Experimental characterization of high-energy component in extracted pulsed neutrons at the J-PARC spallation neutron source

Harada, Masahide; Teshigawara, Makoto; Oi, Motoki; Oikawa, Kenichi; Takada, Hiroshi; Ikeda, Yujiro

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1000, p.165252_1 - 165252_8, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2021.165252

This study explores high-energy neutron components of the extracted neutron beam at J-PARC pulsed neutron source using the foil activation method with threshold reactions. Foils of aluminum, gold, bismuth, niobium, and thulium were used to cover the neutron energy range from 0.3 MeV to 79.4 MeV. The experiment was performed using neutron beams of BL10 (NOBORU). The foils were irradiated by a neutron beam at 13.4 m from the moderator. To characterize high-energy neutron fields for irradiation applications, reaction rates in three different configurations with and without BC slit and Pb filter were examined. To compare the experiments with calculations given for the user, reaction rates for corresponding reactions were calculated by the PHITS code with the JENDL-3.2 and the JENDL dosimetry file. Although there was a systematic tendency in C/E (Calculation/Experiment) ratios for different threshold energies, which C/E ratio decreased as threshold energy increased up to 100 MeV, and all C/E ratios were in the range of 1.00.2. This indicated that high-energy neutron calculations were adequate for the analysis of experimental data for NOBORU users.

Improvement of accumulator in cryogenic hydrogen system used for 1-MW pulsed spallation neutron source

Aso, Tomokazu; Tatsumoto, Hideki*; Otsu, Kiichi*; Kawakami, Yoshihiko*; Komori, Shinji*; Muto, Hideki*; Takada, Hiroshi

JAEA-Technology 2019-013, 77 Pages, 2019/09

JAEA-Technology-2019-013.pdf:5.59MB

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.

Implementation of a low-activation Au-In-Cd decoupler into the J-PARC 1 MW short pulsed spallation neutron source

Teshigawara, Makoto; Ikeda, Yujiro; Oi, Motoki; Harada, Masahide; Takada, Hiroshi; Kakishiro, Masanori*; Noguchi, Gaku*; Shimada, Tsubasa*; Seita, Kyoichi*; Murashima, Daisuke*; et al.

Nuclear Materials and Energy (Internet), 14, p.14 - 21, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2018.02.001

We developed an Au-In-Cd (AuIC) decoupler material to reduce induced radioactivity instead of Ag-In-Cd one, which has a cut off energy of 1eV. In order to implement it into an actual moderator-reflector assembly, a number of critical engineering issues need to be resolved with regard to large-sized bonding between AuIC and A5083 alloys by the hot isostatic pressing process. We investigated this process in terms of the surface conditions, sizes, and heat capacities of large AuIC alloys. We also show a successful implementation of an AuIC decoupler into a reflector assembly, resulting in a remarkable reduction of radioactivity by AuIC compared to AIC without sacrificing neutronic performance.

Progress of target system operation at the pulsed spallation neutron source in J-PARC

Takada, Hiroshi; Naoe, Takashi; Kai, Tetsuya; Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Haga, Katsuhiro

Proceedings of 12th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Applications of Accelerators (AccApp '15), p.297 - 304, 2016/00

In J-PARC, we have continuously been making efforts to operate a mercury target of a pulsed spallation neutron source with rated power of 1-MW. One of technical progresses is to mitigate cavitation damages at the target vessel front induced by the 3-GeV proton beam injection at 25 Hz. We have improved the performance of a gas micro-bubbles injection into the mercury target, resulting that no significant cavitation damages was observed on the inner surface of target vessel after operation for 2050 MWh with the 300-kW proton beam. Another progress is to suppress the release of gaseous radioactive isotopes, especially tritium, during the target vessel replacement. We have introduced a procedure to evacuate the target system by an off-gas processing apparatus when it is opened during the replacement operation, achieving to suppress the tritium release through the stack. For example, the amount of released tritium was 12.5 GBq, only 5.4% of the estimated amount, after the 2050 MWh operation. After these progresses, the operating beam power for the pulsed spallation neutron source was ramped up to 500-kW in April, 2015.

Neutronic optimization of premoderator and reflector for decoupled hydrogen moderator in 1MW spallation neutron source

Harada, Masahide; Teshigawara, Makoto; Kai, Tetsuya; Sakata, Hideaki*; Watanabe, Noboru; Ikeda, Yujiro

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 39(8), p.827 - 837, 2002/08

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.39.827

For a decoupled hydrogen (super critical) moderator, optimization studies have been performed on a premoderator and reflector material (Pb, Be, Fe and Hg) together with the decoupling energy to realize a higher neutronic performance. The result indicated that the best neutronic performance could be obtained for a decoupled H moderator in a Pb reflector by optimizing the premoderator and adopting an appropriate decoupling energy, even compared with optimized one in a Be reflector.

Neutronic characteristics of coupled moderator proposed in integrated model

Teshigawara, Makoto; Meigo, Shinichiro; Sakata, Hideaki*; Kai, Tetsuya; Harada, Masahide; Ikeda, Yujiro; Watanabe, Noboru

JAERI-Research 2001-022, 33 Pages, 2001/05

JAERI-Research-2001-022.pdf:5.16MB

no abstracts in English

Premoderator extension effect for a decoupled hydrogen moderator

Harada, Masahide; Teshigawara, Makoto; Kai, Tetsuya; Sakata, Hideaki*; Watanabe, Noboru; Ikeda, Yujiro

JAERI-Research 2000-014, p.40 - 0, 2000/03

JAERI-Research-2000-014.pdf:2.99MB

no abstracts in English

Neutronics study on the JAERI 5MW spallation neutron source; Neutronic performance of the reference target-moderator-reflector system and the target shape/size effects

Teshigawara, Makoto*; Watanabe, Noboru*; Takada, Hiroshi; Kai, Tetsuya; Nakashima, Hiroshi; ; Oyama, Yukio; Ikeda, Yujiro; Kosako, Kazuaki*

JAERI-Research 99-020, 33 Pages, 1999/03

JAERI-Research-99-020.pdf:1.83MB

no abstracts in English

Current status of pulsed spallation neutron source at J-PARC

Takada, Hiroshi

no journal, , 

At the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex, a pulsed spallation neutron source provides neutrons with high-intensity and narrow pulse width to promote a variety field of materials science by injecting high power proton beam of 3-GeV, 1 MW at repetition rate of 25 Hz. The core components of the spallation neutron source are a mercury target, liquid hydrogen moderators and a reflector with beryllium and iron. Their sizes and arrangement were optimized to get superior neutronics performance for 100% para-hydrogen as the moderator material. Since the lifetime of the mercury target vessel made from SS316L steel is determined by the pitting damage induced by the pressure wave generated at the pulsed proton beam injection, mitigating the pitting damage is the most critical issue to achieve 1 MW operation for long time. So far, gas micro-bubbles injection technique and a target front structure to get faster mercury flow in narrow channel were employed for mitigating the pitting damage in the mercury target vessel. A pitting damage of 25 m was observed on the target front after 670 MWh operation with an average power of 406 kW. In 2018, it is planned to observe the target front of the newly manufactured target after operation with a power of 300 to 500 kW. Further developments of the narrow channel structure of the target front will be carried out. It is also planned to make post irradiation examination to study radiation damage of the target vessel in other facility of Japan Atomic Energy Agency.