Experimental study on local damage to reinforced concrete panels subjected to oblique impact by projectiles

Okuda, Yukihiko; Nishida, Akemi; Kang, Z.; Tsubota, Haruji; Li, Y.

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 9(2), p.021801_1 - 021801_12, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4054040

Most empirical formulas were proposed to evaluate the local damage to reinforced concrete (RC) structures based on impact tests conducted with a rigid projectile at an impact angle normal to the target structure. Only a few impact tests were performed involving a soft projectile. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a series of impact tests to evaluate the local damage to RC panels subjected to normal and oblique impacts by rigid and soft projectiles. This paper presents the test conditions, test equipment, test results, and obtained knowledge on local damage to RC panels subjected to normal and oblique impacts.

Validation of feedback reactivity evaluation models for plant dynamics analysis code during unprotected loss of heat sink event in sodium-cooled fast reactors

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 9(2), p.021601_1 - 021601_9, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4055328

Feedback reactivity automatically caused by radial expansion of the core is known as one of the inherent safety features in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). In order to validate the evaluation models of the reactivity feedback equipped in the in-house plant dynamics analysis code named Super-COPD, the benchmark analyses for the unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) tests of BOP-302R and BOP-301 in an experimental SFR, EBR-II were conducted and the applicability of the evaluation method for the reactivity feedback was indicated during the ULOHS even, by comparing the numerical results and the experimental data.

Visualization of radioactive substances using a freely moving gamma-ray imager based on Structure from Motion

Sato, Yuki; Minemoto, Kojiro*; Nemoto, Makoto*; Torii, Tatsuo

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 7(4), p.042003_1 - 042003_12, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4048843

Feasibility study of the one-dimensional radiation distribution sensing method using an optical fiber sensor based on wavelength spectrum unfolding

Terasaka, Yuta; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Uritani, Akira*; Yamazaki, Atsushi*; Sato, Yuki; Torii, Tatsuo; Wakaida, Ikuo

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 7(4), p.042002_1 - 042002_7, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4048841

For the application in the measurement of the high dose rate hot spots inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) buildings, we propose a novel one-dimensional radiation distribution sensing method using an optical fiber sensor based on wavelength spectrum unfolding. The proposed method estimates the incident position of radiation to the fiber by the unfolding of the wavelength spectrum output from the fiber edge using the fact that the attenuation length of light along the fiber depends on the wavelength. Because this method measures the integrated light intensity, this method can avoid the problem of counting loss and signal pile-up, which occurs in the radiation detector with pulse counting mode under high dose rate field. Through basic experiments using the ultraviolet light source and Sr/Y radioactive point source, basic properties of source position detection were confirmed.

A Study on sodium-concrete reaction in presence of internal heating

Kawaguchi, Munemichi; Miyahara, Shinya*; Uno, Masayoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 6(2), p.021305_1 - 021305_9, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4045898

Sodium-concrete reaction (SCR) is one of the important phenomena during severe accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) owing to the generation of large sources of hydrogen and aerosols in the containment vessel. In this study, SCR experiments with an internal heater were performed to investigate the chemical reaction beneath the internal heater (800C), which was used to simulate the obstacle and heating effect on SCR. Furthermore, the effects of the internal heater on the self-termination mechanism were discussed. The internal heater on the concrete hindered the transport of Na into the concrete. Therefore, Na could start to react with the concrete at the periphery of the internal heater, and the concrete ablation depth at the periphery was larger than under the internal heater. The high Na pool temperature of 800C increased largely the Na aerosol release rate, which was explained by Na evaporation and hydrogen bubbling, and formed the porous reaction product layer, whose porosity was 0.54-0.59 from the mass balance of Si and image analyzing EPMA mapping. They had good agreement with each other. The porous reaction products decreased the amount of Na transport into the reaction front. The Na concentration around the reaction front became about 30wt.% despite the position of the internal heater. It was found that the Na concentration condition was one of the dominant parameters for the self-termination of SCR, even in the presence of the internal heater.

Evaluation of radiation effects on residents living around the NSRR under external hazards

Motome, Yuiko; Akiyama, Yoshiya; Murao, Hiroyuki

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 6(2), p.021115_1 - 021115_11, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4045075

The nuclear safety research reactor (NSRR) is a research reactor of training research isotopes general atomics -annular core pulse reactor type. The NSRR facility has been utilized for fuel irradiation experiments to study the behaviors of nuclear fuels under reactivity-initiated accident conditions. Under the new regulation standards, which was established after the Fukushima Daiichi accident, research reactors are regulated based on the risk of the facilities. To apply the graded approach, the radiation effects on residents living around the NSRR under the external hazards were evaluated, and the level of the risk of the NSRR facility was investigated. This paper summarizes the result of the evaluation in the case where the safety functions are lost due to a tornado, an earthquake followed by a tsunami. All in all, the risk is confirmed to be relatively low, since the effective dose on the residents is found to be below 5 mSv per event due to the loss of the safety functions.

Subchannel analysis of thermal-hydraulics in a fuel assembly with inner duct structure of a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Norihiro; Imai, Yasutomo*; Yoshikawa, Ryuji; Doda, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 5(2), p.021001_1 - 021001_12, 2019/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4042191

In the design study of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor in Japan, a specific fuel assembly (FA) named FAIDUS (Fuel Assembly with Inner DUct Structure) has been considered as one of the measures to enhance safety of the reactor during the core disruptive accident. In this study, thermal-hydraulics in FAIDUS was investigated with the in-house subchannel analysis code named ASFRE. Before the application to FAIDUS, applicability of ASFRE to FAs was confirmed through the numerical simulations for the experiments of simulated FA. Through the comparisons between the numerical results of thermal-hydraulic analyses of FAIDUS and a typical FA without the inner duct, it was indicated that significant asymmetric temperature distribution would not occur in FAIDUS at both high and low flow rate conditions.

Mechanical properties of cubic (U,Zr)O

Kitagaki, Toru; Hoshino, Takanori; Yano, Kimihiko; Okamura, Nobuo; Ohara, Hiroshi*; Fukasawa, Tetsuo*; Koizumi, Kenji

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 4(3), p.031011_1 - 031011_7, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039847

Comprehensive seismic evaluation of HTTR against the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake

Ono, Masato; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Toshinari; Kojima, Keidai; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 4(2), p.020906_1 - 020906_8, 2018/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039288

On March 11th, 2011, the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred. When the great earthquake occurred, the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) had been stopped under the periodic inspection and maintenance of equipment and instruments. A comprehensive integrity evaluation was carried out for the HTTR facility because the maximum seismic acceleration observed at the HTTR exceeded the maximum value of design basis earthquake. The concept of comprehensive integrity evaluation is divided into two parts. One is the "visual inspection of equipment and instruments". The other is the "seismic response analysis" for the building structure, equipment and instruments using the observed earthquake. All equipment and instruments related to operation were inspected in the basic inspection. The integrity of the facilities was confirmed by comparing the inspection results or the numerical results with their evaluation criteria. As the results of inspection of equipment and instruments associated with the seismic response analysis, it was judged that there was no problem for operation of the reactor, because there was no damage and performance deterioration. The integrity of HTTR was also supported by the several operations without reactor power in cold conditions of HTTR in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Additionally, the integrity of control rod guide blocks was also confirmed visually when three control rod guide blocks and six replaceable reflector blocks were taken out from reactor core in order to change neutron startup sources in 2015.

Loss of core cooling test with one cooling line inactive in Vessel Cooling System of High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor

Fujiwara, Yusuke; Nemoto, Takahiro; Tochio, Daisuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Ono, Masato; Takada, Shoji

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 3(4), p.041013_1 - 041013_8, 2017/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4036985

In HTTR, the test was carried out at the reactor thermal power of 9 MW under the condition that one cooling line of VCS was stopped to simulate the partial loss of cooling function from the surface of RPV in addition to the loss of forced cooling flow in the core simulation. The test results showed that temperature change of the core internal structures and the biological shielding concrete was slow during the test. Temperature of RPV decreased several degrees during the test. The temperature decrease of biological shielding made of concrete was within 1C. The numerical result simulating the detail configuration of the cooling tubes of VCS showed that the temperature rise of cooling tubes of VCS was about 15C, which is sufficiently small, which did not significantly affect the temperature of biological shielding concrete. As the results, it was confirmed that the cooling ability of VCS can be kept in case that one cooling line of VCS is lost.