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Fukaya, Yuji; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Goto, Minoru; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Kawakami, Satoru; Uesaka, Takahiro; Morita, Keisuke; Sano, Tadafumi*
KURNS Progress Report 2018, P. 148, 2019/08
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) started the Research and Development (R&D) to improve nuclear prediction techniques for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs). The objectives are to introduce generalized bias factor method to avoid full mock-up experiment for the first commercial HTGR and to introduce reactor noise analysis to High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) experiment. To achieve the objectives, the reactor core of graphite moderation system named B7/4"G2/8"p8EUNU+3/8"p38EU(1) was newly composed in the B-rack of Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). The core plays a role of the reference core of the bias factor method, and the reactor noise was measured to develop the noise analysis scheme. In addition, training of operator of HTTR was also performed during the experiments.
Department of HTTR
JAEA-Review 2019-006, 97 Pages, 2019/07
JAEA-Review-2019-006.pdf:10.18MB
The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) was constructed to establish and upgrade basic technologies for HTGRs. In the fiscal year 2017 we continued activities for re-operation of the HTTR and have been inspected the application document for the HTTR licensing to prove conformity with the new regulatory requirements for research reactors taken effect since December 2013 had been applied. This report summarizes activities and results of HTTR operation, maintenance, international cooperation and so on which were carried out in the fiscal year 2017.
Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi
Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2019/05
To establish a probabilistic approach for assessment of toxic gas leakage accidents in a H
plant, the present study focusses on development of an uncertainty analysis method for toxic gas concentration in a control room. The method consists of 6 steps; (1) Identification of uncertainty factors, (2) derivation of variable parameters, (3) identification of uncertainties in variable parameters, (4) identification of important factors considering the sensitivity analysis results and expert opinions, (5) uncertainty propagation analysis, (6) assessment of uncertainty analysis results. The method is then applied to representative toxic gas leakage accidents in a H plant by IS process coupled to the HTTR. The results obtained in the study leads us to the conclusion that the suggested method can successfully characterize and quantify uncertainties in the toxic gas concentration in control room.
Aihara, Jun; Honda, Masaki*; Ueta, Shohei; Ogawa, Hiroaki; Ohira, Koichi*; Tachibana, Yukio
Nippon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 18(1), p.29 - 36, 2019/03
Japan Atomic Energy Agency carried out development of fabrication technology of oxidation resistant fuel element for improvement of safety of high temperature gas-cooled reactors in serious oxidation accident, based on precursor research in former JAEA. Dummy coated fuel particles (alumina particles) were over-coated with mixed powder of Si, C and small amount of resin to form over-coated particles, and over-coated particles were molded and hot-pressed to sinter dummy oxidation resistant fuel elements with SiC/C mixed matrix. We fabricated dummy oxidation resistant fuel elements with matrix whose Si/C mole ratio (about 0.551) is three times as large as that in precursor research. Si peak was not detected by X-ray diffraction of matrix. Better oxidation resistant was confirmed with oxidation test in 20% O at 1673 K than that of ordinal fuel compact with ordinal graphite/carbon matrix. All dummy coated fuel particles were held in specimen after 10 h oxidation.
Sato, Hiroyuki; Yan, X.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 343, p.178 - 186, 2019/03
Percentile：100(Nuclear Science & Technology)A hybrid system combining HTGR and renewable energy is investigated to compensate intermittent renewable energy power generation. A new proposal of using the inventory and bypass control devices already built in the gas turbine, is found to be effective to compensate hourly to daily variation of renewable energy. The reactor thermal power remains at constant full power while the heat output is increased or decreased subject to the need of reactor power generation. On the other hand, the massive heat capacity in the graphite core is shown to be sufficient to compensate renewable energy on a time scale of seconds to minutes and up to about 20% of the rated power output of the nuclear plant. Similarly, no additional control devices are required to perform this control operation. These findings demonstrate the technical and economic potential of the HTGR system to maintain the stability of a grid being incorporated with significant portfolios of renewable energy power generation.
Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Yan, X.; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Tsubata, Yasuhiro; Matsumura, Tatsuro
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(11), p.1275 - 1290, 2018/11
Percentile：100(Nuclear Science & Technology)To reduce environmental burden and thread of nuclear proliferation, multi-recycling fuel cycle with High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) has been investigated. Those problems are solved by incinerating TRans Uranium (TRU) nuclides, which is composed of plutonium and Minor Actinoide (MA), and there is concept to realize TRU incineration by multi-recycling with Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR). In this study, multi-recycling is realized even with thermal reactor by feeding fissile uranium from outside of the fuel cycle instead of breeding fissile nuclide. In this fuel cycle, recovered uranium by reprocessing and natural uranium are enriched and mixed with recovered TRU by reprocessing and partitioning to fabricate fresh fuels. The fuel cycle was designed for a Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor (GTHTR300), whose thermal power is 600 MW, including conceptual design of uranium enrichment facility. Reprocessing is assumed as existing Plutonium Uranium Redox EXtraction (PUREX) with four-group partitioning technology. As a result, it was found that the TRU nuclides excluding neptunium can be recycled by the proposed cycle. The duration of potential toxicity decaying to natural uranium level can be reduced to approximately 300 years, and the footprint of repository for High Level Waste (HLW) can be reduced by 99.7% compared with GTHTR300 using existing reprocessing and disposal technology. Suppress plutonium is not generated from this cycle. Moreover, incineration of TRU from Light Water Reactor (LWR) cycle can be performed in this cycle.
Takada, Shoji; Honda, Uki*; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Sekita, Kenji; Nemoto, Takahiro; Tochio, Daisuke; Ishii, Toshiaki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro*
Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2018/10
Nuclear heat utilization systems connected to HTGRs will be designed on the basis of non-nuclear grade standards for easy entry of chemical plant companies, requiring reactor operations to continue even if abnormal events occur in the systems. The inventory control is considered as one of candidate methods to control reactor power for load following operation for siting close to demand area, in which the primary gas pressure is varied while keeping the reactor inlet and outlet coolant temperatures constant. Numerical investigation was carried out based on the results of nuclear heat supply fluctuation tests using HTTR by non-nuclear heating operation to focus on the temperature transient of the reactor core bottom structure by imposing stepwise fluctuation on the reactor inlet temperature under different primary gas pressures below 120C. As a result, it was emerged that the fluctuation absorption characteristics are not deteriorated by lowering pressure. It was also emerged that the reactor outlet temperature did not reach the scram level by increasing the reactor inlet temperature 10 C stepwise at 80% of the rated power as same with the full power case.
Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Yan, X.
Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2018/10
Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting research and development with a central focus on the utilization of HTTR, the first HTGR in Japan, towards the realization of industrial use of nuclear heat. On the basis of licensing experience through the HTTR construction, JAEA initiated an activity to establish an international safety standard for licensing of commercial HTGR cogeneration systems fully taking into account safety features of HTGRs. This paper explains a roadmap towards licensing of commercial HTGR cogeneration systems. A test plan using the HTTR to support the establishment of safety standards and safety analysis methods is also presented.
secondary system and turbomachineryHumrickhouse, P. W.*; Sato, Hiroyuki; Imai, Yoshiyuki; Sumita, Junya; Yan, X.
Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2018/10
This work describes the development of a RELAP5-3D model of the HTTR-GT/H plant secondary system. The RELAP5-3D model presently includes detailed models of several of the heat exchangers in the secondary system as well as the turbomachinery, which includes two compressors and two gas turbines connected to a common shaft and motor. The predictions of the model agreed well to design parameters in both sole power generation and hydrogen co-generation modes in most instances. Both the turbomachinery and heat exchanger models rely on extensive customization via RELAP5-3D control variables, and these implementations are outlined in detail. Potential improvements to the RELAP5-3D turbine model are discussed.
F
tterer, M. A.*; Li, F.*; Gougar, H.*; Edwards, L.*; Pouchon, M. A.*; Kim, M. H.*; Carr
, F.*; Sato, Hiroyuki
Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 12 Pages, 2018/10
This paper provides an update on the international effort in the development of the VHTR system pursued through international collaboration between 8 countries in the GIF and an outlook on future R&D. The versatility of the VHTR enables it to be designed with inherent safety characteristics and optimized for both electric and non-electric applications, in particular for cogeneration of heat and power. Recent highlights from the four currently active GIF VHTR R&D projects are provided and placed into the context of the related national programs. Based on VHTR's relatively high technology readiness level, orientations for future R&D are outlined and will contribute to further enhancing the system's market readiness level.
Fukaya, Yuji; Kasahara, Seiji; Mizuta, Naoki; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Shibata, Taiju; Nishihara, Tetsuo
JAEA-Research 2018-004, 38 Pages, 2018/06
JAEA-Research-2018-004.pdf:1.81MB
The demand of HTGR to investigate its introduction scenario and heat balance of HTGR have been researched. First, previous studies of HTGR demand were researched. Next, heat balance of GTHTR300, a commercial scale HTGR design, and its characteristics were researched. By using this information, installation number of HTGR to suit for demand in Japan are evaluated. In addition, heat balance evaluation code was developed in this study.
Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Tsubata, Yasuhiro; Matsumura, Tatsuro
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 116, p.224 - 234, 2018/06
Times Cited Count：1 Percentile：38.14(Nuclear Science & Technology)Optimization of disposal method and scenario to reduce volume of High Level Waste (HLW) and the footprint in a geological repository for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) has been performed. It was found that HTGR has great advantages to reducing HLW volume and its footprint, which are high burn-up, high thermal efficiency and pin-in-block type fuel, compared with those of LWR and has potential to reduce those more in the previous study. In this study, the scenario is optimized, and the geological repository layout is designed with the horizontal emplacement based on the KBS-3H concept instead of the vertical emplacement based on KBS-3V concept employed in the previous study. As a result, for direct disposal, the repository footprint can be reduced by 20 % by employing the horizontal without change of the scenario. By extending 40 years for cooling time before disposal, the footprint can be reduced by 50 %. For disposal with reprocessing, the number of canister generation can be reduced by 20 % by extending cooling time of 1.5 years between the discharge and reprocessing. The footprint per electricity generation can be reduced by 80 % by extending 40 years before disposal. Moreover, by employing four-group partitioning technology without transmutation, the footprint can be reduced by 90 % with cooling time of 150 years.
test plant; System performance evaluation for HTTR gas turbine cogeneration plantSato, Hiroyuki; Nomoto, Yasunobu*; Horii, Shoichi*; Sumita, Junya; Yan, X.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 329, p.247 - 254, 2018/04
Percentile：100(Nuclear Science & Technology)This paper presents the system performance evaluation for HTTR gas turbine cogeneration test plant (HTTR-GT/H plant) so as to confirm that the design meets the requirements with respect to the demonstration test objective. Start-up and shut down operation sequences as well as operability of load following operation were investigated. In addition, system dynamic and control analyses for the test plant in the events of loss of generator load and upset of H plant were performed. The simulation results presented in the paper show that the test plant is suitable for the test bed to validate control schemes against postulated transients in the GTHTR300C. The results also lead us to the conclusion that HTTR-GT/H plant can be used to test operational procedures unique to HTGR direct-cycle gas turbine cogeneration.
test plantYan, X.; Sato, Hiroyuki; Sumita, Junya; Nomoto, Yasunobu*; Horii, Shoichi*; Imai, Yoshiyuki; Kasahara, Seiji; Suzuki, Koichi*; Iwatsuki, Jin; Terada, Atsuhiko; et al.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 329, p.223 - 233, 2018/04
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：16.17(Nuclear Science & Technology)The pre-licensing design of an HTGR cogeneration test plant to be coupled to JAEA's existing test reactor HTTR is presented. The plant is designed to demonstrate the system of JAEA commercial plant design GTHTR300C. With construction planned to be completed around 2025, the test plant is expected to be the first-of-a-kind nuclear system operating on two of the advanced energy conversion systems attractive for the HTGR closed cycle helium gas turbine for power generation and thermochemical iodine-sulfur water-splitting process for hydrogen production.
Hamamoto, Shimpei; Tochio, Daisuke; Ishii, Toshiaki; Sawahata, Hiroaki
Nippon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 16(4), p.169 - 172, 2017/12
A melt wire was installed at the tip of the control rod in order to measure the temperature of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). After experience with reactor scrum from the state of reactor power 100%, the melt wire was taken out from the control rod and appearance has been observed visually. It was confirmed that the melt wires with a melting point of 505 
C or less were melted, and the melt wires with a melting point of 651 C or more were not melted. Therefore, it was found that the highest arrival temperature of tip of the control rods where the melt wires are installed reaches within the range of 505 to 651 C. And it was found that the control rod temperature at the time of reactor scram does not exceed the using temperature criteria (900 C) of Alloy 800H of the control rod sleeve.
plant; Safety analysis of HTTR for coupling helium gas turbine and H plantSato, Hiroyuki; Yan, X.; Ohashi, Hirofumi
JAEA-Technology 2017-020, 23 Pages, 2017/08
JAEA-Technology-2017-020.pdf:1.23MB
JAEA initiated a nuclear cogeneration demonstration project with helium gas turbine power generation and thermochemical hydrogen production utilizing the HTTR. This study carries out system analysis for the HTTR gas turbine hydrogen cogeneration test plant. The evaluation was conducted for the events newly identified corresponding to the coupling of helium gas turbine and hydrogen production plant to the HTTR. The results showed that loss of load event does not have impact on temperature of fuel and reactor coolant pressure boundary. In addition, reactor coolant pressure does not exceed the evaluation criteria. Furthermore, it was shown that reactor operation can be maintained against temperature transients induced by abnormal events in hydrogen production plant.
test plant (Revised version)Imai, Yoshiyuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Yan, X.
JAEA-Data/Code 2017-011, 39 Pages, 2017/08
JAEA-Data-Code-2017-011.pdf:2.93MB
This report is the revised version of the report titled "Design Database of Helium Gas Turbine for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor, JAEA-Data/Code 2016-007" reflecting component design and experimental data analysis results for fission product isotope diffusion through the turbine blade alloy conducted in Fiscal Year 2016.
Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Nakagawa, Shigeaki
Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 4(3), p.16-00495_1 - 16-00495_11, 2017/06
This paper intends to propose a practical solution to protect the HTR from severe oxidation against air ingress accidents without reliance on subsystems. Firstly, a change is made to the center reflector structure to minimize temperature difference during the accident condition in order to reduce buoyancy-driven natural circulation in the reactor. Secondly, a modified structure of the upper reflector is suggested to prevent massive air ingress against a rupture in standpipes. As a preliminary study, a numerical analysis is performed for a typical prismatic-type HTGR. The results showed that amount of air ingress into the reactor can be significantly reduced with practical changes to local structure in the reactor.
Sato, Hiroyuki; Nishida, Akemi; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Muramatsu, Ken*; Muta, Hitoshi*; Itoi, Tatsuya*; Takada, Tsuyoshi*; Hida, Takenori*; Tanabe, Masayuki*; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi*; et al.
Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/04
JAEA, in conjunction with Tokyo City University, The University of Tokyo and JGC Corporation, have started development of a PRA method considering the safety and design features of HTGR. The primary objective of the project is to develop a seismic PRA method which enables to provide a reasonably complete identification of accident scenario including a loss of safety function in passive system, structure and components. In addition, we aim to develop a basis for guidance to implement the PRA. This paper provides the overview of the activities including development of a system analysis method for multiple failures, a component failure data using the operation and maintenance experience in the HTTR, seismic fragility evaluation method, and mechanistic source term evaluation method considering failures in core graphite components and reactor building.
Matsuda, Kosuke*; Muramatsu, Ken*; Muta, Hitoshi*; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nishida, Akemi; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Itoi, Tatsuya*; Takada, Tsuyoshi*; Hida, Takenori*; Tanabe, Masayuki*; et al.
Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/04
This paper proposes a set of procedures for accident sequence analysis in seismic PRAs of HTGRs that can consider the unique accident progression characteristics of HTGRs. Main features of our proposed procedure are as follows: (1) Systematic analysis techniques including Master Logic Diagrams are used to ensure reasonable completeness in identification of initiating events and classification of accident sequences, (2) Information on factors that govern the accident progression and source terms are effectively reflected to the construction of event trees for delineation of accident sequences, and (3) Frequency quantification of seismically-initiated accident sequence frequencies that involve multiplepipe ruptures are made with the use of the Direct Quantification of Fault Trees by Monte Carlo (DQFM) method by a computer code SECOM-DQFM.
