Survey on research and development status of Japanese small modular reactors in OECD/NEA activities (2022-2023)

Takeda, Takeshi; Shibata, Taiju

JAEA-Review 2024-040, 29 Pages, 2024/09

JAEA-Review-2024-040.pdf:1.33MB

An important theme of Japan's 6th strategic energy plan is to indicate the energy policy path towards carbon neutrality by 2050. Policy responses for Japan's nuclear energy research and development (R&D) towards 2030 contain the demonstrations of technologies for small modular reactors (SMRs) through international cooperation by 2030. In light of this energy plan, basic policy initiatives over the next 10 years have been compiled to realize Green Transformation (GX), which simultaneously achieves decarbonization and economic growth. Looking overseas, activities of SMR R&D are active internationally, mainly in the US, Canada, Europe, China, and Russia. These activities are not only by heavy industry manufactures and R&D institutes, but also by venture companies. Under these circumstances, the NEA CSNI has gathered an Expert Group on SMRs (EGSMR) to help estimate the safety effects of SMRs. The EGSMR efforts required the submission of responses to several questionnaires whose main purpose was to collect the latest information on the efforts of SMR deployment and research. The first author of this report responded to this based on information from Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. as well as JAEA. Most of the responses from Japan to the questionnaires are the information that serves as the basis of CSNI Technical Opinion Paper No. 21 (TOP-21). In this report, the Japan's publicly available responses to the questionnaires arranged and additional information are explained, which complements some of the content of the TOP-21. In this manner, the investigation results of R&D related to SMR in Japan, focusing on the EGSMR activities (2022-2023), are summarized. The target of this report is to provide useful information for future discussions on international cooperation concerning SMR as well as nuclear power field human resources development internationally and domestically.

Differential pressure rise event for filters of HTTR primary helium gas circulators, 1; Investigation of differential pressure rise event

Nemoto, Takahiro; Arakawa, Ryoki; Kawakami, Satoru; Nagasumi, Satoru; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; Furusawa, Takayuki; Inoi, Hiroyuki; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-005, 33 Pages, 2023/05

JAEA-Technology-2023-005.pdf:5.25MB

During shut down of the HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) RS-14 cycle, an increasing trend of filter differential pressure for the helium gas circulator was observed. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the blower of the primary helium purification system was disassembled and inspected. As a result, it is clear that the silicon oil mist entered into the primary coolant due to the deterioration of the charcoal filter performance. The replacement and further investigation of the filter are planning to prevent the reoccurrence of the same phenomenon in the future.

Transient response of LWR fuels (RIA)

Udagawa, Yutaka; Fuketa, Toyoshi*

Comprehensive Nuclear Materials, 2nd Edition, Vol.2, p.322 - 338, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.11682-0

Development of fuel performance code FEMAXI-8; Model improvements for light water reactor fuel analysis and systematic validation

Udagawa, Yutaka; Yamauchi, Akihiro*; Kitano, Koji*; Amaya, Masaki

JAEA-Data/Code 2018-016, 79 Pages, 2019/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2018-016.pdf:2.75MB

FEMAXI-8 is the latest version of the fuel performance code FEMAXI developed by JAEA. A systematic validation work has been achieved against 144 irradiation test cases, after many efforts have been made, in development of new models, improvements in existing models and the code structure, bug-fixes, construction of irradiation-tests database and other infrastructures.

Feasibility study of large-scale production of iodine-125 at the high temperature engineering test reactor

Ho, H. Q.; Honda, Yuki*; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Ishii, Toshiaki; Fujimoto, Nozomu*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 140, p.209 - 214, 2018/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2018.07.024

The Development status of Generation IV reactor systems, 2; High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR)

Kunitomi, Kazuhiko; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Yan, X.; Tachibana, Yukio; Shibata, Taiju

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 60(4), p.236 - 240, 2018/04

High temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) is a graphite-moderated and helium-gas-cooled thermal-neutron reactor that has excellent safety features and can produce high temperature heat of 950C. It is expected to use for various heat applications as well as for electricity generation to reduce carbon dioxide emission. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been promoted research and development to demonstrate the HTGR safety features using High temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) and it's heat application. JAEA are also conducting the action to international deployment of Japanese HTGR technologies in cooperation with industries-government-academia. This paper reports status of the research and development of HTGR and domestic and international collaborations.

Assessment of amount and concentration of tritium in HTTR-IS system based on tritium behavior during high-temperature continuous operation of HTTR

Dipu, A. L.; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nishihara, Tetsuo

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 88, p.126 - 134, 2016/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2015.10.028

The tritium concentration in the high temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) was measured during the high temperature continuous operation for 50 days. The tritium concentration in the primary helium gas increased after startup and reached a maximum value. It then decreased slightly over the course during the normal operation phase. Decrease of concentration of tritium in primary helium gas during the normal operation phase could be attributed to the effect of tritium chemisorption on graphite. The tritium concentration in the secondary helium gas showed a peak value during the power ramp up phase. Afterwards, it decreased gradually at the end of normal power operation. It was assessed that the concentration and total quantity of tritium in the secondary helium cooling system for the HTTR-Iodine Sulfur (IS) system can be maintained below the regulatory limits, which means the hydrogen production plant can be exempt from the safety function of the nuclear facility.

Irradiation performance of HTGR fuel in WWR-K research reactor

Ueta, Shohei; Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Chekushina, L.*; Honda, Masaki*; Takahashi, Masashi*; Kitagawa, Kenichi*; Chakrov, P.*; Sakaba, Nariaki

Proceedings of 7th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2014) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2014/10

A capsule irradiation test with the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel is being carried out using WWR-K research reactor in the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (INP) to attain 100 GWd/t-U of burnup under normal operating condition of a practical small-sized HTGR. This is the first HTGR fuel irradiation test for INP in Kazakhstan collaborated with Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in frame of International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) project. In the test, TRISO coated fuel particle with low-enriched UO (less than 10% of U) is used, which was newly designed by JAEA to extend burnup up to 100 GWd/t-U comparing with that of the HTTR (33 GWd/t-U). Both TRISO and fuel compact as the irradiation test specimen were fabricated in basis of the HTTR fuel technology by Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. in Japan. A helium-gas-swept capsule and a swept-gas sampling device installed in WWR-K were designed and constructed by INP. The irradiation test has been started in October 2012 and will be completed up to the end of February 2015. The irradiation test is in the progress up to 69 GWd/t of burnup, and integrity of new TRISO fuel has been confirmed. In addition, as predicted by the fuel design, fission gas release was observed due to additional failure of as-fabricated SiC-defective fuel.

Structural integrity assessments of helium components in the primary cooling system during the safety demonstration test using the HTTR

Sakaba, Nariaki; Tachibana, Yukio; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Hamamoto, Shimpei

Transactions of 18th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT-18), p.4499 - 4511, 2005/08

Safety demonstration tests using the HTTR are now underway in order to verify the inherent safety features and to improve the safety design and evaluation technologies for HTGRs, as well as to contribute to research and development for the VHTR, which is one of the Generation IV reactor candidates. The coolant flow reduction test by running down gas circulators, which is one of the safety demonstration tests, is a simulation test of anticipated transients without scram. During the coolant flow reduction test, temperature of the high-temperature helium components and chemistry in the primary circuit are changed rapidly. This paper describes the structural integrity assessments of helium components, e.g. helium pipes, heat exchangers, during the coolant flow reduction test. From the result of this evaluation, it was found that the helium components were kept their structural integrity during temperature and chemistry transient condition in the coolant flow reduction test from the reactor power at 30%. It was also confirmed by this assessment that the coolant flow reduction test will be able to perform with its enough safety margins from the reactor power at 100%.

Natural convection heat transfer of high temperature gas in an annulus between two vertical concentric cylinders

Inaba, Yoshitomo; Zhang, Y.*; Takeda, Tetsuaki; Shiina, Yasuaki

Heat Transfer-Asian Research, 34(5), p.293 - 308, 2005/07

https://doi.org/10.1002/htj.20070

Water cooling panels have been adopted as the vessel cooling system of the HTTR to cool the reactor core indirectly by natural convection and thermal radiation. In order to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of high temperature gas in a vertical annular space between the reactor pressure vessel and cooling panels of the HTTR, we carried out experiments and numerical analyses on natural convection heat transfer coupled with thermal radiation heat transfer in an annulus between two vertical concentric cylinders with the inner cylinder heated and the outer cylinder cooled. In the present experiments, Rayleigh number based on the height of the annulus ranged from 2.010 to 5.410 for helium gas and from 1.210 to 3.510 for nitrogen gas. The numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental ones regarding the surface temperatures of the heating and cooling walls. As a result of the experiments and the numerical analyses, the heat transfer coefficient of natural convection coupled with thermal radiation was obtained.