Experimental investigation on local flow structures of upward cap-bubbly flows in a vertical large-size square channel

Sun, Haomin; Kunugi, Tomoaki*; Yokomine, Takehiko*; Shen, X.*; Hibiki, Takashi*

Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 154, p.111171_1 - 111171_24, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2024.111171

Evaluation of excavation damaged zones (EDZs) in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL)

Hata, Koji*; Niunoya, Sumio*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Miyara, Nobukatsu*

Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 16(2), p.365 - 378, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2023.05.010

Excavation of underground caverns, such as mountain tunnels and energy-storage caverns, may cause the damages to the surrounding rock as a result of the stress redistribution. In this influenced zone, new cracks and discontinuities are created or propagate in the rock mass. Therefore, it is effective to measure and evaluate the acoustic emission (AE) events generated by the rocks, which is a small elastic vibration, and permeability change. The authors have developed a long-term measurement device that incorporates an optical AE (O-AE) sensor, an optical pore pressure sensor, and an optical temperature sensor in a single multi-optical measurement probe (MOP). Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting R&D activities to enhance the reliability of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) deep geological disposal technology. In a high-level radioactive disposal project, one of the challenges is the development of methods for long-term monitoring of rock mass behavior. Therefore, in January 2014, the long-term measurements of the hydro-mechanical behavior of the rock mass were launched using the developed MOP in the vicinity of 350 m below the surface at the Horonobe Underground Research Center. The measurement results show that AEs occur frequently up to 1.5 m from the wall during excavation. In addition, hydraulic conductivity increased by 2 to 4 orders of magnitude. Elastoplastic analysis revealed that the hydraulic behavior of the rock mass affected the pore pressure fluctuations and caused micro-fractures. Based on this, a conceptual model is developed to represent the excavation damaged zone (EDZ), which contributes to the safe geological disposal of radioactive waste.

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

Sun, Haomin; Kunugi, Tomoaki*; Yokomine, Takehiko*; Shen, X.*; Hibiki, Takashi*

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

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

Effectiveness evaluation methodology of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures at ultra-high temperature

Onoda, Yuichi; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/05

The objective of this study is to develop an effectiveness evaluation methodology of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures at ultra-high temperature by using the failure mitigation technology. At the beginning, to identify the accident sequences having the potential to improve resilience, the characteristics of a next-generation loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) in Japan has been investigated by analyzing the event tree of level-1 and level-2 probabilistic risk assessment. As a result, event sequences of loss of heat removal systems (LOHRS) are identified. The effectiveness of the measures for improving resilience is evaluated by quantifying the reduction rate of core damage frequency before and after the introduction of the measures for improving resilience for all the accident sequences leading to LOHRS. To examine applicability of the developed methodology, a trial evaluation has conducted for a next-generation loop-type SFR in Japan. Through the applicability examined, the method for the effectiveness evaluation was developed successfully. The refinement of the conditional success probability of the measures for improving resilience is the future work.

Preliminary studies of XANES and DFT calculation of Ru extraction by imino-diacetamide and related compounds

Sasaki, Yuji; Nakase, Masahiko*; Kaneko, Masashi; Kobayashi, Toru; Takeshita, Kenji*; Matsumiya, Masahiko*

Analytical Sciences, 5 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44211-023-00453-y

We conducted three field researches on Ru-extraction, XANES, and DFT-calculation. The order of the distribution ratio, D(Ru), from acid, HCl HSO HNO HClO, by MIDOA is studied by XANES spectra, which indicates the valency change of Ru in HCl media and supports the ion pairing extraction of anionic Ru ion and cationic MIDOA. The same extractant trend, NTAamide MIDOA IDOA, due to D values as the energy gap of HOMO and LUMO could be found by DFT calculation, which suggests that the reaction heat has a positive correlation with extractability for extractant.

Development of technology for rapid analysis of strontium-90 with low isotopic abundance using laser resonance ionization (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2022-014, 106 Pages, 2022/08

JAEA-Review-2022-014.pdf:10.42MB

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 for rapid analysis of strontium-90 with low isotopic abundance using laser resonance ionization" conducted from FY2018 to FY2021 (this contract was extended to FY2021). Since the final year of this proposal was FY2021, the results for four fiscal years were summarized. The present study aims to develop a rapid analysis technique for strontium-90 using diode laser-based resonance ionization with elemental and isotopic selectivity. Strontium-90 is one of the major difficult-to-measure nuclides released into the environment due to the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

Flow regime and void fraction predictions in vertical rod bundle flow channels

Han, X.*; Shen, X.*; Yamamoto, Toshihiro*; Nakajima, Ken*; Sun, Haomin; Hibiki, Takashi*

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 178, p.121637_1 - 121637_24, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121637

3D FEM soil-structure interaction analysis for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant considering soil separation and sliding

Ichihara, Yoshitaka*; Nakamura, Naohiro*; Moritani, Hiroshi*; Choi, B.; Nishida, Akemi

Frontiers in Built Environment (Internet), 7, p.676408_1 - 676408_14, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2021.676408

The objective of this study is the improvement of response evaluations of structures, facilities and equipment in evaluation of three-dimensional seismic behavior of nuclear power plant facilities, by three-dimensional finite element method model, including separation and sliding between the soil and the basement walls. To achieve this, simulation analyses of Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant unit 7 reactor building under the 2007 Niigataken-chuetsu-oki earthquake event were carried out. These simulation analyses consider soil-structure interaction using a three-dimensional finite element method model in which the soil and building are three-dimensionally modeled by the finite element method. It is found that basemat uplift is generated on east side of the basemat edge, and this has an important influence on the results. The importance is evidenced by the difference of local response in soil pressure characteristics beneath the edge of basemat, the soil pressure characteristics along the east side of basement wall and the maximum acceleration response at the west end of the embedded surface. Although, in this particular study, basemat uplift, separation and sliding have only a relatively small influence on the maximum acceleration response of embedded surface and the soil pressure characteristics along the basement walls and beneath the basemat, under strong earthquake motion, these influences can be significant, therefore appropriate evaluation of this effect should be considered.

Development of technology for rapid analysis of strontium-90 with low isotopic abundance using laser resonance ionization (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2020-024, 75 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-024.pdf:5.43MB

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 FY2019. 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 for Rapid Analysis of Strontium-90 with Low Isotopic Abundance using Laser Resonance Ionization" conducted in FY2019. In this study, we will develop a rapid analysis technique for strontium-90 using diode laser-based resonance ionization with elemental and isotopic selectivity. Strontium-90 is one of the major difficult-to-measure nuclides released into the environment due to the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Our method is particularly intended for real samples which contain high concentrations of strontium stable isotopes such as marine samples.

Assessment of the probability of aircraft crashing for HTTR

Ono, Masato; Hanawa, Yoshio; Sonobe, Hiroshi; Nishimura, Arashi; Sugaya, Naoto; Iigaki, Kazuhiko

JAEA-Technology 2020-010, 14 Pages, 2020/09

JAEA-Technology-2020-010.pdf:1.74MB

In response to new standard for regulating research and test reactor which is enforced December 18, 2013, it was carried out assessment of the probability of aircraft crashing for HTTR. According to assessment method provided in the Assessment Criteria of the Probability of Aircraft Crashing on Commercial Power Reactor Facilities, assessment was conducted targeting reactor building, spent fuel storage building and cooling tower. As a result, it was confirmed that the probability was 5.9810, which is lower than the assessment criteria 10.