Contribution to risk reduction in decommissioning works by the elucidation of basic property of radioactive microparticles (Contract Research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Ibaraki University*

JAEA-Review 2023-021, 112 Pages, 2024/02

JAEA-Review-2023-021.pdf:7.1MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2020. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Contribution to Risk Reduction in Decommissioning Works by the Elucidation of Basic Property of Radioactive Microparticles" conducted from FY2018 to FY2021 (this contract was extended to FY2021). The present study aims to understand the basic properties (size, chemical composition, isotopic composition - including concentration of -emitters, electrostatic properties, and optical properties, etc.) of fine particles composed of silicate with insoluble properties which contain regions of highly concentrated radioactive cesium (Cs) released to the environment by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of TEPCO in 2011 March.

Effect of dissolved oxygen concentration on dynamic strain aging and stress corrosion cracking of SUS304 stainless steel under high temperature pressurized water

Hirota, Noriaki; Nakano, Hiroko; Fujita, Yoshitaka; Takeuchi, Tomoaki; Tsuchiya, Kunihiko; Demura, Masahiko*; Kobayashi, Yoshinao*

The IV International Scientific Forum "Nuclear Science and Technologies"; AIP Conference Proceedings 3020, p.030007_1 - 030007_6, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0192888

Dynamic strain aging (DSA) and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (intragranular SCC) occur in high temperature pressurized water simulating a boiling water reactor environment due to changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) content, respectively. In order to clearly understand the difference between these phenomena, the mechanism of their occurrence was summarized. As a result, it was found that DSA due to intragranular cracking occurred in SUS304 stainless steel at low DO 1 ppb, while DSA was suppressed at DO 100 to 8500 ppb due to the formation of oxide films on the surface. On the other hand, when DO was increased to 20000 ppb, the film was peeled from the matrix, O element diffused to the grain boundary of the matrix, resulting in intergranular SCC. These results are indicated that the optimum DO concentration must be adjusted to suppress crack initiation due to DSA and intergranular SCC.

Radio-tellurium released into the environment during the complete oxidation of fuel cladding, containment venting and reactor building failure of the Fukushima accident

Hidaka, Akihide; Kawashima, Shigeto*; Kajino, Mizuo*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(7), p.743 - 758, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2142311

An accurate estimation of radionuclides released during the Fukushima accident is essential. Therefore, authors investigated Te release using the Unit emission-regression estimation method, in which the deposition distribution is weighted based on the hourly deposition obtained from mesoscale meteorological model calculations assuming Unit emissions. The previous study focused on confirming the applicability of this method. Subsequent examination revealed that if any part of the time when a release have occurred is missing from the estimated release period, the entire source term calculation will be distorted. Therefore, this study performed the recalculation by extending the estimation period to cover all major releases. Consequently, unspecified release events were clarified, and their correspondence to in-core events was confirmed. The Te release caused by Zr cladding complete oxidation can explain the regional dependence of the Te/Cs ratio in the soil contamination map.

Study on borehole sealing corresponding to hydrogeological structures by groundwater flow analysis

Sawaguchi, Takuma; Takai, Shizuka; Sasagawa, Tsuyoshi; Uchikoshi, Emiko*; Shima, Yosuke*; Takeda, Seiji

MRS Advances (Internet), 8(6), p.243 - 249, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-023-00528-y

In the intermediate depth disposal of relatively high-level radioactive waste, a method to confirm whether the borehole for monitoring is properly sealed should be developed in advance. In this study, groundwater flow analyses were performed for the hydrogeological structures with backfilled boreholes, assuming sedimentary rock area, to understand what backfill design conditions could prevent significant water pathways in the borehole, and to identify the confirmation points of borehole sealing. The results indicated the conditions to prevent water pathways in the borehole and BDZ (Borehole Disturbed Zone), such as designing the permeability of bentonite material less than or equal to that of the host rock, and grouting BDZ.

Double diffusive dissolution model of UO pellet in molten Zr cladding

Ito, Ayumi*; Yamashita, Susumu; Tasaki, Yudai; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Kobayashi, Yoshinao*

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

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2114956

Research and development of the sample-return technique for fuel debris using the unmanned underwater vehicle (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology*

JAEA-Review 2022-070, 70 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Review-2022-070.pdf:5.27MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2021. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2020, this report summarizes the research results of the "Research and development of the sample-return technique for fuel debris using the unmanned underwater vehicle" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to develop a fuel debris sampling device that comprises a neutron detector with radiation resistance and enhanced neutron detection efficiency, an end-effector with powerful cutting and collection capabilities, and a manipulator under the Japan-UK joint research team. We will also develop a fuel debris sampling system that can be mounted on an unmanned vehicle. In addition, we will develop a positioning system to identify the system position, and a technique to project the counting information of optical cameras, sonar, and neutron detectors to be developed ...

Data of groundwater chemistry obtained in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project (FY2022)

Miyakawa, Kazuya; Nakata, Kotaro*

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-013, 19 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-013.pdf:1.88MB

In the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) project, groundwater chemistry was analyzed to investigate changes due to the excavation of the underground facility and to review geochemical models until the fiscal year 2019. From the fiscal year 2020, to proceed remaining important issues deduced from the conclusion of the investigations during the fiscal year 2015-2019, primary data such as groundwater chemistry need to be successively acquired. Here, the chemical analysis of 54 groundwater samples in 2022 from boreholes drilled in the 140 m, 250 m, 350 m gallery in the Horonobe URL, and water rings settled in three vertical shafts is presented. Analytical results include groundwater chemistry such as pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved components (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Li, NH, F, Cl, Br, NO, NO, PO, SO, Total-Mn, Total-Fe, Al, B, Sr, Ba, I, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, CO, HCO, Fe, sulfide), and O, D along with a detailed description of analytical methods.

Insights into machine-learning modeling for Cr(VI) removal from contaminated water using nano-nickel hydroxide

Maamoun, I.; Rushdi, M.*; Falyouna, O.*; Eljamal, R.*; Eljamal, O.*

Separation and Purification Technology, 308, p.122863_1 - 122863_16, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122863

Statistical optimization of nZVI chemical synthesis approach towards P and NO removal from aqueous solutions; Cost-effectiveness & parametric effects

Maamoun, I.; Eljamal, R.*; Eljamal, O.*

Chemosphere, 312, Part 1, p.137176_1 - 137176_11, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137176

Evolution of porewater in a Neogene sedimentary formation in the Horonobe area, Hokkaido, Japan: Modeling of burial diagenesis

Miyakawa, Kazuya; Kashiwaya, Koki*; Komura, Yuto*; Nakata, Kotaro*

Geochemical Journal, 57(5), p.155 - 175, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.2343/geochemj.GJ23014

In the thick marine sediments, groundwater altered from seawater during the burial diagenesis may exist. Such altered ancient seawater will be called fossil seawater. In such a field, groundwater flow is considered extremely slow because it is not affected by the seepage of meteoric water even after the uplift. During diagenesis, dehydration from silicates causes changes such as a decrease in the salinity of the porewater. However, dehydration reactions alone cannot quantitatively explain water chemistry changes. In this study, we developed an analytical model that considers the dehydration reaction from silicates during the burial process and the upward migration of porewater due to compaction and examined the possible evolution of porewater chemistry. The results showed that the water chemistry, which was strongly influenced by the dehydration reaction from opal-A to quartz and from smectite, was similar to the observations from boring surveys. The results suggest that the fossil seawater formed during the diagenesis may have been preserved since the uplift and strongly supports the slow groundwater flow in the area where the fossil seawater exists.