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Katano, Ryota
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(3), p.368 - 381, 2022/03
Times Cited Count:0We propose a subcriticality determination methodology to be applied during fuel loading of an accelerator-driven system (ADS). In this methodology, subcriticality is determined via the area ratio method (via the proton accelerator) in the first step and by the neutron source multiplication method (through the spontaneous fission neutrons of minor actinides) in subsequent steps; then, the number of fuel assemblies to be loaded in the next step is predicted. We performed a numerical simulation of the proposed methodology, and the estimated subcriticalities agreed well with those obtained by eigenvalue calculations. We also conducted an uncertainty assessment of the proposed methodology and deduced a value of 1000 pcm for the uncertainty. The proposed methodology can be a candidate for practical subcriticality monitoring for ADS.
Ariyoshi, Gen; Obayashi, Hironari; Sasa, Toshinobu
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 18 Pages, 2022/03
Electromagnetic induction method is one of the effective techniques for local velocity measurement in heavy liquid metals. Ricou and Vives' probe and Von Weissenfluh's probe are famous instrumentations using a permanent magnet. However, sensitivity and measurement volume of the probes show unexpected variation since demagnetization of the magnet is occurred by temperature increase up to the Curie temperature. In this study, electromagnetic probe incorporating a miniature electromagnet was newly developed to overcome such unexpected variation. The diameter and the length of the sensor was 6 mm and 155 mm, respectively. The sensitivity and the measurement volume of the probe were assessed by measurement of local velocity of flowing mercury in a square channel. To clarify the validity for the measured velocity profiles, numerical velocity profiles were calculated and compared with experiment. And the validity for the measured velocity profiles were confirmed by calculated result.
Teshigawara, Makoto; Nakamura, Mitsutaka; Kinsho, Michikazu; Soyama, Kazuhiko
JAEA-Technology 2021-022, 208 Pages, 2022/02
The Materials and Life science experimental Facility (MLF) is an accelerator driven pulsed spallation neutron and muon source with a 1 MW proton beam. The construction began in 2004, and we started beam operation in 2008. Although problems such as exudation of cooling water from the target container have occurred, as of April 2021, the proton beam power has reached up to 700 kW gradually, and stable operation is being performed. In recent years, the operation experience of the rated 1 MW has been steadily accumulated. Several issues such as the durability of the target container have been revealed according to the increase in the operation time. Aiming at making a further improvement of MLF, we summarized the current status of achievements for the design values, such as accelerator technology (LINAC and RCS), neutron and muon source technology, beam transportation of these particles, detection technology, and neutron and muon instruments. Based on the analysis of the current status, we tried to extract improvement points for upgrade of MLF. Through these works, we will raise new proposals that promote the upgrade of MLF, attracting young people. We would like to lead to the further success of researchers and engineers who will lead the next generation.
Nakamura, Shoji; Toh, Yosuke; Kimura, Atsushi; Hatsukawa, Yuichi*; Harada, Hideo
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(7), p.851 - 865, 2021/12
The present study performed integral experiments of I using a fast-neutron source reactor "YAYOI" of the University of Tokyo to validate evaluated nuclear data libraries. The iodine-129 sample and flux monitors were irradiated by fast neutrons in the Glory hole of the YAYOI reactor. Reaction rates of
I were obtained by measurement of decay gamma-rays emitted from
I. The validity of the fast-neutron flux spectrum in the Glory hole was confirmed by the
ratios of the reaction rates of flux monitors. The experimental reaction rate of
I was compared with that calculated with both the fast-neutron flux spectrum and evaluated nuclear data libraries. The present study revealed that the evaluated nuclear data of
I cited in JENDL-4.0 should be reduced as much as 18% in neutron energies ranging from 10 keV to 3 MeV, and supported the reported data by Noguere
below 100 keV.
Ma, B.*; Teshigawara, Makoto; Wakabayashi, Yasuo*; Yan, M.*; Hashiguchi, Takao*; Yamagata, Yutaka*; Wang, S.*; Ikeda, Yujiro*; Otake, Yoshie*
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 995, p.165079_1 - 165079_7, 2021/04
We have optimized a cold neutron moderator to be operated at the RIKEN accelerator-driven compact neutron source. We selected a safe and easy to manage material, mesitylene, as the RANS cold moderator. An efficient moderator system was designed by studying and optimizing a coupled cold neutron moderator of mesitylene at 20 K with a polyethylene (PE) pre-moderator at room temperature in the slab geometry with Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) simulations. The parameters of mesitylene and PE thickness, the reflector, and the shielding configuration were studied to increase cold neutron intensities. Consequently, an integrated cold neutron intensity of 1.1510
n/cm
/
A at 2 m from the neutron-producing target was finally achieved, which was 12 times higher than that of the current PE moderator. The results showed attractive application prospect of mesitylene as cold neutron moderator material.
Kasugai, Yoshimi; Sato, Koichi; Takahashi, Kazutoshi*; Miyamoto, Yukihiro; Kai, Tetsuya; Harada, Masahide; Haga, Katsuhiro; Takada, Hiroshi
JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 33, p.011144_1 - 011144_6, 2021/03
A spallation neutron source with a mercury target has been in operation at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility of J-PARC since 2008. The target vessel made of stainless steel is required to be exchanged periodically due to radiation damage etc. In this presentation, tritium gas release observed in the first series of exchange work in 2011 and the analytical results will be shown.
Wakui, Takashi; Wakai, Eiichi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Naoe, Takashi; Hanano, Kohei*; Haga, Katsuhiro; Shimada, Tsubasa*; Kanomata, Kenichi*
Materials Science Forum, 1024, p.145 - 150, 2021/03
To realize a high beam power operation at the J-PARC, a mercury target vessel covered with water shroud was developed. In the first step, to realize an operation at 500 kW, the basic structure of the initial design was followed and the connection method between the mercury vessel and the water shroud was changed. Additionally, the operation at a beam power of 500 kW was realized in approximately eight months. In the second step, to realize the operation at 1 MW, the new structure in which only rear ends of vessels were connected was investigated. Cooling of the mercury vessel is used to reduce thermal stress and thick vessels of the water shroud are used to increase stiffness for the internal pressure; therefore, it was adopted. The stress in each vessel was lower than the allowable stress based on the pressure vessel code criteria prescribed in the Japan Industrial Standard, and confirmation was obtained that the operation with a beam power of 1 MW could be conducted.
Okita, Shoichiro; Tasaki, Seiji*; Abe, Yutaka*
Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 19(3), p.178 - 184, 2020/09
The Kyoto University Accelerator-based Neutron Source (KUANS) is a compact neutron source that is mainly used for spectrometer and detector development. In addition, it is also suited for experiments to study the neutronic design of moderators owing to the relatively low neutron generation yield by Be(p,n). We present a neutronic design of the neutron moderator on a reentrant-hole configuration for KUANS to enhance the neutron emission, and some experiments are conducted at KUANS for verification. A polyethylene moderator on a reentrant-hole configuration is designed by PHITS calculation and is introduced to KUANS to obtain intense oblong neutron beams. The intensity of the pulsed neutron beam is experimentally measured. The results reveal that the intensity becomes approximately 1.9 times stronger than that of the conventional rectangular design. In addition, the ratio of its intensity to the conventional intensity increases to approximately threefold as the neutron wavelength increases. It is interesting to note that the longer the neutron wavelength, the more efficiently they are extracted from the inside of the moderator owing to the existence of the reentrant-hole configuration.
Takada, Hiroshi; Haga, Katsuhiro
JPS Conference Proceedings (Internet), 28, p.081003_1 - 081003_7, 2020/02
At the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), the pulsed spallation neutron source has been in operation with a redesigned mercury target vessel from October 2017 to July 2018, during which the operational beam power was restored to 500 kW and the operation with a 1-MW equivalent beam was demonstrated for one hour. The target vessel includes a gas-micro-bubbles injector and a 2-mm-wide narrow mercury flow channel at the front end as measures to suppress the cavitation damage. After the operating period, it was observed that the cavitation damage at the 3-mm-thick front end of the target vessel could be suppressed less than 17.5 m.
Katano, Ryota; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*
Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(2), p.169 - 176, 2020/02
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)We proposed the linear combination method as a subcriticality measurement method which estimates the prompt neutron decay constant () correlated with the subcriticality using measurement results obtained at multiple detector positions. In the previous study, we confirmed applicability of the linear combination method through the pulsed neutron experiment with DT neutron source at Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA). In this study, we conduct the pulsed neutron source experiment with spallation neutrons at KUCA and confirm the robustness of the linear combination to neutron sources.
Komeda, Masao; Toh, Yosuke
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 135, p.106993_1 - 106993_6, 2020/01
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:39.17(Nuclear Science & Technology)This paper presents a conceptual study of a novel active method using a neutron source. The main feature of this new method is the fast rotation of a neutron source in order to derive the fission neutron counts and applying the counts to detect the nuclear material. Irradiating neutrons to a container that involves nuclear material, the measurement data include both neutrons from the neutron source and fission neutrons. However, if the neutron source is rotated quite fast, the components of the irradiation neutrons and fission neutrons are separated. Since this novel method does not require an expensive D-T tube, this new system is expected to be affordable and easy to assemble.
Katano, Ryota; Yamanaka, Masao*; Pyeon, C. H.*
Nuclear Science and Engineering, 193(12), p.1394 - 1402, 2019/12
Times Cited Count:4 Percentile:57.07(Nuclear Science & Technology)The author proposed the linear combination method as a subcriticality measurement method which estimates the prompt neutron decay constant (alpha) correlated with the subcriticality using measurement results obtained at multiple detector positions. In this study, we conduct the pulsed neutron experiment at Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA) and measure alpha by the linear combination method using measured neutron counts. Through experiment, we experimentally show that the linear combination method can reduce the higher-mode effect compared to the conventional method. In addition, experimentally show that the linear combination has capability of the different mode extraction.
Aso, Tomokazu; Tatsumoto, Hideki*; Otsu, Kiichi*; Kawakami, Yoshihiko*; Komori, Shinji*; Muto, Hideki*; Takada, Hiroshi
JAEA-Technology 2019-013, 77 Pages, 2019/09
At Materials and Life Science experimental Facility (MLF) of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), a 1-MW pulsed spallation neutron source is equipped with a cryogenic hydrogen system which circulates liquid hydrogen (20 K and 1.5 MPa) to convert high energy neutrons generated at a mercury target to cold neutrons at three moderators with removing nuclear heat of 3.8 kW deposited there. The cryogenic system includes an accumulator with a bellows structure in order to absorb pressure fluctuations generated by the nuclear heat deposition in the system. Welded inner bellows of the first accumulator was failured during operation, forcing us to improve the accumulator to have sufficient pressure resistance and longer life-time. We have developed elemental technologies for manufacturing welded bellows of the accumulator by a thick plate with high pressure resistance, succeeding to find optimum welding conditions. We fabricated a prototype bellows block and carried out an endurance test by adding a pressure change of 2 MPa repeatedly. As a result, the prototype bellows was successfully in use exceeding the design life of 10,000 times. Since distortions given during welding and assembling affect functionality and lifetime of the bellows, we set the levelness of each element of the bellows as within 0.1. The improved accumulator has already been in operation for about 25,000 hours as of January 2019, resulting that the number of strokes reached to 16,000. In July 2018, we demonstrated that the accumulator could suppress the pressure fluctuation generated by the 932 kW beam injection as designed. As current operational beam power is 500 kW, the current cryogenic hydrogen system could be applicable for stable operation at higher power in the future.
Ono, Masato; Kozawa, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Nozomu*
JAEA-Technology 2019-012, 15 Pages, 2019/09
The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor has a neutron source of Cf to start up the reactor and to confirm count rates of wide range monitors. The half-life of
Cf is short, about 2.6 years, so it is necessary to replace at an appropriate time. In order to estimate the period to replace, it is necessary to consider not only the half-life but also the fluctuation of the count rate of the wide range monitor to prevent alarm. For that reason, the method has been derived to predict a minimum count rate from relationship between the count rate and the standard deviation of the count rate of the wide range monitors. As a result of predicting the count rate using this method, it was found that the minimum count rate reaches to 3.0cps in 2022 and 1.5 cps in 2024. Therefore, it is necessary to exchange
Cf by 2024.
Kondo, Hiroo*; Kanemura, Takuji*; Park, C. H.*; Oyaizu, Makoto*; Hirakawa, Yasushi; Furukawa, Tomohiro
Fusion Engineering and Design, 146(Part A), p.285 - 288, 2019/09
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)Herein, the wall shear stress in a double contraction nozzle has been evaluated experimentally to produce a liquid lithium (Li) target as a beam target for intense fusion neutron sources such as the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), the Advanced Fusion Neutron Source (A-FNS), and the DEMO Oriented Neutron Source (DONES). The boundary layer thickness and wall shear stress are essential physical parameters to understand erosion-corrosion by the high-speed liquid Li flow in the nozzle, which is the key component in producing a stable Li target. Therefore, these parameters were experimentally evaluated using an acrylic mock-up of the target assembly. The velocity distribution in the nozzle was measured by a laser-doppler velocimeter and the momentum thickness along the nozzle wall was calculated using an empirical prediction method. The resulting momentum thickness was used to estimate the variation of the wall shear stress along the nozzle wall. Consequently, the wall shear stress was at the maximum in the second convergent section in front of the nozzle exit.
Wakui, Takashi; Ishii, Hideaki*; Naoe, Takashi; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Haga, Katsuhiro; Wakai, Eiichi; Takada, Hiroshi; Futakawa, Masatoshi
Materials Transactions, 60(6), p.1026 - 1033, 2019/06
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:13.55(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)The mercury target has large size as 1.31.3
2.5 m
. In view of reducing the amount of wastes, we studied the structure so that the fore part could be separated. The flange is required to have high seal performance less than 1
10
Pa m
/s. Invar with low thermal expansion is a candidate. Due to its low stiffness, however, the flange may deform when it is fastened by bolts. Practically invar is reinforced with stainless steel where all interface between them has to be bonded completely with the HIP bonding. In this study, we made specimens at four temperatures and conducted tensile tests. The specimen bonded at 973 K had little diffusion layer, and so fractured at the interface. The tensile strength reduced with increasing the temperature, and the reduced amount was about 10% at 1473 K. The analyzed residual stresses near the interface increased by 50% at maximum. Then, we concluded that the optimum temperature was 1173 K.
Katano, Ryota
Proceedings of 27th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-27) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2019/05
no abstracts in English
Kondo, Hiroo*; Kanemura, Takuji*; Hirakawa, Yasushi; Furukawa, Tomohiro
Fusion Engineering and Design, 136(Part A), p.24 - 28, 2018/11
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.01(Nuclear Science & Technology)In the IFMIF-EVEDA project, we designed and constructed the IFMIF-EVEDA Li Test Loop (ELTL), and we performed experiments to validate the stability of the Li target. This project required a diagnostic tool to be developed in order to examine the Li target; as such, we developed a unique laser-based method that we call the laser-probe method; this method combines a high-precision laser distance meter with a statistical data analysis method. Following the successful development of the laser-probe method, we proposes a long-distance-measurement of the laser probe method (long-distance LP method) as a diagnostics tool in off-beam conditions for IFMIF or the relevant neutron sources. In this study, the measurement uncertainty resulting from coherency of the laser in a long-distance-measurement has been verified by using stationary objects and a water jet simulating the liquid Li target.
Ikeda, Yujiro; Shimizu, Hirohiko*
Reza Kenkyu, 46(11), p.641 - 646, 2018/11
In viewing significant progresses in technical achievement toward a high-intensity neutron source driven by a high-power laser came up with the high power laser development, we have reviewed the currently most advanced moderator system and neutron optics, which are the key elements for the neutron beam applications. Regarding the moderators, concepts adopted in J-PARC pulsed neutron source, which is one of most advanced system, were described to give a baseline design. Also a new direction of moderator concept is shown, which could be a high brightness candidate for the high-intensity laser driven system. On the neutron optics, the most fundamental consideration is primarily reviewed along with recent progress in new devises for enrichment of neutron-beam characteristics.
Futakawa, Masatoshi
Proceedings of 13th International Symposium on Advanced Science and Technology in Experimental Mechanics (13th ISEM'18) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10
Issues on the engineering technologies relating to high-power spallation neutron sources with liquid metals are introduced. The present status on research activities and results was reviewed.