden reactor. The measured data were well explained by the water radiolysis calculation and ECP model. Accumulation of in-pile ECP data are expected for further validation of the models.

Complete suppression of longitudinal spin Seebeck effect by frozen magnetization dynamics in YFeO

Kikkawa, Takashi*; Uchida, Kenichi*; Daimon, Shunsuke*; Saito, Eiji

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 85(6), p.065003_1 - 065003_2, 2016/06

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.85.065003