Thermal conductivity measurement of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide doped with Nd/Sm as simulated fission products

Horii, Yuta; Hirooka, Shun; Uno, Hiroki*; Ogasawara, Masahiro*; Tamura, Tetsuya*; Yamada, Tadahisa*; Furusawa, Naoya*; Murakami, Tatsutoshi; Kato, Masato

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 588, p.154799_1 - 154799_20, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154799

The thermal conductivities of near-stoichiometric (U,Pu,Am)O doped with NdO/SmO, which is major fission product (FP) generated by a uranium-plutonium mixed oxides (MOX) fuel irradiation, as simulated fission products are evaluated at 1073-1673 K. The thermal conductivities are calculated from the thermal diffusivities that are measured using the laser flash method. To evaluate the thermal conductivity from a homogeneity viewpoint of Nd/Sm cations in MOX, the specimens with different homogeneity of Nd/Sm are prepared using two kinds of powder made by ball-mill and fusion methods. A homogeneous Nd/Sm distribution decreases the thermal conductivity of MOX with increasing Nd/Sm content, whereas heterogeneous Nd/Sm has no influence. The effect of Nd/Sm on the thermal conductivity is studied using the classical phonon transport model (A+BT). The dependences of the coefficients A and B on the Nd/Sm content (C and C, respectively) are evaluated as: A(mK/W)=1.70 10 + 0.93C + 1.20C, B(m/W)=2.39 10.

Evaluation of the minimum critical amount for heterogeneous lattice systems composed of fuel rods utilized in low-power water-moderated research and test reactors by using continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP with JENDL-4.0

Yanagisawa, Hiroshi

JAEA-Technology 2021-023, 190 Pages, 2021/11

JAEA-Technology-2021-023.pdf:5.25MB

Computational analyses on nuclear criticality characteristics were carried out for heterogeneous lattice systems composed of water moderator and fuel rods utilized in low-power research and test reactors, in which the depletion of fuel due to burnup is relatively small, by using the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP Version 2 with the evaluated nuclear data library JENDL-4.0. In the analyses, the minimum critical number of fuel rods was evaluated using calculated neutron multiplication factors for the heterogeneous systems of the uranium dioxide fuel rod in the Static Experiments Critical Facility (STACY) and the Tank-type Critical Assembly (TCA), and the uranium-zirconium hydride fuel rod in the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR). In addition, six sorts of the ratio of reaction rates, which are components of neutron multiplication factors, were calculated in the analyses to explain the variation of neutron multiplication factors with the ratio of water moderator to fuel volume in a unit fuel rod cell. Those results of analyses are considered to be useful for the confirmation of reasonableness and validity of criticality safety measures as data showing criticality characteristics for water-moderated heterogeneous lattice systems composed of the existing fuel rods in research and test reactors, of which criticality data are not sufficiently provided by the Criticality Safety Handbook.

Basis for handling of nuclear fuel materials (Second edition)

Task Force on Writing Textbook of Nuclear Fuel Materials

JAEA-Review 2020-007, 165 Pages, 2020/07

JAEA-Review-2020-007.pdf:6.63MB

The present textbook was written by Task Force on Writing Textbook of Nuclear Fuel Materials at the Nuclear Science Research Institute in order to improve technological abilities of engineers and researchers who handle nuclear fuel materials. The taskforce consists of young and middle class engineers each having certification for chief engineer of nuclear fuel. The present textbook mainly deals with uranium and plutonium, and shows their nuclear properties, physical and chemical properties, and radiation effects on materials and human body. It also presents basic matters for safety handling of nuclear fuel materials, such as handling of nuclear fuel materials with hood and glovebox, important points in storage and transportation of nuclear fuel materials, radioactive waste management, radiation safety management, and emergency management. Furthermore, incident cases at domestic and foreign nuclear fuel materials facilities are compiled to learn from the past.

Systematic measurements and analyses for lead void reactivity worth in a plutonium core and two uranium cores with different enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Oizumi, Akito; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hayes, D.*; Hutchinson, J.*; McKenzie, G.*; McSpaden, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 194(2), p.138 - 153, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1663089

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worth was conducted systematically in three fast spectra with different fuel compositions on the Comet critical assembly of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Previous experiments in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb and a low-enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb systems had been performed in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A follow-on experiment in a plutonium (Pu)/Pb system has been completed. The Pu/Pb system was constructed using lead plates and weapons grade plutonium plates that had been used in the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) of Argonne National Laboratory until the 1990s. Furthermore, the HEU/Pb system was re-examined on the Comet critical assembly installed newly with a device that can guarantee the gap reproducibility with a higher accuracy and precision, and then the experimental data was re evaluated. Using the lead void reactivity worth measured in these three cores with different fuel compositions, the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VIII.0, were tested with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP version 6.1. As a result, the calculations by ENDF/B-VIII.0 were confirmed to agree with lead void reactivity worth measured in all the cores. It was furthermore found that the calculations by JENDL 4.0 overestimate by more than 20% for the Pu/Pb core while being in good agreements for the HEU/Pb and LEU/Pb cores.

Measurement of uranium spectrum using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy; High resolution spectroscopy (470-670 nm)

Akaoka, Katsuaki; Oba, Masaki; Miyabe, Masabumi; Otobe, Haruyoshi; Wakaida, Ikuo

JAEA-Research 2016-005, 40 Pages, 2016/05

JAEA-Research-2016-005.pdf:1.82MB

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) method is an attractive technique because real-time, in-situ and remote elemental analysis is possible without any sample preparation. The LIBS technique can be applied for analyzing elemental composition of samples under severe environments such as the estimation of impurities in the next generation nuclear fuel material containing minor actinide (MA) and the detection of fuel debris in the post-accident nuclear core reactor of TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. For applying LIBS to the analysis of nuclear fuel materials, it is indispensable to identify the emission spectrum and its intensity on impurities intermingled within complex emission spectra of matrix elements such as uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu). In the present study, an echelle spectrometer with a resolving power of 50,000 was employed to identify spectra of natural uranium of wavelength ranging from 470 to 670 nm. The 173 atomic spectra and 119 ionic spectra can be identified. We have confirmed that the measured wavelength and oscillator strength of spectra are consistent with published values.

Chlorination of UO and (U,Zr)O solid solution using MoCl

Sato, Takumi; Shibata, Hiroki; Hayashi, Hirokazu; Takano, Masahide; Kurata, Masaki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(10), p.1253 - 1258, 2015/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2015.1070110

In order to explore the applicability of the chlorination by MoCl as a potential pretreatment technique for waste treatment of fuel debris by pyrochemical methods, chlorination experiments of UO and (UZr)O simulated fuel debris were carried out in two steps: the first one is a chlorination reaction by homogeneous heating, the second one is a volatilization of molybdenum by-product by heating under temperature gradient condition. Most of UO and (UZr)O powder were converted to UCl or UCl and ZrCl mixture at 573 K, respectively. In the case of (UZr)Osintered particle, most of sample was converted to the chlorides because the products evaporated and be separated from sample surface at 773 K, while only the surface of the sample disk was converted to the chlorides at 573 and 673 K. Most of molybdenum by-product and ZrCl were separated from UCl by volatilization at 573 K.

Report on the fuel treatment facility operation

Kokusen, Junya; Seki, Masakazu; Abe, Masayuki; Nakazaki, Masato; Kida, Takashi; Umeda, Miki; Kihara, Takehiro; Sugikawa, Susumu

JAERI-Tech 2005-004, 53 Pages, 2005/03

JAERI-Tech-2005-004.pdf:5.92MB

This report presents operating records of dissolution of uranium dioxide and concentration of uranyl nitrate solution and acid removal, which have been performed from 1994 through 2003, for the purpose of feeding 10% and 6% enriched uranyl nitrate solution fuel to Static Experimental Critical Facility(STACY) and Transient Experimental Critical Facility(TRACY) in Nuclear Fuel Safety Engineering Facility(NUCEF).

An Investigation into dissolution rate of spent nuclear fuel in aqueous reprocessing

Mineo, Hideaki; Isogai, Hikaru; Morita, Yasuji; Uchiyama, Gunzo*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 41(2), p.126 - 134, 2004/02

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.41.126

A simple equation was proposed for the dissolution rate of spent LWR fuel, of which the change in the dissolution area was estimated by taking into account of the area of the cracks occurring due to thermal shrinkage of the pellets during irradiation. The applicability of proposed equation was examined using LWR fuel dissolution test results in the present study as well as the results obtained by other workers. The equation showed good agreements with the dissolution test results obtained from spent fuel pellets and pulverized spent fuel. It was indicated that the proposed equation was simple and would be useful for the prediction of dissolution of spent LWR fuels. However, the initial effective dissolution area, the parameter of the equation, was found to depend on the temperature, which could not be explained by the proposed equation. Further studies on the role of other factors affecting dissolution rate, such as nitrous acid, in the dissolution of spent fuel was required.

Behavior of uranium-zirconium hydride fuel under reactivity initiated accident conditions

Sasajima, Hideo; Sugiyama, Tomoyuki; Nakamura, Takehiko; Fuketa, Toyoshi; Uetsuka, Hiroshi

Proceedings of 7th International Topical Meeting on Research Reactor Fuel Management (ENS RRFM2003), p.109 - 113, 2003/03

Uranium-zirconium hydride (U-ZrHx) fuel has been widely utilized in the world as TRIGA reactor fuel. In order to obtain the fuel performance data under accident conditions and to enhance accountability of the safety assessment of the reactors using the fuel, irradiation tests under power burst type accident conditions have been conducted in the NSRR. Five pulse irradiation tests have been performed at peak fuel enthalpies ranging from 187 J/g to 483 J/g. Cladding surface temperature increased rapidly at the pulse and DNB occurred in peak fuel enthalpy over 187 J/g in the tests. The DNB occurred at lower fuel enthalpy in the U-ZrH1.6 fuel than in the UO fuel rods. The rod internal pressure rose up to as high as 1MPa in the transient heating tests, suggesting considerable release of the hydrogen decomposed from the fuel. The peak pressure was lower than equilibrium hydrogen pressure of 1.5MPa at the peak temperature, suggesting the transient effect. Considerable PCMI was observed in the tests, through cladding elongation up to 3.3 mm synchronized to the pellet stack deformation.

Behavior of simulated spent fuel in subcritical water

Mineo, Hideaki; Suzuki, Tadashi; Morita, Yasuji

Proceedings of 2nd International Symposium on Supercritical Fluid Technology for Energy and Environment Applications (Super Green 2003), p.334 - 338, 2003/00

Behavior of spent nuclear fuel in subcritical water was investigated to look at the feasibility of fission-products (FPs) separation without organic solvent. The study employed unirradiated UO particles simulating spent fuel burned up to 45,000MWdt, which includes FP elements in oxide form: Sr, Zr, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Sm. Also, alloy particles consisted of Mo, Ru, Rh and Pd were prepared to simulate the metallic phase of FP. 12.728 g of the fuel and 52 mg of the alloy were placed in a 10 ml pressure vessel, where subcritical water was fed. The temperature was 523, 573, 623 and 663K, while the pressure was kept at 29MPa. Dissolved fraction decreased with elevating temperature. It was found that more than 5% of Ba, Mo and Pr were respectively dissolved. The dissolved fraction of Sr and Rh were about 1%, and about 0.3% for Zr. La, Ce, Nd and Sm, indicated almost the same result as U, which was about 0.1%. It was suggested that the subcritical water could separate portion of FP. Further study would be carried out with smaller-sized fuel.