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

A Study on self-terminating behavior of sodium-concrete reaction, 2

Kawaguchi, Munemichi; Miyahara, Shinya; Uno, Masayoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(8), p.874 - 884, 2018/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1449677

As parts of severe accident studies in sodium-cooled fast reactor, experiments were performed to investigate the termination mechanism of sodium-concrete reaction (SCR). In the experiment, the reaction time was controlled to investigate the distribution change of sodium (Na) and the reaction products in the pool and around the reaction front. In the results, the Na around the reaction front decreased from the enough amount with the reaction time. The concentrations were 18-24 wt.% for Na, and 22-18 wt.% for Si after the termination. From the thermodynamics calculations, the stable materials around the reaction front comprised more than 90 wt.% solid products such as NaSiO, and no Na. Further, the distribution of Na and reaction products could be explained by a steady-state sedimentation-diffusion model. At the early stage of SCR, the reaction products were suspended as particles in the Na pool because of the high H-generation rate. As the concrete ablation proceeds, they start settling down due to the decreased H-generation rate, thereby allowing SCR termination. It was concluded that SCR termination was caused by the sediment of the reaction products and the lack of Na around the reaction front.

A Study on self-terminating behavior of sodium-concrete reaction

Kawaguchi, Munemichi; Doi, Daisuke; Seino, Hiroshi; Miyahara, Shinya

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 53(12), p.2098 - 2107, 2016/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2016.1199979

A sodium concrete reaction (SCR) is one of the important phenomena to cause the structural concrete ablation and the release of H gas in the case of sever accident of sodium cooled fast reactors. In this study, the long-time SCR test had been carried out to investigate the self-termination mechanism. The results showed the SCR terminated even if the enough amount of Na remained on the concrete. The quantitative data were collected on the SCR terminating such as temperature and H generation. The reaction products, which became the small solids in liquid Na were transferred with slurry state by generated H bubbles. Though the Na transfers actively and ablated the concrete surface with the high H generation rate, the mass exchange coefficient defined as decreased and the reaction products settled gradually with decreasing the H generation rate. Therefore, the Na concentration decreased at the reaction front and resulted in the SCR terminating naturally.

Diffusion phenomenon at the interface of Cu-brass under a strong gravitational field

Ogata, Yudai*; Iguchi, Yusuke*; Tokuda, Makoto*; Januszko, K.*; Khandaker, J. I.*; Ono, Masao; Mashimo, Tsutomu*

Journal of Applied Physics, 117(12), p.125902_1 - 125902_6, 2015/03

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916376

Sedimentation of substitutional solute atoms in In-Pb system alloy under strong gravitational field; Experiments and simulations

Ono, Masao; Kinoshita, Takahiro*; Ueno, Hideto*; Huang, X.*; Osakabe, Toyotaka; Mashimo, Tsutomu

Materials Transactions, 46(2), p.219 - 224, 2005/02

https://doi.org/10.2320/matertrans.46.219

Ultracentrifuge experiments were performed on the In-Pb system to study the sedimentation of atoms and phase equilibrium. After the experiments, the graded structures were obtained. Pb-rich phase (f.c.c) and In-rich phase (tetragonal) appeared at the strong- and weak-gravitational field sides of the sample, respectively, from starting state of -phase. And, the continuous changes in lattice parameters were observed in each phase. These observation results showed that the graded structure was continuous in atomic scale, and was formed by the sedimentation of atoms. Composition profiles of the centrifuged samples for 31.3 h, 60 h and 150 h showed that the composition change reached the steady state within 60 hours. The diffusion coefficient for sedimentation was estimated to be about 8 times larger than that for usual diffusion by the simulation. The result indicated that the diffusion mechanism of the sedimentation was different from the conventional ones.

Sedimentation of substitutional solute atoms in condensed matter; New type of diffusion

Mashimo, Tsutomu

Defect and Diffusion Forum, 237-240(1), p.30 - 37, 2005/00

Mega-gravity field realizes the sedimentation of even atoms, and is expected to create a nonequilibrium crystal-chemical state in condensed matter. We presented a self-consistent diffusion equation for sedimentation of atoms in condensed matter. Next, we developed an ultracentrifuge to generate strong acceleration field of over 1 million g, and, recently, succeeded in realization of the sedimentation of substitutional solute atoms in some alloys. The diffusion coefficients of sedimentation on Bi-Sb alloy were estimated to be much greater than those of conventional one. It is suggested that the sedimentation of substitutional atoms in solids or liquids can be included in a new type of diffusion, where the diffusion mechanism was yet unknown. In this article, the recent progress in the investigation of sedimentation of atoms under mega-gravity field is reviewed, and the diffusion mechanism is discussed. The application of the mega-gravity field is also discussed.

Construction of river transfer models for MOGRA

Hayashi, Hiroko*; Matsuoka, Shungo*; Takahashi, Tomoyuki*; Amano, Hikaru

JAERI-Conf 2003-010, p.122 - 130, 2003/09

https://jopss.jaea.go.jp/pdfdata/JAERI-Conf-2003-010.pdf

Two dynamic compartment models were constructed as basic river models for MOGRA (Migration Of GRound Additions), an environmental-load effect predicting code. One is 1 component river model, in which radionuclides in particulate form and dissolved form are considered to be in equilibrium in the river water. Another one is 2 component river model, in which particulate form and dissolved form are considered to be different component and are separately compartmentalized. In each model the river sediment is set in a compartment, and the sedimentation of particulate form and resuspension of radionuclides in the river sediment are taken into account.To verify the analysis function of the constructed models, calculation conditions were set using data of Cs-137 concentration in the river water derived from Kuji river, Japan, and analysis was carried out. Comparing two models, almost no difference is seen when sedimentation velocity is low, while there is apparent difference when sedimentation velocity is high.