Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in the fiscal year 2022 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2023-024, 176 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-024.pdf:22.16MB

This report presents results of the investigations on the distribution-mapping project of radioactive substances owing to TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) conducted in FY2022. Car-borne surveys, a measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data to create their distribution maps, and temporal changes of the air dose rates were analyzed. Surveys on depth profile of radiocesium and in-situ measurements as for radiocesium deposition were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-lives of the temporal changes in the air dose rates and the deposition were evaluated. Score maps to classify the importance of the measurement points were created, and the factors causing changes in the score when monitoring data from multiple years were used were discussed. The range of fluctuation of past tritium concentration data in seawater was determined, and the causes of the fluctuation were discussed. Monitoring data in coastal area performed in 2022 owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan was summarized, and temporal changes in cesium-137 were analyzed. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained maps that integrated air dose rate distribution data acquired through surveys such as car-borne and walk surveys with respect to the region within 80 km from the FDNPS and Fukushima Prefecture. The measurement results for FY2022 were published on the "Database for Radioactive Substance Monitoring Data", and measurement data were stored as CSV format. Radiation monitoring and analysis of environmental samples owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan were carried out.

Precise lifetime measurement of H hypernucleus using in-flight HeH reaction

Akaishi, Takaya; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Tanida, Kiyoshi; 35 of others*

Physics Letters B, 845, p.138128_1 - 138128_4, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2023.138128

Measurement of fragments of a wall-impinging liquid jet in a shallow pool

Horiguchi, Naoki; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Kaneko, Akiko*; Abe, Yutaka*

Proceedings of 12th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS12) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2022/10

For safety evaluation of nuclear reactors in severe accidents, it is important to estimate physical quantities of fragments generated from the molten fuel jet, which falls in a pool and breaks up. The evaluation method has been developed for the behavior as liquid jet with hydrodynamic interaction including fuel coolant interaction (FCI). In case of a shallow pool assumed in ex-vessel, the molten fuel jet is assumed to behave as wall-impinging liquid jet and to form liquid film flow spreading on the floor with/without fragmentation. In our research, focusing on hydrodynamic interaction and the transient 3-dimensional spreading on the floor, we have developed the evaluation method by numerical simulation using the two-phase flow simulation code with interface tracking method (TPFIT) developed by JAEA and, the experimental method using the 3D-LIF method in liquid-liquid system for the validation data. In our previous studies, we investigated the wall-impinging liquid jet behavior with fragmentation and observed that the liquid film flow had some characteristic parts transiently. Since it indicates that the quantities change depending on the parts and affect the safety evaluation, it is important to measure the quantities of the fragments generated from each part. This paper explains the measurement of the physical quantities of the fragments generated from each part of the wall-impinging liquid jet in a shallow pool for the validation of the numerical simulation. We conducted an experiment with the 3D-LIF method and segmented the experimental data based on the fragmentation point over the liquid film flow using the dispersed phase tracking method, developed by JAEA. Then, we measured the diameter and amount of the fragments from the segmented experimental data and investigated their changing trend.

The Multiaxial creep-fatigue failure mechanism of Mod. 9Cr-1Mo steel under non-proportional loading; Effect of strain energy on failure lives

Ogawa, Fumio*; Nakayama, Yuta*; Hiyoshi, Noritake*; Hashidate, Ryuta; Wakai, Takashi; Ito, Takamoto*

Transactions of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (Internet), 7(2), p.549 - 564, 2022/06

https://doi.org/10.1007/s41403-021-00279-y

The strain energy-based life evaluation method of Mod. 9Cr-1Mo steel under non-proportional multiaxial creep-fatigue loading is proposed. Inelastic strain energy densities were calculated as the areas inside the hysteresis loops. The effect of mean-stress has been experimentally considered and the relationship between inelastic strain energy densities and creep-fatigue lives was investigated. It was found from the investigation of hysteresis loops, the decrease in maximum stress leads to prolonged failure life, while stress relaxation during strain holding causes strength reduction. The correction method of inelastic strain energy density was proposed considering the effect of maximum stress in hysteresis loop and minimum stress during strain holding, and strain energy densities for uniaxial and non-proportional multiaxial loading were obtained. Based on these results, the mechanisms governing creep-fatigue lives under non-proportional multiaxial loading have been discussed.

Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in the fiscal year 2020 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2021-025, 159 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Technology-2021-025.pdf:46.66MB

This report presents results of the investigations on the distribution-mapping project of radioactive substances owing to TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) conducted in FY2020. Car-borne surveys, a flat ground measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data. Air dose rate distribution maps were created and temporal changes of the air dose rates were analyzed. Regarding radiocesium deposition into the ground, surveys on depth profile of radiocesium and in-situ measurements were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-lives of the temporal changes in the air dose rates and the deposition were evaluated. In the examination of scoring for classifying the importance of measurement points, a score map was created for Fukushima Prefecture and the 80 km zone from the FDNPS, and the factors causing changes in the score when monitoring data from multiple years were used were discussed. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained maps that integrated the air dose rate distribution data obtained from aircraft monitoring, car-borne surveys, and walk surveys with respect to the region within 80 km from the FDNPS and Fukushima Prefecture. The measurement results for FY2020 were published on the "Expansion Site of Distribution Map of Radiation Dose", and measurement data were stored as CSV format. Radiation monitoring and analysis of environmental samples owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan were carried out.

Evaluation of multiaxial low cycle creep-fatigue life for Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel under non-proportional loading

Nakayama, Yuta*; Ogawa, Fumio*; Hiyoshi, Noritake*; Hashidate, Ryuta; Wakai, Takashi; Ito, Takamoto*

ISIJ International, 61(8), p.2299 - 2304, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2020-780

This study discusses the creep-fatigue strength for Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel at a high temperature under multiaxial loading. A low-cycle fatigue tests in various strain waveforms were performed with a hollow cylindrical specimen. The low cycle fatigue test was conducted under a proportional loading with a fixed axial strain and a non-proportional loading with a 90-degree phase difference between axial and shear strains. The low cycle fatigue tests at different strain rates and the creep-fatigue tests at different holding times were also conducted to discuss the effects of stress relaxation and strain holding on the failure life. In this study, two types of multiaxial creep-fatigue life evaluation methods were proposed: the first method is to calculate the strain range using Manson's universal slope method with considering a non-proportional loading factor and creep damage; the second method is to calculate the fatigue damage by considering the non-proportional loading factor using the linear damage law and to calculate the creep damage from the improved ductility exhaustion law. The accuracy of the evaluation methods is much better than that of the methods used in the evaluation of actual machines such as time fraction rule.

Development and implementation of online trainings at ISCN/JAEA

Inoue, Naoko; Noro, Naoko; Kawakubo, Yoko; Sekine, Megumi; Okuda, Masahiro; Hasegawa, Nobuhiko*; Naoi, Yosuke

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (Internet), 10 Pages, 2021/08

Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2020. One of its pillars is capacity building support mainly to Asian countries. 183 trainings were implemented with more than 4,600 participants since its establishment, however, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted in the implementation of the trainings. ISCN/JAEA has started to develop the online trainings since April 2020, and implemented two regional trainings, Physical Protection and State System of Accounting for and Control (SSAC) for IAEA Safeguards in October and November 2020, respectively. The efforts continue in further development of trainings/workshops, including the regional training on Additional Protocol for IAEA Safeguards Agreement Commodity Identification Training, and other two national workshops with foreign instructors. Online training can provide not only training opportunities for those who have difficulty in traveling for security and safety reasons including under the travel restriction by COVID-19 pandemic, but also could serve in making them more effective and efficient, especially by the combination with in-person trainings. The pandemic, as a result, accelerate ISCN/JAEA to develop and implement the online trainings, which key is the international collaboration with the partners including IAEA, DOE/NNSA and Sandia National Laboratories and International Nuclear Nonproliferation and Security Academy (INSA) of the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). This paper will provide the efforts of ISCN/JAEA how to address the online training development and implementation, current status, lesson learned, and future plan.

Operation experience of Tetrode vacuum tubes in J-PARC Ring RF system

Yamamoto, Masanobu; Furusawa, Masashi*; Hara, Keigo*; Hasegawa, Katsushi*; Nomura, Masahiro; Omori, Chihiro*; Shimada, Taihei; Sugiyama, Yasuyuki*; Tamura, Fumihiko; Yoshii, Masahito*

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011022_1 - 011022_6, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011022

A Tetrode vacuum tubes (Thales TH589) are used in the J-PARC ring rf system. The operation has started in 2007, and the total operation time is more than 50,000 hours. There is no tube which reaches the end of life except an initial failure in the 3 GeV synchrotron. TH589 has a thoriated tungsten filament and it is carburized to suppress an evaporation of the thorium. The resistance of the filament decreases through the decarburization process after the filament operation has started. The tube constructor suggests that reduced filament voltage up to 10% compared with the rated value is effective to suppress the decarburization. However, the filament current increases even though the voltage is kept constant due to the resistance reduction, and it is observed that an increment of the power dissipation promotes the decarburization. This means that keeping the filament voltage constant is not enough; keeping the power dissipation constant is necessary to prolong the tube life time, and we employ a procedure to decrease the current regularly.

Evaluation of decreasing trend in air dose rate and ecological half-life within an 80 km range from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, using car-borne survey data measured by KURAMA systems up to 2018

Ando, Masaki; Sasaki, Miyuki; Saito, Kimiaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(12), p.1319 - 1330, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1789008

Air dose rates measured by car-borne surveys within 80 km range of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant using KURAMA systems from 2011 up to 2018 were analyzed, and decreasing trends and ecological half-life were evaluated. The decreasing speed of air dose rates became 0.08 over a period of seven years, indicating a much more rapid decrease than estimated by the physical decay of radiocesium (0.3). The fast components of the ecological half-lives evaluated in entire the evacuation order area were about 2 to 3 y, and were considerably larger than those outside the evacuation order area (0.4 to 0.5 y). To model the acceleration in the decrease of air dose rates observed in evacuation order areas, we modified the bi-exponential curve formula of ecological half-life and introduced the two-group model. The fast decreasing components of the ecological half-life evaluated using the two-group model after 2013 were 0.5 to 1 y, and were much shorter than those up to 2013, at 2 to 3 y.

Proliferation resistance evaluation of an HTGR transuranic fuel cycle using PRAETOR code

Aoki, Takeshi; Chirayath, S. S.*; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 141, p.107325_1 - 107325_7, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107325

The proliferation resistance (PR) of an inert matrix fuel (IMF) in the transuranic nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) of a high temperature gas cooled reactor is evaluated relative to the uranium and plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) NFC of a light water reactor using PRAETOR code and sixty-eight input attributes. The objective is to determine the impacts of chemical stability of IMF and fuel irradiation on the PR. Specific material properties of the IMF, such as lower plutonium content, carbide ceramics coating, and absence of U, contribute to enhance its relative PR compared to MOX fuel. The overall PR value of the fresh IMF (an unirradiated direct use material with a one-month diversion detection timeliness goal) is nearly equal to that of the spent MOX fuel (an irradiated direct use nuclear material with a three-month diversion detection timeliness goal). Final results suggest a reduced safeguards inspection frequency to manage the IMF.