Thinning behavior of solid boron carbide immersed in molten stainless steel for core disruptive accident of sodium-cooled fast reactor

江村 優軌; 高井 俊秀; 菊地 晋; 神山 健司; 山野 秀将; 横山 博紀*; 坂本 寛*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 10 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2287109

Boron carbide (BC)- stainless steel (SS) eutectic reaction behavior is one of the most important issues in the core disruptive accidents (CDAs) of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). In this study, the immersion experiments using BC pellets with molten SS were conducted to evaluate the CDA sequences such as contact event of solid BC with degraded core materials including SS at very high temperature. The immersion experiment aims at understanding the kinetic behavior of solid BC-liquid SS reaction based on the reduced thickness of BC pellet after the experiment in the temperature ranges from 1763 to 1943 K, which is higher than the temperature of solid BC-solid SS reaction. Based on the kinetic consideration of the reaction rate constants for solid BC-liquid SS reaction, it was found that similar temperature dependency was identified between solid BC-liquid SS and solid BC-solid SS. Besides, the reaction rate constants of solid BC-liquid SS were smaller than those of solid BC-solid SS extrapolated in higher temperature region by two or more orders of magnitude due to two different evaluation method for BC side/SS side. It was confirmed that this difference was reasonable through the consideration of previous reaction tests in solid-solid contact for BC side/SS side.

Design of a portable backup shutdown system for the high temperature gas cooled reactor

濱本 真平; Ho, H. Q.; 飯垣 和彦; 後藤 実; 島崎 洋祐; 澤畑 洋明; 石塚 悦男

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 386, p.111564_1 - 111564_8, 2022/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111564

2011年に発生した東日本大震災による福島第一原子力発電所事故の経験から、安全機能の機能喪失に備えることの重要性が明らかになった。事故時であっても機能を失わないように機器の堅牢性を高めることは有効であるが、機能喪失の可能性は残るため、事故を早期に収束させるためには、機能喪失に備えて代替手段を用意しておくことが重要となる。そこで本研究では、高温ガス炉の経済性を損なうことなく、停止機能喪失時の対策をより強固なものにするために、既設の停止装置の代替として可搬型予備停止装置を設計した。本装置は、電力が完全に失われた状態でも動作するように、可搬型で手動で設置することが可能である。また、技術的および費用対効果の観点から、本装置のための様々な中性子吸収材を検討した結果、他の材料と比較して、良好な中性子特性と高い入手性を示す窒化ホウ素を選択した。

Visualization of the boron distribution in core material melting and relocation specimen by neutron energy resolving method

阿部 雄太; 土川 雄介; 甲斐 哲也; 松本 吉弘*; Parker, J. D.*; 篠原 武尚; 大石 佑治*; 加美山 隆*; 永江 勇二; 佐藤 一憲

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011075_1 - 011075_6, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011075

Since the hardness of fuel debris containing boride from BC pellet in control rod is estimated to be two times higher as that of oxide, such as UO and ZrO, distribution of such boride in the fuel debris formed in the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants may affect the process of debris cutting and removal. The high neutron absorption of boron may affect the possibility of re-criticality during the process of debris removal. Therefore, boride distribution in fuel debris is regarded as an important issue to be addressed. However, boron tends to have difficult in quantification with conventionally applied methods like EPMA and XPS. In this study, accelerator-driven neutron-imaging system was applied. Since boron is the material for neutron absorption, its sensitivity in terms of neutron penetration through specimens is concerned. To adjust neutron attenuation of a specimen to suit a particular measurement by selecting the neutron energy range, we focused on the energy resolved neutron imaging system RADEN, which utilizes wide energy range from meV to keV. Development of a method to visualize boron distribution using energy-resolved neutrons has been started. In this presentation the authors show the status of the development of a method utilizing energy-resolved neutrons and provide some outcome from its application to the Core Material Melting and Relocation (CMMR)-0 and -2 specimens.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 2; Thermophysical properties of eutectic mixture containing of high concentration boron in a solid state

高井 俊秀; 古川 智弘; 山野 秀将

Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE2020-16091

Eutectic melting behavior between boron carbide (BC) as control rod material and stainless steel (SS) as structural material and subsequent relocation behavior plays an important role to achieve an in-vessel retention concept which ensures long-term coolability of degraded core under core disruptive accident, because these behaviors are expected to reduce the neutronic reactivity significantly. However, these behaviors have never been simulated in severe accident computer codes before. Since 2016, JAEA has been conducting a research project to develop physical models that describe these behaviors. For the physical models' development, it is necessary to obtain thermophysical properties of SS-BC eutectic mixture with various BC concentration and maintain them as a database. In this work, the density and specific heat of SS-17 mass%BC in a solid state are obtained and compared with these of stainless steel containing 0 and 5 mass%BC.

Preparation, thermoelectric properties, and crystal structure of boron-doped MgSi single crystals

林 慶*; 齋藤 亘*; 杉本 和哉*; 大山 研司*; 林 好一*; 八方 直久*; 原田 正英; 及川 健一; 稲村 泰弘; 宮崎 譲*

AIP Advances (Internet), 10(3), p.035115_1 - 035115_7, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5143839

MgSi is a potential thermoelectric (TE) material that can directly convert waste energy into electricity. In expectation of improving its TE performance by increasing electron carrier concentration, the element boron (B) is doped in MgSi single crystals (SCs). Their detailed crystal structures are definitely determined by using white neutron holography and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) measurements. The white neutron holography measurement proves that the doped B atom successfully substitutes for the Mg site. The SC-XRD measurement confirms the B-doping site and also reveals the presence of the defect of Si vacancy (VSi) in the B-doped MgSi SCs. Regarding TE properties, the electrical conductivity, , and the Seebeck coefficient, S, decreases and increases, respectively, due to the decrease in the electron carrier concentration, contrary to the expectation. The power factor of the B-doped MgSi SCs evaluated from and S does not increase but rather decreases by the B-doping.

Thermophysical properties of stainless steel containing 5 mass%BC in the solid phase

高井 俊秀; 古川 智弘; 山野 秀将

Nuclear Technology, 205(9), p.1164 - 1174, 2019/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1607136

This paper describes evaluation results of thermophysical properties of stainless steel (SS) containing 5 mass% boron carbide (BC) in its solid phase. First, the authors have synthesized SS-BC samples with emphasis on 5 mass%-BC and SS using a hot press method and then evaluated its homogeneity in several ways such as chemical composition analysis, metallographic structure observation, and micro X-ray diffraction (XRD). This study also evaluated the density, specific heat and thermal conductivity of the SS-BC sample and found that the density becomes lower and the temperature dependence of the density decreased as the temperature rose compared to that of grade type 316L stainless steel (SS316L) used as a reactor material. The specific heat became slightly higher than that of SS316L and showed similar temperature dependence up to 1073 K. Unexpectedly, the thermal conductivity became lower than that of SS316L and showed similar temperature dependence up to 1273 K.

Chemical reaction kinetics dataset of Cs-I-B-Mo-O-H system for evaluation of fission product chemistry under LWR severe accident conditions

宮原 直哉; 三輪 周平; 堀口 直樹; 佐藤 勇*; 逢坂 正彦

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(2), p.228 - 240, 2019/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1544939

軽水炉シビアアクシデント時のソースターム評価における核分裂生成物(FP)化学挙動評価モデルを高度化するため、FP化学データベース「ECUME」の初版を構築した。ECUMEには、代表的な事故シーケンスにおける主要な化学反応と、その実効的な化学反応速度定数を実装する計画である。初版においては、300-3000Kの温度領域におけるCs-I-B-Mo-O-H系の主要化学種に対し、それらの生成に係る化学反応の速度定数を文献調査または第一原理に基づく理論計算によって整備した。構築した化学反応データセットを用いた解析の一例として化学反応解析を実施した結果、1000Kにおいて有意な化学反応速度の効果が見られた。また、平衡に至った後の化学組成を化学平衡計算の結果と比較したところ、代表的なCs-I-B-Mo-O-H系化学種に対して良く整合する結果が得られた。これらの結果から、構築したデータセットは、速度論の考慮が必要なシビアアクシデント時のCs-I-B-Mo-O-H系FP化学挙動評価のために有用であるとの結論を得た。

Thermophysical properties of stainless steel containing 5mass%-BC in the solid phase

高井 俊秀; 古川 智弘; 山野 秀将

Proceedings of 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) (CD-ROM), p.1007 - 1013, 2018/04

This study describes estimation results of thermophysical properties of stainless steel containing 5mass% boron carbide (5mass%BC-SS) in the solid state. 5mass%BC-SS eutectic sample was synthesized using a hot press method. Homogeneity of the sample was evaluated by chemical composition analysis, metal structure observation, and micro X-ray diffraction (XRD). Specific gravity and specific heat were evaluated up to 1000C. These measurements proved that the specific gravity in our sample was lowered and the temperature dependence of the specific gravity, along with the elevation of temperature, became gradual compared to that of grade type 316L stainless steel (SUS316L) used as a reactor material by addition of BC. The specific heat became slightly higher than that of SUS316L by addition of BC and showed similar temperature dependence up to 800C.

Examination of I and Cs releases during late phase of Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident by using I/Cs ratio of source terms evaluated reversely by WSPEEDI code with environmental monitoring data

日高 昭秀; 横山 裕也

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 54(8), p.819 - 829, 2017/08

AA2016-0500.pdf:0.44MB

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1323691

福島第一原子力発電所事故の評価では、炉内事象と環境モニタリング測定との結びつきの議論が重要であるが、事故から6年近く経過した現在でも、両者の事象を統合的に扱った研究は必ずしも進んでいない。WSPEEDIコードと環境モニタリングデータから逆算で詳細化されたI/Cs比に基づき、福島事故後期における原子炉建家等の地下汚染水からの気液分配に基づくI放出量を再評価するとともに、これまで検討が行われなかったCs放出挙動に関して化学形や放出機構等について検討した。原子炉建屋等の地下汚染水からのI放出量に関する再評価では、全ソースタームに対する地下汚染水からのI放出の寄与分は約10%となった。また、3/213/23及び3/303/31のI放出量に対するCs放出量の超過は、炉心冷却水がわずかに不足したことに伴う炉心温度の再上昇により、制御材を起源として生成するCsBOの放出でほぼ説明できる見通しを得た。

Basic visualization experiments on eutectic reaction between boron carbide and stainless steel under sodium-cooled fast reactor conditions

山野 秀将; 鈴木 徹; 神山 健司; 工藤 勇*

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Next Generation Nuclear Systems for Sustainable Development (FR-17) (USB Flash Drive), 11 Pages, 2017/06

本報は、我が国で設計されている第4世代ナトリウム冷却高速炉(750MWe級)における炉心損傷事故での溶融炉心の炭化ホウ素(BC)とステンレス鋼(SS)の共晶反応及び移動挙動の重要性を示すとともに、それらの挙動に着目した1500Cを超える高温条件下での可視化基礎実験について発表する。まず、予想される挙動を考慮して厳密摂動計算ツールを用いて反応度推移を計算し、BC-SS共晶生成物移動挙動が大きな不確かさを持っており反応度推移のうえで重要であることを示した。この挙動を明らかにするため、高温加熱炉の中に溶融SSをBCペレットに接触させ、その反応を可視化する基礎実験を実施した。その実験により、共晶反応を可視化するとともに、固化した試験体の上部で密度分離によりBC-SS共晶生成物が固化・移動した様子が示された。