Consideration on roles and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions for environmental consequence assessments for nuclear facilities

Togawa, Orihiko; Okura, Takehisa; Kimura, Masanori

JAEA-Review 2022-049, 76 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Review-2022-049.pdf:3.74MB

Before construction and after operation of nuclear facilities, environmental consequence assessments are conducted for normal operation and an emergency. These assessments mainly aim at confirming safety for the public around the facilities and producing relief for them. Environmental consequence assessments are carried out using observations/ measurements by environmental monitoring and/or model predictions by calculation models, sometimes using either of which and at other times using both them, according to the situations and necessities. First, this report investigates methods, roles, merits/demerits and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions which are used for environmental consequence assessments of nuclear facilities, especially holding up a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho, Aomori as an example. Next, it explains representative examples of utilization of data on observations/measurements and results on model predictions, and considers points of attention at using them. Finally, the report describes future direction, for example, improvements of observations/measurements and model predictions, and fusion of both them.

Visualization of fractures in an excavation damaged zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory, 2 (Joint research)

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Chen, Y.*; Ishii, Eiichi; Sakurai, Akitaka; Miyara, Nobukatsu; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

JAEA-Research 2019-011, 50 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Research-2019-011.pdf:3.48MB

In this research, we performed the resin injection experiment at the 350 m Gallery of Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in order to identify the distribution of fractures induced around the gallery owing to excavation. We also observed the rock cores obtained around the resin injection borehole under ultraviolet light. As a result, the extent of the development of EDZ fracture was 0.9 m from the gallery wall. In the depth within 0.4 m from the gallery wall, the density of the EDZ fracture is higher than the depth more than 0.4 m from the gallery wall. As a result of the analysis on the fracture aperture by image processing, the fractures with a large aperture (1.02 mm in maximum) were observed within 0.3 m from the gallery wall, while the maximum aperture was 0.19 mm in the depth more than 0.3 m from the gallery wall.

Visualization of fractures induced around the gallery wall in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Chen, Y.*; Ishii, Eiichi; Sakurai, Akitaka; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

Proceedings of 5th ISRM Young Scholars' Symposium on Rock Mechanics and International Symposium on Rock Engineering for Innovative Future (YSRM 2019 and REIF 2019) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2019/12

In the excavation of a repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal, it is important to understand the hydro-mechanical characteristics of the Excavation Damaged Zone (EDZ) induced around the gallery because EDZ can lead to the migration pathway of radionuclides. Thus, we performed the resin injection experiment at the 350 m gallery of Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory in Japan to investigate the characteristics of fractures induced around the gallery wall in excavation. In the experiment, we developed a low viscosity resin mixed with a fluorescent substance and injected to the borehole drilled about 1 m in length. After the experiment, we overcored around the injection borehole. The observation on the cut surface of the overcore under ultraviolet light revealed that the fractures were distributed within 0.8 m from the gallery wall. Fractures are interconnected each other in particular within 0.25 m from the niche wall. Furthermore, fractures with large aperture (about 1.0 mm) were developed in that region. These observed results will be fundamental information for understanding of the fracturing process in the EDZ.

Development of an analytical method for estimating three-dimensional distribution of sediment-associated radiocesium at a reservoir bottom

Ochi, Kotaro; Urabe, Yoshimi*; Yamada, Tsutomu*; Sanada, Yukihisa

Analytical Chemistry, 90(18), p.10795 - 10802, 2018/09

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b01746

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, the distributions of sediment-associated radiocesium have been investigated to evaluate the dispersion and accumulation of radiocesium in the reservoir field. To develop an analytical method for measuring the horizontal and vertical distributions of radiocesium on a wide scale, we obtained 253 -ray spectra using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector at the bottom of 64 ponds in Fukushima during 2014-2016. The depth profile of sediment-associated radiocesium was found to be correlated with intensities of scattered and photo peaks. In parallel, core sediments were collected in same ponds to validate the estimates. Good agreement was observed between the results of in situ spectrometry and core sampling. These results indicated that our developed method would be a good approach for understanding the behavior of radiocesium and determining whether decontamination of reservoirs is required.

Generation method of underwater landmarks for ocean observation

Takahashi, Satoru*; Nota, Yoshiki*; Matsuda, Asahi*; Kawabata, Kuniaki; Suzuki, Tsuyoshi*; Takemura, Fumiaki*; Ogasawara, Kei*; Kaneko, Shunichi*

Journal of Signal Processing, 21(1), p.15 - 24, 2017/01

https://doi.org/10.2299/jsp.21.15

In recent years, many researchers try to observe the state of the global environment from marine information for the understanding of the global environment change. First, we introduce the recording system of underwater environment which is made by the authors. By using this system, we want to observe the change of global environment from the coral bleaching. In this paper, especially, we propose the generation method of underwater landmark which is used to measure the position of robot of oceanographic observation based on the dynamic image processing. In here, underwater landmark means the feature point in underwater image.

Distance for fragmentation of a simulated molten-core material discharged into a sodium pool

Matsuba, Kenichi; Isozaki, Mikio; Kamiyama, Kenji; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 53(5), p.707 - 712, 2016/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2015.1113897

In order to develop an evaluation method of the distance for fragmentation of molten core material discharged into the sodium plenum, a sodium experiment with visual observation was conducted using an X-ray imaging system. In the current experiments, 0.9 kg of molten aluminum (initial temperature: around 1473 K) was discharged into a sodium pool (initial temperature: 673 K) through a nozzle (inner diameter: 20 mm). Based on the experimental results, the distance for fragmentation of the liquid column was estimated to be 100 mm in the experiments. Through the sodium experiment, useful knowledge was obtained for the future development of an evaluation method of the distance for fragmentation of molten core material. As a next step, sodium experiments using higher-density molten materials will be conducted to enrich the experimental knowledge. Besides, a new semi-empirical correlation will be developed to evaluate more appropriately the distance for fragmentation under CDA conditions.

Synthesis, direct formation under high pressure, structure, and electronic properties of LiNbO-type oxide PbZnO

Mori, Daisuke*; Tanaka, Kie*; Saito, Hiroyuki; Kikegawa, Takumi*; Inaguma, Yoshiyuki*

Inorganic Chemistry, 54(23), p.11405 - 11410, 2015/12

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02049

In situ stress measurement at the 250m Niche off the West Shaft No.1 in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Niunoya, Sumio*

JAEA-Data/Code 2015-012, 171 Pages, 2015/09

JAEA-Data-Code-2015-012.zip:33.31MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2015-012.pdf:28.27MB

The objective of this report is to investigate the three dimensional stress state in the 250 m Niche off the West Shaft No.1 at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. For the measurement, three 20.0m long boreholes were drilled. Hydraulic fracturing was applied as a stress measurement method. For the analysis, shut-in pressure of a transverse fractures, reopening pressure of longitudinal fractures and stress condition causing borehole breakouts were integrated into the equation; then stress state was calculated by inversion technique. As a result of the in situ stress state measurement around the experimental area, the orientation of the maximum principal stress was estimated to be ESE-WNW, dipping 70 from the vertical axis. The orientation of the minimum principal stress was NEN-SWS, dipping 60 from vertical axis. The orientation of the principal stresses is almost coincided with the direction of borehole breakouts and longitudinal crack induced in the boreholes. The values of the maximum and minimum principal stresses were 2.6 MPa and 2.1 MPa, respectively.

Effective 3D data visualization in deep shaft construction

Inagaki, Daisuke*; Tsusaka, Kimikazu*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Nago, Makito*; Ijiri, Yuji*; Shigehiro, Michiko*

Proceedings of ITA-AITES World Tunnel Congress 2015 (WTC 2015)/41st General Assembly, 10 Pages, 2015/05

Distance for fragmentation of a simulated molten-core material discharged into a sodium pool

Matsuba, Kenichi; Isozaki, Mikio; Kamiyama, Kenji; Suzuki, Toru; Tobita, Yoshiharu

Proceedings of 10th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, Operation and Safety (NUTHOS-10) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2014/12

In order to develop an evaluation method of the distance for fragmentation of molten core material discharged into the sodium plenum, a sodium experiment with visual observation was conducted using an X-ray imaging system. In the current experiments, 0.9 kg of molten aluminum (initial temperature: around 1473 K) was discharged into a sodium pool (initial temperature: 673 K) through a nozzle (inner diameter: 20 mm). Based on the experimental results, the distance for fragmentation of the liquid column was estimated to be 100 mm in the experiments. Through the sodium experiment, useful knowledge was obtained for the future development of an evaluation method of the distance for fragmentation of molten core material. As a next step, sodium experiments using higher-density molten materials will be conducted to enrich the experimental knowledge. Besides, a new semi-empirical correlation will be developed to evaluate more appropriately the distance for fragmentation under CDA conditions.