Report of summer holiday practical training on 2023

Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Kawai, Hiromi*; Wakisaka, Shinji*; Nagase, Sota*; Nakamura, Kento*; Yaguchi, Hiroki*; Ishii, Toshiaki; Nakano, Yumi*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2024-008, 23 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Technology-2024-008.pdf:1.69MB

Five people from three universities participated in the 2023 summer holiday practical training with the theme of "Technical development on HTTR". The participants practiced the analysis of HTTR core, the analysis of behavior on loss of forced cooling test, the analysis of Iodine deposition behavior in primary cooling system and the feasibility study of energy storage system for HTGRs. In the questionnaire after this training, there were impressions such as that it was useful as a work experience and some students found it useful for their own research. These impressions suggest that this training was generally evaluated as good.

Development of seismic isolation system for sodium-cooled fast reactors using high load and high-velocity loading machines

Fukasawa, Tsuyoshi*; Yamamoto, Tomohiko; Uchita, Masato*; Hirayama, Tomoyuki*

Dai-10-Kai Kozobutsu No Anzensei, Shinraisei Ni Kansuru Kokunai Shimpojiumu (JCOSSAR2023) Koen Rombunshu (Internet), p.135 - 142, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.60316/jcossar.10.0_135

Horizontal seismic isolation systems have been studied for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors to improve their seismic resistance. However, challenges arise in reducing seismic forces not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction. The authors have developed a new three-dimensional seismic isolation system to address this issue. A 1/2-scale test specimen was fabricated, and the force-displacement relationships were examined using static loading tests with a maximum axial force of 8000 kN to evaluate the feasibility of this design. Moreover, a horizontal oil damper was fabricated as a horizontal damping element, and its damping force was assessed through excitation tests with a maximum velocity of 2.7 m/s. This paper reports the findings of these tests.

The Analytical study of inventories and physicochemical configuration of spallation products produced in Lead-Bismuth Eutectic of Accelerator Driven System

Miyahara, Shinya*; Ohdaira, Naoya*; Arita, Yuji*; Maekawa, Fujio; Matsuda, Hiroki; Sasa, Toshinobu; Meigo, Shinichiro

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 352, p.110192_1 - 110192_8, 2019/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2019.110192

Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) is used as a spallation neutron target and coolant materials of Accelerator Driven System (ADS), and many kinds of elements are produced as spallation products. It is important to evaluate the release and transport behavior of the spallation products in the LBE. The inventories and the physicochemical composition of the spallation products produced in LBE have been investigated for an LBE loop in the ADS Target Test Facility (TEF-T) in J-PARC. The inventories of the spallation products in the LBE were estimated using the PHITS code. The physicochemical composition of the spallation products in the LBE was calculated using the Thermo-Calc code under the conditions of the operation temperatures of LBE from 350C to 500C and the oxygen concentrations in LBE from 10 ppb to 1 ppm. The calculation showed that the 5 elements of Rb, Tl, Tc, Os, Ir, Pt, Au and Hg were soluble in LBE under the all given conditions and any kinds of compound were not formed in LBE. It was suggested that the oxides of Ce, Sr, Zr and Y were stable as CeO, SrO, ZrO and YO in the LBE.

Mock-up test of the modified STACY (Performance check of water feed and drain system)

Seki, Masakazu; Maekawa, Tomoyuki; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Sono, Hiroki

JAEA-Technology 2017-038, 52 Pages, 2018/03

JAEA-Technology-2017-038.pdf:4.6MB

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency is conducting a reactor modification project of the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY). In the modification, STACY is to be converted from a thermal reactor using solution fuel into that using fuel rods and light water moderator. Reactivity of the modified STACY core is controlled by the water level fed in the core tank as well as the present STACY. In order to verify the basic design of the water feed and drain system of the modified STACY, we constructed a mockup test apparatus with almost the same structure and specifications as the modified STACY. In the mockup test, performance checks were pursued regarding limitation of maximum flow of water feeding, adjustment of the flow rate of water feeding, stop of water feeding and others. This report describes the outline and results of the mock-up test of the water feed and drain system of the modified STACY.

Research on engineering technology in the full-scale demonstration of EBS and operation technology for HLW disposal; Research report in 2014 (Joint research)

Kobayashi, Masato*; Saito, Masahiko*; Iwatani, Takafumi*; Nakayama, Masashi; Tanai, Kenji; Fujita, Tomoo; Asano, Hidekazu*

JAEA-Research 2015-018, 14 Pages, 2015/12

JAEA-Research-2015-018.pdf:5.43MB

JAEA and RWMC concluded the letter of cooperation agreement on the research and development of radioactive waste disposal in April, 2005, and have been carrying out the collaboration work based on the agreement. JAEA have been carrying out the Horonobe URL Project which is intended for a sedimentary rock in the Horonobe town, Hokkaido, since 2001. In the project, geoscientific research and research and development on geological disposal technology are being promoted. Meanwhile, The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been promoting construction of equipments for the full-scale demonstration of engineered barrier system and operation technology for high-level radioactive waste disposal since 2008, to enhance public's understanding to the geological disposal of HLW, e.g. using underground facility. RWMC received an order of the project in fiscal year 2014 continuing since fiscal year 2008. Since topics in this project are included in the Horonobe URL Project, JAEA carried out this project as collaboration work continuing since fiscal year 2008. This report summarizes the results of the research on engineering technology carried out in this collaboration work in fiscal year 2014.

Investigation of characteristics of natural circulation of water in vessel cooling system in loss of core cooling test without nuclear heating

Takada, Shoji; Shimizu, Atsushi; Kondo, Makoto; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Seki, Tomokazu; Tochio, Daisuke; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro

Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 5 Pages, 2015/05

In the loss of forced core cooling test using High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), the forced cooling of reactor core is stopped without inserting control rods into the core and cooling by Vessel Cooling System (VCS) to demonstrate the inherent safety of HTGR be secured by natural phenomena to make it possible to design a severe accident free reactor. In the test, the local temperature was supposed to exceed the limit from the viewpoint of long-term use at the uncovered water cooling tube by thermal reflectors in the VCS, although the safety of reactor is kept. The local higher temperature position was specified although the temperature was sufficiently lower than the maximum allowable working temperature, and natural circulation of water had insufficient cooling effect on the temperature of water cooling tube below 1C. Then, a new safe and secured procedure for the loss of forced core cooling test was established, which will be carried out soon after the restart of HTTR.

Annual report on experimental operation of mock-up model test facility with a full-scale reaction tube for HTTR hydrogen production system in 2001 fiscal year (Contract research)

Hayashi, Koji; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Kato, Michio; Fujisaki, Katsuo*; Aita, Hideki; Takeda, Tetsuaki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Katanishi, Shoji; et al.

JAERI-Tech 2005-032, 46 Pages, 2005/06

JAERI-Tech-2005-032.pdf:4.79MB

This is annual report on the experimental operation of the mock-up test facility with a full-scale reaction tube for the HTTR hydrogen production system in 2001 fiscal year. The first experimental operation was performed during two weeks from March 1, 2002 to March 13, 2002 to test on the thermal hydraulic performance of the steam reformer and also to train the operators. The thermal hydraulic performance test of the steam reformer was performed to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics between helium gas and process gas in the steam reformer. This report is summarized with an overview of the test, the results and its operation records.

Verification of HTTR hydrogen production system analysis code using experimental data of mock-up model test facility with a full-scale reaction tube; Cooling system of the secondary helium gas using steam generator and radiator (Contract research)

Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Maeda, Yukimasa; Takeda, Tetsuaki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

JAERI-Tech 2005-014, 89 Pages, 2005/03

JAERI-Tech-2005-014.pdf:7.25MB

In a hydrogen production system using HTTR, it is required to control a secondary helium gas temperature within an allowable value at an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) inlet to prevent a reactor scram. To mitigate thermal disturbance of the secondary helium gas caused by the hydrogen production system, a cooling system of the secondary helium gas using a steam generator(SG) and a radiator will be installed at the downstream of the chemical reactor. In order to verify a numerical analysis code of the cooling system, numerical analysis has been conducted. The pressure controllability in SG is highly affected by the heat transfer characteristics of air which flows outside of the heat exchanger tube of the radiator. In order to verify a numerical analysis code of the cooling system, the heat transfer characteristics of air has been investigated with experimental results of a mock-up model test. It was confirmed that numerical analysis results were agreed well with experimental results, and the analysis code was successfully verified.

Performance test of HTTR

Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Tachibana, Yukio; Takamatsu, Kuniyoshi; Ueta, Shohei; Hanawa, Satoshi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 233(1-3), p.291 - 300, 2004/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2004.08.027

The High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is particularly attractive due to its capability of producing high temperature helium gas and due to its inherent safety characteristics. The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), which is the first HTGR in Japan, was successfully constructed at the Oarai Research Establishment of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The HTTR achieved full power of 30MW at a reactor outlet coolant temperature of about 850C on December 7, 2001 during the "rise-to-power tests". Two kinds of tests were carried out during the "rise-to-power tests". One is commissioning test to get operation permit by the government and another is test to confirm a performance of the reactor, heat exchanger, control system. From the test results of the "rise-to-power tests" up to 30MW, the functionality of the reactor and the cooling system were confirmed, and it was also confirmed that an operation of reactor facility can be performed safely.

An Investigation of fuel and fission product behavior in rise-to-power test of HTTR, 2; Results up to 30 MW operation

Ueta, Shohei; Emori, Koichi; Tobita, Tsutomu*; Takahashi, Masashi*; Kuroha, Misao; Ishii, Taro*; Sawa, Kazuhiro

JAERI-Research 2003-025, 59 Pages, 2003/11

JAERI-Research-2003-025.pdf:2.53MB

In the safety design requirements for the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) fuel, it is determined that "the as-fabricated failure fraction shall be less than 0.2%" and "the additional failure fraction shall be small through the full service period". Therefore the failure fraction should be quantitatively evaluated during the HTTR operation. In order to measure the primary coolant activity, primary coolant radioactivity signals the in safety protection system, the fuel failure detection (FFD) system and the primary coolant sampling system are provided in the HTTR. The fuel and fission product behavior was evaluated based on measured data in the rise-to-power tests (1) to (4). The measured fractional releases are constant at 210 up to 60% of the reactor power, and then increase to 710 at full power operation. The prediction shows good agreement with the measured value. These results showed that the release mechanism varied from recoil to diffusion of the generated fission gas from the contaminated uranium in the fuel compact matrix.