First demonstration of a single-end readout position-sensitive optical fiber radiation sensor inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station based on wavelength-resolving analysis

寺阪 祐太; 佐藤 優樹; 瓜谷 章*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1062, p.169227_1 - 169227_6, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169227

We have developed a new position-sensitive optical fiber radiation sensor that achieves single-end readout and high dose rate application. The sensor determines the incident position of radiation on the optical fiber by using the wavelength dependency of light attenuation within the fiber. Through the analysis of the output wavelength spectrum from the fiber end, the incident position of radiation on the optical fiber can be inversely estimated using the spectrum unfolding procedure. Using this optical fiber sensor, we conducted a measurement of radiation distribution inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). The actual trend of incident position of radiation was successfully reproduced in a high dose rate area, with a maximum dose rate exceeding 100 mSv/h. This validates the effectiveness of our new position-sensitive optical fiber radiation sensor.

Multi-dimensional characteristics of upward bubbly flows in a vertical large-size square channel

孫 昊旻; 功刀 資彰*; 横峯 健彦*; Shen, X.*; 日引 俊*

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 211, p.124214_1 - 124214_17, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2023.124214

An experiment for upward bubbly flows was conducted in a large square channel. The local void fraction, axial gas velocity, axial liquid velocity, interfacial area concentration, and Sauter mean diameter were measured at three axial locations. Based on the measurement data, the flow characteristics through flow development were investigated. The drift-flux parameters were directly determined from the local measurement data through their definitions. It was found that the distribution parameters and the void fractions could be fairly reproduced by the existing correlations for large circular pipes. Furthermore, the interfacial area concentrations could be predicted by existing correlations with reasonable accuracy.

The Development of a Multiphysics Coupled Solver for Studying the Effect of Dynamic Heterogeneous Configuration on Particulate Debris Bed Criticality and Cooling Characteristics

Li, C.-Y.; Wang, K.*; 内堀 昭寛; 岡野 靖; Pellegrini, M.*; Erkan, N.*; 高田 孝*; 岡本 孝司*

Applied Sciences (Internet), 13(13), p.7705_1 - 7705_29, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137705

For a sodium-cooled fast reactor, the capability for stable cooling and avoiding re-criticality on the debris bed is essential for achieving in-vessel retention when severe accidents occur. However, an unexploited uncertainty still existed regarding the compound effect of the heterogeneous configuration and dynamic particle redistribution for the debris bed's criticality and cooling safety assessment. Therefore, this research aims to develop a numerical tool for investigating the effects of the different transformations of the heterogeneous configurations on the debris bed's criticality/cooling assessment. Based on the newly proposed methodology in this research, via integrating the Discrete Element Method (DEM) with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Monte-Carlo-based Neutronics (MCN), the coupled CFD-DEM-MCN solver was constructed with the originally created interface to integrate two existing codes. The effects of the different bed configurations' transformations on the bed safety assessments were also quantitively confirmed, indicating that the effect of the particle-centralized fissile material had the dominant negative effect on the safety margin of avoiding re-criticality and particle re-melting accidents and had a more evident impact than the net bed-centralized effect. This coupled solver can serve to further assess the debris bed's safety via a multi-physics simulation approach, leading to safer SFR design concepts.

Relationship between internal stress distribution and microstructure in a suspension-sprayed thermal barrier coating with a columnar structure

山崎 泰広*; 篠宮 啓介*; 奥村 忠晴*; 鈴木 賢治*; 菖蒲 敬久; 中村 唯我*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 7(2), p.14_1 - 14_12, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs7020014

The suspension plasma spray (SPS) technique has attracted attention because of its various microstructures, which can be achieved by mixing submicron spray particles with a solvent to form a suspension. Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with a columnar structure, which might achieve high strain tolerance, can be obtained using the SPS technique. In this study, the internal stress distribution of the SPS-TBC with different columnar structures was evaluated by hybrid measurement using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis and laboratory low-energy X-rays. The effect of microstructure on the internal stress distribution of the SPS-TBC was discussed on the basis of the experimental results. In addition, the in-plane internal stress was decreased by decreasing the column diameter. The thin columnar microstructure of the SPS-TBC has superior strain tolerance. The internal stresses in the column of the SPS-TBC are periodic decrements caused by stress relaxation in porous layers.

LASSO reconstruction scheme to predict radioactive source distributions inside reactor building rooms; Practical applications

町田 昌彦; Shi, W.*; 山田 進; 宮村 浩子; 吉田 亨*; 長谷川 幸弘*; 岡本 孝司; 青木 勇斗; 伊藤 倫太郎; 山口 隆司; et al.

Proceedings of Waste Management Symposia 2023 (WM2023) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2023/02

In order to find radioactive hot spots inside reactor building rooms from structural data together with air dose rate measurement data, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) has been recently suggested as a promising scheme. The scheme has been examined in simplified room models and its high estimation feasibility has been confirmed by employing Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) as a radiation simulation code. In this paper, we apply the scheme to complex room models inside real reactor buildings. The target rooms are pool canal circulation system room and main circulation system room in Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR) at Oarai area, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). In these real rooms, we create STL format structural data based on Computer Aided Design (CAD) models made directly from their point group data measured by laser scanning devices, and we notice that the total number of their surface meshes in these real rooms reaches to the order of 1 million. Then, this order of the mesh number clearly indicates that one needs a simplified radiation simulation code considering only direct transmission of gamma ray as a radiation calculation instead of PHITS demanding high computational costs. By developing such a simplified code and customizing it to perform LASSO scheme, we consequently confirm that LASSO scheme driven by the simplified simulation can also successfully predict unknown radioactive hot spots on real structural models.

Calculation of shutdown gamma distribution in the high temperature engineering test reactor

Ho, H. Q.; 石井 俊晃; 長住 達; 小野 正人; 島崎 洋祐; 石塚 悦男; 後藤 実; Simanullang, I. L.*; 藤本 望*; 飯垣 和彦

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 396, p.111913_1 - 111913_9, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2022.111913

Estimation of decay gamma distribution in a reactor core is essential for safely conducting various works after reactor shutdown such as periodic maintenance, shuffling fuel, removing spent fuel at the end of cycle, etc. Because of the dependency on the complex operating history of the reactor, attempting to calculate the decay gamma rays distribution in the core remains a challenge. This study showed a method to calculate the shutdown gamma distribution in the HTTR core by coupling a Monte-Carlo transport calculation code MCNP6 and an activation code ORIGEN2 to take advantage of spatial dependence and transportation abilities of MCNP6 and the detailed fission products tracking during burnup and cooling of ORIGEN2. As result, the three-dimensional shutdown gamma distribution in the HTTR core for different cooling times and spatial locations could be obtained accurately.

Recent studies on fuel properties and irradiation behaviors of Am/Np-bearing MOX

廣岡 瞬; 横山 佳祐; 加藤 正人

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2022/04

Am/Np含有MOXの物性測定を行い、それらの物性がどのように照射挙動に影響するか評価した。Am/NpがUと置き換わるとMOX全体の酸素ポテンシャルが上昇する傾向が得られた。また、MOX中のUとPu、UとAm、UとNpの相互拡散係数を、拡散対を用いた試験により評価した結果、拡散係数はU-Am、U-Pu、U-Npの順に大きく、また、O/M=2のときの拡散係数はO/M2の場合と比べると数桁大きいことが明らかとなった。照射中のポアの中心への移動は、ポア内で起こる物質の蒸発と凝縮が原因であると考えられている。Am/Npの含有によりMOX全体の酸素ポテンシャルが高くなることは、ポア内の、特にUOの蒸気圧を高くし、ポア移動を促進する効果につながると考えられる。また、アクチニド元素の再分布においてもポアの移動に伴う拡散現象が一つの要因として考えられており、相互拡散係数が大きいほど再分布も速い。得られた物性値は温度や酸素分圧の関係式としてモデル化することで、照射挙動解析コードに反映することが可能となった。

An Investigation on the control rod homogenization method for next-generation fast reactor cores

滝野 一夫; 杉野 和輝; 大木 繁夫

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 162, p.108454_1 - 108454_7, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108454

A Japanese next-generation fast reactor core design adopts the reaction rate ratio preservation (RRRP) method for control rod homogenization with a super-cell model in which a control rod is surrounded by fuel assemblies. An earlier study showed that the RRRP method with the conventional super-cell model could estimate the control rod worth (CRW) of a 750-MWe large fast reactor core within the analytical uncertainty of 1.5%. The estimation of radial power distribution (RPD) tends to have relatively large analytical uncertainty especially for large fast reactor cores with the control rods inserted. In order to eliminate the radially-dependent analytical uncertainty of CRW and RPD, this study evaluated and refined the surrounding fuel assemblies of the super-cell model for all control rods in the RRRP method. This refinement significantly decreased the radially-dependent analytical uncertainty: the analytical uncertainty of CRW and RPD were reduced to less than 0.13% and 0.35%, respectively.

Coherent eddies transporting passive scalars through the plant canopy revealed by Large-Eddy simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method

渡辺 力*; 高木 毬衣*; 下山 宏*; 川島 正行*; 小野寺 直幸; 稲垣 厚至*

Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 181(1), p.39 - 71, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-021-00633-1

速度場とスカラー場に対する二つの分布関数を用いた格子ボルツマン法を用いて、植生キャノピー内およびその上部における、パッシブスカラを含む流れのラージエディ・シミュレーションを実施した。植物キャノピーが分散型シンクとして機能するトップダウンスカラーの場合、キャノピー上面のスカラー流束は、はるか上方から発生するキャノピーへ侵入する流れ(スイープ)により決定される。一方で、キャノピーからスカラーが放出される現象は、キャノピー上部で発生する渦により引き起こされる。本論文では、この様な渦の発生は、キャノピー上方からの大規模なスイープと、キャノピー内部の幅広い範囲での放出現象が接近することで引き起こされることを明らかとした。

令和元年度工務技術部年報

工務技術部

JAEA-Review 2021-011, 86 Pages, 2021/08

JAEA-Review-2021-011.pdf:5.35MB

工務技術部は、原子力科学研究所及びJ-PARC の水、電気、蒸気、排水等のユーティリティ施設、原子炉施設及び核燃料物質取扱施設内の特定施設(受変電設備、非常用電源設備、気体・液体廃棄設備、圧縮空気設備)並びに一般施設内の機械室設備の運転、保守管理を担っている。さらに、建物・設備の補修・改修工事及び点検・整備業務、電子装置及び機械装置の工作業務を行ってきた。本報告書は、令和元年度の工務技術部の業務実績の概況、主な管理データ及び技術開発の概要を記録したものであり、今後の業務の推進に役立てられることを期待する。