Numerical reproduction of dissolved U concentrations in a PO-treated column study of Hanford 300 area sediment using a simple ion exchange and immobile domain model

Saito, Tatsuo; Sato, Kazuhiko; Yamazawa, Hiromi*

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 237, p.106708_1 - 106708_9, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106708

We succeeded at numerical reproduction of dissolved U concentrations from column experiments with PO-treated Hanford 300 Area sediment. The time-series curves of dissolved U concentrations under various Darcy flow rate conditions were reproduced by the numerical model in the present study through optimization of the following parameters:(i) the mass of U in mobile domain (on surface soil connected to the stream) and the rest of the total U left as precipitation in immobile domain (isolated in deep soil);(ii) the mixing ratio between immobile and mobile domains, to fit the final recovering curve of concentration; and (iii) the cation exchange capacity (CEC) and equilibrium constant (k) of the exchange reaction of UO and H on simulated soil surface (), to fit the transient equilibrium concentration, forming the bed of the bathtub curve.

Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project; Investigation report for the 2019 fiscal year

Nakayama, Masashi; Saiga, Atsushi

JAEA-Review 2020-042, 116 Pages, 2021/01

JAEA-Review-2020-042.pdf:10.33MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface-based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction Phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). This report summarizes the results of the investigations for the 2019 fiscal year (2019/2020). The investigations, which are composed of "Geoscientific research" and "R and D on geological disposal technology", were carried out according to "Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project Investigation Program for the 2019 fiscal year". The results of these investigations, along with the results which were obtained in other departments of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), are properly offered to the implementations and the safety regulations. For the sake of this, JAEA has proceeded with the project in collaboration with experts from domestic and overseas research organizations.

Long term monitoring and evaluation of the excavation damaged zone induced around the wall of the shaft applying optical fiber sensor (Cooperative research)

Hata, Koji*; Niunoya, Sumio*; Uyama, Masao*; Nakaoka, Kenichi*; Fukaya, Masaaki*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Sakurai, Akitaka; Tanai, Kenji

JAEA-Research 2020-010, 142 Pages, 2020/11

JAEA-Research-2020-010.pdf:13.74MB
JAEA-Research-2020-010-appendix(DVD-ROM).zip:149.9MB

In the geological disposal study of high-level radioactive waste, it is suggested that the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) which is created around a tunnel by the excavation will be possible to be one of the critical path of radionuclides. Especially, the progress of cracks in and around the EDZ with time affects the safety assessment of geological disposal and it is important to understand the hydraulic change due to the progress of cracks in and around EDZ. In this collaborative research, monitoring tools made by Obayashi Corporation were installed at a total of 9 locations in the three boreholes near the depth of 370 m of East Shaft at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory constructed in the Neogene sedimentary rock. The monitoring tool consists of one set of "optical AE sensor" for measuring of the mechanical rock mass behavior and "optical pore water pressure sensor and optical temperature sensor" for measuring of groundwater behavior. This tool was made for the purpose of selecting and analyzing of AE signal waveforms due to rock fracture during and after excavation of the target deep shaft. As a result of analyzing various measurement data including AE signal waveforms, it is able to understand the information on short-term or long-term progress of cracks in and around EDZ during and after excavation in the deep shaft. In the future, it will be possible to carry out a study that contributes to the long-term stability evaluation of EDZ in sedimentary rocks in the deep part of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory by evaluation based on these analytical data.

Development of JAEA sorption database (JAEA-SDB); Update of sorption/QA data in FY2019

Sugiura, Yuki; Suyama, Tadahiro*; Tachi, Yukio

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-022, 40 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-022.pdf:2.22MB

Sorption behavior of radionuclides (RNs) in buffer materials, rocks and cementitious materials is one of the key processes in a safe geological disposal. This report focuses on updating of JAEA sorption database (JAEA-SDB) as a basis of integrated approach for the performance assessment (PA)-related distribution coefficient (K) setting and development of mechanistic sorption models. K data and their quality assurance (QA) results were updated by focusing on the following systems as potential needs extracted from our recent activities on the K setting and development of mechanistic models, i.e., clay minerals, sedimentary rocks and cementitious materials. As a result, 6,702 K data from 60 references were added and the total number of K values in JAEA-SDB reached 69,679. The QA/classified K data reached about 72% for all K data in JAEA-SDB.

The In-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Installation of engineered barrier system and backfilling the test niche at the 350m gallery

Nakayama, Masashi; Ono, Hirokazu

JAEA-Research 2019-007, 132 Pages, 2019/12

JAEA-Research-2019-007.pdf:11.29MB
JAEA-Research-2019-007-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:39.18MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project has being pursued by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formation at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. The URL Project consists of two major research areas, "Geoscientific Research" and "Research and Development on Geological Disposal Technologies". The in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system (EBS experiment) had been prepared from 2013 to 2014 fiscal year at GL-350m gallery, and heating by electric heater in simulated overpack had started in January, 2015. One of objectives of the EBS experiment is acquiring data concerned with Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled behavior. These data will be used in order to confirm the performance of engineered barrier system. This report shows following works had carried out at the GL-350 m gallery. Excavation of a test niche and a test pit, Setting buffer material blocks and a simulated overpack into the test pit, Backfilling the niche by compaction backfilling material and setting backfilling material blocks, Casting concrete type plug and contact grouting, Consolidate measurement system and start measuring.

Development of the unmanned surface vehicle for radiation monitoring at seabed; Observation of temporal change of radiocesium concentration in the sea bottom sediment at coastal zone of Fukushima

Sanada, Yukihisa; Miyamoto, Kenji*; Ochi, Kotaro; Matsuzaki, Koji*; Ogawa, Toshihiro*; Senga, Yasuhiro*

Kaiyo Riko Gakkai-Shi, 24(2), p.9 - 18, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.14928/amstec.24.2_9

Seven years passed since Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident which was caused large amount of radionuclide release to the sea. Elucidation of behavior mechanism of radiocesium in the seabed is required for restarting fishing industry. We developed radiation detection system using the unmanned surface vehicle for in-situ measurement of radiocesium concentration in seabed sediment. This system is able to automatically navigate to measurement point and obtain the radiation data on the bottom sediment. The detector was calibrated by comparing the actual sediment samples. The periodical measurement off-shore the Fukushima Prefecture was performed using developed this system. As these results, distribution of radiocesium concentration was changed due to oceanographic condition. However, radiocesium inventory was tendency to decrease according to radiocesium half-life in measurement area. This system is effective for elucidation of behavior mechanism of radiocesium because it can easily measure the radiocesium concentration in the bottom sediment.

A Study on self-terminating behavior of sodium-concrete reaction, 2

Kawaguchi, Munemichi; Miyahara, Shinya; Uno, Masayoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 55(8), p.874 - 884, 2018/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2018.1449677

As parts of severe accident studies in sodium-cooled fast reactor, experiments were performed to investigate the termination mechanism of sodium-concrete reaction (SCR). In the experiment, the reaction time was controlled to investigate the distribution change of sodium (Na) and the reaction products in the pool and around the reaction front. In the results, the Na around the reaction front decreased from the enough amount with the reaction time. The concentrations were 18-24 wt.% for Na, and 22-18 wt.% for Si after the termination. From the thermodynamics calculations, the stable materials around the reaction front comprised more than 90 wt.% solid products such as NaSiO, and no Na. Further, the distribution of Na and reaction products could be explained by a steady-state sedimentation-diffusion model. At the early stage of SCR, the reaction products were suspended as particles in the Na pool because of the high H-generation rate. As the concrete ablation proceeds, they start settling down due to the decreased H-generation rate, thereby allowing SCR termination. It was concluded that SCR termination was caused by the sediment of the reaction products and the lack of Na around the reaction front.

Horizontal and vertical distributions of Cs in seabed sediments around the river mouth near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Harada, Hisaya*; Misono, Toshiharu; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hodotsuka, Yasuyuki*

Journal of Oceanography, 73(5), p.547 - 558, 2017/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10872-017-0439-8

The seafloor topography was divided into flat and terrace seafloors based on their topographical features and seabed sediments were distributed in an area that was half a degree of the entire investigation area. The Cs inventory was several tens of kBq/m and the grain sizes (the D50 values) were nearly constant (fine sand) on the flat seafloor. On the terrace seafloor, the Cs inventory was larger than that on the flat seafloor, and the grain size varied from silt to coarse sand. The grain size distributions appear to be influenced by the mean shear stress at the seafloor bottom, and a significant factor in the mean shear stress is thought to be the seafloor topography. Distributions of remarkably large Cs inventories, more than several thousands of kBq/m, are thought to be confined to a small area. Vertical changes in the Cs inventories suggested that the Cs inventories have significantly decreased in large areas of the shallow sea.

Field observations and failure analysis of an excavation damaged zone in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ishii, Eiichi; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*

Journal of MMIJ, 133(2), p.25 - 33, 2017/02

https://doi.org/10.2473/journalofmmij.133.25

In the construction of a deep underground facility, the hydromechanical properties of the rock mass around an underground opening are changed significantly due to stress redistribution. This zone is called an excavation damaged zone (EDZ). In high-level radioactive waste disposal, EDZs can provide a shortcut for the escape of radionuclides to the surface environment. Therefore, it is important to develop a method for predicting the detailed characteristics of EDZs. For prediction of the EDZ in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory of Japan, we conducted borehole televiewer surveys, rock core analyses, and repeated hydraulic conductivity measurements. We observed that niche excavation resulted in the formation of extension fractures within 0.2 to 1.0 m into the niche wall, i.e., the extent of the EDZ is within 0.2 to 1.0 m into the niche wall. These results are largely consistent with the results of a finite element analysis implemented with the failure criteria considering failure mode. The hydraulic conductivity in the EDZ was increased by 3 to 5 orders of magnitude compared with the outer zone. The hydraulic conductivity in and around the EDZ has not changed significantly in the two years following excavation of the niche. These results show that short-term unloading due to excavation of the niche created a highly permeable EDZ.

Numerical analysis of the grout injection conducted in the ventilation shaft of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory

Nakashima, Hiroyoshi*; Koyama, Tomofumi*; Tatsuta, Keisuke*; Katayama, Tatsuo*; Aoyagi, Kazuhei

Dai-14-Kai Iwa No Rikigaku Kokunai Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 6 Pages, 2017/01

In this study, we created the three dimensional model based on equivalent continuum approach to study the penetration length and enhancement of the hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass. The developed numerical model was applied to the in situ grout injection conducted in the ventilation shaft of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. We evaluated the hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass after the grout operation. As a result, hydraulic conductivity of the highly permeable fault was decreased in 4 orders of magnitude, which is almost consistent with the in situ hydraulic conductivity obtained from in situ Luegeon test after the grout injection. Thus the simulation method described in this paper can be applied to the evaluation of the efficiency of in situ grout injection.