Measurement of displacement cross-sections of copper and iron for proton with kinetic energies in the range 0.4 - 3 GeV

Matsuda, Hiroki; Meigo, Shinichiro; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Yoshida, Makoto*; Hasegawa, Shoichi; Maekawa, Fujio; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Nakamoto, Tatsushi*; Ishida, Taku*; Makimura, Shunsuke*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(10), p.1141 - 1151, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1771453

To estimate the structural damages of materials in accelerator facilities, displacement per atom (dpa) is widely employed as a damage index, calculated based on the displacement cross-section obtained using a calculation model. Although dpa is applied as standard, the experimental data of the displacement cross-section for a proton in the energy region above 20 MeV are scarce. Among the calculation models, difference of about factor 8 exist, so that the experimental data of the cross-section are crucial to validate the model. To obtain the displacement cross-section, we conducted experiments at J-PARC. The displacement cross-section of copper and iron was successfully obtained for a proton projectile with the kinetic energies, 0.4 - 3 GeV. The results were compared with those obtained using the widely utilized Norgertt-Robinson-Torrens (NRT) model and the athermal-recombination-corrected (arc) model based on molecular dynamics. It was found that the NRT model overestimates the present displacement cross-section by 3.5 times. The calculation results obtained using with the arc model based on the Nordlund parameter show remarkable agreement with the experimental data. It can be concluded that the arc model must be employed for the dpa calculation for the damage estimation of copper and iron.

Investigation of high-temperature chemical interaction of calcium silicate insulation and cesium hydroxide

Rizaal, M.; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Saito, Takumi*; Osaka, Masahiko; Okamoto, Koji*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(9), p.1062 - 1073, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1755733

The interaction of cesium hydroxide and a calcium silicate insulation material was experimentally investigated at high temperature conditions. A thermogravimetry equipped with differential thermal analysis was used to analyze thermal events in the samples of mixed calcium silicate and cesium hydroxide under Ar-5%H and Ar-4%H-20%H0 with maximum temperature of 1100C. Prior being mixed with cesium hydroxide, a part of calcium silicate was pretreated at high temperature to evaluate the effect of possible structural changes of this material due to a preceding thermal history and also the sake of thermodynamic evaluation to those available ones. Based upon the initial condition (preliminary heat treatment) of calcium silicate, it was found that if the original material consisted of xonotlite (CaSi0(0H)), the endothermic reaction with cesium hydroxide occurred over the temperature range 575-730C meanwhile if the crystal phase of original material was changed to wollastonite (CaSi0), the interaction occurred over temperature range 700-1100C. Furthermore, the X-ray diffraction analyses have indicated on both type of pretreated calsils that regardless of Ar-5%H and Ar-4%H-20%H0 atmosphere, cesium aluminum silicate, CsAlSi0 was formed with aluminum in the samples as an impurity or adduct.

A Linear Equation of characteristic time profile of power in subcritical quasi-steady state

Yamane, Yuichi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(8), p.926 - 931, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1736682

An equation of power in subcritical quasi-steady state has been derived based on one-point kinetics equations for the purpose of utilizing it for the development of timely reactivity estimation from complicated time profile of neutron count rate. It linearly relates power, , to a new variable , which is a function of time differential of the power. It has been confirmed by using one-point kinetics code, AGNES, that the calculated points () are perfectly in a line described by the new equation and that points () calculated from transient subcritical experiments by using TRACY made a line with a slope indicated by the new equation.

Seven-year temporal variation of caesium-137 discharge inventory from the port of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant; Continuous monthly estimation of caesium-137 discharge in the period from April 2011 to June 2018

Machida, Masahiko; Yamada, Susumu; Iwata, Ayako; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Kobayashi, Takuya; Watanabe, Masahisa; Funasaka, Hideyuki; Morita, Takami*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(8), p.939 - 950, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1740809

After direct discharges of highly contaminated water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) from April to May 2011, Kanda suggested that relatively small amounts of run-off of radionuclides from the 1F port into the Fukushima coastal region subsequently continued by his estimation method. However, the estimation period was limited to up to September 2012. Therefore, this paper estimates the discharge inventory up to June 2018. In the missing period, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings have continued efforts to stop the discharge, and consequently, the radionuclide concentration in seawater inside the 1F port has gradually diminished. We show the monthly discharge inventory of Cs up to June 2018 by two methods, i.e., Kanda method partially improved by the authors and a more sophisticated method using Voronoi tessellation reflecting the increase in the number of monitoring points inside the 1 F port. The results show that the former always yields overestimated results compared with the latter, but the ratio of the former to the latter is less than one order of magnitude. Using these results, we evaluate the impact of the discharge inventory from the 1F port into the coastal area and radiation dose upon fish ingestion.

Fatigue crack growth for ferritic steel under negative stress ratio

Yamaguchi, Yoshihito; Hasegawa, Kunio; Li, Y.

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 142(4), p.041507_1 - 041507_6, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4046768

The phenomenon of crack closure is important in the prediction of fatigue crack growth. Several experimental data indicate the closing of fatigue cracks both under negative and positive loads at constant amplitude loading cycles, depending on the magnitude of stress amplitude and stress ratio. Appendix A-4300 of the ASME Code Section XI provides two equations of fatigue crack growth rates expressed by the stress intensity factor range for ferritic steels under negative stress ratio. The boundary of two fatigue crack growth rates is classified with the magnitude of applied stress intensity factor range, in consideration of the crack closure. The boundary value provided by the ASME Code Section XI is validated in this study through an investigation of the influence of the magnitude of the applied stress intensity factor range on crack closure, with the application of fatigue crack growth tests using ferritic steel specimens in air environment at room and high temperatures. Crack closures are obtained as a parameter of stress ratio, and herein, were found to occur at a smaller applied stress intensity factor range, as opposed to the definition given by Appendix A-4300.

Low temperature heat capacity of CsSiO

Suzuki, Eriko; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Osaka, Masahiko; Oishi, Yuji*; Muta, Hiroaki*; Kurosaki, Ken*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(7), p.852 - 857, 2020/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1727374

The low temperature heat capacity of CsSiO, which is one of the cesium chemisorbed compounds onto stainless steel during severe accident of the light water nuclear reactor, was experimentally determined for the first time in the temperature range of 1.9 - 302 K. The experimentally determined heat capacity, (298.15K), and the standard entropy, (298.15K), were 249.4 1.1 J K mol and 322.1 1.3 J K mol, respectively. The standard Gibbs energy of formation of CsSiO at high temperatures, (), were reevaluated by using the presently obtained (298.15K) and the previously reported experimental results of the standard enthalpy of formation, (298.15K), and the standard enthalpy increments at high temperatures, ()- (298.15K).

Remote detection of radioactive hotspot using a Compton camera mounted on a moving multi-copter drone above a contaminated area in Fukushima

Sato, Yuki; Ozawa, Shingo*; Terasaka, Yuta; Minemoto, Kojiro*; Tamura, Satoshi*; Shingu, Kazutoshi*; Nemoto, Makoto*; Torii, Tatsuo

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(6), p.734 - 744, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1720845

Application of multiple -ray detection to long-lived radioactive nuclide determination in environmental samples

Oshima, Masumi*; Goto, Jun*; Haraga, Tomoko; Kin, Tadahiro*; Ikebe, Yurie*; Seto, Hirofumi*; Bamba, Shigeru*; Shinohara, Hirofumi*; Morimoto, Takao*; Isogai, Keisuke*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(6), p.663 - 670, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1710614

Gamma-gamma coincidence measurement utilized in -ray spectroscopy experiments is well known to be effective for the improvement of signal-to-noise ratio in a -ray spectrum. We study its applicability to determination of long-lived radioactive nuclides in environmental samples. The -ray simulation code Geant 4.10.2 was used. We took up 35 nuclides which need to be determined for the evaluation of fission product leakage at the nuclear accident in the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Among them five nuclides of Co, Nb, Cs, Eu and Eu can be the objectives of the multiple -ray detection method. The simulation results indicate that the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved by a factor between 9.8 and 283, and the detection limit by a factor between 2.7 and 8.5 relative to the singles measurement, implying that the method can be well applied to the determination of the long-lived radioactive nuclides.

Application scope of limit load criterion for ductile material pipes with circumferentially external cracks

Hasegawa, Kunio; Li, Y.; Lacroix, V.*; Mares, V.*

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 142(3), p.031506_1 - 031506_7, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4046055

Bending stress at plastic collapse for a circumferentially cracked pipe is predicted by limit load criterion provided by the Appendix C of the ASME Code Section XI. The equation of the Appendix C is applicable for pipes with both external and internal surface cracks. On the other hand, the authors have developed a more precise equation. From the comparison of Appendix C equation and the new equation, the plastic collapse stress estimated by the Appendix C equation gives less conservative bending capacity prediction for external cracked pipes with thick wall thickness and large crack angle. This paper discusses the limitation scope to use the limit load criterion of the Appendix C equation.

Water leakage due to the welding defect and improvement to reach 1-MW beam operation in the mercury target of J-PARC

Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Wakui, Takashi; Naoe, Takashi; Haga, Katsuhiro; Takada, Hiroshi; Futakawa, Masatoshi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(5), p.487 - 494, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1715899

Neutron flux per pulse reached world record at neutron source in the J-PARC. In the J-PARC, mercury target system is used as a spallation neutron source. A target vessel has the multi-walled protection system that comprises a mercury vessel enclosed with a double-walled water shroud. This is to prevent the leakage of the mercury outside the mercury vessel. The multi-walled structure needed to be complicated with a lot of welding lines. However, during the operation, we faced an unscheduled shutdown due to water leakage to the intermediate layer between the mercury vessel and water shroud. An investigation on the cause of the leakage was carried out. It is deduced that the leakage path was formed due to the crack propagation from welding defects that is caused by the complicated multi-walled structure. The crack propagation is attributed to the repeated stress by pressure waves generated in the mercury target. Based on the investigation results, the design was improved to remove the welding line on the complicated structure and to realize the stable operation with 1 MW proton beam.