Numerical analysis of a potential Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) boundary failure mechanism in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit-2

Li, X.; 山路 哲史*; 佐藤 一憲*; 山下 拓哉

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 214, p.111217_1 - 111217_13, 2025/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2025.111217

The decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi NPP Unit-2 requires understanding of reactor damage and fuel debris distribution for effective debris retrieval. This study numerically analyzes potential Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) boundary failure due to eutectic melting of Control Rod Drive (CRD) housings during reheating after debris bed dryout. The Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method, with an enthalpy-based temperature algorithm and Boussinesq approximation, is applied to simulate melt/solid interactions in a 2-D model of the lower plenum. The CRD housing melting temperature is set at 1523 K based on a quasi-binary phase diagram of 304 Stainless Steel (SS) and Zirconium (Zr) and ELSA experiments. Results suggest local RPV failure at CRD housings, leading to melt release and refreezing. The estimated failure occurs 8-12 hours post-dryout (ca. 12:00-16:00 on 3/15/2011), providing insights into melt progression and boundary breach scenarios in Unit-2.

Measurements of neutron capture cross-section for nuclides of interest in decommissioning (II); Fe(n,)Fe

中村 詔司; 芝原 雄司*; 遠藤 駿典; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 木村 敦

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(3), p.300 - 307, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2427244

As nuclear facilities are dismantled in decommissioning, large amount of various waste is generated. Even more inconveniently, waste is radioactive due to neutron activation. Thus, the neutron capture cross-sections of nuclides targeted in decommissioning are required to evaluate the radioactivity produced. In this work, Fe nuclide was selected among objective nuclides for decommissioning, and its thermal-neutron capture cross-section was measured by a neutron activation method at the graphite thermal column of Kyoto University Research Reactor in 5-MW operation. The thermal-neutron capture cross-section was derived using s convention. The present work obtained 1.360.03 barns for the Fe(n,)Fe reaction. The present result supports the JENDL-5 evaluation within 2. If updated with currently recommended nuclear data, some of the reported past data would support the present result.

Measurements of neutron capture cross-section for nuclides of interest in decommissioning (III); Er(n,)Er and Hf(n,)Hf reactions

中村 詔司; 芝原 雄司*; 遠藤 駿典; Rovira Leveroni, G.; 木村 敦

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 14 Pages, 2025/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2457589

In the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, large amounts of radioactive waste are generated due to neutron activation. In that case, neutron capture cross-sections of nuclides targeted in decommissioning are required to evaluate their radioactivities produced. The present study selected two nuclides, Er and Hf, among objective ones for decommissioning, and thermal-neutron capture cross-sections for their parent nuclides were measured by the neutron activation method at the Kyoto University Research Reactor under 1-MW operation. The thermal-neutron capture cross-sections were derived on the basis of Westcott's convention. The present study obtained the results as follows: 8.190.35 barns for the Er(n,)Er reaction and 13.570.14 barns for the Hf(n,)Hf reaction. As a by-product, the measurements of the Hf sample also yielded 0.4270.006 barns for the Hf(n,)Hf reaction. This study revealed that some experimental and data evaluations differ from the present results by more than the experimental uncertainties.

Image selection method from image sequence to improve computational efficiency of 3D reconstruction; Application of fixed threshold to remove redundant images

羽成 敏秀; 中村 啓太*; 今渕 貴志; 川端 邦明

Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics, 36(6), p.1537 - 1549, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2024.p1537

本稿では、時系列画像から3次元モデルを効率的に生成するための画像選択法を導入した立体復元処理について述べる。効率的な立体復元に適した画像を得るために、時系列画像中の冗長画像を除去する画像選択法の適用を試みた。提案手法では、オプティカルフローと固定しきい値に基づいて、時系列画像から適切な画像を選択する。その結果、提案手法により、カメラで取得した時系列画像に基づく立体復元処理の計算量を削減することができた。その結果、立体復元精度を一定に保ったまま、立体復元処理の計算量を削減できることを確認した。

Activation level of the concrete building and pressure vessel in JAEA-Tokai tandem accelerator

吉田 剛*; 松村 宏*; 中村 一*; 三浦 太一*; 豊田 晃弘*; 桝本 和義*; 中林 貴之*; 松田 誠

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(10), p.1298 - 1307, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2313558

The activation level of the JAEA-Tokai tandem accelerator facility was investigated experimentally in advance of the future decommissioning. JAEA-Tokai tandem accelerator facility has a higher terminal voltage of 18 MV and a larger total floor area, Compared to other electrostatic accelerators with terminal voltage of 1 MV to 6 MV. Therefore, determination for 'where', 'what', and 'how many' nuclides are produced in the facility is crucial. Thermal neutrons generated by beam losses associated with accelerator operations contribute significantly to the activation of equipment and facilities. The accumulated activities of Co and Eu; the most considerable radionuclides at the decommissioning, can be deduced by the thermal neutron fluence rate during the accelerator operation. In this study, thermal neutron fluence measurement on the surface of the pressure vessel and concrete building was conducted with conventional methods using dosimeters and metal foil detectors as well as a new method using a portable -ray detector. The thermal neutron fluence in the facility during the accelerator operation ranges from 101 to 10 n/cm/s. The sum of deduced activities of Co and Eu in 50 years is much lower than the clearance level of 0.1 Bq/g in all areas except in the irradiation room.

バックエンド技術部年報(2022年度)

バックエンド技術部

JAEA-Review 2024-004, 124 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Review-2024-004.pdf:3.39MB

本報告書は、日本原子力研究開発機構原子力科学研究部門原子力科学研究所バックエンド技術部における2022年度(2022年4月1日から2023年3月31日まで)の活動をまとめたものであり、所掌する施設の運転・管理、放射性廃棄物の処理・管理、施設の廃止措置に関する業務、これらに関連する技術開発及び研究成果の概要を取りまとめた。2022年度の放射性廃棄物の処理実績は、可燃性固体廃棄物が約262m、不燃性固体廃棄物が約113m、液体廃棄物が約203m(希釈処理約72mを含む)であった。新たな保管体の発生数は、200Lドラム缶換算527本であった。公益社団法人日本アイソトープ協会への保管体の返還作業及び保管廃棄していた廃棄物の減容処理を行うことにより、保管体数の削減に取り組んだ結果、最終的に2022年度末の累積保管体数は2021年度から3,902本減の122,925本となった。保管廃棄施設・Lの保管体健全性確認作業は、本格運用を継続して実施した。また、放射性廃棄物処理場が新規制基準に適合していることの確認を受けるため、設計及び工事方法の認可申請を原子力規制庁に対し、順次、実施した。廃止措置に関しては、再処理特別研究棟において、機器の撤去等を実施した。バックエンドに関連する研究・技術開発においては、廃棄物放射能評価法の構築に向けて、採取した廃棄物試料の放射能分析を実施した。また福島第一原子力発電所事故に伴い発生した除去土壌の埋立処分に関する実証事業について、埋立完了後のモニタリングを継続した。

廃止措置における原子力発電所職員のジェネラティビティと知識マネジメント

小林 重人*; 樽田 泰宜; Zhao, Q.*; 橋本 敬*

横幹, 18(1), p.26 - 36, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.11487/trafst.18.1_26

The decommissioning of nuclear power plants and staff turnover may lead to a depletion of accumulated knowledge. Despite the implementation of nuclear knowledge management, current efforts primarily focus on preserving knowledge without adequate consideration of knowledge creation and inheritance. This study examines the correlation between generativity, job competence, and social support among nuclear power plant staff in the decommissioning process. Generativity refers to the capacity to create something new, promote it, and pass it on to future generations. The research hypothesis posits that staff with plant operating experience will exhibit lower generativity scores than those without such experience. However, the results indicate no substantial variation in generativity scores, but there is a significantly higher social support score among staff with operating experience. The study highlights the significance of knowledge management, incorporating the concept of generativity, in facilitating knowledge acquisition activities across the organization.

A Study on the effects of photogrammetry by the camera angle of view using computer simulation

中村 啓太; 羽成 敏秀; 松本 拓; 川端 邦明; 八代 大*

Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics, 36(1), p.115 - 124, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.20965/jrm.2024.p0115

During the decommissioning activities, a movie was shot inside the reactor building during the investigation of the primary containment vessel by applying photogrammetry, which is one of the methods for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from images, to the images from this movie, it is feasible to perform 3D reconstruction of the environment around the primary containment vessel. However, the images from this movie may not be suitable for 3D reconstruction because they were shot remotely by robots owing to limited illumination, high-dose environments, etc. Moreover, photogrammetry has the disadvantage of easily changing 3D reconstruction results by simply changing the shooting conditions. Therefore, this study investigated the accuracy of the 3D reconstruction results obtained by photogrammetry with changes in the camera angle of view under shooting conditions. In particular, we adopted 3D computer graphics software to simulate shooting target objects for 3D reconstruction in a dark environment while illuminating them with light for application in decommissioning activities. The experimental results obtained by applying artificial images generated by simulation to the photogrammetry method showed that more accurate 3D reconstruction results can be obtained when the camera angle of view is neither too wide nor too narrow when the target objects are shot and surrounded. However, the results showed that the accuracy of the obtained results is low during linear trajectory shooting when the camera angle of view is wide.

JMTRの廃止措置移行後の事故影響評価

永田 寛; 大森 崇純; 前田 英太; 大塚 薫; 中野 寛子; 花川 裕規; 井手 広史

JAEA-Review 2023-033, 40 Pages, 2024/01

JAEA-Review-2023-033.pdf:1.39MB

JMTR原子炉施設は2017年4月の「施設中長期計画」において廃止施設に位置付けられたことから、廃止措置計画認可申請書を原子力規制委員会に提出するに当たり、廃止措置計画に記載する必要がある、廃止措置の工事上の過失等があった場合に発生すると想定される原子炉施設の事故の種類、程度、影響等の評価をするため、廃止措置計画の第1段階で想定される事故について、その種類の選定と程度、一般公衆への被ばく影響の評価を行った。廃止措置計画の第1段階で想定される事故として燃料取扱事故及び廃棄物の保管中の火災を選定し、大気中に放出された放射性物質による一般公衆への被ばく線量の評価を行ったところ、最大でも1.910mSv(廃棄物の保管中の火災)であり、判断基準(5mSv)に比べて小さく、一般公衆に対して著しい放射線被ばくのリスクを与えることはないことが分かった。

Aerosol characterization during heating and mechanical cutting of simulated uranium containing debris; The URASOL project in the framework of Fukushima Daiichi fuel debris removal

Porcheron, E.*; Journeau, C.*; Delacroix, J.*; Berlemont, R.*; Bouland, A.*; Lallot, Y.*; 坪田 陽一; 池田 篤史; 三次 岳志

Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2023) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2023-110133

福島第一原子力発電所(1F)の損傷した原子炉の廃止措置における重要な課題である燃料デブリの切断作業における放射性エアロゾルの発生と飛散を評価する目的で行われたURASOLプロジェクトにおいて、模擬燃料デブリの加熱および機械的切断に伴い生成するエアロゾルの質量濃度、リアルタイム数密度、質量基準の粒径分布、形態、および化学的特性の観点からの特性評価について報告する。加熱試験においては温度上昇に伴う粒径増大が観察され、粒子数密度に関しては劣化ウランを用いた模擬燃料デブリを用いた例がHf含有模擬燃料デブリを用いた試験よりも小さい数密度であった。機械的切断においてはエアロゾルの空気動力学的質量中央径は、放射性試料と非放射性試料でほぼ同程度(約3.74.4m)であった。