Review of JAEA's Monte Carlo codes for nuclear reactor core analysis

Nagaya, Yasunobu

EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies (Internet), 11, p.1_1 - 1_7, 2025/01

https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2024020

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been developing a general-purpose continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP for nuclear reactor core analysis. Recently improvements to MVP have been focused on the development of an advanced neutronics/thermal-hydraulics coupling code. JAEA has also developed a new Monte Carlo solver Solomon for criticality safety analysis. Solomon aims to calculate the criticality of a damaged reactor core including fuel debris. This paper provides an overview of the capabilities and reviews recent applications of MVP and Solomon.

The Study of oxidative stress status in the organs exposed to low dose/low dose-rate radiation (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2022-063, 86 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Review-2022-063.pdf:3.81MB

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 FY2021. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), 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 FY2019, this report summarizes the research results of the "The study of oxidative stress status in the organs exposed to low dose/low dose-rate radiation" conducted from FY2019 to FY2021. Since the final year of this proposal was FY2021, the results for three fiscal years were summarized. The present study aims to investigate the biological effects of low dose/low dose-rate radiation exposure, which is of great social interest, on the oxidative stress status of individual organs and will contribute to the collection of scientific data in a dose range to be required. The samples to be analyzed in this study were collected from wild Japanese macaques exposed in the ex-evacuation zone after the accident of 1F.

Simulation of the self-propagating hydrogen-air premixed flame in a closed-vessel by an open-source CFD code

Thwe Thwe, A.; Terada, Atsuhiko; Hino, Ryutaro; Nagaishi, Ryuji; Kadowaki, Satoshi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(5), p.573 - 579, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1990153

The simulations of the combustion of self-propagating hydrogen-air premixed flame are performed by an open-source CFD code. The flame propagation behavior, flame radius, temperature and pressure are analyzed by varying the initial laminar flame speed and grid size. When the initial laminar speed increases, the thermal expansion effects become strong which leads the increase of flame radius along with the increase of flame surface area, flame temperature and pressure. A new laminar flame speed model derived previously from the results of experiment is also introduced to the code and the obtained flame radii are compared with those from the experiments. The formation of cellular flame fronts is captured by simulation and the cell separation on the flame surface vividly appears when the gird resolution becomes sufficiently higher. The propagation behavior of cellular flame front and the flame radius obtained from the simulations have the reasonable agreement with the previous experiments.

Investigation of VVUQ (Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification) on FP transportation in the severe accident

Pellegrini, M.*; Naito, Masanori*; Miwa, Shuhei

2022-Nendo Renkei Juten Kenkyu Seika Hokokusho (Internet), 7 Pages, 2022/00

http://www.tokai.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/kaihoken/wp-content/uploads/2022/seika/renkei/R3-3_miwa.pdf

no abstracts in English

The Study of oxidative stress status in the organs exposed to low dose/low dose-rate radiation (Contract research); FY2019 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2020-048, 49 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-048.pdf:4.38MB

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 FY2019, this report summarizes the research results of the "The study of oxidative stress status in the organs exposed to low dose/low dose-rate radiation". This study investigates the biological effects of low dose/low dose-rate radiation exposure, which is of great social interest, on the oxidative stress status of individual organs and will contribute to the collection of scientific data in a dose range to be required. An interdisciplinary collaborative study discussed the correlation between radiation dose and the biological effect by analyzing the samples of wild Japanese macaques exposed to radiation due to the accident of Fukushima nuclear power station and of animal experiments.

Material balance analysis for wide range of nuclear power generation scenarios

Nishihara, Kenji

JAEA-Data/Code 2020-005, 48 Pages, 2020/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2020-005.pdf:2.95MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2020-005-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:3.62MB

In order to discuss the technological development and human resource development necessary for the future nuclear fuel cycle, various quantitative analyzes were conducted assuming a wide range of future nuclear power generation scenarios. In the evaluation of quantities, the future power generation of LWR and fast reactor, the amount of spent fuel reprocessing, etc. were assumed, and the amount of uranium demand, the accumulation of spent fuel, plutonium, vitrified waste etc. were estimated.

Main findings, remaining uncertainties and lessons learned from the OECD/NEA BSAF Project

Pellegrini, M.*; Herranz, L.*; Sonnenkalb, M.*; Lind, T.*; Maruyama, Yu; Gauntt, R.*; Bixler, N.*; Morreale, A.*; Dolganov, K.*; Sevon, T.*; et al.

Proceedings of 18th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-18) (USB Flash Drive), p.1147 - 1162, 2019/08

Program POD-P; A Computer code to calculate cross sections for neutron-induced preequilibrium nuclear reactions

Kunieda, Satoshi; Ichihara, Akira

JAERI-Data/Code 2005-005, 33 Pages, 2005/09

JAERI-Data-Code-2005-005.pdf:1.5MB

The computer code, POD-P, was developed to calculate energy spectra and angular distributions of emitted particles for the neutron-induced preequiliblium nuclear reactions. The energy-differential cross sections are computed with the classical one-component exciton model for the nucleon and composite-particle emissions. Along with this, the semi-empirical exciton models are also used for the composite-particle emissions. The double-differential cross sections are derived from those model calculations plus the angular-distribution systematics. The computational method and explanation of input parameters are given with some output examples.

Development of dynamic analysis code for HTTR hydrogen production system (Contract research)

Maeda, Yukimasa; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sato, Hiroyuki; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

JAERI-Data/Code 2005-001, 149 Pages, 2005/03

JAERI-Data-Code-2005-001.pdf:12.66MB

A heat and mass balance analysis code (N-HYPAC) has been developed to investigate transient behavior in the HTTR hydrogen production system. The code can analyze heat and mass transfer (temperature and mass and pressure distributions of process and helium gases) and behavior of the control system under both static state(case of steady operation) and dynamic state(case of transient operation). Analysis model of helium and process gases from IHX to secondary helium loop and hydrogen production system has been constructed. This report describes analytical flow sheet, construction of the code, basic equations, method to treat the input data, estimation of the preliminary analysis.

Tritium distribution in JT-60U W-shaped divertor

Masaki, Kei; Sugiyama, Kazuyoshi*; Tanabe, Tetsuo*; Goto, Yoshitaka*; Miyasaka, Kazutaka*; Tobita, Kenji; Miyo, Yasuhiko; Kaminaga, Atsushi; Kodama, Kozo; Arai, Takashi; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 313-316, p.514 - 518, 2003/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(02)01388-0

Detailed tritium profiles on the JT-60U W-shaped divertor and first wall tiles were examined by Tritium Imaging Plate Technique (TIPT) and full combustion method. The tritium deposition image obtained by TIPT was consistent with the distribution measured by combustion method. The highest tritium concentration was 60 kBq/cm at the dome top tile. However, deposition layer was not obviously observed on the dome top tile. The tritium concentration in the inner divertor target tile was lower (2 kBq/cm) even with the thick deposition layer of 60 m. This tritium distribution can be explained by energetic triton particle loss due to ripple loss. According to the simulation using the OFMC code, 31% of the triton particles produced by D-D nuclear reaction is implanted deeply to the wall without fully losing the initial energy of 1 MeV.