Microstructural observation of simulated fuel kernels for Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor in Japan

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.

High-temperature strength of modified type 316 steel for fast reactor fuel before and after neutron irradiation

Miyazawa, Takeshi; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Yano, Yasuhide; Tanno, Takashi; Otsuka, Satoshi; Onizawa, Takashi; Ando, Masanori; Kaito, Takeji

JAEA-Technology 2024-009, 140 Pages, 2024/10

JAEA-Technology-2024-009.pdf:8.03MB

For the purpose of enhancing the reliability of fast reactor fuel designing using modified type 316 steel, the out-of-pile and in-pile mechanical data of modified type 316 steel cladding tubes and wrapper tubes were statistically analyzed with the knowledge on material science and engineering; the high-temperature strength equations of modified type 316 steel, which can be applied to high-dose neutron irradiation environment, were derived. The out-of-pile high-temperature tensile and creep data of modified type 316 steel cladding tubes and wrapper tubes were derived up to 900C, which is higher than the upper limit temperature of anticipated transient event of fast reactor. Using the extended database, the best-fit equation and the lower limit equation were derived for out-of-pile 0.2% proof strength, ultimate tensile strength and creep rupture strength while the best-fit equation and the upper and lower limit equations for creep strain. Furthermore, the degradation factors for tensile and creep strength, which will be produced by in-reactor environment (i.e., neutron irradiation in liquid sodium), were evaluated using the existing neutron irradiation data of modified type 316 steel, which were derived using the experimental fast reactor Joyo, the French proto-type fast reactor Phenix, the American experimental fast reactor FFTF. The derived equations were validated by the comparison with the experimental data.

High-temperature rupture failure of high-burnup LWR-MOX fuel under a reactivity-initiated accident condition

Taniguchi, Yoshinori; Mihara, Takeshi; Kakiuchi, Kazuo; Udagawa, Yutaka

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 195, p.110144_1 - 110144_11, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2023.110144

Microstructural evolution of intermetallic phase precipitates in Cr-coated zirconium alloy cladding in high-temperature steam oxidation up to 1400C

Mohamad, A. B.; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Furumoto, Kenichiro*; Okada, Yuji*; Sato, Daiki*

Corrosion Science, 224, p.111540_1 - 111540_15, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.corsci.2023.111540

Collection of strength characteristic data used for analysis evaluation in reactor pressure vessel and in-core structures in accident

Shimomura, Kenta; Yamashita, Takuya; Nagae, Yuji

JAEA-Data/Code 2022-012, 270 Pages, 2023/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2022-012.pdf:38.25MB

In a light water reactor, which is a commercial nuclear power plant, a severe accident such as loss of cooling function in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and exposure of fuel rods due to a drop in the water level in the reactor can occur when a trouble like loss of all AC power occurs. In the event of such a severe accident, the RPV may be damaged due to in-vessel conditions (temperature, molten materials, etc.) and leakage of radioactive materials from the reactor may occur. Verification and estimation of the process of RPV damage, molten fuel debris spillage and expansion, etc. during accident progression will provide important information for decommissioning work. Possible causes of RPV failure include failure due to loads and restraints applied to the RPV substructure (mechanical failure), failure due to the current eutectic state of low-melting metals and high-melting oxides with the RPV bottom members (failure due to inter-material reactions), and failure near the melting point of the structural members at the RPV bottom. Among the failure factors, mechanical failure is verified by numerical analysis (thermal hydraulics and structural analysis). When conducting such a numerical analysis, the heat transfer properties (thermal conductivity, specific heat, density) and material properties (thermal conductivity, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, tensile, creep) of the materials (zirconium, boron carbide, stainless steel, nickel-based alloy, low alloy steel, etc.) constituting the RPV and in-core structures to near the melting point are required to evaluate the creep failure of the RPV. In this document, we compiled data on the properties of base materials up to the melting point of each material constituting the RPV and in-core structures, based on published literature. In addition, because welds exist in the RPV and in-core structures, the data on welds are also included in this report, although they are limited.

Concepts and basic designs of various nuclear fuels, 5; Fuels for high temperature gas-cooled reactor and molten salt reactor

Ueta, Shohei; Sasaki, Koei; Arita, Yuji*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 63(8), p.615 - 620, 2021/08

https://doi.org/10.3327/jaesjb.63.8_615

no abstracts in English

Neutron diffraction study on the deuterium composition of nickel deuteride at high temperatures and high pressures

Saito, Hiroyuki*; Machida, Akihiko*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Sato, Toyoto*; Orimo, Shinichi*; Aoki, Katsutoshi*

Physica B; Condensed Matter, 587, p.412153_1 - 412153_6, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2020.412153

The site occupancy of deuterium (D) atoms in face-centered-cubic nickel (fcc Ni) was measured along a cooling path from 1073 to 300 K at an initial pressure of 3.36 GPa via in situ neutron powder diffraction. Deuterium atoms predominantly occupy the octahedral (O) sites and slightly occupy the tetrahedral (T) sites of the fcc metal lattice. The O-site occupancy increases from 0.4 to 0.85 as the temperature is lowered from 1073 to 300 K. Meanwhile, the T-site occupancy remains c.a. 0.02. The temperature-independent behavior of the T-site occupancy is unusual, and its process is not yet understood. From the linear relation between the expanded lattice volume and D content, a D-induced volume expansion of 2.09(13) atom was obtained. This value is in agreement with the values of 2.14-2.2 atom previously reported for Ni and Ni Fe alloy.

Code-B-2.5.2 for stress calculation for SiC-TRISO fuel particle

Aihara, Jun; Goto, Minoru; Ueta, Shohei; Tachibana, Yukio

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-018, 22 Pages, 2020/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-018.pdf:1.39MB

Concept of Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) was proposed for 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. On the other hand, we have developed Code-B-2.5.2 for prediction of pressure vessel failure probabilities of SiC-tri-isotropic (TRISO) coated fuel particles for HTGRs under operation by modification of an existing code, Code-B-2. The main purpose of modification is preparation of applying code for CFPs of Pu-burner HTGR. In this report, basic formulae are described.

Flow separation at inlet causing transition and intermittency in circular pipe flow

Ogawa, Masuro*

JAEA-Technology 2019-010, 22 Pages, 2019/07

JAEA-Technology-2019-010.pdf:1.5MB

Transition phenomena from laminar to turbulent flow are roughly classified into three categories. Circular pipe flow of the third category is linearly stable against any small disturbance, despite that flow actually transitions and transitional flow exhibits intermittency. These are among major challenges that are yet to be resolved in fluid dynamics. Thus, author proposes hypothesis as follows; "Flow in a circular pipe transitions from laminar flow because of vortices released from separation bubble forming in vicinity of inlet of pipe, and transitional flow becomes intermittent because vortex-shedding is intermittent." Present hypothesis can easily explain why linear stability theory has not been able to predict transition in circular pipe flow, why circular pipe flow actually transitions, why transitional flow actually exhibits intermittency even due to small disturbance, and why numerical analysis has not been able to predict intermittency of transitional flow in circular pipe.

Effects of environmental factors inside the crevice on corrosion of stainless steel in high temperature water

Yamamoto, Masahiro; Sato, Tomonori; Igarashi, Takahiro; Ueno, Fumiyoshi; Soma, Yasutaka

Proceedings of European Corrosion Congress 2017 (EUROCORR 2017) and 20th ICC & Process Safety Congress 2017 (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/09

The authors have studied the differences between outer surface and the crevice-like portion of SUS316L in high pressurized and high temperature water containing dissolved oxygen. We have already introduced that changes in the characteristics of corrosion products along the crevice directions and gap width. It is suggested that the environmental conditions are different with the features of crevice from these results. In this report, we introduce the changes in oxide films with crevice gaps and comparison with the numerical simulation data utilizing of FEM calculation.