Structure, stability, and actinide leaching of simulated nuclear fuel debris synthesized from UO, Zr, and stainless-steel

Kirishima, Akira*; Akiyama, Daisuke*; Kumagai, Yuta; Kusaka, Ryoji; Nakada, Masami; Watanabe, Masayuki; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Sato, Nobuaki*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 567, p.153842_1 - 153842_15, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153842

To understand the chemical structure and stability of nuclear fuel debris consisting of UO, Zr, and Stainless Steel (SUS) generated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan in 2011, simulated debris of the UO-SUS-Zr system and other fundamental component systems were synthesized and characterized. The simulated debris were synthesized by heat treatment for 1 to 12 h at 1600C, in inert (Ar) or oxidative (Ar + 2% O) atmospheres. Np and Am tracers were doped for the leaching tests of these elements and U from the simulated debris. The characterization of the simulated debris was conducted by XRD, SEM-EDX, Raman spectroscopy, and Mssbauer spectroscopy, which provided the major uranium phase of the UO -SUS-Zr debris was the solid solution of UO (s.s.) with Zr(IV) and Fe(II) regardless of the treatment atmosphere. The long-term immersion test of the simulated debris in pure water and that in seawater revealed the macro scale crystal structure of the simulated debris was chemically very stable in the wet condition for a year or more. Furthermore, the leaching test results showed that the actinide leaching ratios of U, Np, Am from the UO-SUS-Zr debris were very limited and less than 0.08 % for all the experiments in this study.

Development of the technology for preventing radioactive particles' dispersion during the fuel debris retrieval (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2020-043, 116 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-043.pdf:7.74MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2019. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of the technology for preventing radioactive particles' dispersion during the fuel debris retrieval" conducted in FY2019. In this study, a technique to effectively suppress the scattering of fine particles has been developed, and as a result of experiments, a method of spraying with water mist was found to be an effective and applicable method for improving aerosol removal efficiency and removal rate. As a method of solidifying fuel debris to suppress fine particle scattering during cutting, geopolymer was evaluated for its strength, thermal conductivity and cutting powder. In addition, flow status of geopolymer and the temperature distribution inside RPV covered by geopolymer were simulated.

Development of technology to prevent scattering of radioactive materials in fuel debris retrieval (Contract research); FY2018 Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2019-037, 90 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-037.pdf:7.0MB

JAEA/CLADS, had been conducting the Center of World Intelligence Project for Nuclear Science/Technology and Human Resource Development (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2018. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of Technology to Prevent Scattering of Radioactive Materials in Fuel Debris Retrieval". The objective of the present study is to clarify the behavior of microparticles in gas and liquid phases in order to steadily confine radioactive microparticles at the time of debris retrieval in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. In addition, as measures to prevent scattering, we will evaluate and develop methods by experiments and simulation as to; (1) a method to suppress the scattering with minimum amount of water utilizing water spray etc., and (2) a method to suppress the scattering by solidifying fuel debris.

External dose evaluation based on detailed air dose rate measurements in living environments

Sato, Tetsuro*; Ando, Masaki; Sato, Masako*; Saito, Kimiaki

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 210, p.105973_1 - 105973_7, 2019/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.05.005

A method was devised for estimation of external doses of Fukushima residents expected to return to their homes after evacuation orders are lifted. 211 residents expected to return to six towns and villages were surveyed in FY 2014, FY 2015, and FY2016. Interviewing returning residents about their expected life patterns after returning, air dose rate were measured along the reported personal trails representing their patterns of movement in daily life. Excluding 15 residents from whose homes we were unable to take air dose rate measurements, the maximum external effective dose and the average external effective dose were estimated respectively as 4.9 mSv/y and 0.86 mSv/y. Although the mean values and dispersion of external effective doses differ depending on the evacuation level, for 93.3% of all residents, the estimated external effective doses were less than 2 mSv/y. The average exposure dose at home accounts for 66.8% of the annual exposure dose.

Cutting operation of simulated fuel assembly heating examination by AWJ

Abe, Yuta; Nakagiri, Toshio; Watatani, Satoshi*; Maruyama, Shinichiro*

JAEA-Technology 2017-023, 46 Pages, 2017/10

JAEA-Technology-2017-023.pdf:8.01MB

This is a report on Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) cutting work carried out on specimen, which was used for Simulated Fuel Assembly Heating Examination by Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS) molten core behavior analysis group in February 2016. The simulated fuel assembly is composed of Zirconia for the outer crucible/simulated fuel, stainless steel for the control blade and Zircaloy (Zr) for the cladding tube/channel box. Therefore, it is necessary to cut at once substances having a wide range of fracture toughness and hardness. Moreover, it is a large specimen with an approximate size of 300 mm. In addition, epoxy resin has high stickiness, making it more difficult to cut. Considering these effects, AWJ cutting was selected. The following two points were devised, and this specimen could be cut with AWJ. If it was not possible to cut at one time like a molten portion of boride, it was repeatedly cut. By using Abrasive Suspension Jet (ASJ) system with higher cutting ability than Abrasive Injection Jet (AIJ, conventional method) system, cutting time was shortened. As a result of this work, the cutting method in Simulated Fuel Assembly Heating Examination was established. Incidentally, in the cutting operation, when the cutting ability was lost at the tip of the AWJ, a curved cut surface, which occurs when the jet flowed away from the feeding direction, could be confirmed at the center of the test body. From the next work, to improve the cutting efficiency, we propose adding a mechanism such as turning the cutting member itself for re-cutting from the exit side of the jet and appropriate traverse speed to protect cut surface.

Study on the distribution of boron in the in-vessel fuel debris in conditions close to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2

Ikeuchi, Hirotomo; Piluso, P.*; Fouquart, P.*; Excoffier, E.*; David, C.*; Brackx, E.*

Proceedings of 8th European Review Meeting on Severe Accident Research (ERMSAR 2017) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2017/05

no abstracts in English

Japanese research activities for Fukushima-Daiichi decommissioning

Okamoto, Koji; Ogawa, Toru

Proceedings of 2016 EFCOG Nuclear & Facility Safety Workshop (Internet), 3 Pages, 2016/09

The decommissioning of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has required and will continue to demand conducting many challenging activities, many of which do not have prior experience in the nuclear industry. International decommissioning knowledge and technology advances will be required to support the challenging work. The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS) was established by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in April 2015. The main objectives of CLADS are the management, research and development for decommissioning at the Fukushima-Daiichi site. Not only is the coordination of research and development important to effective decommissioning, but also the management of research activities around the world. A status of the CLADS program will be provided. The CLADS central research office will be located at Tomioka Town, near the Fukushima site, in April 2017.

Radionuclide release to stagnant water in the Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant

Nishihara, Kenji; Yamagishi, Isao; Yasuda, Kenichiro; Ishimori, Kenichiro; Tanaka, Kiwamu; Kuno, Takehiko; Inada, Satoshi; Goto, Yuichi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 52(3), p.301 - 307, 2015/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2014.946455

After the severe accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, large amounts of contaminated stagnant water have accumulated in turbine buildings and their surroundings. This rapid communication reports calculation of the radionuclide inventory in the core, collection of measured inventory in the stagnant water, and estimation of radionuclide release ratios from the core to the stagnant water. This evaluation is based on data obtained before June 3, 2011. The release ratios of tritium, iodine, and cesium were several tens of percent, whereas those of strontium and barium were smaller by one or two orders of magnitude. The release ratios in the Fukushima accident were equivalent to those in the TMI-2 accident.

Modification of STACY for study of criticality characteristics of fuel debris, 6; Progress on manufacture and construction of the modified STACY

Maekawa, Tomoyuki; Seki, Masakazu; Sumiya, Masato; Araki, Shohei; Murakami, Takahiko; Hasegawa, Kenta; Yoshikawa, Tomoki; Mori, Takashi*; Ishii, Junichi; Kobayashi, Fuyumi; et al.

no journal, , 

As previously reported, to clarify critical characteristics of fuel debris, the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) is being converted to the heterogenous thermal system using fuel rods and light water moderator from the homogenous system using solution fuel. Seismic reinforcement of the support structure of the core tank started in 2022. This report presents progress on manufacture and construction of the modified STACY in 2021 and 2022.

Modification of STACY for study of criticality characteristics of fuel debris, 10; Criticality analysis of experimental core using debris structural material rods and investigation of acceptable core configuration

Yoshikawa, Tomoki; Araki, Shohei; Arakaki, Yu; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Gunji, Satoshi; Suyama, Kenya

no journal, , 

In order to clarify the criticality characteristics of fuel debris, we plan experiments in the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) by using concrete and steel simulating the structural materials of the core of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In order to carry out the experiments, it is necessary to obtain a construction permit for the core with the debris structural material simulant mentioned above. In this presentation, we present the analysis results and the feasible core configuration for obtaining the certification from the regulatory body.