高速炉燃料用SUS316相当鋼の高温強度及び照射特性評価

宮澤 健; 上羽 智之; 矢野 康英; 丹野 敬嗣; 大塚 智史; 鬼澤 高志; 安藤 勝訓; 皆藤 威二

JAEA-Technology 2024-009, 140 Pages, 2024/10

JAEA-Technology-2024-009.pdf:8.03MB

SUS316相当鋼を用いた高速炉燃料設計の高信頼性化に向けて、SUS316相当鋼被覆管及びラッパ管の高温強度及び照射データを材料学的及び統計学的な観点で評価・解析することで、高温強度及び高照射量までの照射特性に係る設計用強度式を導出した。異常な過渡変化の上限温度を超える900CまでのSUS316相当鋼被覆管及びラッパ管(非照射材)の高温引張試験データ及び高温クリープ試験データを拡充し、0.2%耐力、引張強さ、クリープ破断強度の最適近似式と下限式並びに熱クリープひずみの最適近似式と上下限式を導出した。また、高速実験炉「常陽」、仏国・高速原型炉Phenix及び米国・FFTFで高照射量まで中性子照射したSUS316相当鋼被覆管及びラッパ管の照射後引張試験データ及びSUS316相当鋼被覆管の炉内クリープ破断試験データを解析することで、炉内Na中照射による引張強度及びクリープ強度の低下を表す強度補正係数を導出した。導出した式を実測値と比較することで、その妥当性を確認した。

Formulation of high-temperature strength equation of 9Cr-ODS tempered martensitic steels using the Larson-Miller parameter and life-fraction rule for rupture life assessment in steady-state, transient, and accident conditions of fast reactor fuel

宮澤 健; 丹野 敬嗣; 今川 裕也; 橋立 竜太; 矢野 康英; 皆藤 威二; 大塚 智史; 光原 昌寿*; 外山 健*; 大沼 正人*; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 593, p.155008_1 - 155008_16, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2024.155008

This paper discusses the applicability of J.L. Straalsund et al.'s technique for combining the Larson-Miller parameter (LMP) and life-fraction rule to form a single high-temperature strength equation for 9Cr- oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) tempered martensitic steels (TMS). It uses the extensive dataset on creep rupture, tensile, and temperature-transient-to-burst tests of 9Cr-ODS TMS cladding tubes in the -phase, /-duplex, -phase matrices, which are accumulated by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency so far. The technique is adequately applicable to 9Cr-ODS TMS cladding tubes. A single high-temperature strength equation expressing the mechanical strength in different deformation and rupture modes (creep, tensile, temperature-transient-to-burst) is derived for 9Cr-ODS TMS cladding tubes. This equation can predict the rupture life of the cladding tubes under various stresses and temperatures over time. The applicable range of the high-temperature strength equation is specified in this study and the upper limit temperature for the equation is found to be 1200C. At temperatures higher than 1200C, the coarsening and aggregation of nanosized oxide particles and the to phase transformation are reported in previous studies. The high-temperature strength equation can be well applied to the creep and tensile strength in the -phase matrix, the creep strength in the -phase matrix and the temperature-transient-to-burst strength in both phases except for the low equivalent stress (43 MPa) at temperatures exceeding 1050C. The mechanism of the notable consistency between creep and tensile strength in the -phase matrix is discussed by analyzing the high-temperature deformation data in the light of existing deformation models.

Validation of the hybrid turbulence model in detailed thermal-hydraulic analysis code SPIRAL for fuel assembly using sodium experiments data of 37-pin bundles

吉川 龍志; 今井 康友*; 菊地 紀宏; 田中 正暁; 大島 宏之

Nuclear Technology, 210(5), p.814 - 835, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2249707

ナトリウム冷却高速炉安全性強化研究では、燃料ピンの構造健全性を評価するために各種運転条件下におけるワイヤスペーサ型燃料集合体内熱流動特性の解明が重要である。そこで有限要素法による集合体詳細熱流動解析コードSPIRALが開発されている。本研究では、SPIRALにおける壁近傍低Re数効果を考慮したハイブリッド型乱流モデルの妥当性を確認するために、層流-乱流遷移条件及び乱流条件を含む異なるRe数条件下の37本ピンバンドルナトリウム実験の再現解析を実施した。SPIRALによる予測された温度分布はナトリウム実験で測定され温度と一致した。以上によって、SPIRALにおけるハイブリッド型乱流モデルの広範囲Re数条件下ナトリウム冷却集合体熱流動評価への適用性を確認した。

Data processing and visualization of X-ray computed tomography images of a JOYO MK-III fuel assembly

Tsai, T.-H.; 佐々木 新治; 前田 宏治

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(6), p.715 - 723, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2138603

A method for processing and visualizing X-ray computed tomography (CT) images of a fuel assembly is developed and applied to a JOYO MK-III fuel assembly. The method provides vertical-section-like images to observe the spatial distribution of CT values in fuel pins and also supplies images that show the relationship between the linear heat rate (LHR) and radial CT-value distribution. In addition, an attempt to analyze the radial cracks in the CT images is proposed, and the results demonstrate the correlation between LHR and the radial cracks.

Numerical simulation of annular dispersed flow in simplified subchannel of light water cooled fast reactor RBWR

吉田 啓之; 堀口 直樹; 小野 綾子; 古市 肇*; 上遠野 健一*

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2022/08

About the boiling transition (BT) that determines the maximum thermal output of the BWR, it is considered that the spacers have significant effects on the occurrence of BT. And occurrence conditions of BT can be changed by devising the spacer shapes. In the light water cooled fast reactor: RBWR, thermal-hydraulics conditions are more severe than the current BWR. Then, the effect of the spacer on BT should be sufficiently utilized in the RBWR. In the thermal-hydraulics design for the current BWR, large-scale tests were carried out and used to evaluate BT conditions. The RBWR is still in the design stage, and there is room to be changed to many parameters. Then, it is not reasonable to determine the shape of the spacer by evaluation only for large-scale tests. On the other hand, by applying a two-phase CFD method with remarkable development in recent years, we can develop a model that can predict the effect of spacers mechanistically. This research used the detailed two-phase flow simulation code TPFIT developed by JAEA to simulate annular dispersed flow in RBWR subchannels. In the occurrence of BT, it is considered that the two-phase flow pattern is the annular dispersed flow, and we want to evaluate the effects of spacer shape on annular dispersed flow in RBWR subchannels. As the first step of this research, we performed numerical simulations of annular dispersed flow in the simplified subchannel of RBWR. We used a circular tube with the same hydraulic diameter as the RBWR subchannel to consider the basic effects of spacer on the annular dispersed flow. As a simulation parameter, we choose the existence of the spacer. The spacer used in the simulation has a simplified shape and the same blockage ratio as the RBWR. In this paper, we describe the result of numerical simulation. We evaluated droplets' size and velocity based on simulation results for the spacer's existence and non-existence cases.

Development of an integrated computer code system for analyzing irradiation behaviors of a fast reactor fuel

上羽 智之; 根本 潤一*; 伊藤 昌弘*; 石谷 行生*; 堂田 哲広; 田中 正暁; 大塚 智史

Nuclear Technology, 207(8), p.1280 - 1289, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1810977

高速炉燃料集合体の冷却材熱流動、燃料ピンの照射挙動、燃料ピン束の照射変形を連成して解析する統合計算コードシステムを開発した。このシステムは複数の計算コードから構成され、各コードが計算に必要とする情報を他のコードの計算結果から得るようになっている。これにより、照射下の燃料集合体における熱,機械,化学的挙動を関連させて解析することができる。本システムの機能確認のテスト解析として、高速炉で照射した混合酸化物燃料ピン束集合体の照射挙動解析を実施した。解析結果は集合体の横断面図、集合体や燃料ピンの3次元イメージモデル上に描画した。更に、解析で得られた燃料ピンの様々な照射挙動について、照射条件の影響を評価した。

Irradiation growth behavior of improved Zr-based alloys for fuel cladding

天谷 政樹; 垣内 一雄; 三原 武

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.1048 - 1056, 2019/09

New fuel cladding alloys of which composition was changed from conventional ones have been developed by nuclear fuel vendors and utilities. Since the irradiation growth of fuel cladding is one of the most important parameters which determine the dimensional stability of fuel rod and/or fuel assembly during normal operation, the irradiation growth behavior of the improved Zr-based alloys for light-water reactor fuel cladding was investigated. The coupon specimens were prepared from fuel cladding tubes with various kinds of improved Zr-based alloys. The specimens were loaded into test rigs and had been irradiated in the Halden reactor in Norway under several coolant temperature conditions up to a fast-neutron fluence of 7.810 (n/cm, E 1 MeV). Irradiation conditions such as specimen temperatures had been continuously monitored during the irradiation. During and after the irradiation, the amount of irradiation growth of each specimen was evaluated as a part of the interim and final inspections. The effect of the difference in alloy composition on the amount of irradiation growth seemed insignificant if the other conditions e.g. the final heat treatment condition at fabrication and the irradiation temperature were the same.

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of fuel assembly with inner duct structure of an advanced loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor using ASFRE code

菊地 紀宏; 今井 康友*; 吉川 龍志; 堂田 哲広; 田中 正暁; 大島 宏之

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 12 Pages, 2017/07

先進ループ型ナトリウム冷却高速炉の設計検討において、高速炉の安全性向上のための方策の一つとしてFAIDUSと呼ばれる内部ダクトを有する燃料集合体の採用が検討されている。FAIDUSの設計実現性を確認するため、種々の運転条件下における熱流動評価が必要であり、本研究では、模擬燃料集合体を用いた試験を対象とした数値解析を通じ燃料集合体へのASFREコードの適用性を確認した後、内部ダクトのない燃料集合体とFAIDUSの熱流動解析を実施した。得られた結果からFAIDUS内に非対称な温度分布が生じず、FAIDUSの温度分布特性は内部ダクトのない燃料集合体と同様であることがわかった。特に、低流量条件において、浮力による局所的な流れの促進が流量再配分をもたらし、その影響により平坦な温度分布が形成されるとの知見を得た。

Analyses of deformation and thermal-hydraulics within a wire-wrapped fuel subassembly in a liquid metal fast reactor by the coupled code system

上羽 智之; 大島 宏之; 伊藤 昌弘*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 317, p.133 - 145, 2017/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2017.03.026

ワイヤスペーサ型高速炉燃料集合体における燃料ピンバンドル変形挙動と冷却材熱流動挙動の解析を、ピンバンドル変形解析コードのBAMBOOと熱流動解析コードのASFREを連成させることにより行った。連成解析の結果、スエリングやクリープによってBDIが生じたピンバンドル変形の影響により、集合体内の冷却材の径方向温度分布は平坦化する方向に変化することが示された。このような温度分布の平坦化は、BDIが厳しくなる前の段階においても、ワイヤ張力が原因で生じるピンの湾曲変形により、僅かではあるが生じることも示された。また、ワイヤピッチに依存してピンバンドルの変形状態が変わるが、これによる熱流動への影響についても考察した。

Comparative study on burnup characteristics of a 1500 MWe metal fuel sodium-cooled fast reactor

大釜 和也; Aliberti, G.*; Stauff, N. E.*; 大木 繁夫; Kim, T. K.*

Proceedings of 2017 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2017) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2017/04

Under the cooperative effort of the Civil Nuclear Energy R&D Working Group within the framework of the U.S.-Japan bilateral, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have been performing benchmark study using the Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) design with metal fuel. In this benchmark study, the atomic number densities and core characteristics at the end of cycle were evaluated by the best estimate deterministic methodologies of ANL and JAEA. The atomic number densities of plutonium isotopes calculated by both institutions showed a good agreement with less than 0.5% of discrepancy, except for the atomic number density of Pu-241. The atomic number densities of americium and curium isotopes showed less than 6% of discrepancy. The results of core characteristics at the end of cycle obtained by both institutions showed a reasonably good agreement with less than 400 pcm of discrepancy on the neutron multiplication factor, and less than 3% of discrepancy on the sodium void reactivity, Doppler reactivity, and control rod worth. A burnup sensitivity analysis was employed to identify the major factors of the difference in the calculated atomic number densities at the end of cycle.