Effect of magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H) formation on the local atomic arrangements and mechanical properties of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H); In situ X-ray scattering study

Kim, G.*; Im, S.*; Jee, H.*; Suh, H.*; Cho, S.*; 兼松 学*; 諸岡 聡; 小山 拓*; 西尾 悠平*; 町田 晃彦*; et al.

Cement and Concrete Research, 159, p.106869_1 - 106869_17, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2022.106869

This study explored the effect of M-S-H formation on the local atomic arrangements and mechanical properties of C-S-H. The elastic moduli of the samples were calculated using shifted atomic distances (r) and d-spacings (d) acquired by applying an external load on the pastes during X-ray scattering experiments. The experimental results indicated that the crystal structure of C-S-H remained intact with MgCl addition. At the highest Mg/Si ratio (Ca/Si = 0.6, Mg/Si = 0.2), change in the dominant phase occurred from C-S-H to M-S-H because the low pH environment hindered the formation of C-S-H and facilitated the formation of M-S-H. The elastic modulus decreased with increasing Mg/Si ratio up to 0.1 owing to both C-S-H destabilization and low M-S-H content in the samples. Conversely, the elastic modulus increased in the paste synthesized with the highest Mg/Si ratio because considerable M-S-H had formed, which exhibited a higher elastic modulus than C-S-H.

ナノインデンテーション法によるLOCA模擬試験後ジルカロイ被覆管の機械特性評価(共同研究)

垣内 一雄; 宇田川 豊; 山内 紹裕*

JAEA-Research 2022-001, 21 Pages, 2022/06

JAEA-Research-2022-001.pdf:1.84MB

冷却材喪失事故(LOCA)時想定される被覆管脆化の主たる要因は、高温酸化に伴う金属層中酸素濃度の増大とこれに起因する微細組織の変化である。被覆管が破裂した場合には、燃料棒内に侵入した水蒸気によって生じる被覆管内面の酸化及びこれに伴う燃料棒内水素分圧の上昇の結果、破裂開口部からやや離れた軸方向位置で局所的な水素吸収が起こり(二次水素化)、二次水素化部では水素脆化による延性低下も重畳する。これら微細組織の変化がLOCA条件下における燃料棒の機械特性に及ぼす影響をより詳細かつ定量的に把握するため、LOCA模擬試験後試料の破裂開口部及び二次水素化部の延性評価にナノインデンテーション法を適用した。硬さやヤング率に加えて、押込み荷重-変位曲線から算出される塑性仕事割合を評価したところ、二次水素化部の金属層(prior-相)における塑性仕事割合は、被覆管外周のZrO層と-Zr(O)層に近い水準であり、破裂開口部に比べて酸素濃度が低いにもかかわらず、水素の影響により有意に延性が低下していることが示唆された。

Effects of azimuthal temperature distribution and rod internal gas energy on ballooning deformation and rupture opening formation of a 17 17 type PWR fuel cladding tube under LOCA-simulated burst conditions

古本 健一郎; 宇田川 豊

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 12 Pages, 2022/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2116497

In order to contribute to better modeling and evaluation of fuel fragmentation, relocation, and dispersal expected under loss of coolant accident (LOCA) conditions, LOCA-simulated cladding burst experiments were performed on as-received nonirradiated 17 17 type Zircaloy-4 cladding specimens that were internally pressurized. The experiments were designed to terminate at burst occurrence to focus on ballooning and rupture opening formation and to investigate the effects of various factors. The postburst cladding hoop strain decreased with the increase in azimuthal temperature distribution (ATD) of the cladding, as found previously. The rupture opening size increased with the increase in ATD and the increase in energy of the pressurized gas stored inside the pressure boundary of the test sample system. Comparison with the existing database, which included tests on irradiated rods containing fuel pellets, suggested that formation of the rupture opening was influenced by the characteristic behavior of high burnup fuels, such as limited gas migration in the cladding tube due to fuel-cladding bonding and interaction of the ejected fuel fragments with the cladding tube.

Comparisons between passive RCCSs on degree of passive safety features against accidental conditions and methodology to determine structural thickness of scaled-down heat removal test facilities

高松 邦吉; 松元 達也*; Liu, W.*; 守田 幸路*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 162, p.108512_1 - 108512_10, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108512

受動的安全性を持つRCCSは、大気を冷却材として使用するため、冷却材を喪失することはないが、大気の擾乱の影響を受けやすいという欠点がある。大気放射を利用したRCCSと、大気自然循環を利用したRCCSを実用化するためには、想定される自然災害や事故状態を含むあらゆる状況下で、常に原子炉からの発熱を除去できるのか、安全性を評価する必要がある。本研究では、2種類の受動的RCCSについて、熱除去のための受動的安全性の大きさを同一条件で比較した。次に、自然災害により自然対流による平均熱伝達率が上昇するなどの偶発的な条件をSTAR-CCM+でシミュレーションし、除熱量の制御方法を検討した。その結果、受動的安全性に優れ、伝熱面の除熱量を制御できる、大気放射を利用したRCCSが優れていることを明示できた。最後に、自然対流と輻射を再現するためにスケールダウンした除熱試験装置の肉厚(板厚)を決定する方法を見出し、加圧室及び減圧室を用いた実験方法も提案した。

Coherent eddies transporting passive scalars through the plant canopy revealed by Large-Eddy simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method

渡辺 力*; 高木 鞠衣*; 下山 宏*; 川島 正行*; 小野寺 直幸; 稲垣 厚至*

Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 181(1), p.39 - 71, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-021-00633-1

速度場とスカラー場に対する二つの分布関数を用いた格子ボルツマン法を用いて、植生キャノピー内およびその上部における、パッシブスカラを含む流れのラージエディ・シミュレーションを実施した。植物キャノピーが分散型シンクとして機能するトップダウンスカラーの場合、キャノピー上面のスカラー流束は、はるか上方から発生するキャノピーへ侵入する流れ(スイープ)により決定される。一方で、キャノピーからスカラーが放出される現象は、キャノピー上部で発生する渦により引き起こされる。本論文では、この様な渦の発生は、キャノピー上方からの大規模なスイープと、キャノピー内部の幅広い範囲での放出現象が接近することで引き起こされることを明らかとした。

Temperature effects on local structure, phase transformation, and mechanical properties of calcium silicate hydrates

Im, S.*; Jee, H.*; Suh, H.*; 兼松 学*; 諸岡 聡; 小山 拓*; 西尾 悠平*; 町田 晃彦*; Kim, J.*; Bae, S.*

Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 104(9), p.4803 - 4818, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.17881

This study aims to elucidate the effect of heating on the local atomic arrangements, structure, phase transformation, and mechanical properties of synthesized calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H). The alteration in the atomic arrangement of the synthesized C-S-H (Ca/Si = 0.8) and the formation of crystalline phases that occurred in three distinct transformation stages of dehydration (105-200 C), decomposition (300-600 C), and recrystallization (700-1000 C) were investigated via powder X-ray diffraction, Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Further, the deformation of the local atomic bonding environment and variations in mechanical properties during the three stages were assessed via pair distribution function analysis based on in-situ total X-ray scattering. The results revealed that the C-S-H paste before heating exhibited a lower elastic modulus in real space than that in the reciprocal space in the initial loading stage because water molecules acted as a lubricant in the interlayer. At the dehydration stage, the strain as a function of external loading exhibited irregular deformation owing to the formation of additional pores induced by the evaporation of free moisture. At the decomposition stage, the structural deformation of the main d-spacing (d 3.0 ) was similar to that of the real space before the propagation of microcracks. At the recrystallization stage, the elastic modulus increased to 48 GPa owing to the thermal phase transformation of C-S-H to crystalline -wollastonite. The results provide direct experimental evidence of the micro- and nanostructural deformation behavior of C-S-H pastes after exposure to high temperature under external loading.

In situ diffraction characterization on microstructure evolution in austenitic stainless steel during cyclic plastic deformation and its relation to the mechanical response

熊谷 正芳*; 秋田 貢一*; 黒田 雅利*; Harjo, S.

Materials Science & Engineering A, 820, p.141582_1 - 141582_9, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2021.141582

In situ neutron diffraction during 250 cycles of plastic deformation was performed and the diffraction line profile analysis was performed to qualitatively evaluate the change in the microstructure of austenitic stainless steel during the cyclic deformation. The dislocation density increased with increasing number of cycles until 50 cycles but thereafter decreased. The cycle number corresponding to this maximum point differed depending on whether it was evaluated as the total dislocation density or was deconvoluted into edge and screw dislocation densities. At the initial state, edge dislocations were predominant; however, screw dislocations greatly increased at the first stage of cyclic loading. Afterwards, edge dislocations formed cell walls and screw dislocations annihilated.

軽水型動力炉の非常用炉心冷却系の性能評価指針の技術的根拠と高燃焼度燃料への適用性

永瀬 文久; 成川 隆文; 天谷 政樹

JAEA-Review 2020-076, 129 Pages, 2021/03

JAEA-Review-2020-076.pdf:3.9MB

軽水炉においては、冷却系配管破断等による冷却材喪失事故(LOCA)時にも炉心の冷却可能な形状を維持し放射性核分裂生成物の周辺への放出を抑制するために、非常用炉心冷却系(ECCS)が設置されている。ECCSの設計上の機能及び性能を評価し、評価結果が十分な安全余裕を有することを確認するために、「軽水型動力炉の非常用炉心冷却系の性能評価指針」が定められている。同指針に規定されている基準は1975年に定められた後、1981年に当時の最新知見を参考に見直しが行われている。その後、軽水炉においては燃料の高燃焼度化及びそれに必要な被覆管材料の改良や設計変更が進められたが、それに対応した指針の見直しは行われていない。一方、高燃焼度燃料のLOCA時挙動や高燃焼度燃料への現行指針の適用性に関する多くの技術的な知見が取得されてきている。本報告においては、我が国における指針の制定経緯及び技術的根拠を確認しつつ、国内外におけるLOCA時燃料挙動に係る最新の技術的知見を取りまとめる。また、同指針を高燃焼度燃料に適用することの妥当性に関する見解を述べる。

Quantifying the dislocation structures of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloys using X-ray diffraction line profile analysis

山中 謙太*; 黒田 あす美*; 伊藤 美優*; 森 真奈美*; Bian, H.*; 菖蒲 敬久; 佐藤 茂男*; 千葉 明彦*

Additive Manufacturing, 37, p.101678_1 - 101678_12, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101678

Ti-6Al-4V alloy is widely used in aerospace and biomedical industries, and its preparation using additive manufacturing techniques has recently attracted considerable attention. Herein, the dislocation structures developed during electron beam and laser beam powder-bed fusion (EB-PBF and LB-PBF, respectively) of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy were quantitatively examined via XRD line profile analysis. Accordingly, a higher dislocation density and finer crystallite size were observed at the top cross-section from the XRD line profile analysis, suggesting that the extent of phase decomposition depended on the duration of the exposure to the elevated temperature. Nonetheless, the saturated dislocation density was as high as 10 m, where dislocation strengthening affected the overall strength of the EB-PBF specimen. Diffraction peaks of sufficient intensity that enabled the analysis of the dislocation structures in both the (')-matrix and the nanosized beta-phase precipitates at the (')-laths were obtained under high-energy synchrotron radiation; this revealed that the beta-phase had a much higher dislocation density than the surrounding (')-matrix. The enhanced dislocation accumulation in the nanosized -phase precipitates probably reflects the elemental partitioning that occurred during post-solidification cooling. The valuable insights provided in this study are expected to promote further development of alloy preparation using additive manufacturing processes.

Validation of analysis models on relocation behavior of molten core materials in sodium-cooled fast reactors based on the melt discharge experiment

五十嵐 魁*; 大貫 涼二*; 堺 公明*; 加藤 慎也; 松場 賢一; 神山 健司

Proceedings of 2020 International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 2020) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE2020-16440

In order to improve the safety of nuclear power plants, it is necessary to make sure measures against their severe accidents. Especially, in the case of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), there is a possibility of significant energy release due to formation of a large-scale molten fuel pool accompanied by re-criticality in the event of a core disruptive accident (CDA). It is important to ensure in-vessel retention that keeps and confines damaged core material in the reactor vessel even if the CDA occurs. CDA scenario initiated by Unprotected Loss Of Flow (ULOF), which is a typical cause of core damage, is generally categorized into four phases according to the progression of core-disruptive status, which are the initiating, early-discharge, material-relocation and heat-removal phases for the latest design in Japan. During the material-relocation phase, the molten core material flows down mainly through the control rod guide tube and is discharged into the inlet coolant plenum below the bottom of the core. The discharged molten core material collides with the bottom plate of the inlet plenum. Clarification of the accumulation behavior of molten core material with such a collision on the bottom plate is important to reduce uncertainties in the safety assessment of CDA. In present study, in order to make clear behavior of core melt materials during the CDAs of SFRs, analysis was conducted using the SIMMER-III code for a melt discharge simulation experiment in which low-melting-point alloy was discharged into a shallow water pool. This report shows the validation results for the melt behavior by comparing with the experimental data.