Quantifying uncertainty induced by scattering angle distribution using maximum entropy method

丸山 修平; 山本 章夫*; 遠藤 知弘*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 205, p.110591_1 - 110591_13, 2024/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2024.110591

This study developed a new method for evaluating the uncertainty in reactor core/shielding characteristics attributable to the scattering angle distribution, employing a random sampling (RS) technique integrated with continuous energy Monte Carlo (CEMC) calculations. The impact of neutron scattering angle is not negligible in the analysis of fast reactor cores and shielding. Recent advancements have enabled the high-accuracy assessment of nuclear data-induced uncertainty by merging CEMC calculations and the RS technique. Nonetheless, a method to quantify uncertainty due to scattering angle distribution remains unestablished. This study introduces a new approach for uncertainty quantification related to scattering angle distribution in CEMC-RS, utilizing the maximum entropy method. The effectiveness of this method was verified through comparison with results from the classical deterministic uncertainty quantification approach based on generalized perturbation theory. Overall, this method offers a more accurate tool for nuclear engineers and researchers in evaluating and managing uncertainties in reactor design and safety analysis.

Measurement of the response of a Li-glass detector to gamma rays by a coincidence method

伊藤 史哲*; Lee, J.; 弘中 浩太; 高橋 時音; 鈴木 敏*; 持丸 貴則*; 堀 順一*; 寺田 和司*; 小泉 光生

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1064, p.169465_1 - 169465_9, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169465

The response of a gamma-ray spectrometer is generally determined by analyzing full-energy peaks. However, full-energy peaks cannot be measured easily in the case of scintillation detectors that consist of light elements, such as glass scintillators. Only a strong Compton plateau appears in the spectrum of such detectors. Therefore, Compton edgers were used to evaluate the response of these detectors. The response of a low-resolution Li-glass detector to gamma rays was measured for the first time by a coincidence method with a high-resolution LaBr:Ce detector using cascade gamma rays (2.75 and 1.37 MeV) from a Na source. Coincidence gates were applied at the peaks of the spectrum of the LaBr:Ce detector at the 0.51 MeV annihilation peak, and the sum peaks of a gamma ray and a backscattered gamma ray. By analyzing the gated spectra of the Li-glass detector, the energy-dependent detector response (i.e., the output strength and its dispersion) was determined.

Understanding muon diffusion in perovskite oxides below room temperature based on harmonic transition state theory

伊藤 孝; 髭本 亘; 下村 浩一郎*

Physical Review B, 108(22), p.224301_1 - 224301_11, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.108.224301

In positive muon spin rotation and relaxation (SR) spectroscopy, positive muons () implanted into solid oxides are conventionally treated as immobile spin-probes at interstitial sites below room temperature. This is because each is thought to be tightly bound to an oxygen atom in the host lattice to form a muonic analogue of the hydroxy group. On the basis of this concept, anomalies in SR spectra observed in oxides have been attributed in most cases to the intrinsic properties of host materials. On the other hand, global diffusion with an activation energy of 0.1~eV has been reported in some chemically-substituted perovskite oxides at cryogenic temperatures, although the reason for the small activation energy despite the formation of the strong O bond has not yet been quantitatively understood. In this study, we investigated interstitial diffusion in the perovskite oxide lattice using KTaO cubic perovskite as a model system. We used the SR method and density functional theory calculations along with the harmonic transition state theory to study this phenomenon both experimentally and theoretically. Experimental activation energies for global diffusion obtained below room temperature were less than a quarter of the calculated classical potential barrier height for a bottleneck transfer path. The reduction in the effective barrier height could be explained by the harmonic transition state theory with a zero-point energy correction; a significant difference in zero-point energies for at the positions in the O bonding equilibrium state and a bond-breaking transition state was the primary cause of the reduction. This suggests that the assumption of immobile in solid oxides is not always satisfied since such a significant decrease in diffusion barrier height can also occur in other oxides.

Relationship between internal stress distribution and microstructure in a suspension-sprayed thermal barrier coating with a columnar structure

山崎 泰広*; 篠宮 啓介*; 奥村 忠晴*; 鈴木 賢治*; 菖蒲 敬久; 中村 唯我*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 7(2), p.14_1 - 14_12, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs7020014

The suspension plasma spray (SPS) technique has attracted attention because of its various microstructures, which can be achieved by mixing submicron spray particles with a solvent to form a suspension. Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with a columnar structure, which might achieve high strain tolerance, can be obtained using the SPS technique. In this study, the internal stress distribution of the SPS-TBC with different columnar structures was evaluated by hybrid measurement using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis and laboratory low-energy X-rays. The effect of microstructure on the internal stress distribution of the SPS-TBC was discussed on the basis of the experimental results. In addition, the in-plane internal stress was decreased by decreasing the column diameter. The thin columnar microstructure of the SPS-TBC has superior strain tolerance. The internal stresses in the column of the SPS-TBC are periodic decrements caused by stress relaxation in porous layers.

New material exploration to enhance neutron intensity below cold neutrons; Nanosized graphene flower aggregation

勅使河原 誠; 池田 裕二郎*; Yan, M.*; 村松 一生*; 須谷 康一*; 福住 正文*; 能田 洋平*; 小泉 智*; 猿田 晃一; 大竹 淑恵*

Nanomaterials (Internet), 13(1), p.76_1 - 76_9, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13010076

冷中性子以下の中性子強度を高めるため、ナノサイズグラフェンの集合体が、ナノダイヤモンドと同様に中性子のコヒーレント散乱を促進できることを提案した。さらには、グラフェンの強いsp2結合は、高い耐放射線性を有する可能性を秘める。理研の加速器駆動型小型中性子源やJ-PARCのiMATERIAを用いて、ナノサイズグラフェンの中性子全断面積測定,中性子小角散乱測定を行った。測定結果より、ナノサイズのグラフェン集合体は、コヒーレント散乱に起因すると考えられる冷中性子エネルギー領域での全断面積と小角散乱を増大させ、ナノダイヤモンドと同様に高い中性子強度をもたらすことを世界で初めて明らかにした。

Experimental and numerical study on energy separation in vortex tube with a hollow helical fin (Joint research)

呉田 昌俊; 山形 洋司*; 宮腰 賢*; 増井 達也*; 三浦 義明*; 高橋 一憲*

JAEA-Research 2022-007, 28 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Research-2022-007.pdf:8.17MB

ボルテックスチューブにおけるエネルギー分離を促進するために、新たに設計した中空螺旋状フィンを管内に挿入した。本報では、3種類の管を用いて、フィンがエネルギー分離に及ぼす影響を実験的に調べ、次に、数値流体力学(CFD)シミュレーションを行い、実験結果と中空螺旋状フィン付き管内の流動構造との関係を研究した。実験データから、フィンがエネルギー分離を促進し、管長を短くできることがわかった。入口空気圧が0.5MPaのとき、入口から出口までの最大温度差は62.2Cであった。レイノルズ応力モデル(RSM)乱流モデルを組み込んだCFDコードを用いて流体解析をした結果、フィン無とフィン有の場合とで淀み点の位置が大きく変わり、流動構造が全く異なることを確認した。中空螺旋状フィンによって、低温側フィン端と淀み点との間に小さな循環渦構造を持つ強い反転渦流が形成され、乱流運動エネルギーが大きな領域が生成されることによってエネルギー分離が促進されたと考えられる。

A Theoretical investigation on the intermolecular potential curve between ruthenium tetroxide and NO (X = 1, 2)

城戸 健太朗

International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, 121(21), p.e26781_1 - e26781_15, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1002/qua.26781

Ruthenium tetroxide (RuO) is one of chemical species of fission products assumed to be released to the environment during a severe accident of nuclear facilities and a target compound to assess the amount produced, reactivity, mobility and release timing. In this article, the NO (X = 1, 2) adduct formation of RuO has been investigated, based on the potential energy curve (PEC) evaluated by UM06, UTPSSh, CASSCF, and CASPT2 methods. At several stationary points, CCSD and LR-CCSD(T) energies are also computed for a comparison. The PEC shows that there is an activation barrier to form the NO adduct and that the process is endothermic in terms of free energy. In the system, the electron transfer occurs from NO to RuO when the bond between the nitrogen and oxo ligand is formed. It has been discussed in detail using active orbitals, weight of electron configurations and spin population obtained by CASSCF.

Development of a membrane reactor with a closed-end silica membrane for nuclear-heated hydrogen production

Myagmarjav, O.; 田中 伸幸; 野村 幹弘*; 野口 弘喜; 今井 良行; 上地 優; 久保 真治; 竹上 弘彰

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 137, p.103772_1 - 103772_7, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103772

Hydrogen production from nuclear energy has attracted considerable interest as a clean energy solution to address the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability. With respect to the large-scale and economical production of hydrogen using nuclear energy, the thermochemical water-splitting iodine-sulfur (IS) process is a promising method. The IS process uses sulfur and iodine compounds to decompose water into its elemental constituents, hydrogen and oxygen, by using three coupled chemical reactions: the Bunsen reaction; sulfuric acid decomposition; and hydrogen iodide (HI) decomposition. The decomposition of HI is the efficiency-determining step of the process. In this work, a membrane reactor with a silica membrane closed on one end was designed, and its potential for hydrogen production from HI decomposition was explored. In the reactor-module design, only one end of the membrane tube was fixed, while the closed-end of the tube was freely suspended to avoid thermal expansion effects. The closed-end silica membranes were prepared for the first time by a counter-diffusion chemical vapor deposition of hexyltrimethoxysilane. In application, HI conversion of greater than 0.60 was achieved at a decomposition temperature of 400C. Thus, the membrane reactor with closed-end silica membrane was shown to produce a successful equilibrium shift in the production of hydrogen via HI decomposition in the thermochemical IS process.

Visualization of the boron distribution in core material melting and relocation specimen by neutron energy resolving method

阿部 雄太; 土川 雄介; 甲斐 哲也; 松本 吉弘*; Parker, J. D.*; 篠原 武尚; 大石 佑治*; 加美山 隆*; 永江 勇二; 佐藤 一憲

JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011075_1 - 011075_6, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSCP.33.011075

Since the hardness of fuel debris containing boride from BC pellet in control rod is estimated to be two times higher as that of oxide, such as UO and ZrO, distribution of such boride in the fuel debris formed in the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants may affect the process of debris cutting and removal. The high neutron absorption of boron may affect the possibility of re-criticality during the process of debris removal. Therefore, boride distribution in fuel debris is regarded as an important issue to be addressed. However, boron tends to have difficult in quantification with conventionally applied methods like EPMA and XPS. In this study, accelerator-driven neutron-imaging system was applied. Since boron is the material for neutron absorption, its sensitivity in terms of neutron penetration through specimens is concerned. To adjust neutron attenuation of a specimen to suit a particular measurement by selecting the neutron energy range, we focused on the energy resolved neutron imaging system RADEN, which utilizes wide energy range from meV to keV. Development of a method to visualize boron distribution using energy-resolved neutrons has been started. In this presentation the authors show the status of the development of a method utilizing energy-resolved neutrons and provide some outcome from its application to the Core Material Melting and Relocation (CMMR)-0 and -2 specimens.

Phase-field model for crystallization in alkali disilicate glasses; LiO-2SiO, NaO-2SiO and KO-2SiO

河口 宗道; 宇埜 正美*

Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan, 128(10), p.832 - 838, 2020/10

https://doi.org/10.2109/jcersj2.20145

本研究では、移動度係数()を新しく定義することで、溶融酸化物系におけるフェーズフィールド法(PFM)の技術を開発した。一定の移動係数を用いたPFM計算から得られた結晶成長速度()は、normal growthモデルの熱力学的推進力と同程度であった。またの温度依存性は、実験から得られた結晶成長速度とから決定し、その決定したを使って、二酸化アルカリケイ酸ガラスのLiO-2SiO, NaO-2SiO, KO-2SiOの結晶成長速度()をシミュレーションした。の温度依存性は定性的および定量的に非常に良く一致したため、本PFM計算はの有効性を実証した。特に、PFM計算によって得られたは、融点()で増大し、-100Kでピークを示した。さらなる温度の下降では、は明確に0msに近づくことが分かった。この振舞いは、界面のジャンプ過程を表現するによってが制限されているためである。のパラメータの感度についてもPFM計算を行い、がからまで増加すると、のピークはより急峻に、ピーク温度は高温側にシフトすることが分かった。アルカリ金属の原子番号が増加するにつれてイオンポテンシャルは減少するので、のパラメータとは、それぞれ指数関数的に増加、直線的に減少することになったと考えられる。本計算によりのとは互いに密接な関係であることが分かった。