Experimental analysis of non-condensable gas and steam distribution due to condensation in the CIGMA facility simulating the reactor building

Hamdani, A.; 相馬 秀; 安部 諭; 柴本 泰照

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 9 Pages, 2026/00

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2026.104219

This study experimentally investigates non-condensable gas transport induced by steam condensation using the CIGMA facility, simulating reactor building conditions of Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 during a severe accident. Steam and helium, used as a hydrogen surrogate, were continuously injected into the CIGMA's vessel equipped with partition plates representing the hierarchical structure of the reactor building. Parametric experiments were conducted by varying flow path ratio, steam-to-helium mass ratio, and cooling conditions. The results show that steam condensation is the dominant mechanism controlling non-condensable gas accumulation by increasing the relative concentration of helium. The highest helium concentrations generally occur below the injection point rather than at the injection elevation, indicating downward transport followed by condensation-driven accumulation. Shapiro ternary diagram analysis indicates that condensation-driven changes in gas composition lead to prolonged residence within flammability and detonation regions. These findings highlight the critical role of condensation in hydrogen distribution and provide experimental insight relevant to hydrogen risk assessment and mitigation in reactor buildings during severe accidents.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Accident analysis considering the thermal stratification and containment leakage

中村 勇気*; 小島 良洋*; 山下 拓哉; 下村 健太; 溝上 伸也

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(12), p.1226 - 1230, 2025/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2570371

In 2011, at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, it has been reported that several Units of containment vessel had failed, and large quantity of radionuclides had been released into the environment, however, the detail of accident progression with core melt, reactor and containment vessel failure, has still large uncertainties. Especially for the Unit 2 and Unit 3, even they had succeeded in the initial core cooling, at last lost cooling system and fell into severe accident into large release of the fission product into the environment. To clarify these uncertainties in accident scenario, considering the latest information and several insights, the latest accident scenario for Unit 2 and Unit 3 are studied using the severe accident analysis code in this study. It is shown that both Units would result in the thermal stratification in the containment water which encouraged the containment pressure increase at the early phase of the accident. On the other hand, it would be also possible that containment leakage happened to decrease the containment pressure at the later phase of the accident.

Feasibility study of reactor radiation photon spectroscopy in Fugen for nuclear decommissioning

冠城 雅晃; 宮本 勇太; 森 教匡; 岩井 紘基; 手塚 将志; 黒澤 俊介*; 田川 明広; 高崎 浩司

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(3), p.308 - 316, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2024.2417786

Nuclear decommissioning has recently accelerated, particularly following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Holdings. -ray/X-ray (radiation photon) spectroscopy provides information on the types of radionuclides with radiation photon emissions. Radiation photon spectroscopy in a control rod guide tube positioned at the center of Fugen was conducted. Fugen is a prototype advanced thermal reactor with 165 MWe electric power generation that is being decommissioned. The dose rates measured in a control rod guide tube positioned at the center of the reactor were 4.1 - 9.1 Gy/h. The dose rate considerably increased at a position close to a tank that contained Co caused by the radioactivation of stainless steel. Radiation photon spectroscopy was performed without radiation shielding, identifying Co with an energy resolution better than 5.4% at 1333 keV and Nb with an energy resolution better than 5.9% at 871 keV.

Formulation of material property formula for calculation of damage in reactor pressure vessel during accident evaluation

下村 健太; 山下 拓哉; 永江 勇二

Proceedings of 11th European Review Meeting on Severe Accident Research Conference (ERMSAR 2024) (Internet), 12 Pages, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000174165/v2

From the results of the internal investigation of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2, it was confirmed that part of the fuel assembly (upper tie plate) had fallen to the bottom of the pedestal periphery. From this result, it could be presumed that RPV has a hole large enough for the upper tie plate to drop. However, internal investigations have not revealed where the holes are located at the bottom of the RPV. One of failure mode of the RPV lower head would be assumed to be mechanical failure. In this failure, it is assumed that the RPV lower head will be damaged due to the accumulation of creep damage caused by core material above the creep temperature of the RPV substructure materials falling into the lower plenum. Such damage evaluation is performed by thermohydraulic-structure coupled analysis. In the analysis during accident, the RPV lower head is exposed to high temperature conditions. Therefore, the material properties of the RPV material in the high temperature range are required for evaluation by analysis. In this study, we obtained the strength data of RPV material form the creep temperature range to near the melting point and formulated the material property formulas (elastoplastic stress-strain, creep strain, creep rupture) necessary for mechanical failure evaluation.

福島第一原子力発電所廃炉作業効率化とソースターム予測精度向上への貢献に向けたFP挙動に関する技術調査; 本専門委員会の2年間の活動報告

勝村 庸介*; 高木 純一*; 細見 憲治*; 宮原 直哉*; 駒 義和; 井元 純平; 唐澤 英年; 三輪 周平; 塩津 弘之; 日高 昭秀*; et al.

日本原子力学会誌ATOMO, 65(11), p.674 - 679, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.65.11_674

本委員会では、東京電力ホールディングス株式会社(東電)福島第一原子力発電所(1F)事故後の 核分裂生成物(FP)挙動を予測可能な技術に高めて廃炉作業に貢献することと、1F事故進展事象の把握で得られた情報をソースターム(ST)の予測技術の向上に反映させ、原子炉安全の一層の向上に繋げることを目標とした活動を実施している。この2年間では、これまでの12年間の1F実機調査や1F関連研究で得られた情報を調査し、1F廃炉における燃料デブリやFP挙動の予測、及びST予測精度向上に必要な課題として「FPの量・物質収支と化学形態」「サンプリング目的とデータ活用」「環境への移行経路」を摘出した。今後、これらの課題の解決に向けた道筋の議論を進める。

The OECD/NEA Working Group on the Analysis and Management of Accidents (WGAMA); Advances in codes and analyses to support safety demonstration of nuclear technology innovations

中村 秀夫; Bentaib, A.*; Herranz, L. E.*; Ruyer, P.*; Mascari, F.*; Jacquemain, D.*; Adorni, M.*

Proceedings of International Conference on Topical Issues in Nuclear Installation Safety; Strengthening Safety of Evolutionary and Innovative Reactor Designs (TIC 2022) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/10

The WGAMA activity achievements have been published as technical reports, becoming reference materials to discuss innovative methods, materials and technologies in the fields of thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and severe accidents (SAs). The International Standard Problems (ISPs) and Benchmarks of computer codes have been supported by a huge amount of the databases for the code validation necessary for the reactor safety assessment with accuracy. The paper aims to review and summarize the recent WGAMA outcomes with focus on new advanced reactor applications including small modular reactors (SMRs). Particularly, discussed are applicability of major outcomes in the relevant subjects of passive system, modelling innovation in CFD, severe accident management (SAM) countermeasures, advanced measurement methods and instrumentation, and modelling robustness of safety analysis codes. Although large portions of the outcomes are considered applicable, design-specific subjects may need careful considerations when applied. The WGAMA efforts, experiences and achievements for the safety assessment of operating nuclear power plants including SA will be of great help for the continuous safety improvements required for the advanced reactors including SMRs.

An Investigation on the control rod homogenization method for next-generation fast reactor cores

滝野 一夫; 杉野 和輝; 大木 繁夫

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 162, p.108454_1 - 108454_7, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108454

A Japanese next-generation fast reactor core design adopts the reaction rate ratio preservation (RRRP) method for control rod homogenization with a super-cell model in which a control rod is surrounded by fuel assemblies. An earlier study showed that the RRRP method with the conventional super-cell model could estimate the control rod worth (CRW) of a 750-MWe large fast reactor core within the analytical uncertainty of 1.5%. The estimation of radial power distribution (RPD) tends to have relatively large analytical uncertainty especially for large fast reactor cores with the control rods inserted. In order to eliminate the radially-dependent analytical uncertainty of CRW and RPD, this study evaluated and refined the surrounding fuel assemblies of the super-cell model for all control rods in the RRRP method. This refinement significantly decreased the radially-dependent analytical uncertainty: the analytical uncertainty of CRW and RPD were reduced to less than 0.13% and 0.35%, respectively.

High temperature gas-cooled reactors

武田 哲明*; 稲垣 嘉之; 相原 純; 青木 健; 藤原 佑輔; 深谷 裕司; 後藤 実; Ho, H. Q.; 飯垣 和彦; 今井 良行; et al.

High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors; JSME Series in Thermal and Nuclear Power Generation, Vol.5, 464 Pages, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/C2018-0-05383-9

本書は、原子力機構における今までの高温ガス炉の研究開発の総括として、HTTRの設計、燃料、炉内構造物や中間熱交換器などの要素技術の開発、出力上昇試験、950Cの高温運転、安全性実証試験などの運転経験及び成果についてまとめたものである。また、HTTRでの知見をもとに、商用炉の設計、高性能燃料、ヘリウムガスタービン、ISプロセスによる水素製造などの要素技術開発の現状について記述しており、今後の高温ガス炉の開発に非常に有用である。本書は、日本機械学会の動力エネルギーシステム部門による化石燃料及び原子力によるエネルギーシステムの技術書のシリーズの一冊として刊行されるものである。

A Linear Equation of characteristic time profile of power in subcritical quasi-steady state

山根 祐一

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(8), p.926 - 931, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1736682

中性子計数率の複雑な履歴から適時に反応度を評価する手法の開発に資することを目的として、準定常状態における出力の方程式を一点炉動特性方程式に基づいて導出した。その方程式は出力を新しい変数(出力の時間微分の関数)に線形的に関係づけている。一点炉動特性コードAGNESを用いた計算により点()はこの新しい方程式により示される直線に完璧に乗っていることが示された。また、TRACYを用いた未臨界過渡実験のデータから計算した点()はこの方程式が示す傾きを持つ直線を形作ることを確認した。

Formation mechanisms of insoluble Cs particles observed in Kanto district four days after Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident

日高 昭秀

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 56(9-10), p.831 - 841, 2019/09

AA2018-0262.pdf:0.88MB

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1583611

2011年3月15日午前中に関東地方(つくば市)で観測された不溶性Cs粒子(Aタイプ)は、Cs/Cs同位体比や炉の温度状況等から、福島第一原子力発電所2号機の炉内で生成されたと考えられてきた。しかしながら、AタイプCs粒子はほぼ純粋なケイ酸塩ガラスに覆われて急冷の痕跡があること、1号機起源のBタイプCs粒子より小粒径であること等を考えると、3号機の水素爆轟(3/14, 11:01)時に、爆轟の火炎により非常用ガス処理系(SGTS)内の高性能特殊空気(HEPA)フィルタが溶融してシリカ源となり、爆風による微粒化とそれに伴う急冷が同時に起きて粒子は生成された可能性が高い。また、爆轟時の風速場から、粒子の大部分は海方向に流されたが、一部が爆風で原子炉建屋(R/B)深部に移動し、3/15未明の3号機の炉心注水再開時に発生した蒸気の流れによって再浮遊して環境中に放出されたとすることで、観測データを矛盾無く説明できる。