Non-condensable gas accumulation and distribution due to condensation in the CIGMA Facility; Implications for Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 (1F3)

Hamdani, A.; 相馬 秀; 安部 諭; 柴本 泰照

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 185, p.105771_1 - 105771_13, 2025/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2025.105771

This study, motivated by previous TEPSYS analysis, examined how different temperatures on the 4th and 5th floors of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 reactor building (R/B) influenced non-condensable gas distribution during the 2011 severe accident. Understanding this is vital for assessing risks related to gas accumulation, especially since the hydrogen explosion may have involved multiple stages. An experimental study was conducted using the CIGMA facility, designed to mimic the R/B structure, where steam and helium (as a substitute for hydrogen) were injected for 10,000 seconds to simulate leakage. Two cooling conditions were tested: 50C (Case 1) and 90C (Case 2). Results showed that the highest concentration of non-condensable gases was often found downstream rather than near the injection point. In Case 1, after 10,000 seconds, helium concentration reached 65% in the middle region (4th floor) and 45% in the top region (5th floor). Analysis indicated that the gas mixture in the middle region posed a potential detonation risk. This study offers crucial insights for enhancing safety measures and risk mitigation strategies in nuclear reactor designs.

Thermal analysis of the hydrogen release behavior of sodium hydride and kinetic analysis using master plot methods

土井 大輔

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 91, p.1245 - 1252, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.10.227

Hydrogen is a major nonmetallic impurity in the coolant of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) during normal operation. A higher hydrogen concentration than the gas-liquid equilibrium has been transiently detected in the gas space of actual SFR plants. The presence of several sodium compounds can increase hydrogen generation; however, a thorough understanding of the thermal behavior of candidate reactions is lacking. Herein, thermal analysis reveals the hydrogen release behavior of sodium hydride. Mass spectrometry indicates hydrogen generation with decreasing sample mass, indicating thermal decomposition. Detailed kinetic analysis based on master plot methods indicates that the hydrogen release reaction occurred through a mechanism involving random nucleation and growth of nuclei. Furthermore, the reaction rate was newly formulated based on a kinetic model function representing the above mechanism and the Arrhenius-type reaction rate constant comprising an activation energy of 119.0 0.8 kJ mol and a frequency factor of 1.8 10 s. These findings will enable the numerical simulation of the hydrogen release behavior in SFRs.

Numerical study of initiating phase of core disruptive accident in small sodium-cooled fast reactors with negative void reactivity

石田 真也; 深野 義隆; 飛田 吉春; 岡野 靖

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 61(5), p.582 - 594, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2243949

To improve the safety of future SFRs, the development of SFRs with low void reactivity has been promoted. Small SFRs can have a negative void coefficient of reactivity, so the analysis of the CDA event sequence in small SFRs is valuable for the investigation of the reactor characteristics for the future research and development of SFRs. In this study, the typical initiating events of a CDA in small SFRs were evaluated with the computational code, SAS4A. The event progression of ULOF and UTOP in the low void reactivity reactor is found to be slow due to the effective operation of the negative reactivity feedback and the absence of significant positive reactivity insertion. No power excursion occurs in the initiating phase. In ULOF, the cladding melt and relocation behavior becomes more important for the evaluation of the event progression due to its positive reactivity.

Measurements of capture cross-section of Nb by activation method and half-life of Nb by mass analysis

中村 詔司; 芝原 雄司*; 遠藤 駿典; 木村 敦

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1361 - 1371, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2198526

廃止措置の対象核種の中からNbについて、熱中性子捕獲断面積()および共鳴積分(I)を放射化法により測定した。また、Nbの半減期を質量分析により測定した。ニオブ93試料は、京都大学複合原子力科学研究所の研究炉に整備されている水圧輸送艦を用いて照射した。金-アルミ合金線、およびコバルト-アルミ合金線を用いて、照射位置における中性子束成分を測定した。厚さ25mのガドリニウム箔を用いた照射も行って、熱および熱外中性子による反応率の寄与をより分けた。ガドリニウムの厚さから、カットオフ・エネルギーは0.133eVに設定した。ニオブ試料中に含まれている不純物により生成されるTaの放射能を減衰させるために、約2年間ニオブ試料を冷却した。線スペクトロスコピーにより照射されたニオブ試料およびモニタの生成放射能を測定した。Westcottコンベンションに基づいて解析を行い、およびIを、それぞれ1.110.04barnおよび10.50.6barnと導出することができた。線測定の後に、ニオブ試料の質量分析を行い、反応率を導出した。線スペクトロスコピーと質量分析で得られたデータを組み合わせることにより、Nbの半減期を、(2.000.15)10年と導出することができた。

Dynamic probabilistic risk assessment of seismic-induced flooding in pressurized water reactor by seismic, flooding, and thermal-hydraulics simulations

久保 光太郎; Jang, S.*; 高田 孝*; 山口 彰*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.359 - 373, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2100837

確率論的リスク評価(PRA)は、原子力発電所の安全性を向上させるための重要なアプローチである。しかし、この手法では、複合ハザードのモデル化は困難である。地震に起因した溢水シナリオでは、地震による炉心損傷、溢水による炉心損傷、地震と溢水が組み合わさった炉心損傷といった複数の炉心損傷シーケンスを含んでいる。溢水に係るフラジリティは、溢水がタンクなどの水源から区画に伝播するため、時間依存性を有している。そのため、現実的なリスク評価及び定量化を行うためには、動的リスク評価を用いる必要がある。本研究では、地震,溢水,熱水力シミュレーションを連成させ、複数ハザード間の依存関係を明示的に考慮し、地震起因溢水のリスク評価を行った。特に、福島第一原子力発電所事故を踏まえた安全性向上対策に注目し、システムの耐力に関する感度解析と可搬型ポンプを用いた蒸気発生器代替注水の効果を評価した。我々は、シミュレーションに基づく動的PRA手法の複合ハザード起因のリスクの評価への使用を実証した。

Hydrogen release reaction from sodium hydride with different sample quantities

土井 大輔

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE29-91847

In sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), hydrogen is a major nonmetallic impurity in the coolant during normal operation. A higher hydrogen concentration than the gas-liquid equilibrium had been transiently detected in the gas space of the actual SFR plant. However, the chemical reactions that caused hydrogen generation, which involve several sodium compounds, have not been identified. Furthermore, the thermal behavior of these hydrogen release reactions has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the hydrogen release behavior of sodium hydride, which could be involved in all of these reactions, was clarified by two experimental methods dealing with different sample quantities. In the thermal analysis with a semi-micro sample of about 1mmol, the hydrogen generation was demonstrated by mass spectrometry as the sample mass decreased, suggesting thermal decomposition. A monomodal hydrogen release curve similar to the thermal analysis result was obtained in the heating experiment with a macro amount sample of about 1mol. These experimental results showed consistent activation energies within the standard error. Therefore, it was elucidated that the ideal reaction behavior obtained by thermal analysis could be sufficiently extrapolated to the reaction behavior occurring in a larger amount of sample. These findings provide fundamental insights into the thermal decomposition of sodium hydride and are indispensable for analyzing hydrogen release behavior in other hydrogen release reactions involving sodium hydride.

原子炉建屋の等価線形三次元FEM解析による地盤-建物連成系地震応答に関する基礎的検討

市原 義孝*; 中村 尚弘*; 飯島 国彦*; 崔 炳賢; 西田 明美

構造工学論文集,B, 68B, p.271 - 283, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.3130/aijjse.68B.0_271

本論文は、振動数に依存しない複素減衰を用いた鉄筋コンクリートの等価線形解析法の原子炉建屋の耐震設計への適用性を評価することを目的とする。そのため、理想的な地盤条件での原子炉建屋の非線形及び等価線形地震応答に着目して、地盤-建屋連成系の三次元FEM解析を実施した。その結果、等価線形解析結果は非線形解析結果と概ねよく整合し、その有効性を明らかにした。さらに、今回の等価線形解析法は、非線形解析モデルと比較して、構造の剛性を低めに評価する傾向があった。このため、最大せん断ひずみの評価では、非線形解析の結果よりもひずみの値が大きくなる可能性が高いことに留意する必要がある。

Quasi-Monte Carlo sampling method for simulation-based dynamic probabilistic risk assessment of nuclear power plants

久保 光太郎; Jang, S.*; 高田 孝*; 山口 彰*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 59(3), p.357 - 367, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2021.1971119

熱水力シミュレーションと確率論的サンプリング手法を組み合わせることにより偶然的不確実さと認識論的不確実さを取扱い可能な動的確率論的リスク評価(PRA)手法は、従来のPRAと比較してより現実的かつ詳細な評価を可能とする。しかしながら、これらの向上と引き換えに膨大な計算コストが発生する。これに対する一つの解決方法は、適切なサンプリング手法を選択することである。本論文では、我々はモンテカルロ,ラテン超方格,格子点及び準モンテカルロサンプリング手法を沸騰水型原子炉の全交流電源喪失シーケンスの動的PRAに適用した。その結果、準モンテカルロ法が仮定したシナリオにおいて最も効率的に不確実さを取扱えることが示された。

Analysis of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 pressure data and obtained insights on accident progression behavior

佐藤 一憲

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 383, p.111426_1 - 111426_19, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111426

The D/W (Drywell) and S/C (Suppression Chamber) pressure data of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was analyzed in depth. This analysis provided valuable information related to the accident progression behavior on one hand, and gave a hint for understanding of the debris-to-coolant heat transfer when fuel debris relocated to the pedestal on the other hand. In this unit, the D/W and S/C pressure increased and decreased cyclically with a relationship, which seems to have been dependent on the composition of vapor and non-condensable gases in the S/C cover gas region. Based on this characteristic, the vapor pressure in the S/C cover gas region was evaluated for two pressure decrease cycles during and after the expected debris relocation to the pedestal respectively. This evaluation allowed an understanding that the S/C vapor pressure increased due to the heat transfer from the debris relocated to the pedestal.

Multiple wavelengths texture measurement using angle dispersive neutron diffraction at WOMBAT

徐 平光; Liss, K.-D.*

Quantum Beam Science (Internet), 5(2), p.11_1 - 11_14, 2021/06

AA2020-0801.pdf:11.28MB

https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs5020011

In contrast to conventional angle dispersive neutron diffractometers with a single-tube detector or a small-size linear position-sensitive detector, the WOMBAT diffractometer at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is equipped with a large-area curved position-sensitive detector, spanning 120 for the scattering angle 2 and 15 for the azimuth , respectively. Here, WOMBAT was employed to establish a texture measurement environment for complex textured samples, through measuring neutron diffractograms at two selected wavelengths on a typical reference sample of martensite-austenite multilayered steel sheet. All neutron patterns were simultaneously Rietveld analyzed using the software, Materials Analysis Using Diffraction (MAUD). The shorter wavelength enabled to collect the martensite diffraction peaks 110, 200, 211, 220, 310, 222 as well as the austenite diffraction peaks 111, 200, 220, 311, 222, 331 diffraction peaks simultaneously by pre-setting the detector range to 2 = 30150. The longer wavelength enabled to separate the overlapping strong martensite peak 110 and austenite peak 111 more reliably. Moreover, the detector panel division along the vertical direction covers a good stereographic coverage in the azimuthal angle. Such combination of multiple wavelength neutron diffraction combined with simultaneous Rietveld texture analysis was confirmed much valuable to realize high precision measurements for complex textured samples at an orientation distribution function (ODF) graticule of 5, and in a much shorter beam time than the conventional angle dispersive method.