Boundary layer measurements for validating CFD condensation model and analysis based on heat and mass transfer analogy in laminar flow condition

Soma, Shu; Ishigaki, Masahiro*; Abe, Satoshi; Shibamoto, Yasuteru

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 56(7), p.2524 - 2533, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2024.02.011

Adsorption behavior of platinum-group metals and Co-existing metal ions from simulated high-level liquid waste using HONTA and Crea impregnated adsorbent

Osawa, Naoki*; Kim, S.-Y.*; Kubota, Masahiko*; Wu, H.*; Watanabe, So; Ito, Tatsuya; Nagaishi, Ryuji

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 56(3), p.812 - 818, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.09.001

SIMMER-IV application to safety assessment of severe accident in a small SFR

Tagami, Hirotaka; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 56(3), p.873 - 879, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.10.021

A sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) core has a potential of prompt criticality due to a change of core material distribution during a severe accident, and the resultant energy release has been one of the safety issues of SFRs. In this study, the safety assessment of an unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) in a small SFR (SSFR) has been performed using the SIMMER-IV computer code, which couples the models of space- and time-dependent neutronics and multi-component, multi-field thermal hydraulics in three dimensions. The code, therefore, is applicable to the simulations of transient behaviors of extended disrupted core material motion and its reactivity effects during the transition phase (TP) of ULOF, including a potential of prompt-criticality power excursions driven by fuel compaction. Several conservative assumptions are used in the TP analysis by SIMMER-IV. It was found out that one of the important mechanisms that drives the reactivity-inserting fuel motion was sodium vapor pressure resulted from a fuel-coolant interaction (FCI), which itself was non-energetic local phenomenon. The uncertainties relating to FCI is also evaluated in much conservative way in the sensitivity analysis. From this study, the ULOF characteristics in an SSFR have been understood. Occurrence of recriticality events under conservative assumptions are plausible, but their energy releases are limited.

Development of a DDA+PGA-combined non-destructive active interrogation system in "Active-N"

Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Ozu, Akira; Toh, Yosuke

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(11), p.4002 - 4018, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.07.015

Phase analysis of simulated nuclear fuel debris synthesized using UO, Zr, and stainless steel and leaching behavior of the fission products and matrix elements

Tonna, Ryutaro*; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Kodama, Yuji*; Kobayashi, Taishi*; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kirishima, Akira*; Sato, Nobuaki*; Kumagai, Yuta; Kusaka, Ryoji; Watanabe, Masayuki

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(4), p.1300 - 1309, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.12.017

Simulated debris was synthesized using UO, Zr, and stainless steel and a heat treatment method under inert or oxidizing conditions. The primary U solid phase of the debris synthesized at 1473 K under inert conditions was UO, whereas a (U,Zr)O solid solution formed at 1873 K. Under oxidizing conditions, a mixture of UO and (Fe,Cr)UO phases formed at 1473 K whereas a (U,Zr)O solid solution formed at 1873 K. The leaching behavior of the fission products from the simulated debris was evaluated using two methods: the irradiation method, for which fission products were produced via neutron irradiation, and the doping method, for which trace amounts of non-radioactive elements were doped into the debris. The dissolution behavior of U depended on the properties of the debris and aqueous medium the debris was immersed in. Cs, Sr, and Ba leached out regardless of the primary solid phases. The leaching of high-valence Eu and Ru ions was suppressed, possibly owing to their solid-solution reaction with or incorporation into the uranium compounds of the simulated debris.

Study on the effect of long-term high temperature irradiation on TRISO fuel

Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; Askerbekov, S.*; Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Shibata, Taiju; Sakaba, Nariaki

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 54(8), p.2792 - 2800, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.02.026

Development and validation of fuel stub motion model for the disrupted core of a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kawada, Kenichi; Suzuki, Toru*

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 53(12), p.3930 - 3943, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2021.06.018

To improve the capability of the SAS4A code, which simulates the initiating phase of core disruptive accidents for MOX-fueled Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs), the authors have investigated in detail the physical phenomena under unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) conditions in a previous paper. As the conclusion of the last article, fuel stub motion, in which the residual fuel pellets would move toward the core central region after fuel pin disruption, was identified as one of the key phenomena to be appropriately simulated for the initiating phase of ULOF. In the present paper, a simple model describing fuel stub motion, which was not modeled in the previous SAS4A code, was newly proposed. The applicability of the proposed model was validated through a series of analyses for the CABRI experiments, by which the stub motion would be represented with reasonable conservativeness for the reactivity evaluation of disrupted core.

ROSA/LSTF test and RELAP5 analyses on PWR cold leg small-break LOCA with accident management measure and PKL counterpart test

Takeda, Takeshi; Otsu, Iwao

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 49(5), p.928 - 940, 2017/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2017.03.004

A Preliminary evaluation of unprotected loss-of-flow accident for a prototype fast-breeder reactor

Suzuki, Toru; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Kawada, Kenichi; Tagami, Hirotaka; Sogabe, Joji; Matsuba, Kenichi; Ito, Kei; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 47(3), p.240 - 252, 2015/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2015.03.001

A Study of hydraulic properties in a single fracture with in-plane heterogeneity; An Evaluation using optical measurements of a transparent replica

Sawada, Atsushi; Sato, Hisashi

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 42(1), p.9 - 16, 2010/02

Experimental studies for evaluating fracture were conducted by using transparent replica of a single fracture, in order to obtain data for contributing to the methodology improving how we define representative parameter values used for a parallel plate fracture model. Quantitative aperture distribution and tracer concentration data were obtained by measuring the attenuation of transmitted light through the fracture, in high spatial resolution. The representative aperture values evaluated from the multiple measurement methods, such as arithmetic mean of aperture distribution, transport aperture, average aperture evaluated from fracture void volume measurement, converged to a unique value, which indicates the accuracy of this experimental study. The aperture data was employed for studying the validity of numerical simulation under the assumption of local cubic law and showed that the calculated flow rate through the fracture is 10% - 100% larger than hydraulic test results.