Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors

Ohshima, Hiroyuki; Morishita, Masaki*; Aizawa, Kosuke; Ando, Masanori; Ashida, Takashi; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Doda, Norihiro; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fukano, Yoshitaka; et al.

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.3, 631 Pages, 2022/07

https://shop.elsevier.com/books/sodium-cooled-fast-reactors/morishita/978-0-12-824076-2

This book is a collection of the past experience of design, construction, and operation of two reactors, the latest knowledge and technology for SFR designs, and the future prospects of SFR development in Japan. It is intended to provide the perspective and the relevant knowledge to enable readers to become more familiar with SFR technology.

Observation of a Be double-Lambda hypernucleus in the J-PARC E07 experiment

Ekawa, Hiroyuki; Ashikaga, Sakiko; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Hayakawa, Shuhei; Hosomi, Kenji; Ichikawa, Yudai; Imai, Kenichi; Kimbara, Shinji*; Nanamura, Takuya; et al.

Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (Internet), 2019(2), p.021D02_1 - 021D02_11, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/pty149

Thermal expansion of a Au-Al-Yb intermediate valence quasicrystal

Watanuki, Tetsu; Kashimoto, Shiro*; Ishimasa, Tsutomu*; Machida, Akihiko; Yamamoto, Shin*; Tanaka, Yukinori*; Mizumaki, Masaichiro*; Kawamura, Naomi*; Watanabe, Shinji*

Solid State Communications, 211, p.19 - 22, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2015.03.008

The thermal expansion of a Au-Al-Yb intermediate-valence quasicrystal has been studied by X-ray diffraction measurements. We have found anomalous thermal expansion behavior, namely zero thermal expansion below 50 K. By comparison with an isostructural Au-Al-Tm quasicrystal, the contribution of the Yb valence variation was extracted, and it was shown that its negative thermal expansion component due to the valence shift toward the divalent state by cooling compensated for the positive thermal expansion of the original lattice.

Analysis and numerical simulation of seismic events recorded in the ventilation shaft at the Mizunami URL

Niimi, Katsuyuki*; Kobayashi, Shinji*; Nobuto, Jun*; Matsui, Hiroya; Yamamoto, Masaru

Proceedings of European Rock Mechanics Symposium (EUROCK 2012) (CD-ROM), 13 Pages, 2012/05

JAEA has been conducting geoscientific research and development at underground research laboratories under construction in Japan. In this study, frequency and wave propagation characteristics were analyzed using seismic records for six earthquakes obtained with the seismometers in URL. It was found that seismic motions were amplified from the deep underground to the shallow surface and that the wave propagation characteristics were different in NS and EW directions. It was also assumed that the recorded data of the seismometer on the ground might be influenced by aboveground structures. Then, numerical simulations using SHAKE, which is commonly used for seismic response analysis in Japan and had been applied to the earthquake resistance design in Phase I, were carried out to compare analytical results and observed records. The results showed that the calculated results agreed well with those observed when epicenters are close.

Accumulation of radiation damage and disordering in MgAlO under swift heavy ion irradiation

Yasuda, Kazuhiro*; Yamamoto, Tomokazu*; Eto, Motoki*; Kawasoe, Shinji*; Matsumura, Sho*; Ishikawa, Norito

International Journal of Materials Research, 102(9), p.1082 - 1088, 2011/09

https://doi.org/10.3139/146.110564

Accumulation and recovery of radiation-induced damage with swift heavy ions instoichiometric magnesium aluminate spinel, MgAlO, has been investigated. Microstructural change and atomic disordering was examined through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, with bright-field (BF) and high-resolution (HR) TEM images, and high angular resolution electron channelling X-ray spectroscopy (HARECXS), for single crystal MgAlO irradiated with 200 MeV Xe, and 340 or 350 MeV Au ions. The density of core damage region, detected by BFTEM with Fresnelcontrast, increased proportionally with ion fluence at the early stage of accumulation. This result is discussed with a balance between the formation and recovery of the core damage region under irradiation, and the influence region to induce the recovery was evaluated to be 7-9 nm in radius. The structure of the core damage region is found from HR and BFTEM images to be a columnar vacancy-rich region with a low atomic density.

Result and considerations on the pre-excavation grouting below four hundreds meter depth of the ventilation shaft

Ishii, Yoji; Watanabe, Kazuhiko; Kamiya, Akira; Hayano, Akira; Mikake, Shinichiro; Takeuchi, Shinji; Ikeda, Koki; Yamamoto, Masaru; Sugihara, Kozo

JAEA-Technology 2010-044, 92 Pages, 2011/02

JAEA-Technology-2010-044.pdf:11.73MB

The "Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory" has been carrying out scientific research in granite to establish the technological basis for high-level radioactive waste disposal. To get reliable information on the rock mass geology and hydrogeology and on the bedrock conditions, a pilot borehole investigation was carried out before sinking the ventilation shaft. During this investigation, a zone with high hydraulic head and low hydraulic conductivity was observed at around GL-400m. To reduce water inflow during excavation, pre-excavation grouting with micro-fine cement was done in this region before sinking the Ventilation Shaft. Despite the high hydraulic head and the low hydraulic conductivity, effective reduction of water-inflow was achieved.

Ion irradiation effects on the optical properties of tungsten oxide films

Nagata, Shinji*; Fujita, Haruka*; Inoue, Aichi; Yamamoto, Shunya; Tsuchiya, Bun*; Shikama, Tatsuo*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 268(19), p.3151 - 3154, 2010/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2010.05.076

A tungsten tri-oxide (WO) film covered with a thin catalyst layer is one of the candidates for hydrogen sensing devices that show a reversible coloration under hydrogen exposure. While the injection of the cations and/or the formation of the oxygen vacancies can be responsible for the coloration of the film, the mechanism of the gasochromic phenomenon is not fully understood. In the present work, the changes of the optical properties in the WO film by ion irradiation were investigated to clarify the relation between the coloration and oxygen vacancies. WO films of 300-500 nm thicknesses were deposited on SiO substrates by magnetron sputtering. Oxygen ions at energies between 200 and 800 keV were irradiated to the WO films. The optical absorption of the film was measured in the wavelengths between 190 and 1000 nm. The results show that the change of optical-absorption coefficient in WO films depends on both electronic and nuclear stopping powers.

Studies on planning and conducting for reducing water inflow due to underground construction in crystalline rock

Mikake, Shinichiro; Yamamoto, Masaru; Ikeda, Koki; Sugihara, Kozo; Takeuchi, Shinji; Hayano, Akira; Sato, Toshinori; Takeda, Shinichi; Ishii, Yoji; Ishida, Hideaki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2010-026, 146 Pages, 2010/08

JAEA-Technology-2010-026.pdf:41.08MB
JAEA-Technology-2010-026-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:83.37MB

The Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU), one of the main facilities in Japan for research and development of the technology for high-level radioactive waste disposal, is under construction in Mizunami City. In planning the construction, it was necessary to get reliable information on the bedrock conditions, specifically the rock mass stability and hydrogeology. Therefore, borehole investigations were conducted before excavations started. The results indicated that large water inflow could be expected during the excavation around the Ventilation Shaft at GL-200m and GL-300m Access/Research Gallery. In order to reduce water inflow, pre-excavation grouting was conducted before excavation of shafts and research tunnels. Grouting is the injection of material such as cement into a rock mass to stabilize and seal the rock. This report describes the knowledge and lessons learned during the planning and conducting of pre-excavation grouting.

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project, Annual report for fiscal year 2008

Takeuchi, Shinji; Kunimaru, Takanori; Mikake, Shinichiro; Nishio, Kazuhisa; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Takeuchi, Ryuji; Saegusa, Hiromitsu; Oyama, Takuya; et al.

JAEA-Review 2010-014, 110 Pages, 2010/07

JAEA-Review-2010-014.pdf:27.34MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) at Tono Geoscience Center (TGC) is developing a geoscientific research project named Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project in crystalline rock environment in order to establish scientific and technological basis for geological disposal of HLW. Geoscientific research at MIU is planned to be carried out in three phases over a period of 20 years; Surface-based Investigation Phase (Phase I), Construction Phase (Phase II) and Operation Phase (Phase III). Currently, the project is under the Construction Phase. This document presents the following results of the research and development performed in fiscal year 2008, as a part of the Construction Phase based on the MIU Master Plan updated in 2002, (1) Investigation at the MIU Construction Site and the Shobasama Site, (2) Construction at the MIU Construction Site, (3) Research Collaboration.

Application of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to characterization of Au nanoparticles formed by ion implantation into SiO

Takahiro, Katsumi*; Oizumi, Shinnosuke*; Morimoto, Keiichi*; Kawatsura, Kiyoshi*; Isshiki, Toshiyuki*; Nishio, Koji*; Nagata, Shinji*; Yamamoto, Shunya; Narumi, Kazumasa; Naramoto, Hiroshi*

Applied Surface Science, 256(4), p.1061 - 1064, 2009/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2009.05.104