Investigation on soundness of JMTR Facility piping by ultrasonic thickness measurement

Omori, Takazumi; Otsuka, Kaoru; Endo, Yasuichi; Takeuchi, Tomoaki; Ide, Hiroshi

JAEA-Review 2021-015, 57 Pages, 2021/11

JAEA-Review-2021-015.pdf:6.3MB

The JMTR reactor facility was selected as a decommissioning one in the Medium/Long-Term Management Plan of JAEA Facilities formulated on April 1, 2017. Therefore, the decommissioning plan was submitted to Nuclear Regulation Authority on September 18, 2019, and the approval was obtained on March 17, 2021 after two amendments. Currently, preparations for decommissioning are underway. The JMTR reactor facility has been aged for more than 50 years since the first criticality in March 1968. However, some of the water piping systems has not been updated since its construction, and there is a possibility of pipe wall thinning due to corrosion, etc. Therefore, the integrity of the water piping was investigated for the facilities that circulate cooling water and pump radioactive liquid waste. In this investigation, the main circulation system of the reactor primary cooling system, the pool canal circulation system, the CF pool circulation system, the drainage system of the liquid waste disposal system, and the hydraulic rabbit irradiation system of the main experimental facility were measured for the pipe wall thickness using the Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement (UTM) method. These values satisfied the technical standards for research and test reactor facilities. No loss of integrity is expected to occur during the upcoming decommissioning period. In the future, we will periodically confirm that there is no wall thinning in the piping of the cooling water circulation and the water transmission system during the decommissioning period by using this result as basic data.

Flow separation at inlet causing transition and intermittency in circular pipe flow

Ogawa, Masuro*

JAEA-Technology 2019-010, 22 Pages, 2019/07

JAEA-Technology-2019-010.pdf:1.5MB

Transition phenomena from laminar to turbulent flow are roughly classified into three categories. Circular pipe flow of the third category is linearly stable against any small disturbance, despite that flow actually transitions and transitional flow exhibits intermittency. These are among major challenges that are yet to be resolved in fluid dynamics. Thus, author proposes hypothesis as follows; "Flow in a circular pipe transitions from laminar flow because of vortices released from separation bubble forming in vicinity of inlet of pipe, and transitional flow becomes intermittent because vortex-shedding is intermittent." Present hypothesis can easily explain why linear stability theory has not been able to predict transition in circular pipe flow, why circular pipe flow actually transitions, why transitional flow actually exhibits intermittency even due to small disturbance, and why numerical analysis has not been able to predict intermittency of transitional flow in circular pipe.

Failure behavior analyses of piping system under dynamic seismic loading

Udagawa, Makoto; Li, Y.; Nishida, Akemi; Nakamura, Izumi*

International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, 167, p.2 - 10, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpvp.2018.10.002

It is important to assure the structural Integrity of piping systems under severe earthquakes because those systems comprise the pressure boundary for coolant with high pressure and temperature. In this study, we examine the seismic safety capacity of piping systems under severe dynamic seismic loading using a series of dynamic-elastic-plastic analyses focusing on dynamic excitation experiments of 3D piping systems which was tested by NIED. Analytical results were consistent with experimental data in terms of natural frequency, natural vibration mode, response accelerations, elbow opening-closing displacements, strain histories, failure position, and low-cycle fatigue failure lives. Based on these results, we concluded that the analytical model used in the study can be applied to failure behavior evaluation for piping systems under severe dynamic seismic loading.

Demonstration of -ray pipe-monitoring capabilities for real-time process monitoring safeguards applications in reprocessing facilities

Rodriguez, D.; Tanigawa, Masafumi; Nishimura, Kazuaki; Mukai, Yasunobu; Nakamura, Hironobu; Kurita, Tsutomu; Takamine, Jun; Suzuki, Satoshi*; Sekine, Megumi; Rossi, F.; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(7), p.792 - 804, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1439412

Nuclear material in reprocessing facilities is safeguarded by random sample verification with additional continuous monitoring applied to solution masses and volume in important tanks to maintain continuity-of-knowledge of process operation. Measuring the unique rays of each solution as the material flows through pipes connecting all tanks and process apparatuses could potentially improve process monitoring by verifying the compositions in real time. We tested this ray pipe-monitoring method using plutonium-nitrate solution transferred between tanks at the PCDF-TRP. The rays were measured using a lanthanum-bromide detector with a list-mode data acquisition system to obtain both time and energy of -ray. The analysis and results of this measurement demonstrate an ability to determine isotopic composition, process timing, flow rate, and volume of solution flowing through pipes, introducing a viable capability for process monitoring safeguards verification.

-ray pipe monitoring for comprehensive safeguards process monitoring of reprocessing facilities

Rodriguez, D.; Tanigawa, Masafumi; Mukai, Yasunobu; Isomae, Hidemi; Nakamura, Hironobu; Rossi, F.; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Seya, Michio

Proceedings of INMM 58th Annual Meeting (Internet), 9 Pages, 2017/07

Safegaurding nuclear material at reprocessing facilities utilizes sampling to verify the quantity and process monitoring to maintain continuity-of-knowledge to reduce re-verification. Solution Monitoring and Measurement Systems that determine the solution density and volume are installed at solution tanks, though this only provides indirect verification. To offset this safeguards limitation we propose measuring rays from solutions passing through the pipes and at the tanks to provide improved continuous monitoring and direct verification. This can provide both real-time flow measurements and Pu isotopic composition quantification through passive nondestructive assay. This concept was tested by recent experimental studies performed at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's Plutonium Conversion Development Facility of flowing Pu-nitrate rays. This presentation will describe the concept details and analysis of using ray pipe monitoring as a capability for real-time safeguards verification.

Cost performance design for high temperature helium heat transport piping of GTHTR300C and HTTR-GT/H plants

Nomoto, Yasunobu; Horii, Shoichi; Sumita, Junya; Sato, Hiroyuki; Yan, X.

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 9 Pages, 2017/04

This paper presents the cost performance design of heat transport piping systems for GTHTR300C plant and HTTR-GT/H plant. Two types of pipe structure are designed and compared in terms of cost performance. Relative to the coaxial double-pipe structure, the insulated single pipe structure is found to have the advantage in overall cost performance considering both the material quantity and the heat loss because it reduces the quantity of steel used for construction. Furthermore it is possible to reduce the heat loss and temperature reduction of hot helium gas by the attachment of the external insulation. The pressure tube made of type-316 stainless steel with high-temperature strength is possible to achieve the same temperature reduction by smaller diameter than that made of 2 1/4Cr-1Mo steel. It contributes to the reduction of the quantity of steel. Specifications of heat transport piping systems for both plants are determined according to these study results.

Validation of core cooling capability analysis in Monju during guillotine pipe break at primary heat transport system

Yamada, Fumiaki; Arikawa, Mitsuhiro*; Fukano, Yoshitaka

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2015/05

In sodium-cooled fast reactor, since the coolant does not need to be pressurized, a pipe break due to the internal pressure does not occur physically. For safety margin in Japanese prototype fast breeder reactor (Monju), the guillotine pipe break accident, i.e., loss of integrity (LOPI) has been analyzed as an extreme assumption for beyond design basis accidents (B-DBAs) in the licensing application for the permit. The cooling capability of the core was re-evaluated in this paper during a large-scale, more specifically guillotine pipe break at the primary heat transport system (PHTS) in Monju, newly considering the following latest findings: (a) Experimental data on sodium boiling in fuel assemblies, (b) Actual PHTS pump coast-down characteristics, and (c) Transient burst test data on irradiated fuel claddings. The analysis models were the validated and simulations were re-performed also using the actual Monju data such as the response time to the trip signals, etc. As a result, it was clarified that the ratio of failed fuel claddings does not exceed around 3% of all of fuel assemblies, as in the past licensing analysis. The safety has been reconfirmed to be secured without significant core damage even under an extreme assumption of a double-ended guillotine pipe break at the PHTS in Monju.

Development of structural reliability evaluation method for aged piping considering uncertainty of seismic motions

Sugino, Hideharu*; Ito, Hiroto*; Onizawa, Kunio; Suzuki, Masahide

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 4(4), p.233 - 241, 2005/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj2002.4.233

The purpose of this research is to establish the reliability evaluation method of aged nuclear power components for seismic events from a viewpoint of long-term use of the existing light water reactor nuclear power plants. For this purpose, we developed a piping failure probability evaluation code "PASCAL-SC" based on probabilistic fracture mechanics, and a probabilistic seismic hazard evaluation code "SHEAT-FM" for calculating the seismic occurrence probability of a plant site, paying attention to aging such as fatigue crack progress by the stress corrosion cracking and seismic load in primary coolant piping system. We proposed the reliability evaluation method of aged piping for seismic events by combination of these codes. Using this method, we evaluated the reliability of a weld line in the PLR(Primary Loop Recirculation system) piping of the BWR model plant for seismic events.

Thermal diffusivity/conductivity of Tyranno SA fiber- and Hi-Nicalon type S fiber-reinforced 3-D SiC/SiC composites

Yamada, Reiji; Igawa, Naoki; Taguchi, Tomitsugu

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 329-333(Part1), p.497 - 501, 2004/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2004.04.109

SiC fiber reinforced SiC composites (SiC/SiC) have a potential for a structural material for a blanket wall of advanced fusion reactors. To reduce thermal stresses in the wall under heavy thermal loads SiC/SiC composites are expected to have high thermal conductivity as possible. Advanced SiC fibers recently developed, such as Tyranno SA and Hi-Nicalon Type S have been employed for weaving 3D textures as well as those 2D unwoven fabrics. The CVI and PIP/CVI fabrication methods were used. The thermal conductivity at RT was 40-50 W/mK and 35-40 W/mK for Tyranno CVI and PIP/CVI composites, respectively, whereas about 25 and about 17 W/mK at 1000 C. 2D unwoven CVI composites had less than 12 W/mK for RT-1000 C. For Hi-Nicalon Type S, 3D CVI composites had about 35 and about 20 for RT and 1000 C, respectively. The reason of these high thermal conductivities was ascribed to higher density as well as better SiC crystallinity. The fiber configuration effects on the thermal conductivity of SiC/SiC composites were dominant in the low temperature region.

Report on investigation of cause of crack at instrumentation pipe in JMTR; Results of vibration and stress analysis

Hanawa, Satoshi; Tachibana, Yukio; Iyoku, Tatsuo; Ishihara, Masahiro; Ito, Haruhiko

JAERI-Tech 2003-064, 25 Pages, 2003/07

JAERI-Tech-2003-064.pdf:2.84MB

On the 147cycle operation, the water leakage was found at the pressure instrumentation pipe which is attached to the exit pipe of No.1 charge pump of the purification system of primary cooling system at JMTR in the Oarai establishment, JAERI. Then JMTR was shutted down manually on December 10th. It was predicted that the crack on the pressure instrumentation pipe was initiated and propagated by the cyclic load which was caused by the charge pump. Therefore, vibration and stress analyses of pressure instrumentation pipe were performed. From the vibration analysis, the natural frequency of the pressure instrumentation pipe of No.1 charge pump is between 5358Hz, which is close to the resonance frequency of 50Hz. From the stress analysis results, total stress generated on the pressure instrumentation pipe is 112.2MPa at the natural frequency of 53Hz and 74.2Mpa at 58Hz. It was found that the stress of 112.2MPa is close to the fatigue limit of used materials.