Differential pressure rise event for filters of HTTR primary helium gas circulators, 1; Investigation of differential pressure rise event

Nemoto, Takahiro; Arakawa, Ryoki; Kawakami, Satoru; Nagasumi, Satoru; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; Furusawa, Takayuki; Inoi, Hiroyuki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-005, 33 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Technology-2023-005.pdf:5.25MB

During shut down of the HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) RS-14 cycle, an increasing trend of filter differential pressure for the helium gas circulator was observed. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the blower of the primary helium purification system was disassembled and inspected. As a result, it is clear that the silicon oil mist entered into the primary coolant due to the deterioration of the charcoal filter performance. The replacement and further investigation of the filter are planning to prevent the reoccurrence of the same phenomenon in the future.

Improving the safety of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor "HTTR" based on Japan's new regulatory requirements

Hamamoto, Shimpei; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Tochio, Daisuke; Homma, Fumitaka; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Sekita, Kenji; Watanabe, Shuji; Furusawa, Takayuki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 388, p.111642_1 - 111642_11, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111642

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency adapted High-Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to meet the new regulatory requirements that began in December 2013. The safety and seismic classifications of the existing structures, systems, and components were discussed to reflect insights regarding High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) that were acquired through various HTTR safety tests. Structures, systems, and components that are subject to protection have been defined, and countermeasures to manage internal and external hazards that affect safety functions have been strengthened. Additionally, measures are in place to control accidents that may cause large amounts of radioactive material to be released, as a beyond design based accident. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission rigorously and appropriately reviewed this approach for compliance with the new regulatory requirements. After nine amendments, the application to modify the HTTR's installation license that was submitted in November 2014 was approved in June 2020. This response shows that facilities can reasonably be designed to meet the enhanced regulatory requirements, if they reflect the characteristics of HTGRs. We believe that we have established a reference for future development of HTGR.

Deexcitation dynamics of muonic atoms revealed by high-precision spectroscopy of electronic X rays

Okumura, Takuma*; Azuma, Toshiyuki*; Bennet, D. A.*; Caradonna, P.*; Chiu, I. H.*; Doriese, W. B.*; Durkin, M. S.*; Fowler, J. W.*; Gard, J. D.*; Hashimoto, Tadashi; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 127(5), p.053001_1 - 053001_7, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.053001

We observed electronic X rays emitted from muonic iron atoms using a superconducting transition-edge-type sensor microcalorimeter. The energy resolution of 5.2 eV in FWHM allowed us to observe the asymmetric broad profile of the electronic characteristic and X rays together with the hypersatellite X rays around 6 keV. This signature reflects the time-dependent screening of the nuclear charge by the negative muon and the -shell electrons, accompanied by electron side-feeding. Assisted by a simulation, this data clearly reveals the electronic - and -shell hole production and their temporal evolution during the muon cascade process.

Machine status monitoring system for J-PARC RCS

Takahashi, Hiroki; Sawabe, Yuki*; Watanabe, Kazuhiko*

Proceedings of 17th Annual Meeting of Particle Accelerator Society of Japan (Internet), p.275 - 279, 2020/09

https://www.pasj.jp/web_publish/pasj2020/proceedings/PDF/WEPP/WEPP23.pdf

The amount of monitor value (operation information) tends to increase, because of the increase of accelerator components, or in order to realize the safety and the stable operation. Then, an enormous volume of operation data increases the possibility of occurrence of erroneous operation such as overlooking of monitor value and etc. In order to ensure the safe and stable operation of the J-PARC accelerator, the occurrence of such human error is alarming. Therefore, for the purpose of operation support, we started designing and producing a system that monitors the machine status and detects alarm status from 2017. First, for Linac, we designed and produced a function to detect the alarm status based on the set value. Next, this function was applied to the machine status monitoring system for RCS. In addition, we are designing and developing functions to detect the alarm status based on the reference value or fixed value, for the purpose of detecting setting errors due to human error. In this paper, the current status and future plans of machine status monitoring system for J-PARC RCS are presented.

Progress of criticality control study on fuel debris by Japan Atomic Energy Agency to support Secretariat of Nuclear Regulation Authority

Tonoike, Kotaro; Watanabe, Tomoaki; Gunji, Satoshi; Yamane, Yuichi; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Umeda, Miki; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Ogawa, Kazuhiko

Proceedings of 11th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC 2019) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2019/09

Criticality control of the fuel debris in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station would be a risk-informed control to mitigate consequences of criticality events, instead of a deterministic control to prevent such events. The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan has administrated a research and development program to tackle this challenge since 2014. The Nuclear Safety Research Center of Japan Atomic Energy Agency, commissioned by the authority, is conducting activities such as computations of criticality characteristics of the fuel debris, development of a criticality analysis code, preparation of criticality experiments, and development of a criticality risk analysis method.

Examination of evaluation method for fault activity based on morphological observation of fault planes

Tanaka, Yoshihiro*; Kametaka, Masao*; Okazaki, Kazuhiko*; Suzuki, Kazushige*; Seshimo, Kazuyoshi; Aoki, Kazuhiro; Shimada, Koji; Watanabe, Takahiro; Nakayama, Kazuhiko

Oyo Chishitsu, 59(1), p.13 - 27, 2018/04

This paper aims to develop a methodology for understanding the fault activity by observing exposed fault planes without covering younger strata. Based on purpose, faults developed in relatively homogeneous rocks such granitic types are investigated as follows; Gosuke Dam upstream outcrop of Gosukebashi Fault and Funasaka-nishi outcrop of Rokkou Fault were selected for the study of an active fault; and K-3 outcrop of Rokkou Houraikyo Fault was chosen for a non-active fault.

Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, 3; Neutron devices and computational and sample environments

Sakasai, Kaoru; Sato, Setsuo*; Seya, Tomohiro*; Nakamura, Tatsuya; To, Kentaro; Yamagishi, Hideshi*; Soyama, Kazuhiko; Yamazaki, Dai; Maruyama, Ryuji; Oku, Takayuki; et al.

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 1(2), p.10_1 - 10_35, 2017/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs1020010

Neutron devices such as neutron detectors, optical devices including supermirror devices and He neutron spin filters, and choppers are successfully developed and installed at the Materials Life Science Facility (MLF) of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), Tokai, Japan. Four software components of MLF computational environment, instrument control, data acquisition, data analysis, and a database, have been developed and equipped at MLF. MLF also provides a wide variety of sample environment options including high and low temperatures, high magnetic fields, and high pressures. This paper describes the current status of neutron devices, computational and sample environments at MLF.

Progress in long-pulse production of powerful negative ion beams for JT-60SA and ITER

Kojima, Atsushi; Umeda, Naotaka; Hanada, Masaya; Yoshida, Masafumi; Kashiwagi, Mieko; Tobari, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Akino, Noboru; Komata, Masao; Mogaki, Kazuhiko; et al.

Nuclear Fusion, 55(6), p.063006_1 - 063006_9, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/55/6/063006

Significant progresses in the extension of pulse durations of powerful negative ion beams have been made to realize the neutral beam injectors for JT-60SA and ITER. In order to overcome common issues of the long pulse production/acceleration of negative ion beams in JT-60SA and ITER, the new technologies have been developed in the JT-60SA ion source and the MeV accelerator in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. As for the long pulse production of high-current negative ions for JT-60SA ion source, the pulse durations have been successfully increased from 30 s at 13 A on JT-60U to 100 s at 15 A by modifying the JT-60SA ion source, which satisfies the required pulse duration of 100 s and 70% of the rated beam current for JT-60SA. This progress was based on the R&D efforts for the temperature control of the plasma grid and uniform negative ion productions with the modified tent-shaped filter field configuration. Moreover, the each parameter of the required beam energy, current and pulse has been achieved individually by these R&D efforts. The developed techniques are useful to design the ITER ion source because the sustainment of the cesium coverage in large extraction area is one of the common issues between JT-60SA and ITER. As for the long pulse acceleration of high power density beams in the MeV accelerator for ITER, the pulse duration of MeV-class negative ion beams has been extended by more than 2 orders of magnitude by modifying the extraction grid with a high cooling capability and a high-transmission of negative ions. A long pulse acceleration of 60 s has been achieved at 70 MW/m (683 keV, 100 A/m) which has reached to the power density of JT-60SA level of 65 MW/m.

Results of pilot borehole investigation in -500m access/research gallery-south (12MI32 borehole)

Kawamoto, Koji; Kuroiwa, Hiroshi; Yamada, Nobuto; Onuki, Kenji; Omori, Kazuaki; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Ogata, Nobuhisa; Omori, Masaki; Watanabe, Kazuhiko

JAEA-Technology 2014-011, 92 Pages, 2014/07

JAEA-Technology-2014-011.pdf:24.65MB
JAEA-Technology-2014-011-appendix(DVD).zip:331.54MB

This document summarizes the data of pilot boreholes (12MI32) in the -500m Access/Research Gallery-South. The geological, hydraulic and geochemical data were obtained. In addition, groundwater monitoring system was installed to observe the groundwater pressure in initial condition and change during the excavation of gallery. The results of investigation, biotite granite with medium to coarse-grained equigranular texture are characterized. Rock mass classification is B from CM class. Minor fault with fault breccia are observed around 48.90mabh. However, S200_13 fault and IF_SB3_13_3 fault (that were presumed by an original model) were not observed. Density of fracture is large in the section of 40.00 to 80.00mabh. Water inflow was a maximum of 600 L/min in 78.83mabh. Permeability ranges from 2.0E-9 to 1.5E-08m/sec at the zone with low inflow, from 1.1E-05 to 1.6E-05m/sec at the zone with high inflow, respectively. Groundwater chemistry is rich in Na and Cl ion.

Development of the JT-60SA Neutral Beam Injectors

Hanada, Masaya; Kojima, Atsushi; Inoue, Takashi; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Taniguchi, Masaki; Kashiwagi, Mieko; Tobari, Hiroyuki; Umeda, Naotaka; Akino, Noboru; Kazawa, Minoru; et al.

AIP Conference Proceedings 1390, p.536 - 544, 2011/09

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3637425

no abstracts in English