Experimental study of AESOP code for aerosol removal behavior from a rising gas bubble in water pool and parametric study for application to sodium pool system

宮原 信哉*; 鯉江 竜輔*; 宇埜 正美*; 河口 宗道*; 佐藤 理花; 清野 裕

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 446(Part A), p.114523_1 - 114523_14, 2026/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.114523

In a postulated accident of fuel pin failure of a sodium-cooled fast reactor, a fission product of cesium will be released from the failed pin as an aerosol such as cesium iodide and/or cesium oxide together with a fission product noble gas such as xenon and krypton. The xenon and krypton released with the cesium aerosols into the sodium coolant as bubbles have an influence on the removal of cesium aerosols by the sodium pool in a period of bubble rising to the sodium pool surface. Then, the cesium aerosols could transfer into the containment vessel as an initial inventory of a source term. To meet this phenomenon, the computer program AESOP (AErosol scrubbing in SOdium Pool) has been developed to deal with the expansion and the deformation of the bubble together with the aerosol absorption considering the effects of the particle size distribution and the agglomeration in aerosols. In this study, simulation experiments have been conducted using simulant particles under the condition of room temperature in water pool and nitrogen gas bubble systems and the experimental results were compared with the analysis results calculated under the same condition by the AESOP code. Furthermore, to examine the applicability of the AESOP code to the sodium pool system, the sensitivities of the physical parameters on decontamination factor (DF) of fission product aerosols such as the initial bubble diameter, the sodium pool depth and the temperature, the aerosol particle diameter and the density, the initial aerosol concentration in the bubble had been studied and the analysis results were discussed for the sensitivities of the parameter as same as DF of the aerosol.

再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故時の化学挙動解析コードSCHERNのRuO気液間移行モデルの高度化

吉田 一雄; 桧山 美奈*; 玉置 等史

JAEA-Research 2025-011, 25 Pages, 2025/11

JAEA-Research-2025-011.pdf:2.15MB

再処理施設の過酷事故の一つである高レベル放射性廃液貯槽の冷却機能喪失による蒸発乾固事故では、沸騰により廃液貯槽から発生する硝酸-水混合蒸気とともにルテニウムの揮発性の化学種(RuO)が放出される。このためリスク評価の観点からは、Ruの定量的な放出量の評価が重要な課題である。RuOは施設内を移行する過程で床面に停留すると想定されるプール水中の亜硝酸(HNO)によって化学吸収が促進されることが想定され、この挙動は実験的に確認されており、Ruの施設内での移行に重要な役割を担う。HNOを含む硝酸水溶液へのRuOの移行に係る実験から得られた成果をもとに、新たな化学吸収及び物理吸収モデルが提案されている。本報では、SCHERNの解析性能の向上の一環として、これらの吸収モデルを組込み、施設内を移行するRuOの気液各相での挙動の解析を試行した。その結果、RuOの放出が急激に増加する沸騰晩期では、液相中のHNOも急増する傾向が見られ、その濃度変化がその後のRuOの移行挙動に大きく影響することを確認した。この結果から硝酸-水混合蒸気の凝縮に伴う気液各相のHNOの化学的挙動の解析精度の向上が不可欠である。

再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故のMELCORを用いた施設内の熱流動解析モデルの検証

吉田 一雄; 桧山 美奈*; 玉置 等史

JAEA-Research 2025-003, 24 Pages, 2025/06

JAEA-Research-2025-003.pdf:2.06MB

再処理施設の過酷事故の一つである高レベル放射性廃液貯槽の冷却機能喪失による蒸発乾固事故では、沸騰により廃液貯槽から発生する硝酸-水混合蒸気とともにルテニウム(RuO)の揮発性の化学種が放出される。このためリスク評価の観点からは、Ruの定量的な放出量の評価が重要な課題である。揮発性Ruは施設内を移行する過程で床面に停留するプール水中の亜硝酸によって化学吸収が促進されることが想定され、施設内の硝酸-水混合蒸気の凝縮水量がRuの施設内での移行に重要な役割を担う。当該事故の施設内の熱流動解析では、水の熱流動を解析対象とするMELCORコードを用いている。解析では、凝縮の支配因子である蒸発潜熱が、事故時での施設内の温度帯域で同程度であることから硝酸をモル数が等しい水として扱っている。本報では、この解析モデルの妥当性を確認するために、MELCORの制御関数機能を用いて硝酸-水混合蒸気を水蒸気で近似することによって生じる誤差を補正する解析モデルを作成し解析を実施し補正効果を比較することで従来の解析モデルの妥当性を確認した。その結果、補正解析モデルの適用によって各区画のプール水量の分布は変化するものの施設内のプール水量の総和には影響しないことを確認した。

再処理施設の高レベル廃液蒸発乾固事故での廃液沸騰時の貯槽内化学挙動試解析

吉田 一雄; 桧山 美奈*; 玉置 等史

JAEA-Research 2024-007, 24 Pages, 2024/08

JAEA-Research-2024-007.pdf:2.1MB

再処理施設の過酷事故の一つである高レベル放射性廃液貯槽の冷却機能喪失による蒸発乾固事故では、沸騰により廃液貯槽から発生する硝酸-水混合蒸気とともにルテニウム(Ru)の揮発性の化学種(RuO)が放出される。このためリスク評価の観点からは、Ruの定量的な放出量の評価が重要な課題である。RuOの発生現象には、廃液の溶媒である硝酸の放射線分解で発生する亜硝酸が沸騰段階でのRuOの発生を抑制することが実験的に示されている。この現象を解析的に取り扱うには、廃液の当該事故時の硝酸及び亜硝酸を含めた窒素化合物の化学変化の解析が必要となる。廃液貯槽沸騰模擬コード:SHAWEDでは、硝酸-水-FP硝酸塩系での気液平衡の仮定に基づき廃液の温度上昇、硝酸及び水の蒸発量、気泡破裂に伴う飛沫生成量を計算する。現状の解析では、廃液中の亜硝酸濃度等の変化を模擬できない。より現象に即した模擬を可能にするため当該事故時の施設内の化学的な挙動を解析するSCHERNをSHAWEDと結合させ、放射線分解による亜硝酸の生成も考慮した廃液貯槽内の熱流動挙動解析及び化学挙動解析を同時に可能とするよう改良した。本報では、両計算コードを結合した計算の流れ、両者間でのデータの授受を概説し模擬結果の一例を示す。

2023年度夏期休暇実習報告

石塚 悦男; 長住 達; 長谷川 俊成; 川井 大海*; 脇坂 真司*; 長瀬 颯太*; 中村 建斗*; 矢口 陽樹*; 石井 俊晃; 中野 優美*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2024-008, 23 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Technology-2024-008.pdf:1.69MB

「HTTRに関する技術開発」をテーマとした2023年度夏期休暇実習において、3つの大学から5名が参加した。参加者は、HTTR炉心の解析、強制冷却機能喪失時の挙動解析、一次冷却系統のヨウ素沈着挙動解析、高温ガス炉用エネルギー貯蔵システムの概念検討について実習した。実習後のアンケートでは、就業体験として有益であったこと、一部の学生においては自身の研究に役立ったこと等の感想があり、本実習は概ね良好な評価を得た。

Convection and joint characteristics in aluminum alloy melting zone during resistance spot welding of dissimilar Fe-Al material in external magnetic field

船引 雄太*; 伊與田 宗慶*; 菖蒲 敬久; 松田 朋己*; 林 雄二郎*; 佐野 智一*; 他8名*

Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 115, p.40 - 55, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.01.049

In resistance spot welding (RSW) of Fe and Al alloy, an intermetallic compound (IMC) is formed at the joining interface, and it is known that the joining strength of the joint decreases as the IMC becomes thicker. In this study, the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone of an Fe-Al alloy RSW was varied and the effect on the joint characteristics was investigated. For this study, focusing on the electromagnetic force generated in the Al alloy melting zone, the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone was changed by adding an external magnetic field using neodymium magnets. In-situ evaluation of the convection behavior using synchrotron radiation and cross-sectional macro-observation of the joint revealed that the addition of an external magnetic field causes a non-axisymmetric change in the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone, which results in the deflection of the Al alloy melting zone. The addition of an external magnetic field increases the driving force of convection and homogenizes the temperature field at the joining interface, suggesting that the IMC near the center is formed thin and uniform. Furthermore, from the cross tension test and the observation of the fracture surface of the joint after the test, it was clarified that the CTS of the joint with an external magnetic field was improved by the propagation of cracks into the Al alloy melting zone during the test.

Oxidation and embrittlement behavior of FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

成川 隆文; 近藤 啓悦; 藤村 由希; 垣内 一雄; 宇田川 豊; 根本 義之

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 587, p.154736_1 - 154736_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154736

To evaluate the oxidation and embrittlement behavior of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened FeCrAl (FeCrAl-ODS) cladding tube under loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) conditions, we conducted isothermal oxidation and ring-compression tests on unirradiated, stress-relieved FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube specimens. Further, we discussed the loss of coolable geometry of the reactor core loaded with the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tubes under LOCA conditions, using data from the ring-compression tests in this study and the integral thermal shock tests from our previous study. The results reveal that oxidation kinetics of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube at 1523 K is four orders of magnitude lower than that of a conventional Zircaloy cladding tube, which highlights the exceptional oxidation resistance of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube. The breakaway oxidation of the FeCrAl-ODS cladding tube was observed at 1623 K for durations equal to or exceeding 6 h, and melting was observed at 1723 K. The ring-compression and the integral thermal shock tests indicate that, depending on the oxidation time, the ductile to brittle transition threshold - as determined by the ring-compression test - exists between 1623 K and 1723 K. Meanwhile, the fracture threshold - established through the integral thermal shock test - falls between 1573 K and 1673 K. Therefore, taking a conservative approach based on available data, the fracture and non-fracture results from the integral thermal shock tests can define the lower and upper boundaries of the threshold for the loss of coolable geometry of the reactor core during a LOCA.

中性子回折によるハイエントロピー合金の変形挙動のその場観察

Harjo, S.

日本結晶学会誌, 65(3), p.178 - 182, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5940/jcrsj.65.178

Observations of deformation behavior of high entropy alloys using neutron diffraction measurements during deformation at various temperatures are reviewed. Neutrons are used to investigate stresses and crystallographic microstructures inside engineering materials, taking advantage of their large penetrating power and the ability to see the arrangement of atoms by diffraction methods. The important structural details of high entropy alloys such as internal stresses, phase conditions, dislocations, texture etc. are discussed in relation to the deformation conditions. Some highlights are introduced: (a) Cooperative deformation in CrMnFeCoNi alloy at ultralow temperatures, (b) Stacking fault energies in CrFeCoNi and CrCoNi alloys, and (c) Load redistribution in eutectic high entropy alloy AlCoCrFeNi during high temperature deformation.

Large-eddy simulation on two-liquid mixing in the horizontal leg and downcomer (the TAMU-CFD Benchmark), with respect to fluctuation behavior of liquid concentration

安部 諭; 岡垣 百合亜

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 404, p.112165_1 - 112165_14, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112165

Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) is induced potentially by the rapid cooling of the cold-leg and downcomer wall in the primary system of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) due to the initiation of Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS). Thus, fluids mixing in a horizontal cold-leg and downcomer should be predicted accurately; however, turbulence production and damping often hinders this prediction due to the presence of the density gradients. Hence, the Fifth International Benchmark Exercise, the cold-leg mixing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Benchmark, was conducted under the support of OECD/NEA. The experiment was designed for visualization of the mixing phenomena of two liquids with different densities. The heavy liquid was a simulant of cold water from ECCS, in a horizontal leg and downcomer. We used the Large-eddy Simulation (LES) to investigate the time fluctuation behaviors of velocity and liquid concentration. The CFD simulation was performed with two turbulence models and three different numerical meshes. We investigated the characteristics of the appearance frequency of the heavy liquid concentration with the statistical method. Based on our findings, we propose further experiments and numerical investigations to understand the fluid mixing phenomena related to PTS.

Particle-based simulation of jet impingement behaviors

高塚 大地*; 守田 幸路*; Liu, W.*; Zhang, T.*; 中村 武志*; 神山 健司

Proceedings of 12th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS12) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/10

A 3D particle-based simulation code was developed to analyze jet impingement behavior, and the physical models for thermal-hydraulic interactions between molten jets and solid plates used in the code was validated by simulating existing jet impingement experiments. In addition, particle-based simulations were conducted to understand the impingement characteristics of molten MOX fuel jets on SS plates, and the erosion rate of the SS plate was evaluated. The results showed that fuel crusts formed on the plate potentially provide thermal protection and confirmed the effect of the plate erosion rate on the jet diameter under conditions where crust formation is dominant.