Modeling of the P2M past fuel melting experiments with the FEMAXI-8 code

Mohamad, A. B.; 宇田川 豊

Nuclear Technology, 210(2), p.245 - 260, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2185061

In the Power to Melt and Maneuverability (P2M) project, a simulation exercise on two past power ramp experiments xM3 on medium burn-up rod and HBC4 on high burn-up rod were performed with the fuel performance code FEMAXI-8 to investigate the fuel behavior under high power and high-temperature conditions toward centerline fuel melting. In order to treat fuel melting, empirical melting temperature models have been incorporated into the FEMAXI-8 code. The present analysis gave reasonable predictions not only on cladding deformation but also on the fuel melting behavior of the HBC4 rod, in which the UO liquidus temperature was reached during the transient. On the other hand, model improvement appeared to be needed for a more accurate treatment of fuel melting behavior of the xM3 rod, in which fuel center temperature reached solidus line, whereas may not reached liquidus line. A reasonable agreement of estimated FGR with the measurement suggested that the high temperature FGR at the given conditions are essentially temperature dependent phenomenon: rate-limited primarily by thermally activated elementary processes such as fission gas diffusion.

残留オーステナイトを含有する中Mn複合組織鋼の高速変形特性

興津 貴隆*; 北條 智彦*; 諸岡 聡; 宮本 吾郎*

鉄と鋼, 110(3), p.260 - 267, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.2355/tetsutohagane.TETSU-2023-065

We have investigated the dynamic tensile properties of 4, 5, 6-mass%-Mn-containing low carbon steels with multi-phase microstructures containing retained austenite. The five materials used were classified into two groups. The first group of materials, with around 10% of retained austenite, showed normal strain rete dependence of yield strength (YS) and tensile strength (TS) as in conventional high strength steels. The second group of materials, containing 25-36% of retained austenite, exhibited Lders elongation showed also normal strain rate dependence in YS and flow stress at Lders deformation, but TS varied in a complex manner. Among the second group, in the 4 Mn steel, TS was nearly constant at strain rates below 1 s but increased slightly at higher strain rates. In the 5 and 6 Mn steels, TS once decreased up to the strain rate of 1 or 10 s, and then began to increase at higher strain rates. These behaviors were discussed in terms of temperature rise during plastic deformation causing suppression of martensitic transformation, and thermal stability of retained austenite. In the 4 Mn steel with relatively unstable retained austenite, almost all the austenite transforms regardless of strain rate. In the 5 and 6 Mn steels, where the retained austenite is moderately stable, strain induced transformation of austenite continues up to high plastic strain, providing a good balance of strength and ductility. At high strain rate, TS decreases slightly due to temperature rise, but at higher strain rates than 1 s, the strain rate sensitivity of flow stress in ferrite become prominent and the flow stress increases.

Probing deformation behavior of a refractory high-entropy alloy using neutron diffraction

Zhou, Y.*; Song, W.*; Zhang, F.*; Wu, Y.*; Lei, Z.*; Jiao, M.*; Zhang, X.*; Dong, J.*; Zhang, Y.*; Yang, M.*; et al.

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 971, p.172635_1 - 172635_7, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.172635

The grain orientation-dependent lattice strain evolution of a (TiZrHfNb) refractory high-entropy alloy (HEA) during tensile loading has been investigated using neutron diffraction. The equivalent strain-hardening rate of each of the primary -oriented grain families was found to be relatively low, manifesting the macroscopically weak work-hardening ability of such a body-centered cubic (BCC)-structured HEA. This finding is indicative of a dislocation planar slip mode that is confined in a few single-slip planes and leads to in-plane softening by high pile-up stresses.

Effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on dynamic strain aging and stress corrosion cracking of SUS304 stainless steel under high temperature pressurized water

広田 憲亮; 中野 寛子; 藤田 善貴; 武内 伴照; 土谷 邦彦; 出村 雅彦*; 小林 能直*

The IV International Scientific Forum "Nuclear Science and Technologies"; AIP Conference Proceedings 3020, p.030007_1 - 030007_6, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0192888

沸騰水型原子炉を模擬した高温高圧水中環境下では、溶存酸素量(DO)の変化により動的ひずみ時効(DSA)と粒界型応力腐食割れ(粒界SCC)がそれぞれ発生する。これらの現象の違いを明確に理解するために、その発生メカニズムを整理した。その結果、SUS304ステンレス鋼では、DOが1ppb未満の低濃度では粒内割れによるDSAが発生し、DOが1008500ppbでは表面の酸化膜形成によりDSAは抑制されることがわかった。一方、DOが20000ppbまで上昇すると、皮膜が母材から剥離し、母材の結晶粒界に酸素元素が拡散し、粒界SCCが発生した。これらの結果から、DSAや粒界SCCによるクラック発生を抑制するためには、最適なDO濃度を調整する必要があることが示唆された。

幌延深地層研究計画; 令和5年度調査研究計画

中山 雅

JAEA-Review 2023-019, 70 Pages, 2023/11

JAEA-Review-2023-019.pdf:6.83MB

幌延深地層研究計画は、日本原子力研究開発機構が堆積岩を対象に北海道幌延町で実施しているプロジェクトである。令和5年度は、「令和2年度以降の幌延深地層研究計画」で示した、「実際の地質環境における人工バリアの適用性確認」、「処分概念オプションの実証」、「地殻変動に対する堆積岩の緩衝能力の検証」について、引き続き調査研究を行う。令和5年度に実施する主な調査研究は以下のとおりである。「実際の地質環境における人工バリアの適用性確認」では、国際共同研究DECOVALEX-2023において人工バリア性能確認試験を対象とした連成解析を行い、その結果について異なる解析コードによる解析結果との比較を通じて適用した解析コードの検証を行う。また、声問層に分布する割れ目を対象とした物質移行特性を評価するためのボーリング調査を継続する。「処分概念オプションの実証」では、搬送定置・回収技術の実証として、地下環境におけるコンクリートの劣化に関する試験および分析を継続する。また、閉鎖技術の実証として、350m調査坑道に新たに掘削する試験坑道の周辺を対象とした物理探査を行い、掘削直後における掘削損傷領域の割れ目の連続性や分布などの初期状態を把握するとともに、これまでに開発した物理探査技術の適用性を確認する。「地殻変動に対する堆積岩の緩衝能力の検証」では、過年度に実施した水圧擾乱試験の結果の解析や、岩石の強度・応力状態と断層/割れ目の水理学的連結性との関係に関する解析を継続する。地下施設の建設・維持管理では、掘削工事を再開し、350m調査坑道の拡張を行うとともに、深度500mに向けた立坑の掘削を開始する。国内外の資金や人材の活用に関する取り組みとして幌延国際共同プロジェクトを本格的に実施する。このプロジェクトでは、令和2年度以降の必須の課題のうち、「実際の地質環境における人工バリアの適用性確認」および「処分概念オプションの実証」に関わる3つのタスク(タスクA:物質移行試験、タスクB:処分技術の実証と体系化、タスクC:実規模の人工バリアシステム解体試験)を設定して調査研究を進める。

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.

次世代原子炉が拓く新しい市場(第3章, 第4章, 第5章, 第7章)

上出 英樹; 川崎 信史; 早船 浩樹; 久保 重信; 近澤 佳隆; 前田 誠一郎; 佐賀山 豊; 西原 哲夫; 角田 淳弥; 柴田 大受; et al.

次世代原子炉が拓く新しい市場; NSAコメンタリーシリーズ, No.28, p.14 - 36, 2023/10

高速炉、高温ガス炉を始めとする次世代原子炉の開発が進み、日本を含む世界の電力あるいは熱利用など産業利用の市場への貢献が目前となっている。ここでは、世界の動向を含め日本の開発状況についてまとめ、特に第4世代原子力システム国際フォーラム(GIF)の活動ならびに日本の高速炉、高温ガス炉、世界のSMRについて開発の現状を解説した。

In situ transmission electron microscopy observation of melted germanium encapsulated in multilayer graphene

鈴木 誠也; 根本 善弘*; 椎木 菜摘*; 中山 佳子*; 竹口 雅樹*

Annalen der Physik, 535(9), p.2300122_1 - 2300122_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1002/andp.202300122

Germanene is a two-dimensional (2D) germanium (Ge) analogous of graphene, and its unique topological properties are expected to be a material for next-generation electronics. However, no germanene electronic devices have yet been reported. One of the reasons for this is that germanene is easily oxidized in air due to its lack of chemical stability. Therefore, growing germanene at solid interfaces where it is not oxidized is one of the key ideas for realizing electronic devices based on germanene. In this study, the behavior of Ge at the solid interface at high temperatures was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To achieve such in situ heating TEM observation, we fabricated a graphene/Ge/graphene encapsulated structure. In situ heating TEM experiments revealed that Ge like droplets moved and coalesced with other Ge droplets, indicating that Ge remained as a liquid phase between graphene layers at temperatures higher than the Ge melting point.

Hierarchical Bayesian modeling to quantify fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 濱口 修輔*; 高田 孝*; 宇田川 豊

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 411, p.112443_1 - 112443_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112443

For realizing a highly reliable fracture limit evaluation of fuel cladding tubes during loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) in light-water reactors, we developed a method to quantify the fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes. This method employs a hierarchical Bayesian model that can quantify uncertainty even with limited experimental data. The fracture limit uncertainty was quantified as a probability using the amount of oxidation (Equivalent cladding reacted: ECR) and the initial hydrogen concentration (the hydrogen concentration in the fuel cladding tubes before the LOCA-simulated tests) as explanatory variables. We divided the regression coefficients of this model into a hierarchical structure with an overall average term common to all types of fuel cladding tubes and a term representing differences among various types of fuel cladding tubes. This hierarchical structure enabled us to quantify the fracture limit uncertainty through the effective use of prior knowledge and data, even for high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes with a small number of data points. The fracture limits representing a 5% fracture probability with 95% confidence of the high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes evaluated by the hierarchical Bayesian model were higher than 15% ECR for the initial hydrogen concentrations of up to 700-900 wtppm and restraint loads below 535 N. These fracture limits were comparable to the limit of the unirradiated Zircaloy-4 cladding tube, indicating that the burnup extension and use of the advanced fuel cladding tubes do not significantly lower the fracture limit of fuel cladding tubes. Further, we proposed a method to reduce the fracture limit uncertainty by using non-binary data, instead of the binary data, depending on the condition of the fuel cladding tube specimens after performing the LOCA-simulated test, thereby increasing the amount of information in the data.

Impact of MOX fuel use in light-water reactors; Long-term radiological consequences of disposal of high-level waste in a geological repository

三成 映理子*; 樺沢 さつき; 三原 守弘; 牧野 仁史; 朝野 英一*; 中瀬 正彦*; 竹下 健二*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(7), p.793 - 803, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2146016

As a series of studies to evaluate impact of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in light-water reactors (LWRs), post-closure long-term safety for various vitrified high-level radioactive waste (HLW) arising from the different fuel cycle intends to recycle Pu are examined. In this study, four fuel cycle scenarios with different ratio of spent MOX generated and two reprocessing options for each fuel cycle scenario are considered. One reprocessing option considers disposal of vitrified HLW generated separately from the reprocessing of spent UO fuel and MOX fuel (separated HLW), and the other is blended vitrified UO-MOX HLW (blended HLW) generated during reprocessing whereby MOX spent fuel is diluted by UO spent fuel. First, the radionuclide inventories of those vitrified HLWs are discussed. Next, radionuclide migration analyses for geological disposal of those vitrified HLWs are evaluated. It has revealed that the disposal of blended HLW will not have an adverse effect on the long-term radiological impact compared to separated HLW. Results of this study can be used as a basis for considering the blending option as a viable alternative approach in the future for managing MOX fuel used in light-water reactors.