The Effect of base irradiation on failure behaviors of UO and chromia-alumina additive fuels under simulated reactivity-initiated accidents; A Comparative analysis with FEMAXI-8

Udagawa, Yutaka; Mihara, Takeshi; Taniguchi, Yoshinori; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Amaya, Masaki

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 139, p.107268_1 - 107268_9, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2019.107268

Empirical equations of crack growth rates based on data fitting of neutron irradiated stainless steel under high temperature water simulating boiling water reactor core conditions

Kasahara, Shigeki; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Hata, Kuniki; Fukuya, Koji*; Fujii, Katsuhiko*

Proceedings of 19th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors (Internet), p.1345 - 1355, 2019/08

This paper describes empirical equation development of crack growth rates (CGR) in consideration of IASCC of neutron irradiated stainless steel to contribute to structural integrity assessment of BWR reactor internals. Empirical equations of CGR (da/dt) were developed based on a formula of da/dt = MK, assuming that "M" and "n" tend to be saturated with increasing neutron fluence. To obtain the empirical equations for normal water chemistry (NWC) and hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) of BWR, a data fitting with least square method was applied to the datasets consisting of F, K and CGR from post irradiation examinations of neutron irradiated stainless steel under simulated NWC and HWC conditions from open literature. As a result, calculated results by the equation for NWC showed good agreement with measured CGR data, meanwhile those for HWC did not. The above difference was seemed to be attributed that CGR data obtained under HWC conditions were scattered extensively.

An Interpretation of Fukushima-Daiichi Unit 3 plant data covering the two-week accident-progression phase based on correction for pressure data

Sato, Ikken

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(5), p.394 - 411, 2019/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1588798

Water columns were adopted in the pressure measurement system of Fukushima-Daiichi Unit-3. Part of these water columns evaporated during the accident condition jeopardizing correct understanding on actual pressure. Through comparison of RPV (Reactor Pressure Vessel) and S/C pressures with D/W pressure, such water-column effect was evaluated. Correction for this effect was developed enabling clarification of slight pressure difference among RPV, S/C and D/W. This information was then integrated with other available data such as, water level, CAMS and environmental dose rate, into an interpretation of accident focusing on RPV and PCV pressurization/depressurization and radioactive material release to environment. It is suggested that dryout of in-vessel and ex-vessel debris was likely causing pressure decrease. S/C water poured into pedestal heated by relocated debris was the likely cause of pressurization. Cyclic reflooding of pedestal debris and dryout was likely.

Mass transfer inside narrow crevice of SUS316L in high temperature water

Yamamoto, Masahiro; Soma, Yasutaka; Igarashi, Takahiro; Ueno, Fumiyoshi

Proceedings of Annual Congress of the European Federation of corrosion (EUROCORR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2018/09

In order to clarify the SCC behavior of SUS316L under BWR environment, mass transfer inside crevice of SUS316L in high temperature water using various crevice gap samples was investigated. The samples were prepared by put together two SUS316L sheets. Crevice gap differs from 0.005 mm to 0.1 mm. Corrosion tests were conducted in 8 ppm dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions. Surface oxide film was analysed by laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) after immersion. Numerical simulations were also conducted by using COMSOL Maltiphysics. Diffusion process of DO and the other chemical species were calculated with connected to electrochemical process. Electrical conductivities inside the crevice were 100 times larger than these of outer water. The reason of high conductivity is existence of Fe ions at the DO depletion crevice.

Analysis of used BWR fuel assay data with the integrated burnup code system SWAT4.0

Tada, Kenichi; Kikuchi, Takeo*; Sakino, Takao; Suyama, Kenya

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(2), p.138 - 150, 2018/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2017.1384705

The criticality safety of the fuel debris in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is one of the most important issues and the adoption of the burnup credit is desired for the criticality analysis. The assay data of used nuclear fuel irradiated in 2F2 is evaluated to validate SWAT4.0 for BWR fuel burnup problem. The calculation results revealed that number density of many heavy nuclides and FPs showed good agreement with the experimental data except for U, Np, Pu and Sm isotopes. The cause of the difference is assumption of the initial number density and void ratio and overestimation of the capture cross section of Np. The C/E-1 values do not depend on the types of fuel rods (UO or UO-GdO) and it is similar to that for the PWR fuel. These results indicate that SWAT4.0 appropriately analyzes the isotopic composition of the BWR fuel and it has sufficient accuracy to be adopted in the burnup credit evaluation of the fuel debris.

Analytical study of the applicability of FeCrAl-ODS cladding for BWR

Takano, Sho*; Kusagaya, Kazuyuki*; Goto, Daisuke*; Sakamoto, Kan*; Yamashita, Shinichiro

Proceedings of 2017 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM 2017) (USB Flash Drive), 10 Pages, 2017/09

http://www.wrfpm2017.org/upload/draft_file/F-032-PD1.pdf

We focused on one of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) materials, Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Fe-Cr-Al Steel (FeCrAl-ODS). There is a reasonable prospect that FeCrAl-ODS is applied to BWRs, but relatively high neutron absorption should be compensated. To decrease adverse neutron economic impact, thin FeCrAl-ODS cladding was designed, and we evaluated characteristics of a core into which 99 Advanced BWR (ABWR) bundles with thin FeCrAl-ODS claddings were loaded. Thin FeCrAl-ODS water rods and channel boxes were also applied. We confirmed that FeCrAl-ODS core reactivity was sufficient by increasing enrichment of UO fuel under the limit of 5 wt%. Moreover, some representative FeCrAl-ODS core characteristics were comparable to zircaloy core. We also confirmed that fuel thermal-mechanical behaviors of thin FeCrAl-ODS cladding at normal operation and transient conditions were acceptable. These results led to a conclusion that FeCrAl-ODS was applicable to BWR in the analysis range of this study.

Source term analysis considering BC/steel interaction and oxidation during severe accidents

Ishikawa, Jun; Shiotsu, Hiroyuki; Sugiyama, Tomoyuki; Maruyama, Yu

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/07

Failure evaluation analysis of reactor pressure vessel lower head in BWR due to severe accident

Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Katsuyama, Jinya; Yamaguchi, Yoshihito; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Osaka, Masahiko

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 6 Pages, 2017/04

To investigate the inhomogeneous temperature and stress distribution by geometrical complex of BWR lower head, the detailed 3D model of RPV lower head with control rod guide tubes and shroud supports are constructed and the 3D thermal hydraulic analysis of simulated molten pool and creep deformation analysis of lower head are performed using ANSYS Fluent / Mechanical finite element code. It is found that failure for BWR lower head might be caused by combination between melting failure in inner surface of lower head and creep failure in outer surface of lower head.

Results and progress of fundamental research on fission product chemistry; Progress report in 2015

Osaka, Masahiko; Miwa, Shuhei; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Di Lemma, F. G.*; Suzuki, Chikashi; Miyahara, Naoya; Kobata, Masaaki; Okane, Tetsuo; Suzuki, Eriko

JAEA-Review 2016-026, 32 Pages, 2016/12

JAEA-Review-2016-026.pdf:6.18MB

A fundamental research program on fission product (FP) chemistry has started since 2012 for the purpose of establishment of a FP chemistry database in each region of LWR under severe accident and improvement of FP chemical models based on the database. Research outputs are reflected as fundamental knowledge to both the research and development of decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) and enhancement of LWR safety. Four research items have thus been established considering the specific issues of 1F and the priority in the source term research area, as follows: effects of boron (B) release kinetics and thermal-hydraulic conditions on FP behavior, cesium (Cs) chemisorption and reactions with structural materials, enlargement of a thermodynamic and thermophysical properties database for FP compounds and development of experimental and analytical techniques for the reproduction of FP behavior and for direct measurement methods of chemical form of FP compounds. In this report, the research results and progress for the year 2015 are described. The main accomplishment was the installation of a reproductive test facility for FP release and transport behavior. Moreover, basic knowledge about the Cs chemisorption behavior was also obtained. In addition to the four research items, a further research item is being considered for deeper interpretation of FP behavior by the analysis of samples outside of the 1F units.

Bayesian nonparametric analysis of crack growth rates in irradiated austenitic stainless steels in simulated BWR environments

Chimi, Yasuhiro; Takamizawa, Hisashi; Kasahara, Shigeki*; Iwata, Keiko; Nishiyama, Yutaka

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 307, p.411 - 417, 2016/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.07.015

To investigate influential parameters for irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) growth behavior, we attempt to analyze statistically existing data on the crack growth rate (CGR) in irradiated austenitic stainless steels (SSs) in boiling water reactor (BWR) environments using the Bayesian nonparametric (BNP) method. From the probability distribution of CGR and some input parameters, such as yield stress of irradiated material (), stress intensity factor (), electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP), and fast neutron fluence, the mean CGR is estimated and compared with the measured CGR. The analytical results show good reproducibility of the measured CGR. The results also indicate the possible neutron fluence effects on CGR in high CGR region (i.e., high neutron fluence condition) by radiation-induced segregation (RIS), localized deformation, and/or other mechanisms than radiation hardening.