Contribution to risk reduction in decommissioning works by the elucidation of basic property of radioactive microparticles (Contract Research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Ibaraki University*

JAEA-Review 2023-021, 112 Pages, 2024/02

JAEA-Review-2023-021.pdf:7.1MB

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 FY2020. 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 FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Contribution to Risk Reduction in Decommissioning Works by the Elucidation of Basic Property of Radioactive Microparticles" conducted from FY2018 to FY2021 (this contract was extended to FY2021). The present study aims to understand the basic properties (size, chemical composition, isotopic composition - including concentration of -emitters, electrostatic properties, and optical properties, etc.) of fine particles composed of silicate with insoluble properties which contain regions of highly concentrated radioactive cesium (Cs) released to the environment by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of TEPCO in 2011 March.

Evaluation of insertion property of control rod of JRR-3 at earthquake by time history response analysis method

Kawamura, Sho; Kikuchi, Masanobu; Hosoya, Toshiaki

JAEA-Technology 2021-041, 103 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Technology-2021-041.pdf:8.7MB

In response to new regulatory standard for research and test reactor which is enforced December 2013, JRR-3 got license in November 2018 by formulate new design basis ground motion. After that we evaluated for insertion property of control rod using that new design basis ground motion, and that evaluation results were accepted as approval of the design and construction method by Nuclear Regulation Authority. Now, we re-evaluated to insertion property of control rod about neutron absorber and follower fuel element by time history response analysis method. In this report, it shows that new results have sufficiency of margin compared with the past results that are accepted as approval of the design and construction method.

Magnetic properties of single crystalline TbSb

Kitaori, Aki*; Kanazawa, Naoya*; Kida, Takanori*; Narumi, Yasuo*; Hagiwara, Masayuki*; Kindo, Koichi*; Takeuchi, Tetsuya*; Nakamura, Ai*; Aoki, Dai*; Haga, Yoshinori; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 92(2), p.024702_1 - 024702_6, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.92.024702

Neutron/-ray discrimination based on the property and thickness controls of scintillators using Li glass and LiCAF(Ce) in a -ray field

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Shimazoe, Kenji*; Terasaka, Yuta; Tomita, Hideki*; Yoshihashi, Sachiko*; Yamazaki, Atsushi*; Uritani, Akira*; Takahashi, Hiroyuki*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1046, p.167636_1 - 167636_8, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167636

We focus on the thickness and property controls of inorganic scintillators used for thermal neutron detection in intense -ray fields without considering pulse shape discrimination techniques. GS20 (a lithium glass) and LiCaAlF:Ce(LiCAF:Ce) cintillators with thicknesses of 0.5 and 1.0 mm, respectively, have been employed. Pulse signals generated by photomultiplier tubes, to which the scintillators were coupled, were inserted into a digital pulse processing unit with 1 Gsps, and the areas of waveforms were integrated for 360 ns. In a Co -ray field, the neutron detection for GS20 with a 0.5-mm thickness was possible at dose rates of up to 0.919 Gy/h; however, for LiCAF:Ce, neutron detection was possible at 0.473 Gy/h, and it failed at 0.709 Gy/h. Threfore, in a Co -ray field, the neutron/-ray discrimination of GS20 was better than that of LiCAF:Ce due to its better energy resolution and higher detection efficiency.

Study of natural fracture topography in 50cm scale granodiorite rock block including natural fracture intersection measured by precision grinder

Tetsu, Keiichi*; Takayama, Yusuke; Sawada, Atsushi

JAEA-Research 2022-005, 84 Pages, 2022/08

JAEA-Research-2022-005.pdf:10.32MB
JAEA-Research-2022-005-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:35.68MB

Nuclide migration analyses are conducted for the safety assessment in geological disposal system of HLW. Nuclide migration evaluation of fractured host rock mainly uses a model that approximates the fracture with parallel flat plates. However, the actual fractures in the host rock are different from the parallel flat plates, the fractures have complex characteristics such as roughness of fracture surface and the fillings in the fracture. In approximating a fracture model, the methodology development how to set parameter values such as the transmissivity coefficient and the fracture aperture is an issue. One of the issues is to investigate the geometrical features of actual fractures in the host rock. In this study, for the purpose of understanding the geometrical features of fractures including fracture intersection, the internal fracture shape was measured in detail using the method of surface grinding on 50cm scale granodiorite with natural fracture intersection. Thus, the fracture width, fracture aperture, and the shape of the fracture surfaces were obtained. From the obtain data, characteristics such as the average value of the fracture width, the roughness of the fracture surfaces, and the distribution of the fracture aperture were evaluated. As a result, it was confirmed that one of the fractures near the fracture intersection has a particularly large fracture width and fracture aperture as compared with the other part of fractures. Thus, in the granodiorite rock block used in this study, it was inferred that the most permeable path is not the fracture intersection itself, but the particularly large fracture aperture in the vicinity of the fracture intersection.

Adjoint-weighted correlated sampling for -eigenvalue perturbation in Monte Carlo calculation

Tuya, D.; Nagaya, Yasunobu

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 169, p.108919_1 - 108919_9, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108919

Estimating an effect of a perturbation in a fissile system on its -eigenvalue requires special technique called perturbation theory when the considered perturbation is small. In this study, we develop an adjoint-weighted correlated sampling (AWCS) method based on the exact perturbation theory without any approximation by combining the correlated sampling (CS) method with iterated-fission probability (IFP) based adjoint-weighting method. With the advantages of the CS method being good at providing very small uncertainty for small perturbations and the IFP-based adjoint-weighting method being suitable for continuous-energy Monte Carlo calculation, the developed AWCS method based on the exact perturbation theory offers a new rigorous approach for perturbation calculations. The obtained results by the developed AWCS method for verification problems involving Godiva and simplified STACY density perturbations showed good agreement with the reference calculations.

Hydrogen permeation property of bulk cementite

Adachi, Nozomu*; Ueno, Haruki*; Onoe, Katsuhiko*; Morooka, Satoshi; Todaka, Yoshikazu*

ISIJ International, 61(8), p.2320 - 2322, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2021-134

Contribution to risk reduction in decommissioning works by the elucidation of basic property of radioactive microparticles (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Ibaraki University*

JAEA-Review 2020-033, 84 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-033.pdf:4.9MB

JAEA/CLADS had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project in FY2019. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Contribution to Risk Reduction in Decommissioning Works by the Elucidation of Basic Property of Radioactive Microparticles" conducted in FY2019.

Basis for handling of nuclear fuel materials (Second edition)

Task Force on Writing Textbook of Nuclear Fuel Materials

JAEA-Review 2020-007, 165 Pages, 2020/07

JAEA-Review-2020-007.pdf:6.63MB

The present textbook was written by Task Force on Writing Textbook of Nuclear Fuel Materials at the Nuclear Science Research Institute in order to improve technological abilities of engineers and researchers who handle nuclear fuel materials. The taskforce consists of young and middle class engineers each having certification for chief engineer of nuclear fuel. The present textbook mainly deals with uranium and plutonium, and shows their nuclear properties, physical and chemical properties, and radiation effects on materials and human body. It also presents basic matters for safety handling of nuclear fuel materials, such as handling of nuclear fuel materials with hood and glovebox, important points in storage and transportation of nuclear fuel materials, radioactive waste management, radiation safety management, and emergency management. Furthermore, incident cases at domestic and foreign nuclear fuel materials facilities are compiled to learn from the past.

Spin glass behavior in EuCuSi single crystal grown by the flux method

Takeuchi, Tetsuya*; Haga, Yoshinori; Taniguchi, Toshifumi*; Iha, Wataru*; Ashitomi, Yosuke*; Yara, Tomoyuki*; Kida, Takanori*; Tahara, Taimu*; Hagiwara, Masayuki*; Nakashima, Miho*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 89(3), p.034705_1 - 034705_15, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.89.034705