Current status of new research reactor at the Monju Site

Mineo, Hideaki

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 64(11), p.617 - 621, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.64.11_617

In December 2016 Decisions were made by the Government on the Fast Breeder Prototype Reactor "Monju", which were decommissioning of the reactor and installation of a new research reactor at the Monju site. After the decisions, MEXT started research to list reactor candidates suitable for the site. Among the candidates, medium power reactor type of which thermal output less than 10,000 kW was chosen to utilize neutron beams. Then, from 2020, MEXT launched an entrusted business and adopted JAEA, Kyoto University and University of Fukui as the core institutions of the business to carry out the conceptual design. This paper describes the system to proceed the conceptual design and to examine the utilization management of the new research reactor and also shows their status.

Technical note for the cavitation damage inspection for interior surface of the mercury target vessel, 1; Development of specimen cutting machine for remote handling

Naoe, Takashi; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Wakui, Takashi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Haga, Katsuhiro

JAEA-Technology 2022-018, 43 Pages, 2022/08

JAEA-Technology-2022-018.pdf:7.84MB

In the liquid mercury target system for the pulsed spallation neutron source of Materials and Life science experimental Facility (MLF) at the Japan in the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), cavitation that is generated by the high-energy proton beam-induced pressure waves, resulting severe erosion damage on the interior surface of the mercury target vessel. The erosion damage is increased with increasing the proton beam power, and has the possibility to cause the leakage of mercury by the penetrated damage and/or the fatigue failure originated from erosion pits during operation. To achieve the long term stable operation under high-power proton beam, the mitigation technologies for cavitation erosion consisting of surface modification on the vessel interior surface, helium gas microbubble injection, double-walled beam window structure has been applied. The damage on interior surface of the vessel is never observed during the beam operation. Therefore, after the target operation term ends, we have cut out specimen from the target nose of the target vessel to inspect damaged surface in detail for verification of the cavitation damage mitigation technologies and lifetime estimation. We have developed the techniques of specimen cutting out by remote handling under high-radiation environment. Cutting method was gradually updated based on experience in actual cutting for the used target vessel. In this report, techniques of specimen cutting out for the beam entrance portion of the target vessel in high-radiation environment and overview of the results of specimen cutting from actual target vessels are described.

Feasibility study on tritium recoil barrier for neutron reflectors of research and test reactors

Kenzhina, I.*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Ho, H. Q.; Sakamoto, Naoki*; Okumura, Keisuke; Takemoto, Noriyuki; Chikhray, Y.*

Fusion Engineering and Design, 164, p.112181_1 - 112181_5, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2020.112181

Tritium release into the primary coolant during operation of the JMTR (Japan Materials Testing Reactor) and the JRR-3M (Japan Research Reactor-3M) had been studied. It is found that the recoil release by Li(n,)H reaction, which comes from a chain reaction of beryllium neutron reflectors, is dominant. To prevent tritium recoil release, the surface area of beryllium neutron reflectors needs to be minimum in the core design and/or be shielded with other material. In this paper, as the feasibility study of the tritium recoil barrier for the beryllium neutron reflectors, various materials such as Al, Ti, V, Ni, and Zr were evaluated from the viewpoint of the thickness of barriers, activities after long-term operations, and effects on the reactivities. From the results of evaluations, Al would be a suitable candidate as the tritium recoil barrier for the beryllium neutron reflectors.

Modeling the processes of hydrogen isotopes interactions with solid surfaces

Chikhray, Y.*; Askerbekov, S.*; Kenzhin, Y.*; Gordienko, Y.*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

Fusion Science and Technology, 76(4), p.494 - 502, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2020.1718854

Irradiation growth behavior of improved Zr-based alloys for fuel cladding

Amaya, Masaki; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Mihara, Takeshi

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.1048 - 1056, 2019/09

Delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy inverse Monte Carlo analysis method for nuclear safeguards nondestructive assay applications

Rodriguez, D.; Rossi, F.; Seya, Michio; Koizumi, Mitsuo

Proceedings of 2017 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS/MIC 2017) (Internet), 3 Pages, 2018/11

Feasibility study of new applications at the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

Ho, H. Q.; Honda, Yuki*; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Ishii, Toshiaki; Takada, Shoji; Fujimoto, Nozomu*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

Evaluation of irradiation-induced point defect migration energy during neutron irradiation in modified 316 stainless steel

Sekio, Yoshihiro; Yamagata, Ichiro; Akasaka, Naoaki; Sakaguchi, Norihito*

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Next Generation Nuclear Systems for Sustainable Development (FR-17) (USB Flash Drive), 8 Pages, 2017/06

The widths of void denuded zones (VDZs) which were formed near random grain boundaries by neutron irradiation were analyzed in order to perform quantitative evaluations for the irradiation-induced point defect behavior in the modified 316 stainless steel (PNC316) having been developed by JAEA. Namely, the temperature dependence of VDZ width was investigated and vacancy migration energy of the PNC316 steel was estimated from the VDZ width analysis for the neutron-irradiated specimens. The obtained value of vacancy migration energy was estimated as 1.46 eV, which was consistent with that from the exiting method using electron in-situ examination. This indicates that VDZ analysis could be effective method to evaluate especially vacancy migration energy during irradiation, and this would be realized from not in-situ observation but post-irradiation examination in the case of neutron irradiation.

Bayesian nonparametric analysis of crack growth rates in irradiated austenitic stainless steels in simulated BWR environments

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Kasahara, Shigeki*; Iwata, Keiko; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 307, p.411 - 417, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.07.015

To investigate influential parameters for irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) growth behavior, we attempt to analyze statistically existing data on the crack growth rate (CGR) in irradiated austenitic stainless steels (SSs) in boiling water reactor (BWR) environments using the Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) method. From the probability distribution of CGR and some input parameters, such as yield stress of irradiated material (), stress intensity factor (), electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP), and fast neutron fluence, the mean CGR is estimated and compared with the measured CGR. The analytical results show good reproducibility of the measured CGR. The results also indicate the possible neutron fluence effects on CGR in high CGR region (i.e., high neutron fluence condition) by radiation-induced segregation (RIS), localized deformation, and/or other mechanisms than radiation hardening.

Irradiation test with silicon ingot for NTD-Si irradiation technology

Takemoto, Noriyuki; Romanova, N.*; Kimura, Nobuaki; Gizatulin, S.*; Saito, Takashi; Martyushov, A.*; Nakipov, D.*; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Chakrov, P.*

JAEA-Technology 2015-021, 32 Pages, 2015/08

JAEA-Technology-2015-021.pdf:3.15MB

Silicon semiconductor production by neutron transmutation doping (NTD) method using the JMTR has been investigated in Neutron Irradiation and Testing Reactor Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency in order to expand the industry use. As a part of investigations, irradiation test with a silicon ingot was planned using WWR-K in Institute of Nuclear Physics, Republic of Kazakhstan. A device rotating the ingot made with the silicon was fabricated and was installed in the WWR-K for the irradiation test. And that, a preliminary irradiation test was carried out using neutron fluence monitors to evaluate the neutronic irradiation field. Based on the result, two silicon ingots were irradiated as scheduled, and the resistivity of each irradiated silicon ingot was measured to confirm the applicability of high-quality silicon semiconductor by the NTD method (NTD-Si) to its commercial production.