Elucidation of solid particle interfacial phenomena in liquid sodium; Magnetic interactions on liquid metal and solid atoms at the solid interface

Tei, C.; Otaka, Masahiko; Kuwahara, Daisuke*

Chemical Physics Letters, 829, p.140755_1 - 140755_6, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2023.140755

We were able to detect the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal of a liquid sodium clinging to the interface of solid metal particles for the first time. In this study, we confirmed the difference in the relaxation times due to the difference in the interactions between liquid sodium and metal particles suspended in the liquid sodium. It was found that the surface of the micro titanium particles and liquid metallic sodium interact physically, not chemically.

Effect of inner wall cracking on the cavitation bubble formation in the mercury spallation target at J-PARC

Ariyoshi, Gen; Saruta, Koichi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Maeno, Koki*; Li, Y.*; Tsutsui, Kihei*

Proceedings of 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20) (Internet), p.1407 - 1420, 2023/08

https://doi.10.13182/NURETH20-41514

Cavitation damage on a target vessel due to proton beam-induced pressure waves is one of the crucial issues for the pulsed neutron source using a mercury spallation target. As a mitigation technique for the damage, the helium microbubble injection into the mercury has been carried out by using a swirl bubbler in order to utilize compressibility of bubbles. Moreover, double-walled structure, which consists of an outer wall and an inner wall, has been applied as the target head structure. In this study, we aim to develop an abnormality diagnostic technology to detect the inner wall cracking, which is caused by such cavitation damage, from the outside of the target vessel. The mercury flow fields in the case with the cracking are evaluated by computational fluid dynamics analysis based on finite element method. And then, effect of the cracking on the flow field is discussed from the point of view of the flow-induced vibration and the acoustic vibration.

Pressure-modulated magnetism and negative thermal expansion in the HoFe intermetallic compound

Cao, Y.*; Zhou, H.*; Khmelevskyi, S.*; Lin, K.*; Avdeev, M.*; Wang, C.-W.*; Wang, B.*; Hu, F.*; Kato, Kenichi*; Hattori, Takanori; et al.

Chemistry of Materials, 35(8), p.3249 - 3255, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c00158

Hydrostatic and chemical pressure are efficient stimuli to alter the crystal structure and are commonly used for tuning electronic and magnetic properties in materials science. However, chemical pressure is difficult to quantify and a clear correspondence between these two types of pressure is still lacking. Here, we study intermetallic candidates for a permanent magnet with a negative thermal expansion (NTE). Based on in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, negative chemical pressure is revealed in HoFe on Al doping and quantitatively evaluated by using temperature and pressure dependence of unit cell volume. A combination of magnetization and neutron diffraction measurements also allowed one to compare the effect of chemical pressure on magnetic ordering with that of hydrostatic pressure. Intriguingly, pressure can be used to control suppression and enhancement of NTE. Electronic structure calculations indicate that pressure affected the top of the majority band with respect to the Fermi level, which has implications for the magnetic stability, which in turn plays a critical role in modulating magnetism and NTE. This work presents a good example of understanding the effect of pressure and utilizing it to control properties of functional materials.

Uncertainty reduction of the FPs transport mechanism and debris degradation behavior and evaluation of the reactor contamination of debris state on the basis of the accident progression scenario of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 and 3 (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tokyo Institute of Technology*

JAEA-Review 2022-053, 89 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Review-2022-053.pdf:3.47MB

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 FY2021. 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 FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Uncertainty reduction of the FPs transport mechanism and debris degradation behavior and evaluation of the reactor contamination of debris state on the basis of the accident progression scenario of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 and 3" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to elucidate the cause of the high dosage under shield plug by clarification of to the cesium behavior of migration, adhesion to structure and deposition as well as evaluate the properties of metal-rich debris predeceasing melted through the materials science approach based on the most probable scenario of accident progression of Unit 2 and 3. In this fiscal year, the followings were achieved.

Liquid phase sintering of alumina-silica co-doped cerium dioxide CeO ceramics

Vauchy, R.; Hirooka, Shun; Watanabe, Masashi; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Yamada, Tadahisa*; Nakamichi, Shinya; Murakami, Tatsutoshi

Ceramics International, 49(2), p.3058 - 3065, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.09.295

Experiences from the cutting of metallic blocks from simulant Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris

Journeau, C.*; Molina, D.*; Brackx, E.*; Berlemont, R.*; Tsubota, Yoichi

Proceedings of International Topical Workshop on Fukushima Decommissioning Research (FDR2022) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2022/10

CEA has manufactured a series of Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris simulants, either with depleted uranium oxide or with hafnium oxide as a surrogate of UO. In ex-vessel compositions resulting from an interaction between corium and concrete, the oxidic phase density becomes lighter than that of the metallic phase, which segregates at the bottom. Three of these metallic phases have been mechanically cut at CEA Cadarache with handsaw and with core boring tool in FUJISAN facility. It appeared that two of these metallic blocks were extremely hard to cut (one from a fabrication with uranium oxide, the other from a simulant block) while the last one was more easily cut. The similarities and differences in metallographic analyses (SEM-EDS and XRD) of these three metal blocks will be presented and discussed. This experience provides useful learnings in view of the cutting and retrieval of fuel debris from Fukushima Daiichi.

Analysis of the radioactivity concentrations in low-level radioactive waste generated from JPDR, JRR-3 and JRR-4 Facilities

Tsuchida, Daiki; Mitsukai, Akina; Aono, Ryuji; Haraga, Tomoko; Ishimori, Kenichiro; Kameo, Yutaka

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-004, 87 Pages, 2022/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-004.pdf:6.73MB

Radioactive wastes generated from nuclear research facilities in Japan Atomic Energy Agency are planning to be buried in the near surface disposal field. Therefore, it is required to establish the method to evaluate the radioactivity concentrations of radioactive wastes until by the beginning of disposal. In order to contribute to this work, we collected and analyzed samples generated from JPDR, JRR-3 and JRR-4. In this report, radioactivity concentrations of 20 radionuclides (H, C, Cl, Co, Ni, Sr, Nb, Tc, Ag, I, Cs, Eu, Eu, U, U, Pu, Pu, Am, Cm) were determined based on radiochemical analysis and summarized as basic data for the study of evaluation method of radioactive concentration.

Design details of bottom shape for the 3rd glass melter in TVF

Asahi, Yoshimitsu; Shimamura, Keisuke*; Kobayashi, Hidekazu; Kodaka, Akira

JAEA-Technology 2021-026, 50 Pages, 2022/03

JAEA-Technology-2021-026.pdf:6.29MB

In Tokai Reprocessing Plant, the highly active liquid waste derived from a spent fuel reprocessing is vitrified with a Liquid-Fed Ceramic Melter (LFCM) embedded in Tokai Vitrification Facility (TVF). For an LFCM, the viscosity of melted glass is increased by the deposition of oxidation products of platinum group elements (PGE) and the PGE-containing glass tends to settle to the melter's bottom basin even after draining glass out. Removal of the PGE-containing glass is needed to avoid the Joule heating current from being affected by the glass, it requires time-consuming work to remove. For the early accomplishment of vitrifying the waste, Japan Atomic Energy Agency is planning to replace the current melter with the new one in which the amount of PGE sediments would be reduced. In the past design activities for the next melter, several kinds of shapes in regard to the furnace bottom and the strainer were drawn. Among these designs, the one in which the discharge ratio of PGE-containing glass would be as much as or greater than the current melter and which be able to perform similar operational sequences done in the current melter is selected here. Firstly, an operational sequence to produce one canister of vitrified waste is simulated for three melter designs with a furnace bottom shape, using 3D thermal-hydraulic calculations. The computed temperature distribution and its changes are compared among the candidate structures. After discussions about the technical and structural feasibilities of each design, a cone shape with a 45 slope was selected as the bottom shape of the next melter. Secondly, five strainer designs that fit the bottom shape above mentioned are drawn. For each design, the fluid drag and the discharge ratio of relatively high viscosity fluid resting near the bottom are estimated, using steady or unsteady CFD simulation. By draining silicone oil from acrylic furnace models, it was confirmed experimentally that there are no vortices

Laser beam direct energy deposition of graded austenitic-to-martensitic steel junctions compared to dissimilar electron beam welding

Villaret, F.*; Boulnat, X.*; Aubry, P.*; Yano, Yasuhide; Otsuka, Satoshi; Fabregue, D.*; de Carlan, Y.*

Materials Science & Engineering A, 824, p.141794_1 - 141794_10, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.141794

Comprehensive exposure assessments from the viewpoint of health in a unique high natural background radiation area, Mamuju, Indonesia

Nugraha, E. D.*; Hosoda, Masahiro*; Kusdiana*; Untara*; Mellawati, J.*; Nurokhim*; Tamakuma, Yuki*; Ikram, A.*; Syaifudin, M.*; Yamada, Ryohei; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.14578_1 - 14578_16, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93983-2

Mamuju is one of the regions in Indonesia which retains natural conditions but has relatively high exposure to natural radiation. The goals of the present study were to characterize exposure of the entire Mamuju region as a high natural background radiation area (HNBRA) and to assess the existing exposure as a means for radiation protection of the public and the environment. A cross-sectional study method was used with cluster sampling areas by measuring all parameters that contribute to external and internal radiation exposures. It was determined that Mamuju was a unique HNBRA with the annual effective dose between 17 and 115 mSv, with an average of 32 mSv. The lifetime cumulative dose calculation suggested that Mamuju residents could receive as much as 2.2 Sv on average which is much higher than the average dose of atomic bomb survivors for which risks of cancer and non-cancer diseases are demonstrated. The study results are new scientific data allowing better understanding of health effects related to chronic low-dose-rate radiation exposure and they can be used as the main input in a future epidemiology study.