Main outputs from the OECD/NEA ARC-F Project

丸山 結; 杉山 智之*; 島田 亜佐子; Lind, T.*; Bentaib, A.*; Sogalla, M.*; Pellegrini, M.*; Albright, L.*; Clayton, D.*

Proceedings of 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20) (Internet), p.4782 - 4795, 2023/08

http://dx.doi.org/10.13182/NURETH20-40302

The Analysis of Information from Reactor Buildings and Containment Vessels of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) (ARC-F) project was initiated in January 2019 for three years with 22 signatories from 12 countries. Three main tasks were implemented in the ARC-F project, which were relevant to 1) refinement of analysis for accident scenarios and associated fission product (FP) transport and dispersion, 2) compilation and management of data and information, and 3) discussion for the next-phase project. Various activities were performed in Task 1, covering improvement of analysis for accident scenarios, and in-depth analyses for specific phenomena such as in-vessel melt progression, molten core/concrete interaction, FP transport and source term, hydrogen combustion and atmospheric dispersion of FPs. Through these studies, analyses for accident scenarios with severe accident codes were refined and important phenomena with large uncertainties were clarified. In order to share well selected and organized information from the FDNPS with the project partners, two databases, information source database and sample database, were built under Task 2. The analysis techniques including the separation of iodine species were developed also in Task 2 and applied to the analysis of FPs in several samples taken from the FDNPS. The next-phase project was discussed in Task 3, resulting in launching the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Information Collection and Evaluation (FACE) project. The FACE project officially started in July 2022 with the participation of 23 organizations from 12 countries and the European Commission.

Comprehensive analysis and evaluation of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 3

山下 拓哉; 本多 剛*; 溝上 暢人*; 野崎 謙一朗*; 鈴木 博之*; Pellegrini, M.*; 酒井 健*; 佐藤 一憲; 溝上 伸也*

Nuclear Technology, 209(6), p.902 - 927, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2022.2157663

The estimation and understanding of the state of fuel debris and fission products inside the plant is an essential step in the decommissioning of the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F). However, the direct observation of the plant interior, which is under a high radiation environment, is difficult and limited. Therefore, in order to understand the plant interior conditions, a comprehensive analysis and evaluation is necessary, based on various measurement data from the plant, analysis of plant data during the accident progression phase and information obtained from computer simulations for this phase. These evaluations can be used to estimate the conditions of the interior of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and the primary containment vessel (PCV). Herein, 1F Unit 3 was addressed as the subject to produce an estimated diagram of the fuel debris distribution from data obtained about the RPV and PCV based on the comprehensive evaluation of various measurement data and information obtained from the accident progression analysis, which were released to the public in November 2022.

Double diffusive dissolution model of UO pellet in molten Zr cladding

伊藤 あゆみ*; 山下 晋; 田崎 雄大; 垣内 一雄; 小林 能直*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.450 - 459, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2114956

The rapid dissolution of UO in molten Zr that could occur during fuel-cladding liquefaction at high temperatures and its kinetics were reformulated considering the convective mass transfer and the chemical effect at the UO/Zr interface. The mass transfer coefficient of U was obtained as a correlation including the aspect ratio term by CFD analysis. To explain the gap between the rapid dissolution rate observed in the experiments and the density-driven convective mass transfer, we introduced an idea in which the eutectic melting at the UO/Zr interface promotes the grain detachment owing to infiltration of the U-Zr-O liquid into the UO grain boundaries. The developed model was validated with UO-Zr crucible experiments at 2273 and 2373 K. The calculated mass percentage ratios of U/Zr agreed with the measurements and the transition times from rapid saturation to precipitation were consistent with the metallographic observations.

Improvement of model for cesium chemisorption onto stainless steel in severe accident analysis code SAMPSON (Joint research)

三輪 周平; 唐澤 英年; 中島 邦久; 木野 千晶*; 鈴木 恵理子; 井元 純平

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-022, 32 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-022.pdf:1.41MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2021-022(errata).pdf:0.17MB

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の原子炉内におけるセシウム分布のより正確な予測に向けて、核分裂生成物の化学挙動データベースECUMEに格納されているステンレス鋼へのセシウム化学吸着モデルをシビアアクシデント解析コードSAMPSONに組み込んだ。改良モデルを組み込んだSAMPSONにより、当該モデルを構築した実験の結果を再現し、コードに誤りが無いことを確認した。また、SAMPSONに組み込まれた改良モデルのセシウム化学着挙動解析への有効性を確認するため、温度勾配管を有する装置を用いた実験の解析を実施した。改良モデルを組み込んだSAMPSONにより、実験の結果を再現し、SAMPSONにおけるノードジャンクションの設定方法、エアロゾル生成モデル、CsOH蒸気の飽和蒸気圧等の計算方法等の解析方法、そして改良モデルがセシウム化学吸着挙動解析に適用可能であることを確認した。また、セシウムがシビアアクシデント後に水相を介して移行したことから、原子炉内におけるセシウム分布を予測するためには、セシウム沈着物の水への溶解性の評価が前提となる。このため、ステンレス鋼へのセシウム化学吸着生成物の水への溶解性を調べた。ステンレス鋼304へのセシウム化学吸着生成物は、873Kから973Kで水溶性の高いCsFeO、973Kから1273Kで水溶性の低いCsFeSiO、1073Kから1273Kで水溶性の低いCsSiOであることが分かった。これらの結果から、セシウム化学吸着量に影響を与える原子炉内温度やCsOH蒸気種濃度のようなシビアアクシデント解析条件に応じて、セシウム化学吸着生成物の水への溶解性を予測できる可能性を得た。

Numerical study of initiating phase of core disruptive accident in small sodium-cooled fast reactors with negative void reactivity

石田 真也; 深野 義隆; 飛田 吉春; 岡野 靖

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 13 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2243949

To improve the safety of future SFRs, the development of SFRs with low void reactivity has been promoted. Small SFRs can have a negative void coefficient of reactivity, so the analysis of the CDA event sequence in small SFRs is valuable for the investigation of the reactor characteristics for the future research and development of SFRs. In this study, the typical initiating events of a CDA in small SFRs were evaluated with the computational code, SAS4A. The event progression of ULOF and UTOP in the low void reactivity reactor is found to be slow due to the effective operation of the negative reactivity feedback and the absence of significant positive reactivity insertion. No power excursion occurs in the initiating phase. In ULOF, the cladding melt and relocation behavior becomes more important for the evaluation of the event progression due to its positive reactivity.

Revolatilization of iodine by bubbly flow in the suppression pool during an accident

南上 光太郎; 石川 淳; 杉山 智之; Pellegrini, M.*; 岡本 孝司*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(11), p.1407 - 1416, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2062065

To appropriately evaluate the amount of radioactive iodine released into the environment, we extended the current pool scrubbing model to consider revolatilization at bubble surfaces due to bubbly flow generated in the suppression pool, and the effect of revolatilization by bubbly flow was quantitatively evaluated using a station black out sequence in this work. Gaseous iodine species are produced in the suppression pool in an accident. They are gradually released from the pool surface, but when a large amount of gas flows from the drywell into the suppression pool, the revolatilization of gaseous iodine dissolved in the pool water is promoted by bubbly flow. The results of this study indicated that the release amount of iodine immediately after suppression chamber (S/C) vent operation increased by up to 134 times when considering the revolatilization effect associated with bubbly flow. These results were due to the increase in the gas-liquid interfacial area at bubble surfaces and the overall mass transfer coefficients under two-phase flow conditions due to bubbly flow. It was shown that caution is required for early S/C vent operation.

BWR lower head penetration failure test focusing on eutectic melting

山下 拓哉; 佐藤 拓未; 間所 寛; 永江 勇二

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 173, p.109129_1 - 109129_15, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109129

Decommissioning work occasioned by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) accident of March 2011 is in progress. Severe accident (SA) analysis, testing, and internal investigation are being used to grasp the 1F internal state. A PWR system that refers to the TMI-2 accident is typical for SA codes and testing, on the other hand, a BWR system like 1F is uncommon, understanding the 1F internal state is challenging. The present study conducted the ELSA-1 test, a test that focused on damage from eutectic melting of the liquid metal pool and control rod drive (CRD), to elucidate the lower head (LH) failure mechanism in the 1F accident. The results demonstrated that depending on the condition of the melt pool formed in the lower plenum, a factor of LH boundary failure was due to eutectic melting. In addition, the state related to the CRD structure of 1F unit 2 were estimated.

ナトリウム冷却高速炉の炉心損傷初期過程の研究(過出力時炉停止失敗事象に対するSAS4Aコードの妥当性確認)

石田 真也; 深野 義隆

日本機械学会論文集(インターネット), 88(911), p.21-00304_1 - 21-00304_11, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1299/transjsme.21-00304

炉心損傷事故(CDA)の初期の段階である起因過程の評価に係る解析コードSAS4Aに関しては、これまでにCDAの代表的な事象である流量喪失時炉停止失敗事象(ULOF)に対してPIRT手法を適用し、評価手法の信頼性向上が図られている。本研究では、PIRT手法を用いてUTOPの分析を行って物理現象を抽出するとともに、それらの物理現象にランク付けを行って8つの重要現象を抽出し、ULOFとの違いを明らかにした。さらに、抽出した重要現象に対して評価マトリクスを作成し、評価マトリクスに沿って妥当性確認を行った。評価マトリクスの作成においては、UTOPの重要現象に対してULOFの評価マトリクスで網羅されていない部分に対して妥当性確認を行った。本研究によって、SAS4Aをより広範な事故事象へ適用することが可能となり、当該コードの信頼性を大きく向上させることができた。

Post-test analyses of the CMMR-4 test

山下 拓哉; 間所 寛; 佐藤 一憲

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 8(2), p.021701_1 - 021701_13, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4051443

Understanding the final distribution of core materials and their characteristics is important for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F). Such characteristics depend on the accident progression in each unit. However, boiling water reactor accident progression involves great uncertainty. This uncertainty, which was clarified by MAAP-MELCOR Crosswalk, cannot be resolved with existing knowledge and was thus addressed in this work through core material melting and relocation (CMMR) tests. For the test bundle, ZrO pellets were installed instead of UO pellets. A plasma heating system was used for the tests. In the CMMR-4 test, useful information was obtained on the core state just before slumping. The presence of macroscopic gas permeability of the core approaching ceramic fuel melting was confirmed, and the fuel columns remained standing, suggesting that the collapse of fuel columns, which is likely in the reactor condition, would not allow effective relocation of the hottest fuel away from the bottom of the core. This information will help us comprehend core degradation in boiling water reactors, similar to those in 1F. In addition, useful information on abrasive water suspension jet (AWSJ) cutting for debris-containing boride was obtained in the process of dismantling the test bundle. When the mixing debris that contains oxide, metal, and boride material is cut, AWSJ may be repelled by the boride in the debris, which may cut unexpected parts, thus generating a large amount of waste in cutting the boride part in the targeted debris. This information will help the decommissioning of 1F.

France-Japan collaboration on thermodynamic and kinetic studies of core material mixture in severe accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors

Quaini, A.*; Goss, S.*; Payot, F.*; Suteau, C.*; Delacroix, J.*; Saas, L.*; Gubernatis, P.*; Martin-Lopez, E.*; 山野 秀将; 高井 俊秀; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/04

CEAと原子力機構は、現在の実施体制の下で新しいサブタスク、炉心混合物質における相互作用の動力学、炉心混合物質の物性、UO-Fe-BC系の高温熱力学データ、BC-SS速度論およびBC-SS共晶材料の再配置(凍結)に関する実験的研究、SIMMERコードシステムのBC/SS共晶および動力学モデル、混合物の液相化速度をモデル化するための方法論を定義した。この論文は、以前の実施協定の下での日仏協力で得られた主要な研究開発結果と、現在の協定の下での実験的および分析的ロードマップについて説明する。