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.

Development methodology on determination of instant release fractions for generic safety assessment for direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel

Kitamura, Akira; Akahori, Kuniaki; Nagata, Masanobu*

Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 27(2), p.83 - 93, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnuce.27.2_83

Direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in deep underground repositories (hereafter "direct disposal") is a concept that disposal canisters stored fuel assemblies dispose without reprocessing. Behavior of radionuclide release from SNF must be different from that from vitrified glass. The present study established a methodology on determination of instant release fraction (IRF) of radionuclides from SNF, which is the one of the parameters on radionuclide release based on the latest safety assessment reports in other countries, especially for IRF values proportional to a fission gas release ratio (FGR). Recommended and maximum values of FGR have been estimated using the fuel performance code FEMAXI-7 after collecting FGR values on Japanese SNFs. Furthermore, recommended and maximum values of IRF for Japanese SNFs used in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) have been estimated using the presently obtained FGR values and experimentally obtained IRF values on foreign SNFs. The recommended and maximum IRF values obtained in the present study have been compared with those of the latest safety assessment reports in other countries.

Pressure resistance thickness of disposal containers for spent fuel direct disposal

Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Naoki; Makino, Hitoshi; Kanamaru, Shinichiro*; Okumura, Taisei*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 19(3), p.121 - 135, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J19.007

A series of structural analysis of disposal containers for direct disposal of spent fuel was carried out to provide preliminary estimates of the required pressure resistance thickness of the disposal container. Disposal containers were designed to contain either 2, 3 or 4 spent fuel assemblies in linear, triangular or square arrangements, respectively. The required pressure resistance thickness was evaluated using separation distance of the housing space for each spent fuel assembly as a key model parameter to obtain the required thickness of the body and then the lid of the disposal container. This work also provides additional analytical technical knowledge, such as the validity of the setting of the stress evaluation line and the effect of the model length on the analysis. These can then be referred to and used again in the future as a basis for conducting similar evaluations under different conditions or proceeding with more detailed evaluations.

Study on loss-of-cooling and loss-of-coolant accidents in spent fuel pool, 1; Overview

Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Nagatake, Taku; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Tojo, Masayuki*; Goto, Daisuke*; Nishimura, Satoshi*; Suzuki, Hiroaki*; Yamato, Masaaki*; Watanabe, Satoshi*

Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmeicone.2019.27.1343

In this research program, cladding oxidation model in SFP accident condition, and numerical simulation method to evaluate capability of spray cooling system which was deployed for spent fuel cooling during SFP accident, have been developed. These were introduced into the severe accident codes such as MAAP and SAMPSON, and SFP accident analyses were conducted. Analyses using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code were conducted as well for the comparison with SA code analyses and investigation of detail in the SFP accident. In addition, three-dimensional criticality analysis method was developed as well, and safer loading pattern of spent fuels in pool was investigated.

Development of correlation of gaseous ruthenium transfer rate to condensed water in accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste in Fuel Reprocessing Facilities

Yoshida, Kazuo; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Yoshida, Naoki; Amano, Yuki; Abe, Hitoshi

JAEA-Research 2017-015, 18 Pages, 2018/01

JAEA-Research-2017-015.pdf:3.08MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste is postulated as one of the severe accidents at a fuel reprocessing facility. It was observed at the experiments that a large amount of ruthenium (Ru) is volatilized and transfer to the vapor phase in the tank. The nitric acid and water mixed vapor released from the tank is condensed. Volatilized Ru is expected to transfer into the condensed water at the compartments in the building. Quantitative estimation of the amount of Ru transferred condensed water is key issues to evaluate the reduction the amount of Ru through leak path in the facility building. This report presents that a correlation has been developed for Ru transfer rate to condensed water with vapor condensing rate based on the experimental results and additional thermal-hydraulic simulation of the experiments. Applicability of the correlation has been also demonstrated with the accident simulation of typical facilities in full-scale.

Development of analytical model for condensation of vapor mixture of nitric acid and water affected volatilized ruthenium behavior in accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste at fuel reprocessing facilities

Yoshida, Kazuo

JAEA-Research 2016-012, 24 Pages, 2016/08

JAEA-Research-2016-012.pdf:3.04MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste is postulated as one of the severe accidents. In this case, Ru volatilization increases in liquid waste temperature over 120 centigrade at later boiling and dry out phases. It has been observed at the experiments with actual and synthetic liquid waste that some amount of Ru volatilizes and transfers into condensed nitric acid solution at those phases. The nitric acid and water vapor from waste tank condenses at compartments of actual facilities building. The volatilized Ru could transfer into condensed liquid. It is key issues for quantifying the amount of transferred Ru through the facility building to simulate these thermodynamic and chemical behaviors. An analytical model has been proposed in this report based on the condensation mechanisms of nitric acid and water in vapor-liquid equilibria. It has been also carried out to review the thermodynamic properties of nitric acid solution.

Validation of decay heat evaluation method based on FPGS cord for fast reactor spent MOX fuels

Usami, Shin; Kishimoto, Yasufumi; Taninaka, Hiroshi; Maeda, Shigetaka

Proceedings of International Conference on the Physics of Reactors; Unifying Theory and Experiments in the 21st Century (PHYSOR 2016) (USB Flash Drive), p.3263 - 3274, 2016/05

The present paper describes the validation of the new decay heat evaluation method using FPGS90 code with both the updated nuclear data library and the rational extent of uncertainty, by comparing the results of the decay heat measurement of the spent fuel subassemblies in Joyo MK-II core and by comparing with the calculation results of ORIGEN2.2 code. The calculated values of decay heat (C) by FPGS90 based on the JENDL-4.0 library were coincident with the measured ones (E) within the calculation uncertainties, and the C/E ranged from 1.01 to 0.93. FPGS90 evaluated the decay heat almost 3% larger than ORIGEN2.2, and it improved the C/E in comparison with the ORIGEN2.2 code. Furthermore, The C/E by FPGS90 based on the JENDL-4.0 library was improved than that based on the JENDL-3.2 library, and the contribution of the revision of reaction cross section library to the improvement was dominant rather than that of the decay data and fission yield data libraries.

Effects of -radiation on a direct disposal system for spent nuclear fuel, 1 Review of research into the effects of -radiation on the spent nuclear fuel, canisters and outside canisters

Kitamura, Akira; Takase, Hiroyasu*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 53(1), p.1 - 18, 2016/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2015.1018362

Not only geological disposal of vitrified waste generated by spent fuel (SF) reprocessing, but also the possibility of disposing of SF itself in deep geological strata (hereinafter "direct disposal of SF") may be considered in the Japanese geological disposal program. In the case of direct disposal of SF, the radioactivity of the waste is higher and the potential effects of the radiation are greater. Specific examples of the possible effects of radiation include: increased amounts of canister corrosion; generation of oxidizing chemical species in conjunction with radiation degradation of groundwater and accompanying oxidation of reducing groundwater; and increase in the dissolution rate and the solubility of SF. Focusing especially on the effects of -radiation in safety assessment, this study has reviewed research into the effects of -radiation on the spent nuclear fuel, canisters and outside canisters.

The States of the art of the nondestructive assay of spent nuclear fuel assemblies; A Critical review of the Spent Fuel NDA Project of the U.S. Department of Energy's Next Generation Safeguards Initiative

Bolind, A. M.*; Seya, Michio

JAEA-Review 2015-027, 233 Pages, 2015/12

JAEA-Review-2015-027.pdf:30.21MB

This report surveys the 14 advanced NDA techniques that were examined by the Spent Fuel NDA Project of the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI) of the U.S. DOE-NNSA. It discusses and critique NDA techniques from a view point of obtaining higher accuracies. The report shows the main problem, large uncertainties in the assay results are caused primarily by using too few independent NDAs. In this report authors shows that at least three independent NDA techniques are required for obtaining better accuracies, since the physics of the NDA of SFAs is three dimensional.

Influence of contaminants from spent fuel pools at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on the reprocessing process

Aihara, Haruka; Kitawaki, Shinichi; Nomura, Kazunori; Taguchi, Katsuya

Proceedings of 21st International Conference & Exhibition; Nuclear Fuel Cycle for a Low-Carbon Future (GLOBAL 2015) (USB Flash Drive), p.1076 - 1083, 2015/09