Development of a prototype shielding-free radiation-resistant diamond neutron measurement system (Contract research); FY2023 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Hokkaido University*

JAEA-Review 2025-028, 66 Pages, 2025/11

JAEA-Review-2025-028.pdf:3.59MB

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 FY2023. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), 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 FY2023, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of a prototype shielding-free radiation-resistant diamond neutron measurement system" conducted in FY2023. The present study aims to develop a prototype of a shielding-free neutron measurement system for 1F. The system consists of diamond neutron detectors and radiation-resistant silicon integrated circuits, and has radiation resistance of more than 10 MGy and 4 MGy, respectively, at the component level in terms of integrated dose, and has a track record of stable operation under -ray dose rate environment of 1.5 kGy/h. Future applications are expected to include neutron detectors for debris investigation, criticality proximity monitoring monitors, and neutron detectors for dry tube investigation in pressure vessels. In this development, a prototype consisting of 100 diamond detector elements of 5 mm square will be developed to obtain system construction technology and to evaluate system performance. In addition, a subcriticality evaluation method will be developed. This development will lead to the completion of system development, development of the actual system in collaboration with the manufacturer, and introduction of the system into 1F decommissioning project.

Development of a theoretical scaling factor method for the inventory estimation of difficult-to-measure nuclide Cs-135 in fuel debris and radioactive wastes

Sakamoto, Masahiro; Okumura, Keisuke; Kanno, Ikuo; Matsumura, Taichi; Terashima, Kenichi; Riyana, E. S.; Kaneko, Junichi*; Mizokami, Masato*; Mizokami, Shinya*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(8), p.756 - 765, 2025/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2478926

Report of summer holiday practical training on 2024

Hasegawa, Toshinari; Nagasumi, Satoru; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Egashira, Keiichiro*; Furuya, Aoi*; Ando, Ryota*; Sakaguchi, Akira*; Sakurai, Yosuke; Nakano, Yumi*; Iigaki, Kazuhiko

JAEA-Technology 2025-004, 20 Pages, 2025/07

JAEA-Technology-2025-004.pdf:1.67MB

Four people from three universities participated in the 2024 summer holiday practical training with the theme of "Technical development on HTTR". The participants practiced the analysis of the HTTR core, the analysis of Cs deposition behavior in the primary cooling system, and the feasibility study of nuclear rockets using HTGR. In the questionnaire after this training, there were comments from participants that it was beneficial as a work experience and that it was meaningful because of many opportunities to communicate with staff. These impressions suggest that this training was generally evaluated as good.

Pressure-induced elongation of hydrogen-oxygen bond in sodium silicate melts

Ohashi, Tomonori*; Sakamaki, Tatsuya*; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Steinle-Neumann, G.*; Hattori, Takanori; Yuan, L.*; Suzuki, Akio*

Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences (Internet), 120(1), p.240926a_1 - 240926a_13, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.2465/jmps.240926a

We explore the structures of dry and hydrated (HO and DO) NaSiO melt at 0-6 GPa and 1000-1300 K and glasses recovered from high pressure and temperatures by in-situ neutron and X-ray diffraction. The structures of the melts at 0-10 GPa and 3000 K are also investigated by ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation. In-situ neutron experiments revealed that the D-O distance increases with compression due to the formation of -O-D-O- bridging species, which is reproduced by the molecular dynamics simulations. The pressure-induced -O-D-O- formation reflects a more rigid incorporation of hydrogen, which acts as a mechanism for the experimentally observed higher solubility of water in silicate melts. Together with shrinking modifier domains, this process dominates the compression behavior of hydrous NaSiO melt, whereas the compression of dry NaSiO at 0-10 GPa and 3000 K is governed largely by bending of the Si-O-Si angle. The molecular dynamics simulations on hydrous NaSiO melts further suggest that the sodium ions are scavenged from its network-modifying role via 2(Si-O + Na) Si-(O-Si-O) + 2Na and Si-O + Na + Si-OH Si-(O-H-O-Si) + Na with increasing pressure.

Neutron target for high-intensity operation at J-PARC MLF

Haga, Katsuhiro; Naoe, Takashi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Wakui, Takashi; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Harada, Masahide

Proceedings of 16th International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC25) (Internet), p.3245 - 3249, 2025/06

http://dx.doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-IPAC25-FRXD1

In April 2024, the beam power at MLF attained 950 kW for the first time for long term user operation, and the beam power at the 3 GeV rapid cycle synchrotron (RCS) outlet was raised to 1 MW. This accomplishment means that the goal of the stable operation of the neutron source with 1 MW was almost achieved at last, and it's time to go on to the new stage of the neutron source R&D. There are two major challenges for the mercury target in the next stage. One is to attain the long-term operation of a mercury target. The service life of the target vessel is primarily determined by cavitation damage that occurs on the inner surface due to the injection of high-intensity pulsed proton beams. Until now, the vessel has been replaced annually to inspect the extent of the damage. However, based on the damage data obtained during 1 MW high-power operation, it has been determined that the vessel can withstand long-term operation for more than two years. Therefore, a new target vessel, which was replaced in 2024, is scheduled to be used for an extended period through 2027. Furthermore, since there are plans to increase the pulse intensity of the RCS in the future, it will be necessary to develop more effective pitting damage suppression techniques and new target vessels that can withstand even stronger proton beam pulses. In this presentation, the present status of the neutron source of MLF and future operation plans will be shown.

Investigation of measurement accuracy of burnup reactivity of accelerator-driven system during normal operation

Katano, Ryota; Abe, Takumi; Cibert, H.*

JAEA-Research 2024-019, 22 Pages, 2025/05

JAEA-Research-2024-019.pdf:1.03MB

An accelerator-driven system (ADS) dedicated to transmutation of minor actinides (MAs) is driven in subcritical states. It is important for establishment of the subcriticality control of ADS to predict the burnup reactivity. To validate the prediction accuracy, the burnup reactivity, especially at the first cycle, must be measured with sufficient accuracy. In this study, we focus on Current-To-Flux (CTF) method. We have simulated the burnup reactivity monitoring during the ADS normal operation with the CTF method by performing fixed-source-burnup calculations using a continuous energy Monte Carlo code SERPENT2 with some tallies that models in-core fission chambers and have estimated its measurement uncertainty. We have clarified that the 10% biases of measure burnup reactivities appear independently of the burnup duration and their detector position dependence is particularly small in the outer region of the system.

Calculation method improvement of the original one-dimensional code GENGTC

Fuyushima, Takumi; Sayato, Natsuki; Otsuka, Kaoru; Endo, Yasuichi; Tobita, Masahiro*; Takemoto, Noriyuki

JAEA-Testing 2024-008, 38 Pages, 2025/03

JAEA-Testing-2024-008.pdf:2.37MB

In Japan Materials Testing Reactor (JMTR), irradiation tests had been conducted by loading specimens into capsules for irradiating fuels and materials. The thermal design calculation of capsules is significant to irradiate various types of specimens at the target temperature. The decommissioning plan of JMTR was approved in March 2021, and the Department of Waste Management and Decommissioning Technology Development is currently working on irradiation plans by foreign testing reactors as an alternative for JMTR. A one-dimensional thermal calculation code "GENGTC", which was developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in U.S., is used for capsule design and irradiation tests. GENGTC has been repeatedly improved as improvements of computer performance, but there were some defects in calculation function. Therefore, we investigated the cause of the problem and changed the program from the currently used FORTRAN77 language program to a Visual Basic language program that uses the macro calculation function of Excel. In addition, the program was improved to make it easier to use the calculation code.

Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in the fiscal year 2023 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2024-017, 208 Pages, 2025/03

JAEA-Technology-2024-017.pdf:27.32MB

This report presents results of the investigations on the distribution-mapping project of radioactive substances owing to TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) conducted in FY2023. Car-borne surveys, a measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data to create their distribution maps, and temporal changes of the air dose rates were analyzed. Surveys on depth profile of radiocesium and in-situ measurements as for radiocesium deposition were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-lives of the temporal changes in the air dose rates and the deposition were evaluated. Score maps to classify the importance of the measurement points were created, and the temporal changes in the score were analyzed. A system to report the tritium concentration level in seawater to the Nuclear Regulation Authority was operated, and the variation of tritium concentration before and after the discharge of ALPS treated water to the ocean was analyzed. Monitoring data in coastal area performed owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan until FY2023 was analyzed. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained maps that integrated air dose rate distribution data acquired through surveys such as car-borne and walk surveys. Representative life patterns that can be expected after the return to the evacuation-designated restricted area were set, and the cumulative exposure doses were evaluated for the local governments and residents in the area. The measurement results for FY2023 were published on the Web site and measurement data were stored as CSV format. Radiation monitoring and analysis of environmental samples owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan were carried out.

A Decade of neutron diffraction study of iron hydrides

Aoki, Katsutoshi*; Machida, Akihiko*; Saito, Hiroyuki*; Hattori, Takanori

Koatsuryoku No Kagaku To Gijutsu, 35(1), p.4 - 11, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.4131/jshpreview.35.4

Iron reacts with hydrogen to form solid solutions with body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, hexagonal close packed, and double hexagonal close packed structures at high temperatures and high pressures. Neutron diffraction is the most powerful tool for determining the occupation sites and occupancies of hydrogen atoms dissolved in a metal lattice. Structural parameters, including hydrogen occupation sites and occupancies, are refined via Rietveld analysis for neutron diffraction data. We present our expertise in Rietveld refinement of iron hydrides accumulated over 10 years.

Scenario analysis of future nuclear energy use in Japan, 1; Methodology of nuclear fuel cycle simulator: NMB4.0

Abe, Takumi; Oizumi, Akito; Nishihara, Kenji; Nakase, Masahiko*; Asano, Hidekazu*; Takeshita, Kenji*

Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 7, p.299 - 304, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.15669/pnst.7.299

Currently, much research continues on stable energy sources that do not emit CO in order to achieve a carbon-neutral and sustainable society. Nuclear energy is one of the such sources, and various new reactors and reprocessing technologies are being developed. In order to implement the nuclear fuel cycle with these technologies, a nuclear fuel cycle simulator is required to quantitatively evaluate various quantities, such as the distribution of nuclear fuel materials and the scale of waste loading. For this purpose, NMB4.0 was developed in collaboration with Tokyo Institute of Technology and Japan Atomic Energy Agency. This code calculates the material balance of 179 nuclides including actinides and fission products (FPs) from the front-end to the back-end and simulates the nuclear fuel cycle in an integrated manner. Unlike other nuclear fuel cycle simulators, the code is capable of performing precise back-end analyses such as the number of radioactive wastes and the scale of the geological repository considering heat generation of waste package under diverse nuclear energy scenario, and is an open source code that runs on Microsoft Excel. By these features, it is possible to quantitatively study nuclear energy utilization strategies with various stakeholders. The presentation will detail the numerical model used in NMB4.0.