Development of plutonium fuel facility decommissioning technology to accelerate glovebox dismantling and reduce air-fed suits based operations

Yoshida, Masato; Iguchi, Satoshi; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 431, p.113691_1 - 113691_16, 2025/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113691

The Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility is currently in the decommissioning phase, with glovebox dismantling operations ongoing since 2010. During conventional glovebox dismantling operations, the glovebox to be dismantled is enclosed within plastic tents to contain contamination. The glovebox is then dismantled by workers wearing air-fed suits with thermal or mechanical cutting tools, which typically generate dross or sparks in the form of radioactive aerosols during cutting. Despite the longevity and meticulous organization of this manual method, the workload remains considerable, while the allowable working time is limited. In addition, the potential for inhalation exposure to plutonium is elevated in the event of an accident given the contamination of the work area. To overcome disadvantages associated with conventional glovebox dismantling methods, new methods are currently being developed. The primary objective is to reduce the reliance on operation based on air-fed suits and enhance worker safety by introducing remote equipment and a new floor-reinforcing panel. Another objective is to suppress waste generation by reusing all equipment on multiple occasions which is achieved by developing a containment system that have a large open port with a pallet for the storage and reuse of equipment for successive operations. Furthermore, a glove operation compartment is designed and tested for the manual handling of dismantled materials as an additional strategy to reduce work based on air-fed suits and mitigate secondary waste generation.

Comparative study of a glovebox dismantling facility for manual and remote glovebox dismantlement activities

Kitamura, Akihiro; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Yoshida, Masato

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 411, p.112435_1 - 112435_14, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112435

This study presents the features and brief history of the glovebox dismantling facility and the primary dismantlement results. Subsequently, we evaluate the novelties of the facility from operational experiences in manual and remote glovebox dismantlement methods and discuss their characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluate the worker exposure dose based on the obtained data. Finally, we show how these experiences are effectively fed back to the technological dismantlement development for our decommissioning project.

Experiences in dismantlement of gloveboxes for wet recovery and other use that are contaminated with nuclear fuel materials

Kitamura, Akihiro; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Yoshida, Masato; Takeuchi, Kentaro

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 58(2), p.76 - 90, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.58.76

The alpha contaminated gloveboxes have been dismantled for over 20 years in Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility. The so called wet recovery equipment gloveboxes, which recover plutonium and uranium from scrap fuel by dissolving and extracting processes, were chosen as the priority gloveboxes to be dismantled. These gloveboxes and other gloveboxes in the same room were size reduced and removed up until 2022. Also, non-radioactive ancillary facility and non-radioactive giant glovebox were removed from 2007 to 2010 for ease of glovebox dismantling activities that follows and for making waste storage spaces. Several incidents were occurred and recidivism prevention measures were implemented on each occasion. In this report, glovebox dismantling activities we conducted in the past 20 years are reviewed and lessons we have learned are summarized.

Morphological reproductive characteristics of testes and fertilization capacity of cryopreserved sperm after the Fukushima accident in raccoon ()

Komatsu, Kazuki*; Iwasaki, Tsugumi*; Murata, Kosuke*; Yamashiro, Hideaki*; Goh, V. S. T.*; Nakayama, Ryo*; Fujishima, Yohei*; Ono, Takumi*; Kino, Yasushi*; Shimizu, Yoshinaka*; et al.

Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 56(3), p.484 - 497, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.13887

We have established an archive system of livestock and wild animals from the surrounding ex-evacuation zone. Wildlife within the alert zone have been exposed to low-dose-rate (LDR) radiation for a long and continuous time. In this study, we analysed the morphological characteristics of the testes and in vitro fertilization (IVF) capacity of cryopreserved sperm of raccoons from the ex-evacuation zone of the FDNPP accident. This study revealed that the chronic and LDR radiation exposure associated with the FDNPP accident had no adverse effect on the reproductive characteristics and functions of male raccoons.

New precise measurements of muonium hyperfine structure at J-PARC MUSE

Strasser, P.*; Abe, Mitsushi*; Aoki, Masaharu*; Choi, S.*; Fukao, Yoshinori*; Higashi, Yoshitaka*; Higuchi, Takashi*; Iinuma, Hiromi*; Ikedo, Yutaka*; Ishida, Katsuhiko*; et al.

EPJ Web of Conferences, 198, p.00003_1 - 00003_8, 2019/01

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201919800003

Case studies of radiation dose assessment in emergency situation of nuclear facilities

Kawasaki, Masatsugu; Nakajima, Junya; Yoshida, Keisuke; Kato, Saori; Nishino, Sho; Nozaki, Teo; Nakagawa, Masahiro; Tsunoda, Junichi; Sugaya, Yuki; Hasegawa, Rie; et al.

JAEA-Data/Code 2017-004, 57 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2017-004.pdf:2.34MB

In emergency situation of nuclear facilities, we need to estimate the radiation dose due to radiation and radioactivity to grasp the influence range of the accident in the early stage. Therefore, we prepare the case studies of dose assessment for public exposure dose and personal exposure dose and contribute them to emergency procedures. This document covers about accidents of nuclear facilities in Nuclear Science Research Institute and past accident of nuclear power plant, and it can be used for inheritance of techniques of emergency dose assessment.

Domain structure and electronic state in P3HT:PCBM blend thin films by soft X-ray resonant scattering

Kubota, Masato; Sakurai, Takeaki*; Miyadera, Tetsuhiko*; Nakao, Hironori*; Sugita, Takeshi*; Yoshida, Yuji*

Journal of Applied Physics, 120(16), p.165501_1 - 165501_5, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4965988

We performed soft X-ray resonant scattering experiments on P3HT:PCBM blend thin films to reveal the domain structure and electronic state, where P3HT and PCBM mean regioregular poly (3-hexylthiophene) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-buteric acid methyl ester, respectively. We measured two films, where chloroform (CF sample) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB sample) are used as solvents in the fabrication process. There is negligible X-ray incident angle dependence of the X-ray absorption spectra at the S -absorption edge in the CF sample, whereas the DCB sample exhibits clear incident angle dependence. We obtained the wave-number resolved spectra at = (1, 0, 0) for P3HT molecules in both samples. The packing growth of P3HT molecules is revealed to be much more developed in the DCB sample than the CF sample. In addition, the electronic structure at local sulfur element sites clearly changes for both of the samples.

Development of Terminal Joint and Lead Extension for JT-60SA Central Solenoid

Murakami, Haruyuki; Kizu, Kaname; Ichige, Toshikatsu; Furukawa, Masato; Natsume, Kyohei; Tsuchiya, Katsuhiko; Kamiya, Koji; Koide, Yoshihiko; Yoshida, Kiyoshi; Obana, Tetsuhiro*; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 25(3), p.4201305_1 - 4201305_5, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2014.2370101

JT-60U magnet system will be upgraded to the superconducting coils in the JT-60SA programme of the Broader Approach activities. Terminal joint of Central Solenoid (CS) is wrap type NbSn-NbTi joint used for connecting CS (NbSn) and current feeder (NbTi). The terminal joints are placed at the top and the bottom of the CS systems. CS modules located at middle position of CS system need the lead extension from the modules to the terminal joint. The joint resistance measurement of terminal joint was performed in the test facility of National Institute for Fusion Science. The joint resistance was evaluated by the operating current and the voltage between both ends of the terminal joint part. Test results met the requirement of JT-60SA magnet system. The structural analysis of the lead extension and its support structure was conducted to confirm the support design. In this paper, the results of resistance test of joint and the structural analysis results of lead extension are reported.

Efficient extreme ultraviolet emission from one-dimensional spherical plasmas produced by multiple lasers

Yoshida, Kensuke*; Fujioka, Shinsuke*; Higashiguchi, Takeshi*; Ugomori, Teruyuki*; Tanaka, Nozomi*; Ohashi, Hayato*; Kawasaki, Masato*; Suzuki, Yuhei*; Suzuki, Chihiro*; Tomita, Kentaro*; et al.

Applied Physics Express, 7(8), p.086202_1 - 086202_4, 2014/08

https://doi.org/10.7567/APEX.7.086202

We demonstrate high conversion efficiency for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission at 6.5-6.7 nm from multiple laser beam-produced one-dimensional spherical plasmas. Multiply charged-state ions produce strong resonance emission lines, which combine to yield intense unresolved transition arrays in Gd, Tb, and Mo. The maximum in-band EUV conversion efficiency was observed to be 0.8%, which is one of the highest values ever reported due to the reduction of plasma expansion loss.

Electrically insulated MLI and thermal anchor

Kamiya, Koji; Furukawa, Masato; Hatakenaka, Ryuta*; Miyakita, Takeshi*; Murakami, Haruyuki; Kizu, Kaname; Tsuchiya, Katsuhiko; Koide, Yoshihiko; Yoshida, Kiyoshi

AIP Conference Proceedings 1573, p.455 - 462, 2014/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4860736

The thermal shield of JT-60SA is kept at 80 K and will use the Multi Layered Insulator (MLI) to reduce radiation heat load to the superconducting coils at 4.4 K from the cryostat at 300 K. Due to plasma pulse operation, the MLI is affected by eddy current in toroidal direction. The MLI is designed to suppress the current by electrically insulating every 20 degree in the toroidal direction by covering the MLI with polyimide films. In this paper, two kinds of designs for insulated MLI are proposed focusing on a way to overlap MLI. A boil-off calorimeter method and temperature measurement has been performed to determine the thermal performance of MLI. The design of electrical insulated thermal anchor between the toroidal field (TF) coil and the thermal shield is also explained.