Consideration on roles and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions for environmental consequence assessments for nuclear facilities

Togawa, Orihiko; Okura, Takehisa; Kimura, Masanori

JAEA-Review 2022-049, 76 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Review-2022-049.pdf:3.74MB

Before construction and after operation of nuclear facilities, environmental consequence assessments are conducted for normal operation and an emergency. These assessments mainly aim at confirming safety for the public around the facilities and producing relief for them. Environmental consequence assessments are carried out using observations/ measurements by environmental monitoring and/or model predictions by calculation models, sometimes using either of which and at other times using both them, according to the situations and necessities. First, this report investigates methods, roles, merits/demerits and relationship between observations/measurements and model predictions which are used for environmental consequence assessments of nuclear facilities, especially holding up a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Rokkasho, Aomori as an example. Next, it explains representative examples of utilization of data on observations/measurements and results on model predictions, and considers points of attention at using them. Finally, the report describes future direction, for example, improvements of observations/measurements and model predictions, and fusion of both them.

Analysis of risk reduction effect of supposed steam condenser implementation as accident measure for accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste

Yoshida, Kazuo; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Hiyama, Mina*

JAEA-Research 2021-013, 20 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Research-2021-013.pdf:2.35MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste (HLLW) is postulated as one of the severe accidents caused by the loss of cooling function at a fuel reprocessing plant. In this case, volatile radioactive materials, such as ruthenium (Ru) are released from the tanks with water and nitric-acid mixed vapor into atmosphere. An idea has been proposed to implement a steam condenser as an accident countermeasure. This measure is expected to prevent nitric acid steam diffusing in facility building and to increase gaseous Ru trapping ratio into condensed water. A simulation study has been carried out with a hypothetical typical facility building to analyze the efficiency of steam condenser. In this study, SCHERN computer code simulates chemical behaviors of Ru in nitrogen oxide, nitric acid and water mixed vapor based on the conditions obtained from simulation with thermal-hydraulic computer code MELCOR. The effectiveness of steam condenser has been analyzed quantitively in preventing mixed vapor diffusion and gaseous Ru trapping effect. Some issues to be solved in analytical model has been also clarified in this study.

SCHERN-V2: Technical guide of computer program for chemical behavior in accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste in Fuel Reprocessing Facilities

Yoshida, Kazuo; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Hiyama, Mina*

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-008, 35 Pages, 2021/08

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-008.pdf:3.68MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste (HLLW) is postulated as one of the severe accidents caused by the loss of cooling function at a fuel reprocessing plant. In this case, volatile radioactive materials, such as ruthenium (Ru) are released from the tanks with water and nitric-acid mixed vapor into atmosphere. In addition to this, nitrogen oxides (NO) are also released formed by the thermal decomposition of metal nitrates of fission products (FP) in HLLW. It has been observed experimentally that NOx affects to the migration behavior of Ru at the anticipated atmosphere condition in cells and/or compartments of the facility building. Chemical reactions of NO with water and nitric acid are also recognized as the complex phenomena to undergo simultaneously in the vapor and liquid phases. The analysis program, SCHERN has been under developed to simulate chemical behavior including Ru coupled with the thermo-hydraulic condition in the flow paths in the facility building. This technical guide for SCHERN-V2 presents the overview of covered accident, analytical models including newly developed models, differential equations for numerical solution, and user instructions.

Iodine-129 in the Tokai Reprocessing Plant and the environment

Nakano, Masanao

Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 56(1), p.17 - 25, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.56.17

The Tokai Reprocessing Plant is the first reprocessing plant in Japan which started hot test in 1977, and had reprocessed 1140 tons of spent nuclear fuel by May 2007. The gaseous and liquid radioactive wastes has been discharged to the environment. Since iodine-129 (I) is one of the most important nuclides for environmental impact assessment. Therefore, I in the exhaust and effluent has been controlled, and a precise analysis method of I in the environmental samples was developed, and the concentration of 129I in the environment was investigated. This report presents an overview of these activities. Not limited to I on reprocessing facilities, it is essential for nuclear operators to reduce the amount released to the environment in the spirit of ALARA, and to continuously develop the further upgrading environmental monitoring methods and evaluation methods in order to foster a sense of safety and security among residents living in the vicinity of the facilities.

Vertical distributions of Iodine-129 and iodide in the Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea

Miwa, Kazuji; Obata, Hajime*; Suzuki, Takashi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(5), p.537 - 545, 2020/05

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1699189

This study investigated the vertical distribution of Iodine-129 (I) which is mainly produced by European nuclear reprocessing plants in the Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea. I was found to be distributed almost uniformly in fallout level, and an increasing in I concentration levels caused by high I water inflow from the Atlantic Ocean was not observed. Additionally, we revealed the vertical distribution of iodide, one chemical form of iodine, from the Bering Shelf area to the Chukchi Sea for the first time. The increasing tendency of iodide near sea bottom was observed.

Modelling of intergranular corrosion using cellular automata, 1; Characteristics and corrosion rates of stainless steels in modified nuclear reprocessing solution

Yamamoto, Masahiro; Irisawa, Eriko; Igarashi, Takahiro; Komatsu, Atsushi; Kato, Chiaki; Ueno, Fumiyoshi

Proceedings of Annual Congress of the European Federation of Corrosion (EUROCORR 2019) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2019/09

Intergranular corrosion phenomena were analysed using modified reprocessing solution. The data indicated that corrosion rates increased with time at the initial stage, and these stayed at constant value. Intergranular corrosion propagated at grain boundary in the initial stage and then attacked whole grain boundary causing drop out of grains. Corrosion rates of steady state were sum of intergranular corrosion amounts and weight losses of dropped grains. Surface appearances and cross sections of corroded samples were analyzed. The results indicated that the initial stage of intergranular corrosion was characterized by the ratio of corrosion rates between grain boundary and matrix. These ratios differed from individual grain boundaries. Total corrosion rates were affected by the distribution of these ratios. These data were based on the numerical modelling of intergranular corrosion using cellular automata. And also, calculated results were compared with these analytical data.

Treatment technology of highly radioactive solid waste generated by experimental tests and sample analysis in reprocessing facilities

Goto, Yuichi; Inada, Satoshi; Kuno, Takehiko; Mori, Eito*

Nihon Hozen Gakkai Dai-16-Kai Gakujutsu Koenkai Yoshishu, p.221 - 224, 2019/07

Test equipment, containers, and analytical wastes, generated by experiments using spent fuel pieces in hot cell of Operation Testing Laboratory and by analysis of highly active liquid wastes in hot analytical cell line of Tokai Reprocessing Plant, are treated as highly radioactive solid wastes. These wastes are stored in specific shielded containers called waste cask and then transport to the storage facility. The treatment of these highly radioactive solid wastes have been carried out for 40 years with upgrading waste taking out system and transportation device. As a results, automation of several procedures have been achieved utilizing conventional equipment, and work efficiency and safety have been improved.

Introduction and implementation of physical protection measures including trustworthiness program at Tokai Reprocessing Facilities

Nakamura, Hironobu; Kimura, Takashi; Yamazaki, Katsuyuki; Kitao, Takahiko; Tasaki, Takashi; Iida, Toru

Proceedings of International Conference on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities (Internet), 9 Pages, 2018/09

After the accident of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, to develop effective security measures based on the lesson learned from such crisis and to meet the IAEA Nuclear Security Recommendations (INFCIRC/225/Rev.5), NRA in Japan made a partial amendment of the regulations concerning the reprocessing activity in 2012. The Tokai reprocessing facility implemented all of those security measures by the end of March 2014. Those new measures help us to keep high degree of security level and contributed to our planned operations to reduce the potential risk of the plant. On the other hand, the trustworthiness program was newly introduced in 2016, based on the trustworthiness policy determined by NRA. The implementing entity of the program is JAEA for the Tokai Reprocessing Facility and is required for both the persons afford unescorted access to Category I and II, CAS/SAS, and the persons afford access to the sensitive information. Those who are involved this program will be judged before engaging the work whether they might act as insider to cause or assist radiological sabotage or unauthorized removal of nuclear material, or leak sensitive information. The program is expected as a measure against insider at reprocessing facilities, and is expected to be enforced around the autumn of 2017. As well as the establishment of security measures, the promoting nuclear security culture for all employees was a big challenge. The Tokai reprocessing facility have introduced several security culture activities, such as case study education of security events done by a small group and putting up the security culture poster and so on. This paper presents introduction and implementation with effectiveness of security measures in the Tokai reprocessing facilities and the future security measures applied to the reprocessing facilities are discussed.

Development of correlation of gaseous ruthenium transfer rate to condensed water in accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of reprocessed high level liquid waste in Fuel Reprocessing Facilities

Yoshida, Kazuo; Tamaki, Hitoshi; Yoshida, Naoki; Amano, Yuki; Abe, Hitoshi

JAEA-Research 2017-015, 18 Pages, 2018/01

JAEA-Research-2017-015.pdf:3.08MB

An accident of evaporation to dryness by boiling of high level liquid waste is postulated as one of the severe accidents at a fuel reprocessing facility. It was observed at the experiments that a large amount of ruthenium (Ru) is volatilized and transfer to the vapor phase in the tank. The nitric acid and water mixed vapor released from the tank is condensed. Volatilized Ru is expected to transfer into the condensed water at the compartments in the building. Quantitative estimation of the amount of Ru transferred condensed water is key issues to evaluate the reduction the amount of Ru through leak path in the facility building. This report presents that a correlation has been developed for Ru transfer rate to condensed water with vapor condensing rate based on the experimental results and additional thermal-hydraulic simulation of the experiments. Applicability of the correlation has been also demonstrated with the accident simulation of typical facilities in full-scale.

HEPA filter clogging and volatile material release under solvent fire accident in fuel reprocessing facility

Ono, Takuya; Watanabe, Koji; Tashiro, Shinsuke; Amano, Yuki; Abe, Hitoshi

Proceedings of 25th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-25) (CD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2017/07

After the Fukushima-Daiichi accident, countermeasures against the severe accident are newly required as regulatory items for nuclear facilities. Organic solvent fire in cell was defined as one of the accidents in the fuel reprocessing plant. When the solvent burns, aerosols including soot are released. The substances clog HEPA filters in the ventilation system and their breakthrough may happen because of differential pressure rising. Moreover, the fire can also release volatile radioactive gaseous species, which can pass through HEPA filters. These phenomena are important for evaluation of confinement capability of the facility and public exposure. We have investigated, in relating to the clogging behavior, release behavior of aerosols as well as of volatile materials from burnt solvent. In the presentation, we will report experimental data and evaluation results obtained from recent research.