Irradiation test using foreign reactor, 1; Study of irradiation test with capsule temperature control system (Joint research)

Takabe, Yugo; Otsuka, Noriaki; Fuyushima, Takumi; Sayato, Natsuki; Inoue, Shuichi; Morita, Hisashi; Jaroszewicz, J.*; Migdal, M.*; Onuma, Yuichi; Tobita, Masahiro*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2022-040, 45 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Technology-2022-040.pdf:6.61MB

Because of the decommission of the Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR), the domestic neutron irradiation facility, which had played a central role in the development of innovative nuclear reactors and the development of technologies to further improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of light water reactors, was lost. Therefore, it has become difficult to pass on the operation techniques of the irradiation test reactors and irradiation technologies, and to train human resources. In order to cope with these issues, we conducted a study on the implementation of irradiation tests using overseas reactors as neutron irradiation sites as an alternative method. Based on the "Arrangement between the National Centre for Nuclear Research and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development on Testing Reactor," the feasibility of conducting an irradiation test at the MARIA reactor (30 MW) owned by the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) using the temperature control system, which is one of the JMTR irradiation technologies, was examined. As a result, it was found that the irradiation test was possible by modifying the ready-made capsule manufactured in accordance with the design and manufacturing standards of the JMTR. After the modification, a penetration test, an insulation continuity test, and an operation test in the range of room temperature to 300C, which is the operating temperature of the capsule, were conducted and favorable results were obtained. We have completed the preparations prior to transport to the MARIA reactor.

Applicability of equivalent linear analysis to reinforced concrete shear walls; 3D FEM simulation of experiment results of seismic wall ultimate behavior

Ichihara, Yoshitaka*; Nakamura, Naohiro*; Moritani, Hiroshi*; Horiguchi, Tomohiro*; Choi, B.

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 21(1), p.1 - 14, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J20.038

In this study, we aim to approximately evaluate the effect of nonlinearity of reinforced concrete structures through seismic response analysis using the equivalent linear analysis method. A simulation analysis was performed for the ultimate response test of the shear wall of the reactor building used in an international competition by OECD/NEA in 1996. The equivalent stiffness and damping of the shear wall were obtained from the trilinear skeleton curves proposed by the Japan Electric Association and the hysteresis curves proposed by Cheng et al. The dominant frequency, maximum acceleration response, maximum displacement response, inertia force-displacement relationship, and acceleration response spectra of the top slab could be simulated well up to a shear strain of approximately =2.010. The equivalent linear analysis used herein underestimates the maximum displacement response at the time of ultimate fracture of approximately =4.010. Moreover, the maximum shear strain of the shear wall could not capture the locally occurring shear strain compared with that of the nonlinear analysis. Therefore, when employing this method to evaluate the maximum shear strain and test results, including those during the sudden increase in displacement immediately before the fracture, sufficient attention must be paid to its applicability.

Evaluation of brittle crack arrest toughness for highly-irradiated reactor pressure vessel steels

Iwata, Keiko; Hata, Kuniki; Tobita, Toru; Hirota, Takatoshi*; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Proceedings of ASME 2021 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2021) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2021/07

Evaluation of tritium release into primary coolant for research and testing reactors

Kenzhina, I.*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Okumura, Keisuke; Ho, H. Q.; Takemoto, Noriyuki; Chikhray, Y.*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 58(1), p.1 - 8, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1791760

The sources and mechanisms for the tritium release into the primary coolant in the JMTR and the JRR-3M containing beryllium reflectors are evaluated. It is found that the recoil release from chain reaction of Be is dominant and its calculation results agree well with trends derived from the measured variation of tritium concentration in the primary coolant. It also indicates that the simple calculation method used in this study for the tritium recoil release from the beryllium reflectors can be utilized for an estimation of the tritium release into the primary coolant for a research and testing reactors containing beryllium reflectors.

Uncertainty analysis of ROSA/LSTF test by RELAP5 code and PKL counterpart test concerning PWR hot leg break LOCAs

Takeda, Takeshi; Otsu, Iwao

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 50(6), p.829 - 841, 2018/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2018.05.005

Verification of alternative dew point hygrometer for CV-LRT in MONJU; Short- and long-term verification for capacitance-type dew point hygrometer (Translated document)

Ichikawa, Shoichi; Chiba, Yusuke; Ono, Fumiyasu; Hatori, Masakazu; Kobayashi, Takanori; Uekura, Ryoichi; Hashiri, Nobuo*; Inuzuka, Taisuke*; Kitano, Hiroshi*; Abe, Hisashi*

JAEA-Research 2017-001, 40 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Research-2017-001.pdf:5.19MB

In order to reduce the influence on a plant schedule of the MONJU by the maintenance of dew point hygrometers, The JAEA examined a capacitance type dew point hygrometer as an alternative dew point hygrometer for a lithium-chloride type dew point hygrometer which had been used at the CV-LRT in the MONJU. As a result of comparing a capacitance type dew point hygrometer with a lithium-chloride type dew point hygrometer at the CV-LRT (Atmosphere: nitrogen, Testing time: 24 hours), there weren't significant difference between a capacitance type dew point hygrometer and a lithium-chloride type dew point hygrometer. As a result of comparing a capacitance dew point hygrometer with a high-mirror-surface type dew point hygrometer for long term verification (Atmosphere: air, Testing time: 24 months), the JAEA confirmed that a capacitance type dew point hygrometer satisfied the instrument specification (2.04C) required by the JEAC4203-2008.

Proceedings of the 2015 Symposium on Nuclear Data; November 19-20, 2015, Ibaraki Quantum Beam Research Center, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki, Japan

Iwamoto, Osamu; Sanami, Toshiya*; Kunieda, Satoshi; Koura, Hiroyuki; Nakamura, Shoji

JAEA-Conf 2016-004, 247 Pages, 2016/09

JAEA-Conf-2016-004.pdf:26.48MB

The 2015 Symposium on Nuclear Data was held at Ibaraki Quantum Beam Research Center, on November 19 and 20, 2015. The symposium was organized by the Nuclear Data Division of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan in cooperation with Nuclear Science and Engineering Center of Japan Atomic Energy Agency and North Kanto Branch of Atomic Energy Society of Japan. In the symposium, there were two tutorials, "Theory of Few-Body Systems and Recent Topics" and "Use of Covariance Data 2015" and four oral sessions, "Recent Research Topics", "Progress of AIMAC Project", "Present Status of JENDL Evaluated Files", and "Nuclear Data Applications". In addition, recent research progress on experiments, evaluation, benchmark and application was presented in a poster session. Among 99 participants, all presentations and following discussions were very active and fruitful. This report consists of total 46 papers including 13 oral and 33 poster presentations.

Fracture toughness evaluation of reactor pressure vessel steels by master curve method using miniature compact tension specimens

Tobita, Toru; Nishiyama, Yutaka; Otsu, Takuyo; Udagawa, Makoto; Katsuyama, Jinya; Onizawa, Kunio

Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, 137(5), p.051405_1 - 051405_8, 2015/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4029428

We conducted a series of fracture toughness tests based on the Master curve method for several specimen size and shapes, such as 0.16T-CT, pre-cracked Charpy type, 0.4T-CT and 1T-CT specimens, in commercially manufactured 5 kinds of A533B class1 steels with different impurity contents and fracture toughness levels. The reference temperature () values determined from the 0.16T-CT specimens were overall in good agreement with those determined from the 1T-CT specimens. The scatter of the 1T-equivalent fracture toughness values obtained from the 0.16T-CT specimens was equivalent to that obtained from the other larger specimens. The higher loading rate gave rise to a slightly higher , and this dependency was almost the same for the larger specimens. We suggested an optimum test temperature on the basis of the Charpy transition temperature for determining using the 0.16T-CT specimens.

Numerical modeling assistance system in finite element analysis for the structure of an assembly

Nakajima, Norihiro; Nishida, Akemi; Kawakami, Yoshiaki; Suzuki, Yoshio; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Iigaki, Kazuhiko

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 5 Pages, 2015/05

A numerical analysis controlling and managing system is implemented on K, which controls the modelling process and data treating, although the manager only controls a structural analysis by finite element method. The modeling process is described by the list of function ID and its procedures in a data base. The manager executes the process by order in the list for simulation procedures. The manager controls the intention of an analysis by changing the analytical process one to another. Experiments were carried out with static and dynamic analyses.

Investigation of characteristics of natural circulation of water in vessel cooling system in loss of core cooling test without nuclear heating

Takada, Shoji; Shimizu, Atsushi; Kondo, Makoto; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Seki, Tomokazu; Tochio, Daisuke; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 5 Pages, 2015/05

In the loss of forced core cooling test using High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), the forced cooling of reactor core is stopped without inserting control rods into the core and cooling by Vessel Cooling System (VCS) to demonstrate the inherent safety of HTGR be secured by natural phenomena to make it possible to design a severe accident free reactor. In the test, the local temperature was supposed to exceed the limit from the viewpoint of long-term use at the uncovered water cooling tube by thermal reflectors in the VCS, although the safety of reactor is kept. The local higher temperature position was specified although the temperature was sufficiently lower than the maximum allowable working temperature, and natural circulation of water had insufficient cooling effect on the temperature of water cooling tube below 1C. Then, a new safe and secured procedure for the loss of forced core cooling test was established, which will be carried out soon after the restart of HTTR.