Development of a hybrid method for evaluating the long-term structural soundness of nuclear reactor buildings using response monitoring and damage imaging technologies (Contract research); FY2022 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tohoku University*

JAEA-Review 2023-048, 151 Pages, 2024/05

JAEA-Review-2023-048.pdf:8.48MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2022. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of a hybrid method for evaluating the long-term structural soundness of nuclear reactor buildings using response monitoring and damage imaging technologies" conducted in FY2022. The present study aims to develop an evaluation method necessary to obtain a perspective on the long term structural soundness of accident-damaged reactor buildings, where accessibility to work sites is extremely limited due to high radiation dose rate and high contamination. In FY2022, the second year of the three-year plan, some tests and other activities on the following research items were conducted following FY2021, based on the specific research methods and research directions clarified in FY2021.

First demonstration of a single-end readout position-sensitive optical fiber radiation sensor inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station based on wavelength-resolving analysis

Terasaka, Yuta; Sato, Yuki; Uritani, Akira*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1062, p.169227_1 - 169227_6, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169227

Determination of Sr in highly radioactive aqueous samples via conversion to a kinetically stable 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid complex followed by concentration-separation-fractionation based on capillary electrophoresis-liquid scintillation

Ouchi, Kazuki; Haraga, Tomoko; Hirose, Kazuki*; Kurosawa, Yuika*; Sato, Yoshiyuki; Shibukawa, Masami*; Saito, Shingo*

Analytica Chimica Acta, 1298, p.342399_1 - 342399_7, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2024.342399

Given that conventional methods of high-dose sample analysis pose substantial exposure risks and generate large amounts of secondary radioactive waste, faster procedures allowing for decreased radiation emission are highly desirable. To address this need, we developed a Sr quantitation technique that is based on liquid scintillation counting-coupled capillary transient isotachophoresis (ctITP) with two-point detection and relies on the rapid concentration, separation, and fractionation of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-complexed Sr in a single run. This method, which allows for the handling of high-dose radioactive specimens at the microliter level and is substantially faster than conventional ion-exchange protocols, was used to selectively quantify Sr in real high-dose waste. The successful concentration-separation in ctITP was ascribed to the inertness of the Sr-DOTA complex to dissociation.

High sensitivity of a future search for effects of -odd/-odd interactions on the 0.75 eV -wave resonance in + forward transmission determined using a pulsed neutron beam

Nakabe, Rintaro*; Auton, C. J.*; Endo, Shunsuke; Fujioka, Hiroyuki*; Gudkov, V.*; Hirota, Katsuya*; Ide, Ikuo*; Ino, Takashi*; Ishikado, Motoyuki*; Kambara, Wataru*; et al.

Physical Review C, 109(4), p.L041602_1 - L041602_4, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.109.L041602

Background radiation monitoring via manned helicopter and development of technology for radiation monitoring via unmanned airplane for application of nuclear emergency response technique in the fiscal year 2022 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Sasaki, Miyuki; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Akutsu, Yuichiro*; Arai, Yoshinori*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-026, 161 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-026.pdf:14.66MB

By the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), caused by tsunami triggered by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, a large amount of radioactive material was released into the surrounding environment. After the accident, Airborne Radiation Monitoring (ARM) via manned helicopter has been utilized as a method to quickly and extensively measure radiation distribution surrounding FDNPS. In order to utilize ARM and to promptly provide the results during a nuclear emergency, information on background radiation levels, topographical features, and controlled airspace surrounding nationwide nuclear facilities have been prepared in advance. In the fiscal year 2022, we conducted ARM around the Mihama Nuclear Power Station of Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), the Tsuruga Power Station of Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), and the Ikata Power Station of Shikoku Electric Power Company (YONDEN), and prepared information on background radiation doses and controlled airspace. In addition, we have developed an aerial radiation detection system via unmanned airplane, which is expected to be an alternative to ARM, during a nuclear emergency. This report summarizes the results and technical issues identified.

Uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of L1-FeNi films with island structures on LaAlO(110) substrates by nitrogen insertion and topotactic extraction

Nishio, Takahiro*; Ito, Keita*; Kura, Hiroaki*; Takanashi, Koki; Yanagihara, Hideto*

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 976, p.172992_1 - 172992_8, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.172992

Development of rapid and sensitive radionuclide analysis method by simultaneous analysis of , , and X-rays (Contract research); FY2022 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Japan Chemical Analysis Center*

JAEA-Review 2023-022, 93 Pages, 2023/12

JAEA-Review-2023-022.pdf:4.7MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2022. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2020, this report summarizes the research results of the "Development of rapid and sensitive radionuclide analysis method by simultaneous analysis of , , and X-rays" conducted from FY2020 to FY2022. The present study aims to enable rapid analysis of radionuclides in fuel debris and waste, we have established the latest measurement system, such as the multiple -ray detection methods, and the Spectral Determination Method (hereinafter referred to as "SDM") was developed. In the research in 2022, we developed a code that handles measurement data of LSC, singles Ge, and 2D spectra (multiple ). In addition, to develop an integrated database, spectral data of 40 nuclides were obtained by actual measurements and simulation calculations.

An Estimation method for an unknown covariance in cross-section adjustment based on unbiased and consistent estimator

Maruyama, Shuhei; Endo, Tomohiro*; Yamamoto, Akio*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1372 - 1385, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2203707

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

Nakamura, Shoji; Shibahara, Yuji*; Endo, Shunsuke; Kimura, Atsushi

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

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2198526

The thermal-neutron capture cross section () and resonance integral (I) for Nb among nuclides for decommissioning were measured by an activation method and the half-life of Nb by mass analysis. Niobium-93 samples were irradiated with a hydraulic conveyer installed in the research reactor in Institute for Integral Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University. Gold-aluminum, cobalt-aluminum alloy wires were used to monitor thermal-neutron fluxes and epi-thermal Westcott's indexes at an irradiation position. A 25-m-thick gadolinium foil was used to sort out reactions ascribe to thermal-and epi-thermal neutrons. Its thickness provided a cut-off energy of 0.133 eV. In order to attenuate radioactivity of Ta due to impurities, the Nb samples were cooled for nearly 2 years. The induced radio activity in the monitors and Nb samples were measured by -ray spectroscopy. In analysis based on Westcott's convention, the and I values were derived as 1.110.04 barn and 10.50.6 barn, respectively. After the -ray measurements, mass analysis was applied to the Nb sample to obtain the reaction rate. By combining data obtained by both -ray spectroscopy and mass analysis, the half-life of Nb was derived as (2.000.15)10 years.

Hierarchical Bayesian modeling to quantify fracture limit uncertainty of high-burnup advanced fuel cladding tubes under loss-of-coolant accident conditions

Narukawa, Takafumi; Hamaguchi, Shusuke*; Takata, Takashi*; Udagawa, Yutaka

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 411, p.112443_1 - 112443_12, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112443