Challenge for screening of nuclear fuel debris by innovative spectral imaging and its verification by LIBS mapping (Contract research); FY2023 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

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

JAEA-Review 2025-040, 111 Pages, 2025/12

JAEA-Review-2025-040.pdf:22.28MB

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 FY2023. 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 FY2023, this report summarizes the research results of the "Challenge for screening of nuclear fuel debris by innovative spectral imaging and its verification by LIBS mapping" conducted in FY2023. The present study aims to develop a remote-sensing technique to identify the in-reactor materials by a combination of Hyper Spectral Imaging (HSI) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). HSI analyzes spectral information of more than 100 colors, and is being applied to classify various materials. On the other hand, material composition cannot be directly evaluated by HSI. Therefore, we thought that the combination of HSI and LIBS could be an accurate and wide-ranging visualization technique. In order to demonstrate the HSI and LIBS, it is necessary to prepare standard materials that simulate in-reactor materials, and to acquire and accumulate training data on them. In this study, the University of Osaka is in charge of the preparation of standard materials and HSI data analysis, Nuclear Fuel Development (NFD) is in charge of the preparation of uranium bearing materials and HSI/LIBS measurements, and JAEA is in charge of LIBS development. On the UK side, the Univ. of Strathclyde, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), and Lancaster University participate in the joint research project. The compositions of the standard samples were determined from past experiments and thermodynamic calculation results. Several samples such as UO based composites and concrete were prepared. The HSI data were obtained using a hyperspectral camera installed in the NFD. For LIBS, we worked on the automatic optimization of focal distance as part of the development of remote operation technology.

Development of the continuous monitoring of tritium water by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy (Contract research); FY2023 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; National Institutes of Natural Sciences*

JAEA-Review 2025-009, 48 Pages, 2025/07

JAEA-Review-2025-009.pdf:2.19MB

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 FY2023. 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 FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of the continuous monitoring of tritium water by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy" conducted from FY2021 to FY2023. The present study aims to demonstrate the principle for rapid measurement of tritiated water at a concentration level of 60 Bq/cc using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy system with a mid-infrared laser. In fiscal year 2023, research focused on (1) developing the cavity ring-down apparatus and (2) evaluating hydrogen isotope composition and preparing standard samples under environmental conditions (subcontracted to Hirosaki University). For (1), an optical bench was set up at the NIFS to perform laser absorption spectroscopy of various hydrogen isotope concentrations, enabling the evaluation of measurement sensitivity and establishment of guidelines. The light amplification of a quantum cascade laser, was further developed, achieving light amplification of a 4.3 m quantum cascade laser with an iron ion-doped medium, yielding a maximum output of 390 mW with a linewidth of less than 30 MHz. For (2), standard samples were prepared by diluting commercially available heavy water with BG water (tritium-free water) to create samples with approximately 100 Bq/L. Isotope ratio measurements were conducted indoors and outdoors using a high-time-resolution atmospheric water vapor collection system for tritium measurement, and daily measurements of the hydrogen isotope ratio (D) were conducted. The relationship between D and tritium concentration in atmospheric water vapor in Hirosaki City was evaluated. Thus, the principle for the rapid measurement of tritiated water using a mid-infrared laser was successfully demonstrated.

Effect of sample temperature and laser ablation angle on optical emission and acoustic signals from laser-induced Zirconium plasma

Batsaikhan, M.; Oba, Hironori; Karino, Takahiro; Akaoka, Katsuaki; Wakaida, Ikuo

Optics Express (Internet), 32(24), p.42624 - 42638, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.538774

Development of a radiation tolerant laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system using a single crystal micro-chip laser for remote elemental analysis

Tamura, Koji; Nakanishi, Ryuzo; Oba, Hironori; Karino, Takahiro; Shibata, Takuya; Taira, Takunori*; Wakaida, Ikuo

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(8), p.1109 - 1116, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2298485

Establishment of 3-D dose dispersion forecasting method and development of in-structure survey using the transparency difference of each line gamma-ray (Contract research); FY2022 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Kyoto University*

JAEA-Review 2023-028, 54 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Review-2023-028.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 FY2022. 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 FY2022, this report summarizes the research results of the "Establishment of 3-D dose dispersion forecasting method and development of in-structure survey using the transparency difference of each line gamma-ray" conducted in FY2022. We realized an electron track detecting Compton camera (ETCC) that can measure -ray images (linear images) with the bijective projection. In the "Quantitative analysis of radioactivity distribution by imaging of high radiation field environment using gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy" (hereinafter referred to as the previous project) adopted in FY2018, the 1 km square area including the reactor buildings was imaged at once.

Laser ablation plasma expansion using microwaves

Ikeda, Yuji*; Soriano, J. K.*; Oba, Hironori; Wakaida, Ikuo

Scientific Reports (Internet), 13, p.13901_1 - 13901 _11, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41208-z

This study explores the potential of utilizing microwaves to sustain the expansion of transient laser ablation plasma of Zr target. By application of microwaves on the plasma, significant enhancement with a two to three order of magnitude increase in the plasma emission intensity was observed. It was investigated that the electron temperature decreased from 10,000 K to 3000 K with volume expansion owing to increased surrounding air interaction, while the plasma can be sustained in air by using microwaves. These results emphasize the contribution of microwaves in promoting enhanced emission and plasma formation at controlled, low temperature, thereby demonstrating the potential of microwaves to enhance the accuracy and performance of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. These also mitigate the generation of toxic fumes and dust during ablation, a critical benefit when handling hazardous materials such as radioactive nuclear fuel debris in the decommissioning of accident nuclear power station.

JAEA-JRC collaborative development of delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy for nuclear safeguards nuclear material accountancy

Rodriguez, D. C.; Abbas, K.*; Bertolotti, D.*; Bonaldi, C.*; Fontana, C.*; Fujimoto, Masami*; Geerts, W.*; Koizumi, Mitsuo; Macias, M.*; Nonneman, S.*; et al.

Proceedings of INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting 2023 (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/05

Development of the continuous monitoring of tritium water by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; National Institutes of Natural Sciences*

JAEA-Review 2022-059, 34 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Review-2022-059.pdf:1.58MB

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, 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 FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of the continuous monitoring of tritium water by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to demonstrate the principle of short-time measurement of tritiated water at the "60 Bq/cc level" using a cavity ring-down measurement system with a mid-infrared laser. In order to achieve the above goal, (1) research on the cavity ring-down system and (2) evaluation of hydrogen isotope composition under environmental conditions and preparation of standard samples (subcontractor: Hirosaki University) were conducted this fiscal year. In (1), a mid-infrared cavity ring-down test was conducted. An optical bench (3 m 1.2 m) was set up in the laboratory, …

Analysis of microparticles generated by laser processing and development of a methodology for their nuclear identification (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

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

JAEA-Review 2022-015, 119 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Review-2022-015.pdf:6.62MB

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 FY2020. 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 "Analysis of microparticles generated by laser processing and development of a methodology for their nuclear identification" conducted from FY2018 to FY2021 (this contract was extended to FY2021). Since the final year of this proposal was FY2021, the results for four fiscal years were summarized. Although laser processing has various advantages, one well-known disadvantage is that it generates a large amount of microparticles during the processing. Therefore, the application of laser processing to decommissioning waste contaminated with radioactive materials has been hesitant because the mechanism generating the microparticles has not been fully understood.

Identification and quantification of a Co radiation source under an intense Cs radiation field using an application-specific CeBr spectrometer suited for use in intense radiation fields

Kaburagi, Masaaki; Shimazoe, Kenji*; Kato, Masahiro*; Kurosawa, Tadahiro*; Takahashi, Hiroyuki*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(8), p.983 - 992, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2026833