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Saito, Shigeru; Yamaguchi, Kazushi*; Yoshimoto, Hidemitsu*; Obayashi, Hironari; Sasa, Toshinobu
JAEA-Technology 2022-032, 51 Pages, 2023/03
JAEA-Technology-2022-032.pdf:4.51MB
In the Accelerator Driven System (ADS) being studied by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for transmutation of long-lived radioactive waste, lead-bismuth eutectic alloy (LBE) is used as a spallation target and subcritical core coolant. A proton irradiation facility in J-PARC is considered to prepare a material irradiation database for ADS development. The proton irradiation facility is equipped with an LBE loop, which enables material irradiation tests in spallation environment under flowing LBE condition. The slow leakage of LBE is one of critical issue to use LBE safety. The slow leakage is caused by the biting slag and/or other materials at valve seal of drain valve. To solve this problem, JAEA examined the application of freeze-seal valve (FSV), which seal the piping by freezing LBE in specific position. Water-cooled and air-cooled freeze-seal valve test modules were fabricated, installed in the test section of the existing test stand for LBE technology development, and tested to confirm their operation and performance. As a result of the tests, it was confirmed that the water-cooled FSV test module worked well along to the design values. This report describes the outline and details of the test stand for LBE technology and each FSV test module, as well as the results of operation and performance verification tests.
Saito, Shigeru; Wan, T.*; Okubo, Nariaki; Kita, Satoshi*; Obayashi, Hironari; Sasa, Toshinobu
JAEA-Technology 2021-034, 94 Pages, 2022/03
JAEA-Technology-2021-034.pdf:5.91MB
Lead-bismuth eutectic alloy (LBE) is a major candidate for a spallation target material and core coolant of an accelerator driven system (ADS) which has been developed in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to transmute high-level radioactive wastes. A proton irradiation facility to build a material irradiation database for future ADS development is under considering in the J-PARC. To realize both the ADS and the above-mentioned facility, there are many issues on operational safety of LBE to be solved. Especially, corrosion data for the major materials such as T91 (Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel) and SS316L at the temperature range between 400 and 550 
C under the conditions of flowing LBE with a controlled oxygen are not sufficient to design the ADS and the facility. JAEA developed a new large-scale corrosion test loop named "OLLOCHI (Oxygen-controlled LBE LOop for Corrosion tests in HIgh-temperature)" aiming to perform the compatibility tests between the LBE and the steels, as well as to develop the LBE operation technology. OLLOCHI has a function to automatically control the oxygen concentration in LBE. The maximum temperature at the regions of high-temperature and low-temperature of the OLLOCHI are 550 C and 450 C respectively to cover the ADS designed condition. As a result of 2,000 hours operation, it was demonstrated that the OLLOCHI showed the designed performance. In this report, outline of the OLLOCHI, details of the components, results of characteristic tests, and the future experimental plan are described.
Ariyoshi, Gen; Obayashi, Hironari; Saito, Shigeru; Sasa, Toshinobu
Proceedings of 19th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-19) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/03
To clarify the flow characteristics of heavy liquid-metal (HLM) is important to achieve the construction of nuclear transmutation facility that utilizes HLM as a spallation target and coolant. At present, lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) spallation target plans to be installed in Japan proton accelerator research complex (J-PARC). LBE is also selected as one of the candidate media of a spallation target and a coolant for innovative nuclear systems such as accelerator-driven system (ADS) and LBE-cooled fast reactor, due to its adequate physical/chemical properties. The characteristics of LBE flowing inside the target are usually clarified with computational fluid dynamics analysis since the measurement techniques for the HLM flow are not well established, especially for high temperature region over 450C that is delivered from ADS's criteria. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop measurement method for flow characteristics in the high temperature LBE. A miniature electro-magnet is introduced to electro-magnetic probe to overcome the limitation caused by a curie temperature of permanent magnet. To evaluate performance of the new probe, experimental apparatus equipping annular rotating vessel were also manufactured. The new probe was applied to high temperature LBE up to 480C. As a result, proportional induced voltage to the rotation speed of LBE were clearly observed, where excitation currents of the miniature electro-magnet were 0.2 A or 1 A. In this paper, configuration and performance of the newly developed electro-magnet probe to the high temperature LBE will be presented.
Sasa, Toshinobu
Kasokuki, 18(4), p.233 - 240, 2022/01
Lead bismuth eutectic alloy (LBE) is a promising option as a spallation target for accelerator-driven transmutation systems (ADS) to reduce the radiological toxicity from long-lived radioactive waste. LBE is a heavy metal and has suitable characteristics both as a spallation target and as a coolant for transmutation systems. However, LBE is also known as a highly corrosive with structural materials. In this paper, technological developments to overcome the issue, the latest research activities such as hightemperature operation and oxygen concentration control to ensure corrosion resistance, are introduced together with the outline of the target for ADS.
Saito, Shigeru; Wan, T.*; Okubo, Nariaki; Obayashi, Hironari; Watanabe, Nao; Ohdaira, Naoya*; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Yamaki, Kenichi*; Kita, Satoshi*; Yoshimoto, Hidemitsu*; et al.
JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011041_1 - 011041_6, 2021/03
An Accelerator Driven System (ADS) for waste transmutation investigated in JAEA employs lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) as a neutron production target material and coolant. The neutrons are to be produced via the spallation with 1.5 GeV proton beam injection. As materials irradiation data are important for ADS development, JAEA plans to construct an irradiation facility with LBE neutron production target in J-PARC. There are many technical issues on LBE for practical use. In JAEA, various R&Ds are being carried out. Concerning corrosion study, conditioning operation and functional tests of OLLOCHI started. Oxygen concentration control technology has also developing. In the large scale LBE loop experiment, the operation for steady state and transient experiments was performed by using IMMORTAL. In the area of instrument, development of ultrasonic flow meter and freeze seal valve are progressing as a key technology for the LBE loop system. Investigation of behavior of impurities in LBE, which is important for design of the irradiation facility, started. In this paper, the status of the LBE studies and experimental plan will be presented.
Sasa, Toshinobu; Saito, Shigeru; Obayashi, Hironari; Ariyoshi, Gen
JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011051_1 - 011051_6, 2021/03
To realize Accelerator-driven system (ADS) for minor actinide transmutation, JAEA proposes to construct the Proton Irradiation Facility in J-PARC. The facility is planned to solve technical issues for safe application of Lead-bismuth Eutectic Alloy (LBE). The 250 kW LBE spallation target will be located in the facility to prepare material irradiation database by both proton and neutron irradiation in the temperature range for typical LBE-cooled ADS. Various studies for important technologies required to build the facilities are investigated such as oxygen concentration control, instruments development, remote handling techniques for target maintenance, and spallation target design. The large scale LBE loops for mock up the 250 kW LBE spallation target and material corrosion studies are also manufactured and applied to various experiments. The latest status of 250 kW LBE spallation target design works will be summarized.
CWang, H.*; Yu, H.*; Kondo, Sosuke*; Okubo, Nariaki; Kasada, Ryuta*
Corrosion Science, 175, p.108864_1 - 108864_12, 2020/10
Times Cited Count：27 Percentile：86.78(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)Corrosion tests were performed on newly developed alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) steels in stagnant lead bismuth eutectic (LBE) with saturated and low oxygen concentrations at 450C for 430 h. The steels exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance to the LBE environments with the increasing of Al content. A continuous and protective Al-rich oxide scale formed on the steel specimens that were exposed to LBE with a low oxygen concentration, whereas a non-protective and stratified oxide scale formed in the oxygen saturated LBE.
Ukai, Shigeharu*; Ono, Naoko*; Otsuka, Satoshi
Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, 2nd Edition, Vol.3, p.255 - 292, 2020/08
Fe-Cr-based oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels have a strong potential for high burnup (long-life) and high-temperature applications typical for SFR fuel cladding. Current progress in the development of Fe-Cr-based ODS steel claddings is reviewed, including their relevant mechanical properties, e.g. tensile and creep rupture strengths in the hoop directions. In addition, this paper reviewed the current research status on corrosion resistant Fe-Cr-Al-based ODS steel claddings, which are greatly paid attention recently as the accident tolerant fuel claddings for the light water reactor (LWR) and also as the claddings of the lead fast reactors (LFR) utilizing Pb-Bi eutectic (LBE) coolant.
Ohdaira, Naoya*; Saito, Shigeru
Heliyon (Internet), 6(2), p.e03429_1 - e03429_8, 2020/02
Times Cited Count：4 Percentile：39.81(Multidisciplinary Sciences)Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is a candidate liquid metal coolant for a fast reactor, especially accelerator driven system (ADS). Freeze sealed valve is a candidate design to be possible to add passive safety to the reactor. On the other hand, since LBE is known that it causes expansion after its solidification, quantitative evaluation of the stress to the pipe produced by the LBE expansion should be considered. Many researchers produced related data for the expansion, however, evaluations of the strain by LBE expansion was barely reported. Therefore, the strain measurement using a stainless steel cup and the stress evaluation was performed together with visual observation using an optical microscopy. The results indicated keeping above room temperature (RT) was a significantly effective way to reduce the strain to the pipe.
Stankovskiy, A.*; Iwamoto, Hiroki; 
elik, Y.*; Van den Eynde, G.*
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 120, p.207 - 218, 2018/10
Times Cited Count：8 Percentile：62.99(Nuclear Science & Technology)Propagation of high-energy (above 20-MeV) nuclear data uncertainties on the safety related neutronic responses in accelerator driven systems has been assessed. The total core power and production of radionuclides contributing to radiation source terms were focused on. The article features a method based on the Monte Carlo sampling of random nuclear data files from the covariance matrices generated from the sets of reaction cross sections obtained with model calculations of high-energy particle interactions with matter or picked up from already existing nuclear data libraries. It has been demonstrated that nuclear data uncertainties do not need to be propagated through particle transport calculations to obtain uncertainties on the responses. This advantage allowed to investigate the convergence of the sample average to the best estimate. The number of random nuclear data file sets needed to obtain reliable uncertainty on the total core power is around 300 that results in the uncertainty of 14%. The uncertainties on the concentrations of nuclides most important for the safety assessment that are accumulated in lead-bismuth eutectic during irradiation, range from 5 to 60%. Concentrations of some nuclides exemplified by Tritium converge much slower than neutron multiplicities so that several thousands of samples are needed to ensure reliable uncertainty estimates.
Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Arai, Yasuo; Minato, Kazuo
Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO
, 59(11), p.644 - 648, 2017/11
no abstracts in English
Tsujimoto, Kazufumi
Enerugi Rebyu, 37(9), p.11 - 14, 2017/08
no abstracts in English
Saito, Shigeru; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Kikuchi, Kenji; Kurata, Yuji; Sasa, Toshinobu; Umeno, Makoto*; Nishihara, Kenji; Mizumoto, Motoharu; Ouchi, Nobuo; Takei, Hayanori; et al.
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 562(2), p.646 - 649, 2006/06
Times Cited Count：25 Percentile：83.96(Instruments & Instrumentation)JAERI is conducting R&D on the Accelerator Driven System (ADS) to transmute minor actinides (MAs) contained in the high-level radioactive waste under the OMEGA (Options Making Extra Gains from Actinides and fission products) program. The present study discusses the design of the ADS plant and various R&D on the ADS. The reference design of ADS plant in JAERI is the 800 MWth, Pb-Bi eutectic (LBE) cooled, tank-type subcritical reactor loaded with (MA+Pu) nitride fuel. LBE is selected as a spallation target material. In our results of the optimization study on the neutronics of the ADS, we have adopted the maximum multiplication factor (k
) of 0.97. From the results of the thermal-hydraulic analysis around the LBE spallation target, partition wall and flow control nozzle are required to keep the structural integrity around the core and the beam window. Feasibility of beam window was also discussed for transient conditions of proton beam.
Saito, Shigeru; Sasa, Toshinobu; Umeno, Makoto*; Kurata, Yuji; Kikuchi, Kenji; Futakawa, Masatoshi
JAERI-Tech 2004-074, 41 Pages, 2004/12
JAERI-Tech-2004-074.pdf:24.5MB
The accelerator driven system (ADS) is proposed to transmute minor actinides (MA) in high-level waste from spent fuels of nuclear power reactors. Liquid Pb-Bi alloy is a candidate material for spallation target and coolant of ADS. Pb-Bi cleaning technology is required to reduce radiation exposure during maintenance service and to decontaminate replaced components. In this study, three cleaning methods were tested; silicon oil cleaning at 170C, mixture of acetic acid and nitric acid cleaning. Specimens were prepared by immersion in melted Pb-Bi. After silicon oil tests, most of Pb-Bi remained on the surface of the specimens. It was found that blushing was needed to remove Pb-Bi effectively. On the other hands, Pb-Bi was easily dissolved and almost removed in the mixed acid and nitric acid. Silicon oil cleaning did not affect on base metals. The surface of base metals was slightly blacked after mixed acid cleaning. F82H base metals were corroded by nitric acid.
Kikuchi, Kenji; Tezuka, Masao*; Saito, Shigeru; Oigawa, Hiroyuki; Takeda, Yasushi*
Proceedings of 4th International Symposium on Ultrasonic Doppler Method for Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Engineering (ISUD-4), p.107 - 110, 2004/09
When the steel is submerged into LBE, LBE will contact with the steel except for the interface among LBE, gas and metal where the surface energy controls the shape of the free surface in LBE. It is supposed that LBE will transmit ultrasonic wave into LBE through the contacting area. However, the ultrasonic echo was too low to detect from the steel container filled with LBE. The measurement was improved by coating the interface between the steel and LBE with the SnPb solder. After an immersion test the steel surface was covered with thin LBE layer. The thickness of the layer is only 10 to 20 micron m. So it will not disturb the flow pattern where UVP is applied. Sn was not detected by X ray analyses. This is an evidence how the steel was wetted in LBE and how the ultrasonic wave transmitted though the interface of LBE and the steel.
Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Sasa, Toshinobu; Nishihara, Kenji; Oigawa, Hiroyuki; Takano, Hideki*
Proceedings of International Conference on Physics of Fuel Cycles and Advanced Nuclear Systems; Global Developments (PHYSOR 2004) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2004/04
The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) is developing an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) for transmutation of nuclear waste such as minor actinide (MA) and long-lived fission product (LLFP). To study and evaluate the feasibility of ADS by physical and engineering viewpoints, the Transmutation Experimental Facility (TEF) is proposed under a framework of J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) project. The TEF consists of two facilities named as Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P) and ADS Target Test Facility (TEF-T). The TEF-P consists of a zero-power critical assembly which is operated with a low power proton beam to research the reactor physics and the controllability of ADS. The TEF-T is a facility for material irradiation and partial mockup of beam window which can accept a maximum 600MeV-200kW proton beam into the Pb-Bi eutectic target. The purposes, experimental items and the specifications of the facilities are described.
Kikuchi, Kenji; Kurata, Yuji; Saito, Shigeru; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Sasa, Toshinobu; Oigawa, Hiroyuki; Wakai, Eiichi; Miura, Kuniaki*
Journal of Nuclear Materials, 318(1-3), p.348 - 354, 2003/05
Times Cited Count：28 Percentile：84.98(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)Corrosion test of austenitic stainless tube was done under the flowing Pb-Bi condition during 3000 hrs at 450C. Specimen is 316SS produced as a tubing form with 13.8 mm outer diameter, 2 mm thickness and 40 cm length. During the operation, maximum temperature, temperature difference and flow velocity of Pb-Bi at the specimen were kept at 450C, 50C, and 1m/s, respectively. After the test, specimen and components of the loop were cut and examined by optical microscope, SEM, EDX, WDX and X-ray diffraction. Pb-Bi adhered on the surface of the specimen even after Pb-Bi was drained out to the storage tank from the circulating loop. Different results from a stagnant corrosion test were that the specimen surface became rough and the corrosion rate was maximally 0.1mm/3000hrs. And mass transfer from the high temperature to the lower temperature area was observed: crystals of Fe-Cr were found on the tube surface in low-temperature part. The size of crystal was 0.1 
0.2 mm. The depositing crystal was ferrite grain and the chemical composition ratio (mass%) of Fe to Cr was 9:1.
Kikuchi, Kenji; Kurata, Yuji; Saito, Shigeru; Futakawa, Masatoshi; Sasa, Toshinobu; Oigawa, Hiroyuki; Miura, Kuniaki*
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2002-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu, p.273 - 274, 2002/09
Corrosion-erosion properties of type 316 austenitic stainless steel were investigated at 450oC. The study aims at developing ADS, accelerator driven system, for nuclear transmutation of long lived activated nuclei to shorter ones. After 3000 hrs flow of eutectic 45Pb-55Bi loop tubes were cut and analyzed by optical microscope, SEM, EDX, WDX and TEM. It is concluded that corrosion-erosion depth is maximally 0.1mm per 3000 hrs and Cr-Fe crystals were precipitated in the lower temperature of flowing channel. Further more inspection results of Electro Magnetic Pump, Electro Magnetic Flow meter and controlling valve were also reported. Output signal from EMF was stable after certain time duration. In this experiment oxygen content in Pb-Bi was not actively controlled but Pb-Bi was covered by 4N Argon gas.
Saito, Shigeru; Sasa, Toshinobu; Umeno, Makoto*; Kurata, Yuji; Kikuchi, Kenji; Futakawa, Masatoshi
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2002-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu, p.267 - 268, 2002/09
no abstracts in English
Kikuchi, Kenji; Sasa, Toshinobu; Ishikura, Shuichi*; Mukugi, Ken*; Kai, Tetsuya; Ouchi, Nobuo; Ioka, Ikuo
Journal of Nuclear Materials, 296(1-3), p.34 - 42, 2001/07
Times Cited Count：18 Percentile：76.49(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)no abstracts in English
