Development of technology to simultaneously measure viscosity and surface tension of molten materials in reactor core (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Osaka University*

JAEA-Review 2021-046, 77 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Review-2021-046.pdf:2.92MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2020. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of technology to simultaneously measure viscosity and surface tension of molten materials in reactor core" conducted from FY2018 to FY2020. Since the final year of this proposal was FY2020, the results for three fiscal years were summarized. Since (U, Zr)O and boride, molten materials in reactor core, exist at extremely high temperature, chemical reactions between the vessel and these molten materials are unavoidable. Therefore, it is difficult to measure the thermophysical property of these materials. In the present study, droplets are produced by heating and melting the samples levitated by a gas levitation method, then the droplets are collided with a substrate.

Preventing nuclear fuel material adhesion on glove box components using nanoparticle coating

Segawa, Tomoomi; Kawaguchi, Koichi; Ishii, Katsunori; Suzuki, Masahiro; Tachihara, Joji; Takato, Kiyoto; Okita, Takatoshi; Satone, Hiroshi*; Suzuki, Michitaka*

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 8(3), p.21-00022_1 - 21-00022_9, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.21-00022

To reduce the hold-up of the nuclear fuel materials in the glove box and the external exposure dose, the technology of the MOX powder adhesion prevention by the nanoparticle coating to the acrylic panels of the glove box has been developed. The surface analysis by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the acrylic test piece surface coated with nanoparticles had a higher root mean square roughness value than that non-coated with nanoparticles. Due to the formation of nano-sized tiny rugged surface, the nanoparticle coating reduced the minimum adhesion force between the UO particles and the acrylic test piece surface with the smallest particle size of about 5 m where desorption was observed, by about one-tenth. Moreover, the nanoparticle coating reduced the amount of the MOX powder adhering to the acrylic test piece to about one-tenth. In this study, it was found that applying the nanoparticle coating to the acrylic panels of glove box can prevent the adhesion of nuclear fuel materials. This method is effective for reducing the hold-up of the nuclear fuel materials in the glove box, the external exposure dose and improving the visibility of the acrylic panels.

Evaluation of oxidation efficiency of hydrophobic palladium catalyst for H monitoring in radioactive gaseous waste

Furutani, Misa; Kometani, Tatsunari; Nakagawa, Masahiro; Ueno, Yumi; Sato, Junya; Iwai, Yasunori*

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 55(2), p.97 - 101, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.55.97

Herein, an oxidation catalyst was introduced after heating it to 600C to oxidize tritium gas (HT) existing in exhaust into tritiated water vapor (HTO). This study aims to establish a safer H monitoring system by lowering the heating temperature required for the catalyst. In these experiments, which were conducted in the Nuclear Science Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, cupric oxide, hydrophobic palladium/silicon dioxide (Pd/SiO), and platinum/aluminum oxide (Pt/AlO) catalysts were ventilated using standard hydrogen gas. After comparing the oxidation efficiency of each catalyst at different temperatures, we found that the hydrophobic Pd/SiO and Pt/AlO catalysts could oxidize HT into HTO at 25C.

Evaluation of oxidation efficiency of hydrophobic palladium catalyst for C monitoring in gaseous radioactive waste

Ueno, Yumi; Nakagawa, Masahiro; Sato, Junya; Iwai, Yasunori

Hoken Butsuri, 51(1), p.7 - 11, 2016/03

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.51.7

In the Nuclear Science Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in order to oxidize C, which exists in various chemical forms in exhaust, into CO, a copper oxide (CuO) catalyst is introduced after heating to 600C. Our goal was to establish a safer C monitoring system by lowering the heating temperature required for the catalyst; therefore, we developed a new hydrophobic palladium/silicon dioxide (Pd/SiO) catalyst that makes the carrier's surface hydrophobic. In these experiments, catalysts CuO, platinum/aluminum oxide (Pt/AlO), palladium/zirconium dioxide (Pd/ZrO), hydrophobic Pd/SiO, and hydrophilic Pd/SiO were ventilated with standard methane gas, and we compared the oxidation efficiency of each catalyst at different temperatures. As a result, we determined that the hydrophobic Pd/SiO catalyst had the best oxidation efficiency. By substituting the currently used CuO catalyst with the hydrophobic Pd/SiO catalyst, we will be able to lower the working temperature from 600C to 300C and improve the safety of the monitoring process.

Out-of-pile characterization of AlO coating as electrical insulator

Nakamichi, Masaru; Kawamura, Hiroshi

Fusion Engineering and Design, 58-59, p.719 - 723, 2001/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0920-3796(01)00543-9

no abstracts in English

Implantation mode dependence of damage structure depth profiles in AlO irradiated with triple beam of H, He and heavy ions

Katano, Yoshio*; Aruga, Takeo; Yamamoto, Shunya; Nakazawa, Tetsuya; Yamaki, Daiju

Proceedings of 2000 International Conference on Ion Implantation Technology (IIT 2000), p.805 - 808, 2000/00

no abstracts in English

Analyses of ALPHA in-vessel debris coolability experiments with SCDAPSIM code

Hidaka, Akihide; Maruyama, Yu; Ueno, Shingo*; Sugimoto, Jun

JAERI-Conf 99-005, p.49 - 55, 1999/07

https://doi.org/10.11484/jaeri-conf-99-005

no abstracts in English

Electrical conductivity change in single crystal AlO and MgO under neutron and -ray irradiation

Tanifuji, Takaaki; Katano, Yoshio; ; Noda, Kenji

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 253, p.156 - 166, 1998/00

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(97)00310-3

no abstracts in English

Development of divertor high heat flux components at JAERI

; *; Nakamura, Kazuyuki; Akiba, Masato

Proceedings of 17th IEEE/NPSS Symposium Fusion Engineering (SOFE'97), 1, p.385 - 388, 1998/00

no abstracts in English

Comparison of damage growth and recovery in -AlO implanted with vanadium ions

Naramoto, Hiroshi; Aoki, Yasushi; Yamamoto, Shunya; Abe, Hiroaki

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 127-128, p.599 - 602, 1997/00

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-583X(96)01141-X

no abstracts in English