Validation and applicability of reactor core modeling in a plant dynamics code during station blackout

Mori, Takero; Ohira, Hiroaki; Sotsu, Masutake; Fukano, Yoshitaka

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 9 Pages, 2017/04

Since safety measures against severe accidents (SAs) such as a long-term station blackout (SBO) are required for Japanese prototype fast breeder reactor Monju, a validation is necessary for the plant dynamics code during SBO. In order to take into account the phenomena in natural circulation: a heat transfer among subassemblies and a flow redistribution, a whole core model has been developed for the plant dynamics code, Super-COPD. This model has been validated by test results of natural circulation in actual facility. In this study, this whole core model was applied to Monju core to evaluate safety measures against SBO, and the pressure loss model of Monju was validated by comparing with results of the plant trip test from the power of 40%. In addition, an analysis was conducted for SBO to investigate the applicability of this model to Monju. The applicability of this model was confirmed by comparing with analytical results using the model without heat transfer between assemblies.

Design of test methods for remotely operated robots utilized for decommissioning tasks

Kawabata, Kuniaki; Tanifuji, Yuta; Mori, Fumiaki; Shirasaki, Norihito

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 4 Pages, 2017/04

This paper describes to develop test methods for evaluation of remotely operated robots and operator proficiency for nuclear emergency response and decommissioning tasks. We summarized representative robot's behaviors in the actual operations by the time analysis approach. We also examined environmental factors from the view point of the operation efficiency. Based on these examinations, we currently design some modules of the field for testing remotely operated machines. The approach and progress of the test method development are reported.

Development of U and Pu co-processing process; Demonstration of U, Pu and Np Co-recovery with centrifugal contactors

Kudo, Atsunari; Kurabayashi, Kazuaki; Yanagibashi, Futoshi; Sasaki, Shunichi; Sato, Takehiko; Fujimoto, Ikuo; Obu, Tomoyuki

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/04

The Co-processing process is the extraction process to recover Pu/U mixed product solution with given Pu/U ratio for improving of nuclear proliferation resistance. In addition, Np is also recovered with U and Pu because Np is one of minor actinides and a long-lived radionuclide and Np has the extractability into TBP solvent. Development of its flowsheet achieves to decrease environmental effect of waste materials. The orientation of development about Co-processing process is to demonstrate of reprocessing the future spent fuels from a LWR, a LWR-MOX hybrid, and a FR-MOX with one cycle. We demonstrated by use of miniature reflux-type centrifugal contactors at the partitioning unit. The test conditions of the Pu/U ratio in the loaded solvents were 1%, 3%, and 5% considering the composition of spent fuels. We used the HAN as the reductant of Np (VI) for back extraction. The results of these tests were very good. We got the prospect of U, Pu, and Np Co-processing flowsheet.

Comparative study on burnup characteristics of a 1500 MWe metal fuel sodium-cooled fast reactor

Ohgama, Kazuya; Aliberti, G.*; Stauff, N. E.*; Oki, Shigeo; Kim, T. K.*

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2017/04

Development of high-performance monitoring system under severe accident condition

Takeuchi, Tomoaki; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Komanome, Hirohisa*; Miura, Kuniaki*; Ishihara, Masahiro

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/04

After the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi (1F) Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the Japanese Government referred to "Enhancement of instrumentation to identify the status of the reactors and PCVs", in the report of Japanese government to the IAEA ministerial conference in June 2011. In response to these provisions, a research and development of a monitoring system for NPPs situations during severe accidents started in November 2012. The objectives of the R&D are composed of radiation-resistant monitoring camera, radiation-resistant in-water transmission system, and heat-resistant signal cable. For all the three objectives, the elemental technologies have been already developed and now trial system are being fabricated and tested under simulated conditions of severe accidents. The results will enable us to determine the basic specifications of the systems and to provide the information about application limits for users.

Analytical study on safety margins against significant core damage during loss-of-heat-removal-system events in a sodium-cooled fast reactor

Fukano, Yoshitaka

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 9 Pages, 2017/04

Loss-of-heat-removal-system (LOHRS) events are identified as some of most dominant severe accident sequences in a sodium-cooled fast reactor. Safety margins against significant core damage in LOHRS events were therefore studied in this paper assuming large fuel-cladding gap and fuel cladding failure. It was clarified through analyses by the developed code that neither fuel melting nor further mechanical pin failure occurs owing to large fuel-cladding gap and fuel cladding failure. It was therefore concluded that large safety margins against significant core damage are provided during LOHRS events. These results will be effectively used in formulating the safety criteria for severe accidents or beyond-design-basis-accidents as one of the supporting evidences to be seriously considered.

SAS4A analysis study on the initiating phase of ATWS events for generation-IV loop-type SFR

Kubota, Ryuzaburo; Koyama, Kazuya*; Moriwaki, Hiroyuki*; Yamada, Yumi*; Shimakawa, Yoshio*; Suzuki, Toru; Kawada, Kenichi; Kubo, Shigenobu; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 10 Pages, 2017/04

This paper describes an analysis study on the initiating phase of the ATWS events with SAS4A in order to confirm the appropriateness of the core design for the medium-scale SFR (750MWe-1765MWt). Not using a conventional lumping method that multiple fuel sub-assemblies having a similar characteristic were assigned to one channel (representing fuel assembly in SAS4A), each channel represents only the sub-assemblies of identical operating condition. In addition, the detailed power and reactivity distribution were set reflecting the change of insertion position of control rods. Applying these detailed analysis conditions, the SAS4A analyses were performed for unprotected loss-of-flow (ULOF) and unprotected transient overpower (UTOP) during both of the nominal power and the partial power operation. As a result, more proper event progression including incoherency of events especially fuel dispersion after fuel failure was successfully evaluated and then this analysis study suggested that the power excursion with prompt criticality leading to large mechanical energy release can be prevented in the initiating phase of the current design.

Measurement of temperature response of intermediate heat exchanger in heat application system abnormal simulating test using HTTR

Ono, Masato; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Honda, Yuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Tochio, Daisuke; Homma, Fumitaka; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Takada, Shoji

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 5 Pages, 2017/04

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has carried out research and developments towards nuclear heat utilization of High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) using High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). The nuclear heat utilization systems connected to HTGR will be designed on the basis of non-nuclear-grade standards in terms of easier entry for the chemical plant companies and the construction economics of the systems. Therefore, it is necessary that the reactor operations continue even if abnormal events occur in the systems. Heat application system abnormal simulating test with HTTR was carried out in non-nuclear heating operation to focus on the thermal effect in order to obtain data of the transient temperature behavior of the metallic components in the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX). The IHX is the key components to connect the HTTR with the heat application system. In the test, the coolant helium gas temperature was heated up to 120C by the compression heat of the gas circulators in the HTTR under the ideal condition to focus on the heat transfer. The tests were conducted by decreasing the helium gas temperature stepwise by increasing the mass flow rate to the air cooler. The temperature responses of the IHX were investigated. For the components such as the heat transfer tubes and heat transfer enhancement plates of IHX, the temperature response was slower in the lower position in comparison with the higher position. The reason is considered that thermal load fluctuation is imposed in the secondary helium gas which flows from the top to the bottom in the heat transfer tubes of the IHX. The test data are useful to verify the numerical model of the safety evaluation code.

Tradeoff analysis of metal-fueled fast reactor design concepts

Stauff, N. E.*; Ohgama, Kazuya; Aliberti, G.*; Oki, Shigeo; Kim, T. K.*

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 10 Pages, 2017/04

Heat treatment of phosphate-modified cementitious matrices for safe storage of secondary radioactive aqueous wastes in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Irisawa, Keita; Taniguchi, Takumi; Namiki, Masahiro; Garca-Lodeiro, I.*; Osugi, Takeshi; Sakakibara, Tetsuro; Nakazawa, Osamu; Meguro, Yoshihiro; Kinoshita, Hajime*

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/04

A solidification technique with minimized water content is being developed using phosphate cements for the safe storage of secondary radioactive wastes in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Conventional cement systems become solidified via hydration reactions, and need a certain water content. Phosphate cement systems, however, become solidified via an acid-base reaction, and so they only require water mainly for reasons of workability. A reduced water content of phosphate cement systems is beneficial for the immobilization of the radioactive wastes from mitigating the potential to generate hydrogen gas by the radiolysis of water by radioactive wastes. The current study investigated the water content and mineralogy of calcium aluminate cement (CAC) and phosphate-modified CAC (CAP) cured in open systems at 60, 90 and 120 C and in a closed system at 20 C as a reference case. Water contents in both the CAC and the CAP were seen to decrease as curing progressed. For 90 C, the CAP contained less water than CAC. Free water in CAC converted to structural water by heat treatment, but this was not the case for CAP. An orthophosphate hydrate salt, a precursor phase of hydroxyapatite, was found in CAP when cured at 20 and 60 C, and a mixture of the orthophosphate hydrate salt and hydroxyapatite, Ca(PO)(OH), were formed in the CAP when cured at 90 C. Phosphate products in CAP cured at 120 C appears to consist of a different phosphate phase compared with the CAP cured at 20, 60 and 90 C.