Field-induced insulator-metal transition in EuTe

竹内 徹也*; 本多 史憲*; 青木 大*; 芳賀 芳範; 木田 孝則*; 鳴海 康雄*; 萩原 政幸*; 金道 浩一*; 軽部 皓介*; 播磨 尚朝*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 93(4), p.044708_1 - 044708_10, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.93.044708

Electrical and magnetic properties of divalent europium antiferromagnet EuTe are studied on single crystals grown from Te-flux method. Antiferromagnetism occurs at 11 K with an insulating ground state. Application of magnetic field induces a sudden resistance drop leading to a phase transition to metallic state. Energy band calculations reveal the appearance of a Fermi surface pocket with Te-5p character induced by the polarized Eu moments.

An Analytical model to decompose mass transfer and chemical process contributions to molecular iodine release from aqueous phase under severe accident conditions

Zablackaite, G.; 塩津 弘之; 城戸 健太朗; 杉山 智之

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 56(2), p.536 - 545, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.10.030

Radioactive iodine is a representative fission product to be quantified for the safety assessment of nuclear facilities. In integral severe accident analysis codes, the iodine behavior is usually described by a multi-physical model of iodine chemistry in aqueous phase under radiation field and mass transfer through gas-liquid interface. The focus of studies on iodine source term evaluations using the combination approach is usually put on the chemical aspect, but each contribution to the iodine amount released to the environment has not been decomposed so far. In this study, we attempted the decomposition by revising the two-film theory of molecular-iodine mass transfer. The model involves an effective overall mass transfer coefficient to consider the iodine chemistry. The decomposition was performed by regarding the coefficient as a product of two functions of pH and the overall mass transfer coefficient for molecular iodine. The procedure was applied to the EPICUR experiment and suppression chamber in BWR.

Development of a DDA+PGA-combined non-destructive active interrogation system in "Active-N"

古高 和禎; 大図 章; 藤 暢輔

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(11), p.4002 - 4018, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.07.015

An integrated neutron interrogation system has been developed for non-destructive assay of highly radioactive special nuclear materials, to accumulate knowledge of the method through developing and using it. The system combines a differential die-away (DDA) measurement system for the quantification of nuclear materials and a prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) system for the detection of neutron poisons which disturb the DDA measurements; a common D-T neutron generator is used. A special care has been taken for the selection of materials to reduce the background gamma rays produced by the interrogation neutrons. A series of measurements were performed to test the basic performance of the system. The results show that the DDA system can quantify plutonium of as small as 20~mg and it is not affected by intense neutron background up to 4.2~TBq and gamma ray of 2.2~TBq. As a result of the designing of the combined system as a whole, the gamma-ray background counting rate at the PGA detector was reduced down to s even with the use of the D-T neutron generator. The test measurements show that the PGA system is capable of detecting less than 1~g of boron compound and about 100~g of gadolinium compound in~30 min. This research was implemented under the subsidy for nuclear security promotion of MEXT.

Estimation for mass transfer coefficient under two-phase flow conditions using two gas components

南上 光太郎; 塩津 弘之; 丸山 結; 杉山 智之; 岡本 孝司*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(7), p.816 - 823, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2146015

For proper source term evaluation, we constructed the theoretical model to estimate the mass transfer coefficient of gaseous iodine species under two-phase flow conditions, which complicates the direct experimental measurements. The mass transfer speed is determined by the product of the overall mass transfer coefficient and the interfacial area. By using the ratio of two gas components, the interfacial area, which is an important parameter that is difficult to measure, can be canceled out and the ratio of their overall mass transfer coefficients can be obtained. This ratio is expected to be equal to the ratio of their diffusion coefficients. Therefore, the unknown mass transfer coefficient such as iodine species can be estimated using the diffusion coefficients of two gas components and the reference mass transfer coefficient such as O. We carried out the experiments using the bubble column to confirm this relationship. From the results in this study, we confirmed that the ratio of the overall mass transfer coefficient was in good agreement with the ratio of diffusion coefficient under the bubbly flow conditions. Using this relationship confirmed in this study, we estimated the mass transfer coefficient of I, one of the iodine species.

HTTR1次ヘリウム循環機フィルタの差圧上昇事象,1; 差圧上昇事象の原因調査

根本 隆弘; 荒川 了紀; 川上 悟; 長住 達; 横山 佳祐; 渡部 雅; 大西 貴士; 川本 大樹; 古澤 孝之; 猪井 宏幸; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-005, 33 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Technology-2023-005.pdf:5.25MB

HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) RS-14サイクルの原子炉出力降下において、ヘリウムガス循環機のフィルタ差圧が上昇傾向となった。この原因を調査するため、1次ヘリウム純化設備のガス循環機の分解点検等を実施した結果、ガス循環機内のシリコンオイルミストがチャコールフィルタの性能低下で捕集できなくなり、1次系統に混入したためと推定された。今後は、フィルタ交換を実施するとともに、さらなる調査を進め、再発防止対策を策定する予定である。

Large-eddy simulation on gas mixing induced by the high-buoyancy flow in the CIGMA facility

安部 諭; 柴本 泰照

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(5), p.1742 - 1756, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.01.019

The hydrogen behavior in a nuclear containment vessel is a significant issue when discussing the potential of hydrogen combustion during a severe accident. After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan, we have investigated in-depth the hydrogen transport mechanisms by utilizing experimental and numerical approaches. Computational fluid dynamics is a powerful tool for better understanding the transport behavior of gas mixtures, including hydrogen. This paper describes a large-eddy simulation of gas mixing driven by a high-buoyancy flow. We focused on the interaction behavior of heat and mass transfers driven by the horizontal high-buoyant flow during density stratification. For validation, the experimental data of the Containment InteGral effects Measurement Apparatus (CIGMA) facility were used. With a high-power heater for the gas-injection line in the CIGMA facility, a high temperature flow of approximately 390C was injected into the test vessel. By using the CIGMA facility, we can extend the experimental data to the high temperature region. The phenomenological discussion in this paper help understand the heat and mass transfer induced by the high-buoyancy flow in the containment vessel during a severe accident.

Applicability of differential die-away self-interrogation technique for quantification of spontaneous fission nuclides for fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants

長谷 竹晃; 相樂 洋*; 小菅 義広*; 能見 貴佳; 奥村 啓介

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.460 - 472, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2114958

This paper provides an overview of the applicability of the Differential Die-Away Self-Interrogation (DDSI) technique for quantification of spontaneous fissile nuclides in fuel debris at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants. In this research, massive fuel debris stored in a canister was evaluated, and the void space of the canister was assumed to be filled with water for wet storage and air for dry storage. The composition of fuel debris was estimated based on elements such as the inventory in the reactor core and operation history. The simulation results show that for wet storage, the DDSI technique can properly evaluate the neutron leakage multiplication and quantify spontaneous fissile nuclides with a total measurement uncertainty (TMU) of approximately 8%. For dry storage, the known-alpha technique, which was previously established, can be applied to quantify spontaneous fissile nuclides with a TMU of approximately 4%. In both cases, the largest uncertainty factor is the variation in water content in the canister. In the case of wet storage, the uncertainty could be significantly increased in cases where the fuel debris is extremely unevenly distributed in the canister.

事故時の原子炉圧力容器及び炉内構造物の解析評価に用いる強度特性データ集

下村 健太; 山下 拓哉; 永江 勇二

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-012, 270 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-012.pdf:38.25MB

発電用原子炉である軽水炉において、東京電力ホールディングス株式会社福島第一原子力発電所と同様な全交流電源喪失が発生した場合には、原子炉圧力容器(RPV: Reactor Pressure Vessel)内の冷却機能の喪失、炉内の水位低下による燃料棒の露出、炉心溶融に伴うRPVの破損やRPV破損に伴う炉内の放射線物質の漏えいが発生することが考えられる。事故進展におけるRPVの損傷、溶融した燃料デブリの流出・拡大等の過程を検証、推定することは、廃炉作業を進める上で重要な情報となる。RPVの破損要因については、RPV下部構造部に加えられる荷重・拘束に起因する破損(力学的破損)、低融点金属や高融点酸化物とRPV底部の構造部材との共晶現象による破損(材料間反応による破損)、RPV底部の構造部材の融点近傍での破損が考えられる。破損要因の内、力学的破損については、数値解析(熱流動解析及び構造解析)により検証を行う。このような数値解析を実施する際には、RPV及び炉内構造物を構成する材料(ジルコニウム,炭化ホウ素,ステンレス鋼,ニッケル合金,低合金鋼等)の融点近傍までの伝熱特性(熱伝導率,比熱,密度)や材料特性(熱膨張係数,ヤング率,ポアソン比,引張,クリープ)が必要となる。本資料においては、公開文献を基に、RPV及び炉内構造物を構成する各材料の融点近傍までの母材の特性データをデータ集として取りまとめた。なお、RPV及び炉内構造物を構成する構造物の中には溶接部も存在するため、今回限られたデータであるが、溶接部に関する特性データも併せて示した。

A 3D particle-based simulation of heat and mass transfer behavior in the EAGLE ID1 in-pile test

Zhang, T.*; 守田 幸路*; Liu, X.*; Liu, W.*; 神山 健司

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 179, p.109389_1 - 109389_10, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109389

The ID1 test was the final target test of the EAGLE experimental framework program. It was used to verify that during a core disruptive accident, the molten fuel could be discharged via wall failure of an inner duct in FAIDUS, a design concept for the sodium-cooled fast reactor. The ID1 results revealed that the wall failure behavior owed to the large heat flow from the surrounding fuel/steel mixture. The present study numerically investigated the heat transfer mechanisms in the test using the finite volume particle method in the three-dimensional domain. The thermal hydraulic behaviors during wall failure were reproduced reasonably. The present three-dimensional simulation mitigated inherent defects of our previous two-dimensional calculation and clarified that the solid fuel and liquid steel close to the outer surface of the duct can expose the duct to high thermal loads, resulting in the wall failure.

First observation of the de Haas-van Alphen effect and Fermi surfaces in the unconventional superconductor UTe

青木 大*; 酒井 宏典; Opletal, P.; 常盤 欣文; 石塚 淳*; 柳瀬 陽一*; 播磨 尚朝*; 仲村 愛*; Li, D.*; 本間 佳哉*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 91(8), p.083704_1 - 083704_5, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.91.083704

de Haas-van Alphen oscillation was successfully observed in an unconventional superconductor UTe using high-quality single crystals. From this observation, Fermi surfaces of this compound were determined to be cylinders elongated along the c-direction, in consistent with theoretical expectation. However, the extremely large cyclotron effective masses ranging 32 to 57 m, in consistent with the electronic specific heat, far exceed calculated values.