Consideration on roles and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions for environmental consequence assessments for nuclear facilities

Togawa, Orihiko; Okura, Takehisa; Kimura, Masanori

JAEA-Review 2022-049, 76 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Review-2022-049.pdf:3.74MB

Before construction and after operation of nuclear facilities, environmental consequence assessments are conducted for normal operation and an emergency. These assessments mainly aim at confirming safety for the public around the facilities and producing relief for them. Environmental consequence assessments are carried out using observations/ measurements by environmental monitoring and/or model predictions by calculation models, sometimes using either of which and at other times using both them, according to the situations and necessities. First, this report investigates methods, roles, merits/demerits and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions which are used for environmental consequence assessments of nuclear facilities, especially holding up a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho, Aomori as an example. Next, it explains representative examples of utilization of data on observations/measurements and results on model predictions, and considers points of attention at using them. Finally, the report describes future direction, for example, improvements of observations/measurements and model predictions, and fusion of both them.

Characterization of the insoluble sludge from the dissolution of irradiated fast breeder reactor fuel

Aihara, Haruka; Arai, Yoichi; Shibata, Atsuhiro; Nomura, Kazunori; Takeuchi, Masayuki

Procedia Chemistry, 21, p.279 - 284, 2016/12

BB2015-3214.pdf:0.31MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proche.2016.10.039

Accident analysis of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste at fuel reprocessing facilities with considering severe accident measures

Yoshida, Kazuo

JAEA-Research 2016-004, 15 Pages, 2016/06

JAEA-Research-2016-004.pdf:2.22MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste is postulated as one of the severe accidents caused by the loss of cooling function at a fuel reprocessing plant. In this case, some amount of fission products (FPs) will be transferred to the vapor phase in the tank, and could be released to the environment. Two mitigative accident measures have been proposed by the licensee. One of them is injecting cold water to waste tanks to prevent dryness and another is leading generated vapor through temporary duct to huge spaces in the facility to condense to liquid. Thermal-hydraulics and aerosol transport behaviors in compartments of a typical facility building have been analyzed based on the scenario with these accident measures. The effects of measures are discussed form a view point of the reduction of radioactive material release to environment.

Study of treatment method for damaged fuel removed from the spent fuel pool; Outline of annual report for JFY 2013 and 2014 (Contract research)

Iijima, Shizuka; Uchida, Naoki; Taguchi, Katsuya; Washiya, Tadahiro

JAEA-Review 2015-018, 39 Pages, 2015/11

JAEA-Review-2015-018.pdf:3.95MB

There is a possibility that the fuel assemblies stored in the spent fuel pool (SFP) at Fukushima Daiichi NPS (or Nuclear Power Station) are not only exposed to seawater and concrete fragments, but also damaged by fallen rubbles. We checked the reprocessing experiences of leak fuels at Tokai Reprocessing Plant and overseas reprocessing facilities, and the storage conditions and the checked and inspected results of the fuel stored in the SFP at Fukushima Daiichi NPS, after that, we listed up the technological problems with reprocessing damaged nuclear fuels and selected elements of the research for the purpose of drawing indicators to make a judgmental decision of the possibility of damaged nuclear fuels reprocessing. And we drew the indicators to make a judgmental decision on the possibility of reprocessing based on the results of the examination and the study about elements of the research.

Nuclear criticality safety standard for a fuel reprocessing plant assuming burnup credit published by the Atomic Energy Society of Japan

Nakajima, Ken*; Itahara, Kuniyuki*; Okuno, Hiroshi

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC 2015) (DVD-ROM), p.496 - 502, 2015/09

An outline of the standard "Procedures for Applying Burnup Credit to Criticality Safety Control of a Reprocessing Facility: 2014" (AESJ-SC-F025: 2014) published in April 2015 by the Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ) is presented. The AESJ published more than 60 Standards. However, many of them were in the field of nuclear power reactors or radioactive wastes. Ten years ago the AESJ published "Basic Items of Criticality Safety Control: 2004" (AESJ-SC-F004:2004), which prescribed basic ideas, requirements and methods on nuclear criticality safety controls of facilities handling with nuclear fuel materials in general for preventing a nuclear criticality accident. However, it did not include any specific procedures for adopting burnup credit. Therefore, a new standard was envisaged as the first Standard for fuel reprocessing plants, which clarified the specific procedures to apply burnup credit to designers, operators, maintenance persons and administrators.

Investigation on future nuclear power reactors and fuel cycle systems

Otaki, Kiyoshi*; Tanaka, Yoji*; Katsurai, Kiyomichi*; Aoki, Kazuo*

JAERI-Review 2005-035, 79 Pages, 2005/09

JAERI-Review-2005-035.pdf:4.57MB

In order to collect technical information for the assessment on future nuclear power reactors and fuel cycle systems in Japan, investigation has been made on the characteristics and performance of future reactor options including reduced moderation water reactors (RMWRs) and their fuel cycle systems since the fiscal year 1998. The subjects of investigation are divided into three categories; breeder reactors and their fuel cycle, alternative to sodium-cooled FBR systems,plutonium recycling, spent fuel reprocessing and waste disposal. This report is a summary of the investigation carried out so far.

Research and development on reduced-moderation light water reactor with passive safety features (Contract research)

Iwamura, Takamichi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Akie, Hiroshi; Kugo, Teruhiko; Yonomoto, Taisuke; Kureta, Masatoshi; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Araya, Fumimasa; Okajima, Shigeaki; et al.

JAERI-Research 2004-008, 383 Pages, 2004/06

JAERI-Research-2004-008.pdf:21.49MB

The present report contains the achievement of "Research and Development on Reduced-Moderation Light Water Reactor with Passive Safety Features", which was performed by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), Hitachi Ltd., Japan Atomic Power Company and Tokyo Institute of Technology in FY2000-2002 as the innovative and viable nuclear energy technology (IVNET) development project operated by the Institute of Applied Energy (IAE). In the present project, the reduced-moderation water reactor (RMWR) has been developed to ensure sustainable energy supply and to solve the recent problems of nuclear power and nuclear fuel cycle, such as economical competitiveness, effective use of plutonium and reduction of spent fuel storage. The RMWR can attain the favorable characteristics such as high burnup, long operation cycle, multiple recycling of plutonium (Pu) and effective utilization of uranium resources based on accumulated LWR technologies.

Differential pressure analysis for ventilation filter by smoke under fire accident with CELVA-1D

Watanabe, Koji; Tashiro, Shinsuke; Abe, Hitoshi; Takada, Junichi; Morita, Yasuji

JAERI-Tech 2004-029, 48 Pages, 2004/03

JAERI-Tech-2004-029.pdf:3.19MB

In a part of building ventilating installation of a nuclear fuel facility, a reprocessing plant for example, the pre-filters are adopted as one of the ventilation filters. In a fire accident, it is supposed that, because of the pre-filter clogging by large smoke, its differential pressure (p) is evolved up to the value at its breakage. Therefore, in regard to maintaining the confinement of radioactive materials, it is important to predict the time course of p of the pre-filter accurately. In the current study, it was assumed that the empirical equation for the DF of the pre-filter as function of smoke particle diameter (SPD), between 0.7-2 m, could be applied to estimating its DF for SPD above 2 m. Under this assumption, the time corresponding to its p at its breakage, calculated by CELVA-1D, was agreed well with the experimental result.

Reprocessing technologies of the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) fuel

Sumita, Junya; Ueta, Shohei; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko; Yoshimuta, Shigeharu*; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 2(4), p.546 - 554, 2003/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj2002.2.546

A High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) is particularly attractive due to capability of producing high temperature helium gas and its inherent safety characteristic. Research and development of high temperature gas turbine plant and high temperature heat utilizing technology are now undergoing. The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a research facility constructed by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This paper describes reprocessing technology of HTGR fuels. Coated fuel particles, consisted of a microsphere of low enriched UO with TRISO particles, are used as the HTGR fuels. In order to reprocess HTGR fuels, a head-end process is needed and JAERI had confirmed jet-grind method as basic technologies of the head-end process. Since Purex method can be used after the head-end process, a reprocessing system for the HTGR fuels could be established. Also the preliminary study on the methodology for disposing graphite blocks in a HTGR was carried out, and its evaluation results were briefly presented.

Simulation of chemical and electrochemical behavior of actinides and fission products in pyrochemical reprocessing

Minato, Kazuo; Hayashi, Hirokazu; Mizuguchi, Koji*; Sato, Takeyuki*; Amano, Osamu*; Miyamoto, Satoshi*

Proceedings of GLOBAL2003 Atoms for Prosperity; Updating Eisenhower's Global Vision for Nuclear Energy (CD-ROM), p.778 - 781, 2003/11

The simulation technology for the pyrochemical reprocessing of oxide fuels was developed to analyze experimental data, to predict experimental results, and to propose adequate conditions and processes. The simulation method was based on calculations of chemical equilibrium and electrochemical reactions. Some model calculations to simulate the experimental results were made on the process of electro-codeposition of UO and PuO. Although it was difficult to trace the experiments and compare the calculated results with the experimental results quantitatively due to the limitation of available data on the experimental conditions, the calculated results were consistent with the experimental results. The phenomena of the repeated oxidation-reduction reactions between Pu and Pu ions and those between Fe and Fe ions were theoretically analyzed,which caused the low current efficiency in the electro-codeposition process.