Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Initialising ...
Miyahara, Shinya*; Koie, Ryusuke*; Uno, Masayoshi*; Kawaguchi, Munemichi*; Sato, Rika; Seino, Hiroshi
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 446(Part A), p.114523_1 - 114523_14, 2026/01
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:54.69(Nuclear Science & Technology)Vauchy, R.; Horii, Yuta; Hirooka, Shun; Akashi, Masatoshi; Sunaoshi, Takeo*; Nakamichi, Shinya; Saito, Kosuke
Journal of Nuclear Materials, 616, p.156115_1 - 156115_16, 2025/10
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:54.69(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)Alzahrani, H.*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Sakai, Takaaki*; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki
Nuclear Technology, 211(10), p.2446 - 2458, 2025/10
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)Development of evaluation method for cover gas entrainment by vortices generated at free surface in upper plenum of sodium-cooled fast reactor is required, and an evaluation method by predicting vortices from flow velocity distribution obtained by CFD analysis is developed. In this study, Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) method is examined to improve efficiency of CFD analysis. Initial mesh was refined with two indexes: the first index (Index-1) is when the second invariant of velocity gradient tensor, Q, is negative and the second one (Index-2) is pressure gradient index added to Index-1. As a result of applying AMR method to unsteady vortices system with a flat plate and performing transient analyses with refined meshes, the result of pressure distribution and velocity around the flat plate in mesh using Index-2 was similar to the result of all refined mesh. It was also confirmed that vortices generation and growth was better simulated by refining meshes around separation area.
Ito, Kei*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Odaira, Naoya*; Ito, Daisuke*; Saito, Yasushi*
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2025-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2025/09
The estimation of entrained gas flow rate by a bathtub vortex is important in terms of a possibility to causes the performance degradation when the entrained bubbles are mixed into fluid machineries, e.g. pumps. In this study, to confirm the applicability of a model based on circulating annular flow model proposed by the authors, entrained gas flow rate is evaluated using the liquid velocity distribution around free surface dent of vortex (gas core), obtained by CFD data. As a result, it was indicated that it would be possible to evaluate the gas entrainment flow rate by setting an appropriate evaluation region.
Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Nakamine, Yoshiaki*; Imai, Yasutomo*; Tanaka, Masaaki
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2025-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2025/09
In the design of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), it is important to evaluate the transition behavior of non-condensable gas entrained into the primary coolant system due to cover gas entrainment and dissolution. In this study, trajectories of non-condensable gas bubbles in the cold plenum of the pool-type SFR evaluated by three-dimensional CFD analyses applying Discrete Phase Model. As the result of sensitivity analyses regarding bubble radius flowing into the cold plenum, it was clarified that the release rate of bubbles showed an increase according to the increase of bubble radius and an asymptotic increasing behavior in the large bubble radius cases.
Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Sasa, Kyohei*; Nakamura, Hironori*; Tokizaki, Minako*; Kubota, Ryuzaburo*
Proceedings of 2025 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2025) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2025/09
This study examined the application of safety design criteria (SDC) and safety design guideline (SDG) developed in the Generation-IV international forum on the passive reactor shutdown capability to sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) recently designed in Japan.
Sato, Rika; Kondo, Toshiki; Umeda, Ryota; Kikuchi, Shin; Yamano, Hidemasa
Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 8, p.137 - 142, 2025/09
In a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) coupled to thermal energy storage (TES) system, the reaction between nitrate molten salt as thermal energy storage medium and sodium (Na) as reactor coolant might occur under postulated accidental conditions. Thus, the reaction behavior of Na-nitrate molten salt is one of the important phenomena in terms of safety assessment of the SFR with TES system. In this study, reaction experiments on Na-solar salt were performed. It was found that Na-solar salt reaction occurred after the NaNO
-KNO
eutectic melting. Based on the measured reaction temperature, the kinetic parameters and rate constant were obtained and compared with the sodium-water reaction. From the results of kinetic analysis, it could be assumed that Na-solar salt reaction occurs in the time frame of the accident such as the failure of heat transfer tube of sodium-molten salt heat exchanger.
Takeshita, Kenji*; Okamura, Tomohiro*; Nakase, Masahiko*; Abe, Takumi; Nishihara, Kenji
Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 8, p.52 - 57, 2025/09
Tagami, Hirotaka*; Okano, Yasushi; Yamano, Hidemasa
Proceedings of 21st International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-21) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2025/08
Okajima, Satoshi; Ando, Masanori; Toyota, Kodai; Ishigami, Katsuo*; Onuma, Terumitsu*; Takahashi, Ryoya*; Asayama, Tai; Wakai, Takashi
Proceedings of the ASME 2025 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2025) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2025/07
This paper describes current efforts within the JAEA to develop a new materials surveillance technology for SFRs that aims at raising the confidence levels in operating reactors' structural integrity to the ones which could otherwise be achieved only by a vast amount of long-term material test data that needs decades to accumulate. The technology would allow for monitoring on-going materials degradation processes in an actual reactor, namely fatigue and creep-fatigue, by inserting a newly developed specimen for this purpose into the reactor and establishing procedures to observe and evaluate the specimen to get desired information such as the extent of degradation and residual life. To establish the test procedure, a passive creep-fatigue test model was developed in the framework of CNWG, a collaboration agreement between the US and Japan, and a demonstration test was performed under cyclic thermal loads using an electric furnace. As a result, the test specimen failed by several hundred thermal cycles. Macroscopic inspection of the specimen after the test showed the test had been performed successfully without buckling. Fracture surface observations suggested that the failure caused probably by fatigue or creep-fatigue.
Toyota, Kodai; Imagawa, Yuya; Onizawa, Takashi; Suzuki, Akihiro*
Proceedings of the ASME 2025 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2025) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2025/07
Sonehara, Masateru; Okano, Yasushi; Uchibori, Akihiro; Oki, Hiroshi*
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(5), p.403 - 414, 2025/05
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)For sodium-cooled fast reactors, understanding sodium combustion behaviour is crucial for managing sodium leakage accidents. In this study, we perform benchmark analyses of the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) T3 experiment using the multi-dimensional thermal hydraulic code AQUA-SF. Conducted in an enclosed space with a large vessel volume of 100 m
and a sodium mass flow rate of 1 kg/s, the experiment highlighted the multi-dimensional effects of local temperature increase shortly after sodium injection. This study aims to extend the capabilities of AQUA-SF by focusing on the simulation of these multi-dimensional temperature variations, in particular the formation of high temperature regions at the bottom of the vessel. The proposed models include the temporary stopping of sodium droplet ignition and spray combustion of sodium splash on the floor. Furthermore, it has been shown that additional heat source near the floor is essential to enhance the reproduction of the high temperature region at the bottom. Therefore, case studies including sensitivity analyses of spray cone angle and prolonged combustion of droplets on the floor are conducted. This comprehensive approach provides valuable insights into the dynamics of sodium combustion and safety measures in sodium-cooled fast reactors.
Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Imai, Yasutomo*; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Sakai, Takaaki*
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 432, p.113785_1 - 113785_16, 2025/02
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:22.05(Nuclear Science & Technology)Establishing an evaluation method for the gas entrainment (GE) of argon cover gas due to surface vortices is required in terms of safety design of sodium-cooled fast reactors. To modify the evaluation model in an in-house evaluation tool for GE, StreamViewer, a modified evaluation model on the pressure distribution along the vortex center line (PVL model) was proposed to identify the vortex center lines by connecting continuous vortex center points from the suction port to the surface and evaluate gas core length based on the balance between the hydrostatic pressure and the pressure decrease distribution along the vortex center line. PVL model was applied the three-dimensional numerical analysis results for the experiments where a plate induced unsteady traveling vortices in the open channel flow. Consequently, the GE evaluation using StreamViewer with PVL model could reproduce the relation between the inlet flow velocity and the gas core length in the unsteady vortex flow experiments.
Onishi, Takashi; Koyama, Shinichi*; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Morishita, Kazuki; Watanabe, Masashi; Maeda, Shigetaka; Yano, Yasuhide; Oki, Shigeo
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 432, p.113755_1 - 113755_17, 2025/02
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)Calabrese, R.*; Hirooka, Shun
Progress in Nuclear Energy, 178, p.105516_1 - 105516_11, 2025/01
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)Thermal creep is one of the key properties of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for innovative fast reactors. Thermal creep of fuel affects markedly the interaction between the fuel and the cladding. A review of correlations available in the literature is presented. The effect of porosity, plutonium concentration, and stoichiometry are discussed also in the light of recent numerical results. Our analysis pointed out some inconsistencies concerning the modelling of the effect of porosity on diffusional creep and a re-evaluation of the effect of plutonium concentration. The discussion suggested that Evans's findings on the effect of stoichiometry should be better assessed as well as the level of increase in creep moving towards stoichiometry. Typical operating conditions of fast breeder reactors confirmed the need for an extension of porosity and temperature correlations' domains. Besides this, a new correlation based on a separate-effect approach has been proposed for fuel performance codes.
Fukushima, Masahiro; Ando, Masaki; Nagaya, Yasunobu
Nuclear Science and Engineering, 17 Pages, 2025/00
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Nuclear Science & Technology)Kosaka, Wataru; Uchibori, Akihiro; Watanabe, Akira*; Shiina, Yoshimi*
Proceedings of 10th Workshop on Computational Fluid Dynamics for Nuclear Reactor Safety (CFD4NRS-10) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2025/00
Doi, Daisuke
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 91, p.1245 - 1252, 2024/11
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:13.83(Chemistry, Physical)Emura, Yuki; Matsuba, Kenichi; Kikuchi, Shin; Yamano, Hidemasa
Proceedings of 13th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS13) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/11
Togasaki, Shun*; Jang, S.*; Kosaka, Wataru; Uchibori, Akihiro; Okano, Yasushi
Proceedings of 13th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS13) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2024/11