Proposal of a neutron transmutation doping facility for n-type spherical silicon solar cell at high-temperature engineering test reactor

Ho, H. Q.; Honda, Yuki; Motoyama, Mizuki*; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Ishii, Toshiaki; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 135, p.12 - 18, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.01.005

Calculation of fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients for the operational quantity proposed by ICRU RC26

Endo, Akira

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 175(3), p.378 - 387, 2017/07

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncw361

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) has been discussing to propose a new system of the operational quantities for external radiations based on protection quantities. The aim of this study is to provide a set of conversion coefficients for use in defining personal dose equivalent for individual monitoring. Fluence-to-effective dose conversion coefficients have been calculated for photons, neutrons, electrons, positrons, protons, muons, pions and helium ions for various incident angles of radiations. The data sets comprise effective dose conversion coefficients for incident angles of radiations from 0 to 90 in steps of 15 and at 180. Conversion coefficients for rotational, isotropic, superior hemisphere semi-isotropic and inferior hemisphere semi-isotropic irradiations are also included. The conversion coefficients are used to define the operational quantity personal dose equivalent which is being considered by ICRU and utilized for the design and calibration of dosemeters.

Spectrum-dose conversion operator of NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors for air dose rate measurement in contaminated environments

Tsuda, Shuichi; Saito, Kimiaki

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 166(Part 3), p.419 - 426, 2017/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.02.008

Air dose rate monitoring in the environment has been performed since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident happened. In the measurement, NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors are used, which are usually used in nuclear power plants and calibrated in a uniform irradiation condition in a radiation calibration field. In general, however, the detector responses are dependent on incident direction and in reality, the incident direction of the photons is not uniform in the environment. In this study, to evaluate the dependence of dose on the photon incident direction, the spectrum - dose conversion operator (G(E) function) for air kerma in a semi-infinite radiation field were obtained using the PHITS code for commonly used NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl) scintillation detectors. The results indicate that the commonly used scintillation detectors overestimate the doses by a maximum of 40% for mono-energetic photons but under the real environment, one could obtain the dose in the semi-infinite radiation field within 20%.

Void reactivity evaluation by modified conversion ratio measurements in LWR critical experiments

Yoshioka, Kenichi*; Kikuchi, Tsukasa*; Gunji, Satoshi*; Kumanomido, Hironori*; Mitsuhashi, Ishi*; Umano, Takuya*; Yamaoka, Mitsuaki*; Okajima, Shigeaki; Fukushima, Masahiro; Nagaya, Yasunobu; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(2), p.282 - 293, 2015/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.937781

We have developed a void reactivity evaluation method by using modified conversion ratio measurements in a light water reactor (LWR) critical lattice. Assembly-wise void reactivity is evaluated from the "finite neutron multiplication factor", , deduced from the modified conversion ratio of each fuel rod. The distributions of modified conversion ratio and on a reduced-moderation LWR lattice, for which the improvement of negative void reactivity is a serious issue, were measured. Measured values were analyzed with a continuous-energy Monte Carlo method. The measurements and analyses agreed within the measurement uncertainty. The developed method is useful for validating the nuclear design methodology concerning void reactivity.

Measurements and evaluations of air dose rates around Fukushima, 3; Characteristics of environmental rays and the exposure doses

Saito, Kimiaki; Endo, Akira

Radioisotopes, 63(12), p.585 - 602, 2014/12

https://doi.org/10.3769/radioisotopes.63.585

The article provides the fundamental information necessary for the appropriate evaluation of exposure doses in the environment. The basic characteristics of environmental rays from typical environmental sources are introduced; then, the dose conversion coeffcients for the public at different ages are summarized which were obtained from the simulation considering the basic characteristics of environmental rays. Further, the variations of environmental exposure doses due to a variety of factors, and the relation of exposure doses to measured air dose rates are discussed.

Investigation on Innovative Water Reactor for Flexible Fuel Cycle (FLWR), 1; Conceptual design

Uchikawa, Sadao; Okubo, Tsutomu; Kugo, Teruhiko; Akie, Hiroshi; Nakano, Yoshihiro; Onuki, Akira; Iwamura, Takamichi

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Energy System for Future Generation and Global Sustainability (GLOBAL 2005) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2005/10

no abstracts in English

Experimental identification of spin-parities and single-particle configurations in No and its -decay daughter Fm

Asai, Masato; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Sakama, Minoru*; Ichikawa, Shinichi; Ishii, Tetsuro; Nagame, Yuichiro; Nishinaka, Ichiro; Akiyama, Kazuhiko; Osa, Akihiko; Oura, Yasuji*; et al.

Physical Review Letters, 95(10), p.102502_1 - 102502_4, 2005/09

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.102502

Excited states in Fm fed by the decay of No have been established through - and -electron coincidence spectroscopy using a gas-jet transport system and an on-line isotope separator. The spin-parity of the 124.1 keV level in Fm has been identified on the basis of the measured internal conversion coefficients. The configuration has been assigned to the ground state of No as well as to the 124.1 keV level. It was found that the ground state configuration of No is different from that of lighter isotones.

Advances of study on thermal/hydraulic performance in tight-lattice rod bundles for reduced-moderation water reactors

Onuki, Akira; Takase, Kazuyuki; Kureta, Masatoshi*; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Tamai, Hidesada; Liu, W.; Nakatsuka, Toru; Akimoto, Hajime

Proceedings of 13th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-13) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2005/05

R&D project to investigate thermal-hydraulic performance in tight-lattice rod bundles for Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is started at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute in collaboration with power company, reactor vendors, universities since 2002. The RMWR can attain the favorable characteristics such as effective utilization of uranium resources, multiple recycling of plutonium, high burn-up and long operation cycle, based on matured LWR technologies. The confirmation of thermal-hydraulic feasibility is one of the most important R&D items for the RMWR because of the tight-lattice configuration. In this paper, we will show the R&D plan and describe some advances on experimental and analytical studies. The experimental study is performed mainly using large-scale (37-rod bundle) test facility and the analytical one aims to develop a predictable technology for geometry effects such as gap between rods etc. using advanced 3-D two-phase flow simulation methods. Steady-state and transient critical power experiments are conducted with the test facility (Gap width between rods: 1.3mm and 1.0mm) and the experimental data reveal the feasibility of RMWR.

Electric power flow in a nuclear fusion power plant

Matsukawa, Makoto; Tobita, Kenji; Chikaraishi, Hirotaka*; Sagara, Akio*; Norimatsu, Takayoshi*

Purazuma, Kaku Yugo Gakkai-Shi, 80(7), p.559 - 562, 2004/07

https://doi.org/10.1585/jspf.80.559

Final purpose of the fusion energy development is to utilize the produced fusion power mainly as electric power for the easiness of transmission and conversion. In spite of the type of fusion power plant, large circulating electric power should exist in the plant for the plasma heating, current drive. This paper describes the electric power flow in the nuclear fusion power plants to be built as the DEMO reactor beyond ITER. Here, the necessity of the local energy storage and high efficient converter will be also discussed.

Neutronic study on seed-blanket type reduced-moderation water reactor fuel assembly

Shelley, A.; Kugo, Teruhiko; Shimada, Shoichiro*; Okubo, Tsutomu; Iwamura, Takamichi

JAERI-Research 2004-002, 47 Pages, 2004/03

JAERI-Research-2004-002.pdf:3.08MB

Neutronic study has been done for a PWR-type reduced-moderation water reactor with seed-blanket fuel assemblies to achieve a high conversion ratio, a negative void coefficient and a high burnup by using a MOX fuel. The results of the precise assembly burnup calculations show that the recommended numbers of seed and blanket layers are 15(S15) and 5(B5), respectively. By the optimization of axial configuration, the S15B5 assembly with the seed of 10002 mm high, internal blanket of 150 mm high and axial blanket of 4002 mm high is recommended. In this configuration, the conversion ratio is 1.0 and the core average burnup is 38 GWd/t. The S15B5 assembly can attain the core average burnup of 45 GWd/t by decreasing the height of seed to 5002 mm, however, the conversion ratio becomes 0.97. The void and fuel temperature coefficients are negative for both of the configurations. Effect of metal or T-MOX (PuO+ThO) fuel has been also investigated. Metal improves the conversion ratio but makes the void coefficient worse. T-MOX improves the void coefficient, but decreases the conversion ratio.