Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Accident analysis considering the thermal stratification and containment leakage

中村 勇気*; 小島 良洋*; 山下 拓哉; 下村 健太; 溝上 伸也

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 62(12), p.1226 - 1230, 2025/12

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2025.2570371

In 2011, at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, it has been reported that several Units of containment vessel had failed, and large quantity of radionuclides had been released into the environment, however, the detail of accident progression with core melt, reactor and containment vessel failure, has still large uncertainties. Especially for the Unit 2 and Unit 3, even they had succeeded in the initial core cooling, at last lost cooling system and fell into severe accident into large release of the fission product into the environment. To clarify these uncertainties in accident scenario, considering the latest information and several insights, the latest accident scenario for Unit 2 and Unit 3 are studied using the severe accident analysis code in this study. It is shown that both Units would result in the thermal stratification in the containment water which encouraged the containment pressure increase at the early phase of the accident. On the other hand, it would be also possible that containment leakage happened to decrease the containment pressure at the later phase of the accident.

Development of the buckling evaluation method for thick cylindrical vessels with a conical section in fast reactors made of austenitic stainless steel

岡藤 孝史*; 三浦 一浩*; 佐郷 ひろみ*; 村上 久友*; 渡壁 智祥; 安藤 勝訓; 宮崎 真之

Proceedings of the ASME 2025 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference (PVP2025) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2025/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/PVP2025-154772

The intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) and safety vessel in the demonstration reactor under design study in Japan are supposed to be designed a structure with a conical section as a transition member between cylinders with different diameters. However, the effect of the conical section on the buckling strength is not considered in both the current rules in the JSME and the proposed buckling evaluation method for cylinder structure. In this study, buckling mode and buckling load were confirmed by buckling tests of a cylindrical structure with conical section, and a buckling evaluation equation considering the effect of conical section was also examined.

核破砕中性子源水銀標的容器の材料劣化評価に対する押込み試験技術の適用

涌井 隆; 斎藤 滋; 二川 正敏

実験力学, 24(4), p.212 - 218, 2024/12

J-PARCの核破砕中性子源水銀ターゲット容器の寿命を決定する主要な要因の一つは照射損傷である。使用済み容器の材料劣化を把握するため、使用済み容器の構造材料に対する押込み試験と数値実験による逆解析を用いた評価を行う予定である。照射量の異なる2種類のイオン照射材料に対して、この評価手法を適用した。照射量の増加に伴い、引張強度が増加し、全伸びが減少することが確認された。これらの傾向は、ばらつきを考慮した微小試験片の引張試験によって報告されている材料劣化挙動と同等である。さらに、容器は繰り返し熱負荷を受け、定格最大ビーム出力では容器の温度が140Cを超えると推定されるため、温度上昇に伴う全伸びと照射材料の疲労強度の低下について検討した。

ゼオライトカラム吸着挙動解析コードZACの開発

山岸 功; 波戸 真治*; 西原 健司; 津幡 靖宏; 佐川 祐介*

JAEA-Data/Code 2024-002, 63 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Data-Code-2024-002.pdf:2.91MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2024-002-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:9.42MB

福島第一原子力発電所事故で発生した放射性セシウムを含む汚染水処理にゼオライトを充填した吸着塔が使用されている。汚染水処理が進むにつれて吸着塔内の放射性セシウムは高濃度となり、吸着塔は高い放射線源となる。吸着塔内の崩壊熱や水素発生量を評価するには、吸着塔内の放射性セシウム濃度が必要となるが、測定では評価することが容易ではないためシミュレーションによって推定される。本研究では、ゼオライトを充填した吸着塔(カラム)に放射性セシウムなどの放射性物質を注入したときの吸着塔内の濃度を算出できるゼオライトカラム吸着挙動解析(ZAC)コードを開発した。本コードの妥当性は、既存コードによる計算結果との比較および小カラム試験の実験結果との比較により確認した。本稿は開発したコードに関するモデルの詳細、コードの取扱い方および結果の妥当性を提示するものである。

Interaction of solute manganese and nickel atoms with dislocation loops in iron-based alloys irradiated with 2.8 MeV Fe ions at 400 C

Nguyen, B. V. C.*; 村上 健太*; Chena, L.*; Phongsakorn, P. T.*; Chen, X.*; 橋本 貴司; Hwang, T.*; 古澤 彰憲; 鈴木 達也*

Nuclear Materials and Energy (Internet), 39, p.101639_1 - 101639_9, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2024.101639

In reactor pressure vessel materials, the formation of Mn- and Ni-rich nanoclusters is a major cause of neutron irradiation embrittlement. The segregation of these solute atoms into dislocation loops has attracted attention as a mechanism to accelerate solute clustering. In this study, the behaviors of solute Mn and Ni atoms in Fe-0.6wt.%Ni, Fe-1.4wt.%Mn, and Fe-1.4wt.%Mn-0.6wt.%Ni alloys irradiated at 400 C up to 3 dpa were analyzed using three-dimensional atom probe tomography. Solute atom clusters were observed in all materials, and their shapes were spherical, flat, and torus in FeNi, FeMn, and FeMnNi, respectively. In ternary alloy FeMnNi, Mn and Ni atoms were concentrated in the sample in the form of arcs, and the orientation of the plane containing the arcs was estimated by comparing field desorption images. The size, number density, and orientation of this structure were found to be in good agreement with those of both types of dislocation loops, namely, b = 1/2 111 and b = 100, identified in a previous study using the same material. The positions of Ni and Mn enrichment did not fully overlap. Ni atoms tended to be concentrated more in the inner part of the loop than the Mn atoms. Mn atoms were enriched only in the vicinity of the dislocation loops, whereas Ni atoms showed a higher concentration inside the dislocation loops than in the bulk.

Verification of probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis code PASCAL for reactor pressure vessel

Lu, K.; 高見澤 悠; Li, Y.; 眞崎 浩一*; 高越 大輝*; 永井 政貴*; 南日 卓*; 村上 健太*; 関東 康祐*; 八代醍 健志*; et al.

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 10(4), p.22-00484_1 - 22-00484_13, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.22-00484

A probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis code, PASCAL, has been developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency for failure probability and failure frequency evaluation of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) considering neutron irradiation embrittlement and thermal transients. To strengthen the applicability of PASCAL, considerable efforts on verifications of the PASCAL code have been made in the past years. As a part of the verification activities, a working group consisted of different organizations from industry, universities and institutes, was established in Japan. In the early phase, the working group focused on verifying the PFM analysis functions for RPVs in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) subjected to pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events. Recently, the PASCAL code has been improved in order to run PFM analyses for both RPVs in PWRs and boiling water reactors (BWRs) subjected to a broad range of transients. Simultaneously, the working group initiated a verification plan for the improved PASCAL through independent PFM analyses by different organizations. Concretely, verification analyses for a PWR-type RPV subjected to PTS transients and a BWR-type RPV subjected to a low-temperature over pressure transient were performed using PASCAL. This paper summarizes those verification activities, including the verification plan, analysis conditions and results. Based on the verification studies, the reliability of PASCAL for probabilistic integrity assessments of Japanese RPVs was confirmed with confidence.

Thermodynamic analysis for solidification path of simulated ex-vessel corium

佐藤 拓未; 永江 勇二; 倉田 正輝; Quaini, A.*; Guneau, C.*

CALPHAD; Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry, 79, p.102481_1 - 102481_11, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.calphad.2022.102481

Investigation of the primary containment vessel inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station showed that a significant amount of the molten corium reached the bottom of the pedestal region. The molten corium and concrete likely caused a complex interaction called Molten Corium Concrete Interaction. The solidification hysteresis of these ex-vessel debris significantly influences its properties. We performed a thermodynamic analysis using the TAF-ID database to infer the solidification path of U-Zr-Al-Ca-Si-O molten corium, which was chosen for a prototypic system of ex-vessel debris. The solidification path for the CaO-rich sim-corium showed that (i) melting as a single liquid phase above 2430 K, (ii) selective solidification of the oxide-rich corium mainly consisted of fuel materials, and (iii) solidification of the remaining materials as a silicate matrix. In contrast, the solidification path for the SiO-rich corium indicated that (i) formation of liquid miscibility gap above 2200 K between U-rich and Zr-rich oxidic melts, (ii) individual precipitation of solid phases in each liquid phase.

Recent improvements of probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis code PASCAL for reactor pressure vessels

Lu, K.; 高見澤 悠; 勝山 仁哉; Li, Y.

International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, 199, p.104706_1 - 104706_13, 2022/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpvp.2022.104706

A probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis code PASCAL was developed in Japan for probabilistic integrity assessment of reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) in pressurized water reactors (PWRs) considering neutron irradiation embrittlement and pressurized thermal shock (PTS) transients. To strengthen the practical applications of PFM methodology in Japan, PASCAL has been upgraded to a new version, PASCAL5, which enables PFM analyses of RPVs in both PWRs and boiling water reactors (BWRs) subjected to a broad range of transients, including PTS and normal operational transients. In this paper, the recent improvements in PASCAL5 are described such as the incorporated stress intensity factor solutions and corresponding calculation methods for external surface cracks and embedded cracks near the RPV outer surface. In addition, the analysis conditions and evaluation models recommended for PFM analyses of Japanese RPVs in BWRs are investigated. Finally, PFM analysis examples for core region of a Japanese BWR-type model RPV subjected to two transients (i.e., low-temperature over pressure and heat-up transients) are presented using PASCAL5.

Numerical analysis of natural convection behavior in density stratification induced by external cooling of a containment vessel

石垣 将宏*; 安部 諭; Hamdani, A.; 廣瀬 意育

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 168, p.108867_1 - 108867_20, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108867

It is essential to improve computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis accuracy to estimate thermal flow in a containment vessel during a severe accident. Previous studies pointed out the importance of the influence of initial and boundary conditions on the CFD analysis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of initial and boundary conditions by numerical analysis of natural convection experiments in a large containment vessel test facility CIGMA(Containment InteGral effects Measurement Apparatus). A density stratification layer was initially formed in the vessel using helium and air, and external cooling of the vessel surface-induced natural convection. In this study, we carried out numerical simulations of the density stratification erosion driven by the natural convection using the RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes) model. As a result, the temperature boundary condition of the small internal structure in the vessel had a significant influence on the fluid temperature distribution in the vessel. The erosion velocity of the density stratification layer changed depending on the initial gas concentration distribution. Then, appropriate settings of the temperature and gas concentration conditions are necessary for accurate analysis.

A Status of experimental program to achieve in-vessel retention during core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors

神山 健司; 松場 賢一; 加藤 慎也; 今泉 悠也; Mukhamedov, N.*; Akayev, A.*; Pakhnits, A.*; Vurim, A.*; Baklanov, V.*

Proceedings of International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles; Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2022/04

To achieve in-vessel retention for mitigating the consequences of core disruptive accidents (CDAs) of sodium-cooled fast reactors, controlled material relocation (CMR) has been proposed as an effective safety concept. CMR is not only aiming at eliminating the potential for exceeding prompt criticality events that affect the integrity of the reactor vessel, but also enhancing the potential for the in-vessel cooling of degraded core materials during CDAs. Based on this concept several design measures have been studied, and, to evaluate their effectiveness, experimental evidences to show relocation of molten-core material were required. With this background, a series of experimental program called EAGLE (Experimental Acquisition of Generalized Logic to Eliminate re-criticalities) has been carried out collaboratively over 20 years between Japan Atomic Energy Agency and National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC/RK) using an out-of-pile and in-pile test facilities of NNC/RK. The EAGLE program is divided into three phases, they are called EAGLE-1, EAGLE-2 and EAGLE-3, to cover whole phase after core-melting begins. The subject for EAGLE-1 and the first half of EAGLE-2 is CMR in the early phase of CDA in which the core melting progresses rapidly driven by positive reactivity insertions. The subject for the latter half of EAGLE-2 and whole EAGLE-3 is CMR in the later phase of CDA in which the gradual core melting by decay heat and relocation and cooling of degraded core materials occurs. In the paper, the major achievement of the EAGLE program and future plans are presented.