Effect of preparation conditions and storage time on characteristic and rheological properties of carbonate slurries

Kato, Tomoaki; Yamagishi, Isao

JAEA-Technology 2023-018, 53 Pages, 2023/11

JAEA-Technology-2023-018.pdf:2.6MB

In the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, radioactive carbonate slurry waste was generated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) pretreatment and temporarily stored in a high integrity container (HIC). In 2015, overflow of supernatant from HIC estimate as bubble retention in the carbonate slurry was discovered, increasing the need for a safety assessment of the carbonate slurry stored the HIC (HIC slurry). In this study, a carbonate slurry (simulated slurry) was prepared according to the Mg/Ca mass ratio in the ALPS inlet water of the HIC slurry which overflew the HIC. The effects of reaction time during the pretreatment process, suspended solids concentration (SS concentration), and settling time on the particle composition, morphology and rheological properties of the slurry were investigated. Evaluating the effect of reaction time and concentration process on chemical properties in slurry production, the effect of the reaction time was not confirmed in the simulated slurry that had undergone the concentration process, and slurry prepared at SS concentration of 150 g/L was composed of formless particles have a particle diameter of 0.4 m or less. We also investigate the effect of SS concentration on sedimentability, decrease in SS concentration by dilution with processing solution contributed to an increase in the initial slurry settling velocity. Furthermore, two different flow characteristics were observed depending on the settling time, suggesting that the slurry at the initial settling time has non-Bingham flow properties, whereas it changes to Bingham flow properties as the settling time becomes longer. In addition, yield stress was increased with settling time, and this yield stress was found to be exponentially proportional to the density of the slurry. These results provide knowledge to estimate the current state of HIC slurry and are expected to contribute to the safety assessment.

Collection of strength characteristic data used for analysis evaluation in reactor pressure vessel and in-core structures in accident

Shimomura, Kenta; Yamashita, Takuya; Nagae, Yuji

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-012, 270 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-012.pdf:38.25MB

In a light water reactor, which is a commercial nuclear power plant, a severe accident such as loss of cooling function in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and exposure of fuel rods due to a drop in the water level in the reactor can occur when a trouble like loss of all AC power occurs. In the event of such a severe accident, the RPV may be damaged due to in-vessel conditions (temperature, molten materials, etc.) and leakage of radioactive materials from the reactor may occur. Verification and estimation of the process of RPV damage, molten fuel debris spillage and expansion, etc. during accident progression will provide important information for decommissioning work. Possible causes of RPV failure include failure due to loads and restraints applied to the RPV substructure (mechanical failure), failure due to the current eutectic state of low-melting metals and high-melting oxides with the RPV bottom members (failure due to inter-material reactions), and failure near the melting point of the structural members at the RPV bottom. Among the failure factors, mechanical failure is verified by numerical analysis (thermal hydraulics and structural analysis). When conducting such a numerical analysis, the heat transfer properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat, density) and material properties (thermal conductivity, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, tensile, creep) of the materials (zirconium, boron carbide, stainless steel, nickel-based alloy, low alloy steel, etc.) constituting the RPV and in-core structures to near the melting point are required to evaluate the creep failure of the RPV. In this document, we compiled data on the properties of base materials up to the melting point of each material constituting the RPV and in-core structures, based on published literature. In addition, because welds exist in the RPV and in-core structures, the data on welds are also included in this report, although they are limited.

Development of dosimetry device in reactor cores under severe radiation environment (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; National Institute of Technology, Kisarazu College*

JAEA-Review 2021-043, 135 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Review-2021-043.pdf:5.39MB

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 "Development of dosimetry device in reactor cores under severe radiation environment" conducted from FY2018 to FY2020. Since the final year of this proposal was FY2020, the results for three fiscal years were summarized. Since the radiation level in the reactors and buildings of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (1F) is extremely high due to the accident, it is required to develop radiation measurement technology based on the needs at the 1F working site. In this study, we will develop technologies towards practical application of revolutionary radiation measurement system based on the dose measurement technology utilizing solar cell devices.

A Plan of materials irradiation facility at J-PARC for development of ADS and high-power accelerator facilities

Maekawa, Fujio

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011042_1 - 011042_6, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011042

Development of beam window (BW) materials is one of crucial issues in development of accelerator driven nuclear transmutation systems (ADS). The BW is exposed to high energy protons and spallation neutrons, and also to corrosive lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) alloy at high temperature of about 500C. Recently, not only high-power accelerators but also high-power targets are the rate-limiting factor for increasing the power of accelerator facilities in terms of radiation damage and heat removal. To study radiation damage on BW and target materials for high-power accelerator facilities including ADS, we are planning a materials irradiation facility by utilizing the proton beam of 400 MeV and 250 kW provided by the J-PARC's Linac. The target is flowing LBE alloy which is a candidate target and coolant material of ADS. When a steel sample is irradiated in the target for one year, the sample receives radiation damage of about 10 dpa at maximum which is equivalent to the yearly radiation damage of ADS's BW. In the current facility concept, the facility is equipped with a hot-laboratory for efficient post-irradiation examination. The facility will be outlined in this presentation.

High temperature gas-cooled reactors

Takeda, Tetsuaki*; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Aihara, Jun; Aoki, Takeshi; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ho, H. Q.; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Imai, Yoshiyuki; et al.

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.5, 464 Pages, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-05383-9

As a general overview of the research and development of a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) in JAEA, this book describes the achievements by the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) on the designs, key component technologies such as fuel, reactor internals, high temperature components, etc., and operational experience such as rise-to-power tests, high temperature operation at 950C, safety demonstration tests, etc. In addition, based on the knowledge of the HTTR, the development of designs and component technologies such as high performance fuel, helium gas turbine and hydrogen production by IS process for commercial HTGRs are described. These results are very useful for the future development of HTGRs. This book is published as one of a series of technical books on fossil fuel and nuclear energy systems by the Power Energy Systems Division of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Development of high-resolution imaging camera for alpha dust (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2020-039, 59 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-039.pdf:4.18MB

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 FY2019. 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 "Development of high-resolution imaging camera for alpha dust" conducted in FY2019. We have developed an imaging camera with a position resolution of less than approximately 10 m to monitor alpha dust in the nuclear plant during the decommissioning process, because the operators avoid to drawing in such dusts. Moreover, we have developed real-time monitor system with optical fiber and scintillator under high dose-rate condition.

A Cubic CeBr gamma-ray spectrometer suitable for the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Shimazoe, Kenji*; Otaka, Yutaka*; Uenomachi, Mizuki*; Kamada, Kei*; Kim, K. J.*; Yoshino, Masao*; Shoji, Yasuhiro*; Yoshikawa, Akira*; Takahashi, Hiroyuki*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 971, p.164118_1 - 164118_8, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2020.164118

Development of imaging system with ultra-high spatial resolution aiming to detect alpha-dust (Contract research); FY2018 Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2019-038, 57 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-038.pdf:4.6MB

JAEA/CLADS, had been conducting the Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2018. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. 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. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of Imaging System with Ultra-high Spatial Resolution Aiming to Detect Alpha-dust". In the present study, we have developed a prototype of a system aiming to elucidate the behavior of alpha-dust generated at the time of debris retrieval. In this system, alpha-ray is first converted to visible light by novel scintillator. Then, imaging with ultra-high resolution will be possible using a lens and an Si-semiconductor camera (CMOS camera). Also, it will be possible to identify the species of alpha-ray emitting nuclides by unfolding of the spectra. The demonstration tests of the system will be conducted for dust samplers at the Plutonium Fuel Development Center, JAEA. In the development of the present system, it is important to use scintillator whose emission wavelength is sensitive to the CMOS camera as well as high emission scintillator. Considering these conditions, the key technology will be the improvement of the purity of crystals and optimization of the shapes of the materials including powers.

Development of technology to simultaneously measure viscosity and surface tension of molten materials in reactor core (Contract research); FY2018 Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Osaka University*

JAEA-Review 2019-025, 36 Pages, 2020/01

JAEA-Review-2019-025.pdf:2.57MB

CLADS, JAEA, had been conducting the Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2018. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. 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 "Development of Technology to Simultaneously Measure Viscosity and Surface Tension of Molten Materials in Reactor Core". Since (U,Zr)O and boride, molten materials in reactor core, exist at extremely high temperature, chemical reactions between the vessel and these molten materials are unavoidable. Therefore, it is difficult to measure the thermophysical property of these materials. In the present study, droplets are produced by heating and melting the samples levitated by a gas levitation method, then the droplets are collided with a substrate. From the instant behavior of the collision, a new technology to simultaneously derive the viscosity and surface tension will be developed.

Development on high-power spallation neutron sources with liquid metals

Futakawa, Masatoshi

Proceedings of 13th International Symposium on Advanced Science and Technology in Experimental Mechanics (13th ISEM'18) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

Issues on the engineering technologies relating to high-power spallation neutron sources with liquid metals are introduced. The present status on research activities and results was reviewed.