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Miyahara, Shinya*; Koie, Ryusuke*; Uno, Masayoshi*; Kawaguchi, Munemichi*; Sato, Rika; Seino, Hiroshi
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 446(Part A), p.114523_1 - 114523_14, 2026/01
Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Nakamine, Yoshiaki*; Imai, Yasutomo*; Tanaka, Masaaki
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2025-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2025/09
In the design of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), it is important to evaluate the transition behavior of non-condensable gas entrained into the primary coolant system due to cover gas entrainment and dissolution. In this study, trajectories of non-condensable gas bubbles in the cold plenum of the pool-type SFR evaluated by three-dimensional CFD analyses applying Discrete Phase Model. As the result of sensitivity analyses regarding bubble radius flowing into the cold plenum, it was clarified that the release rate of bubbles showed an increase according to the increase of bubble radius and an asymptotic increasing behavior in the large bubble radius cases.
Ito, Kei*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Odaira, Naoya*; Ito, Daisuke*; Saito, Yasushi*
Nihon Kikai Gakkai 2025-Nendo Nenji Taikai Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2025/09
The estimation of entrained gas flow rate by a bathtub vortex is important in terms of a possibility to causes the performance degradation when the entrained bubbles are mixed into fluid machineries, e.g. pumps. In this study, to confirm the applicability of a model based on circulating annular flow model proposed by the authors, entrained gas flow rate is evaluated using the liquid velocity distribution around free surface dent of vortex (gas core), obtained by CFD data. As a result, it was indicated that it would be possible to evaluate the gas entrainment flow rate by setting an appropriate evaluation region.
Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Kubo, Shinji; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Shinohara, Masanori; Saikusa, Akio; Nojiri, Naoki; Saito, Kenji; Furusawa, Takayuki; et al.
JAEA-Research 2025-005, 23 Pages, 2025/07
JAEA-Research-2025-005.pdf:2.68MB
A safety demonstration test under abnormal operating conditions using the HTTR (High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor) was conducted to demonstrate safety features of the HTGRs (High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors). Under a simulation of a control rod shutdown failure, all primary helium gas circulators were intentionally stopped during a steady-state operation at 100% reactor thermal power (30 MW), temporal changes of the reactor power and temperatures around the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) were obtained after the complete loss of forced heat removal from the reactor core. After the event (primary coolant flow stopped), the reactor power quickly decreased due to the negative reactivity feedback associated with the core temperature rise, and then the reactor power spontaneously shifted to a stable state of low power (about 1.2%) even after a recriticality. Heat dissipation from RPV surface to a surrounding vessel cooling system (water-cooled panels) ensured the amount of heat removal required to maintain the reactor temperature constant in the low power state. In this way, the transition from the event occurrence to the stable and safety state, i.e., inherent safety features of HTGRs, were demonstrated in the case of core forced cooling loss without active shutdown operations.
Auh, Y. H.*; Neal, N. N.*; Arole, K.*; Regis, N. A.*; Nguyen, T.*; Ogawa, Shuichi*; Tsuda, Yasutaka; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Radovic, M.*; Green, M. J.*; et al.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 17(21), p.31392 - 31402, 2025/05
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Nanoscience & Nanotechnology)Aihara, Jun; Ueta, Shohei; Honda, Masaki*; Kasahara, Seiji; Okamoto, Koji*
JAEA-Research 2024-012, 98 Pages, 2025/02
JAEA-Research-2024-012.pdf:32.24MB
Concept of Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) was proposed for the purpose of more safely reducing amount of recovered Pu. In Pu-burner HTGR concept, coated fuel particle (CFP), with ZrC coated yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) containing PuO
(PuO-YSZ) small particle and with tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) coating, is employed for very high burn-up and high nuclear proliferation resistance. ZrC layer is oxygen getter. In research project of Pu-burner HTGR carried out from fiscal year of 2014 to fiscal year of 2017, simulated CFPs were fabricated using Ce to simulate Pu. Moreover, simulated fuel compacts were fabricated using fabricated simulated CFPs. In this report, results of microstructural observation of CeO-YSZ and ZrC layer at each fabrication step are reported.
Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Imai, Yasutomo*; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Sakai, Takaaki*
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 432, p.113785_1 - 113785_16, 2025/02
Times Cited Count：1 Percentile：35.03(Nuclear Science & Technology)Establishing an evaluation method for the gas entrainment (GE) of argon cover gas due to surface vortices is required in terms of safety design of sodium-cooled fast reactors. To modify the evaluation model in an in-house evaluation tool for GE, StreamViewer, a modified evaluation model on the pressure distribution along the vortex center line (PVL model) was proposed to identify the vortex center lines by connecting continuous vortex center points from the suction port to the surface and evaluate gas core length based on the balance between the hydrostatic pressure and the pressure decrease distribution along the vortex center line. PVL model was applied the three-dimensional numerical analysis results for the experiments where a plate induced unsteady traveling vortices in the open channel flow. Consequently, the GE evaluation using StreamViewer with PVL model could reproduce the relation between the inlet flow velocity and the gas core length in the unsteady vortex flow experiments.
Kogawa, Hiroyuki; Wakui, Takashi; Futakawa, Masatoshi
Fluids (Internet), 10(1), p.3_1 - 3_15, 2025/01
Microbubbles have been applied in various fields. In mercury targets of spallation neutron sources, where cavitation damage is a crucial issue for the life estimation, microbubbles are injected into the mercury to absorb the thermal expansion of the mercury caused by the pulsed proton beam injection and reduce the macroscopic pressure waves, and result in reducing the damage. Recently, when the proton beam power was increased and the amount of injected gas bubbles was increased, unique damage morphologies were observed on solid-liquid interface. Detailed observation and numerical analyses revealed that the microscopic pressure emitted from the gas bubbles contracting is sufficient to form pit damage; i.e. the directions of streak-like defects which are formed by connecting pit damage coincides with the direction of gas bubble trajectories, and the distances between pits was understandable taking the natural period of gas bubble vibration into account. This indicates that the gas microbubbles to reduce the macroscopic pressure waves have potential to be inceptions of the cavitation damage due to the microscopic pressure emitted from gas bubbles. To completely mitigate the damage, we have to consider the two effects of injecting gas bubbles; reducing macroscopic pressure waves and microscopic pressure due to bubble dynamics.
Takeda, Takeshi
JAEA-Data/Code 2024-014, 76 Pages, 2024/12
JAEA-Data-Code-2024-014.pdf:4.0MB
An experiment denoted as SB-PV-03 was conducted on November 19, 2002 using the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) in the Rig of Safety Assessment-V (ROSA-V) Program. The ROSA/LSTF experiment SB-PV-03 simulated a 0.2% pressure vessel bottom small-break loss-of-coolant accident in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). The test assumptions included total failure of high pressure injection system of emergency core cooling system (ECCS) and noncondensable gas (nitrogen gas) inflow to the primary system from accumulator (ACC) tanks of ECCS. Secondary-side depressurization of both steam generators (SGs) as an accident management (AM) action to achieve the depressurization rate of 55 K/h in the primary system was initiated 10 min after the generation of a safety injection signal, and continued afterwards. Auxiliary feedwater injection into the secondary-side of both SGs was started for 30 min with some delay after the onset of the AM action. The AM action was effective on the primary depressurization until the ACC tanks began to discharge nitrogen gas into the primary system. The core liquid level recovered in oscillative manner because of intermittent coolant injection from the ACC system into both cold legs. Therefore, the core liquid level remained at a small drop. The pressure difference between the primary and SG secondary sides became larger after nitrogen gas ingress. Core uncovery occurred by core boil-off during reflux condensation in the SG U-tubes under nitrogen gas influx. When the maximum cladding surface temperature of simulated fuel rods exceeded the pre-determined value of 908 K, the core power was automatically reduced to protect the LSTF core. After the automatic core power reduction, coolant injection from low pressure injection (LPI) system of ECCS into both cold legs led to the whole core quench. After the continuous core cooling was confirmed through the actuation of the LPI system, the experiment was terminated.
Hayakawa, Satoshi*; Hagiwara, Hiroyuki*; Imamura, Akira*; Onoda, Yuichi; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nakamura, Hironori*
Proceedings of 13th Korea-Japan Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS13) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/11
In a sodium-cooled fast reactor, a cover gas region filled with argon gas is located above the sodium pool in the main vessel to prevent the hot sodium from contacting the structures. This region involves heat transportation by natural convection of the cover gas, radiation among liquid surface and structures, and sodium phase change between mist and vapor. In this study, the numerical evaluation method has been developed with a commercial CFD code, Fluent, incorporating the sodium mist transport and growth models, and the radiation scattering model. Simulations of a laboratory scale test with a cylindrical cover gas region was carried out for the validation of the method and showed that the temperature distribution and sodium mist concentration in the cover gas region are in good agreements with the test results. A simulation of a pool-type sodium cooled fast reactor has also conducted and the basic aspect of physical phenomena taking place in the cover gas region were evaluated.
Takeda, Takeshi; Shibata, Taiju
JAEA-Review 2024-040, 29 Pages, 2024/09
JAEA-Review-2024-040.pdf:1.33MB
An important theme of Japan's 6th strategic energy plan is to indicate the energy policy path towards carbon neutrality by 2050. Policy responses for Japan's nuclear energy research and development (R&D) towards 2030 contain the demonstrations of technologies for small modular reactors (SMRs) through international cooperation by 2030. In light of this energy plan, basic policy initiatives over the next 10 years have been compiled to realize Green Transformation (GX), which simultaneously achieves decarbonization and economic growth. Looking overseas, activities of SMR R&D are active internationally, mainly in the US, Canada, Europe, China, and Russia. These activities are not only by heavy industry manufactures and R&D institutes, but also by venture companies. Under these circumstances, the NEA CSNI has gathered an Expert Group on SMRs (EGSMR) to help estimate the safety effects of SMRs. The EGSMR efforts required the submission of responses to several questionnaires whose main purpose was to collect the latest information on the efforts of SMR deployment and research. The first author of this report responded to this based on information from Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. as well as JAEA. Most of the responses from Japan to the questionnaires are the information that serves as the basis of CSNI Technical Opinion Paper No. 21 (TOP-21). In this report, the Japan's publicly available responses to the questionnaires arranged and additional information are explained, which complements some of the content of the TOP-21. In this manner, the investigation results of R&D related to SMR in Japan, focusing on the EGSMR activities (2022-2023), are summarized. The target of this report is to provide useful information for future discussions on international cooperation concerning SMR as well as nuclear power field human resources development internationally and domestically.
Machida, Shinichi*; Hattori, Takanori; Nakano, Satoshi*; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Abe, Jun*
Koatsuryoku No Kagaku To Gijutsu, 34(3), p.134 - 142, 2024/09
A diamond anvil cell (DAC) for high-pressure neutron diffraction experiments has been developed at the PLANET beamline, Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility, in J-PARC. The conically supported diamond anvils were used for high-pressure generation. We succeeded in obtaining the neutron data for D
O ice up to 69.4 GPa. In addition, the gasket materials suitable for the neutron diffraction measurements were investigated. 11 kinds of alloys were tested and SUS304, Inconel718 and M2052 (73Mn-20Cu-5Ni-2Fe, at%) alloys showed excellent performance. Especially, M2052 null-matrix alloy has proven to be useful for neutron diffraction experiments where the beam inevitably hits the gasket. We then obtained refinable neutron diffraction profiles in Rietveld analysis from DO ice at least up to 43.3 GPa.
Nemoto, Takahiro; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Arakawa, Ryoki; Choyama, Yuya; Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; et al.
JAEA-Technology 2024-003, 17 Pages, 2024/06
JAEA-Technology-2024-003.pdf:1.91MB
In order to investigate the cause of the increase in differential pressure in the primary helium circulator filter that occurred during the RS-14 cycle, a clogged filter was investigated. As a result of the investigation, deposits caused by silicone oil were confirmed on the surface of the filter element. These results revealed that the cause of filter clogging was silicone oil mixed into the primary system due to performance deterioration of the charcoal filter in the gas circulator of primary helium purification system. As a measure to prevent the recurrence of this event, in addition to the conventional management based on operating hours for replacing of charcoal filter in the gas circulator of primary helium purification system, we have established a new replacement plan for every three years.
Takeda, Takeshi
JAEA-Data/Code 2023-012, 75 Pages, 2023/10
JAEA-Data-Code-2023-012.pdf:4.45MB
An experiment denoted as TR-LF-15 was conducted on June 11, 2014 using the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) in the Rig of Safety Assessment-V (ROSA-V) Program. The ROSA/LSTF experiment TR-LF-15 simulated accident management (AM) actions during a station blackout transient with TMLB' scenario with pump seal loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). This scenario is featured by loss of auxiliary feedwater functions. The pump seal LOCA was simulated by a 0.1% cold leg break. The test assumptions included total failure of both high pressure injection system and low pressure injection system of emergency core cooling system (ECCS). Also, it was presumed non-condensable gas (nitrogen gas) inflow to the primary system from accumulator (ACC) tanks of ECCS. When steam generator (SG) secondary-side collapsed liquid level dropped to a certain low liquid level, the primary pressure turned to rise. After the SG secondary-side became voided, the safety valve of a pressurizer cyclically opened which led to loss of primary coolant. Core uncovery thus took place owing to core boil-off at high pressure. When an increase of 10 K was confirmed in cladding surface temperature of simulated fuel rods, SG secondary-side depressurization was started as the first AM action. At that time, the safety valves in both SGs were fully opened. Primary depressurization was initiated by completely opening the pressurizer safety valve as the second AM action with some delay after the first AM action onset. When the SG secondary-side pressure lowered to 1.0 MPa following the first AM action, water was injected into the secondary-side of both SGs via feedwater lines with low-head pumps as the third AM action. A reduction in the primary pressure was accelerated because the heat removal from the SG secondary-side system resumed shortly after the third AM action initiation.
Kamide, Hideki; Kawasaki, Nobuchika; Hayafune, Hiroki; Kubo, Shigenobu; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Maeda, Seiichiro; Sagayama, Yutaka; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Sumita, Junya; Shibata, Taiju; et al.
Jisedai Genshiro Ga Hiraku Atarashii Shijo; NSA/Commentaries, No.28, p.14 - 36, 2023/10
Developments of next generation nuclear reactors, e.g., Fast Reactor, and High Temperature Gas cooled Reactor, are in progress. They can contribute to markets of electricity and industrial heat utilization in the world including Japan. Here, current status of reactor developments in Japan and also situation in the world are summarized, especially for activities of Generation IV International Forum (GIF), developments of Fast Reactor and High Temperature Gas cooled Reactor in Japan, and SMR movements in the world.
Nemoto, Takahiro; Arakawa, Ryoki; Kawakami, Satoru; Nagasumi, Satoru; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Watanabe, Masashi; Onishi, Takashi; Kawamoto, Taiki; Furusawa, Takayuki; Inoi, Hiroyuki; et al.
JAEA-Technology 2023-005, 33 Pages, 2023/05
JAEA-Technology-2023-005.pdf:5.25MB
During shut down of the HTTR (High Temperature engineering Test Reactor) RS-14 cycle, an increasing trend of filter differential pressure for the helium gas circulator was observed. In order to investigate this phenomenon, the blower of the primary helium purification system was disassembled and inspected. As a result, it is clear that the silicon oil mist entered into the primary coolant due to the deterioration of the charcoal filter performance. The replacement and further investigation of the filter are planning to prevent the reoccurrence of the same phenomenon in the future.
Song, K.*; Ito, Kei*; Ito, Daisuke*; Odaira, Naoya*; Saito, Yasushi*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki
Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05
Gas entrainment (GE) phenomena caused by a free surface vortex may cause the disturbance in core power of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). For this reason, the entrained gas flow rate by the GE should be evaluated accurately for the practical safety design of SFRs. In this study, for the purpose of examining the applicability of CFD for the accurate evaluation of GE phenomena, a CFD is applied to the simulation of the free surface vortex and accompanied GE phenomena in a cylindrical vessel with a suction pipe, and the CFD results and the experimental data of the GE are compared. As a result, the CFD and experiments show similar two-phase flow pattern inside the suction pipe, and the shape of the gas core at the free surface is also very similar. Therefore, it is confirmed that the CFD can predict the GE phenomena triggered by a free surface vortex properly and accurately within the acceptable error range.
Yamashita, Kiyoto; Yokoyama, Aya*; Takagai, Yoshitaka*; Maki, Shota; Yokosuka, Kazuhiro; Fukui, Masahiro; Iemura, Keisuke
JAEA-Technology 2022-020, 106 Pages, 2022/10
JAEA-Technology-2022-020.pdf:4.77MB
Radioactive solid wastes generated by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station disaster may contain high levels of salt from the tsunami and seawater deliberately released into the area. It is assumed that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products may be used for decommissioning work and for containment of radioactive wastes in the future. Among the method of handling them, incineration is one method that needs to be investigated as it is good method for reduction and stabilization of wastes. But in order to dispose of Trans-Uranic (TRU) solid waste containing chlorides, it is necessary to select the structure and materials of the facility based on the information such as the movement of nuclides and chlorides in the waste gas treating system and the corrosion of equipment due to chlorides. Therefore, we decided to get various data necessary to design a study of the incineration facilities. And we decided to examine the transfer behavior of chlorides to the waste gas treatment system, the corrosion-resistance of materials in the incineration facilities, and the distribution survey of plutonium in them obtained using the Plutonium-contaminated Waste Treatment Facility (PWTF), Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, which is a unique incinerating facility in Japan. This report describes the transfer behavior of chlorides in the waste gas treatment system, the evaluation of corrosion-resistance materials and the distribution survey of plutonium in the incineration facilities obtained by these tests using the Plutonium-contaminated Waste Treatment Facility, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories.
Katsumi, Toshiyuki; Thwe Thwe, A.; Kadowaki, Satoshi
Journal of Visualization, 25(5), p.1075 - 1083, 2022/10
Times Cited Count：3 Percentile：22.85(Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications)Lean combustion and inert-gas addition are useful to control the burning velocity of hydrogen premixed flames, and it is well known that the cellular structure forms on the front of lean hydrogen flames owing to intrinsic instability. However, the influences of inert-gas addition on the instability phenomena of lean hydrogen premixed flames are not understood fully, and then it is needed to be investigated the flame instability experimentally. In the experiments, the cellular structure and fluctuation of H/O/inert gases (Ar, N,CO) premixed flames on a flat burner were obtained using direct observation, laser diagnostics and light emission intensity to elucidate the characteristics of instability phenomena. As the results, the correlation of inert-gas addition, equivalence ratio and total flow rate with the characteristics of cellular flames was revealed, and the influences of these parameters on flame instability were discussed.
Alzahrani, H.*; Matsushita, Kentaro; Sakai, Takaaki*; Ezure, Toshiki; Tanaka, Masaaki
Proceedings of 12th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS12) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2022/10
Development of evaluation method for cover gas entrainment (GE) by vortices generated at free surface in upper plenum of sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) is required. An evaluation method by predicting vortices from flow velocity distribution obtained by 3D CFD analysis is developed, and Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) method is examined to improve efficiency of CFD analysis is examined. In this study, mesh refinement with two conditions were examined. The first one is to use negative second invariant of velocity gradient tensor, Q, and the second one is to use pressure gradient condition with Q
0. As a result of applying AMR method to unsteady vortices system with a flat plate, the mesh near stagnation area around flat plate was refined in the latter condition compared with the former. Transient analyses were performed with refined mesh by AMR method, the result of mesh using the latter condition was closer to the result of all refined mesh with pressure distribution near flat plate.
