Modelling heterogeneous hydration behaviour of bentonite by a FracMan-Thames coupling method for the Bentonite Rock Interaction Experiment (BRIE) at sp HRL

Sawada, Atsushi; Sakamoto, Kazuhiko*; Watahiki, Takanori*; Imai, Hisashi*

SKB P-17-06, 154 Pages, 2023/08

Large-eddy simulation on gas mixing induced by the high-buoyancy flow in the CIGMA facility

Abe, Satoshi; Shibamoto, Yasuteru

Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 55(5), p.1742 - 1756, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2023.01.019

Dynamic probabilistic risk assessment of seismic-induced flooding in pressurized water reactor by seismic, flooding, and thermal-hydraulics simulations

Kubo, Kotaro; Jang, S.*; Takata, Takashi*; Yamaguchi, Akira*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(4), p.359 - 373, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2100837

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is an essential approach to improving the safety of nuclear power plants. However, this method includes certain difficulties, such as modeling of combinations of multiple hazards. Seismic-induced flooding scenario includes several core damage sequences, i.e., core damage caused by earthquake, flooding, and combination of earthquake and flooding. The flooding fragility is time-dependent as the flooding water propagates from the water source such as a tank to compartments. Therefore, dynamic PRA should be used to perform a realistic risk analysis and quantification. This study analyzed the risk of seismic-induced flooding events by coupling seismic, flooding, and thermal-hydraulics simulations, considering the dependency between multiple hazards explicitly. For requirements of safety improvement, especially in light of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, sensitivity analysis was performed on the seismic capacity of systems, and the effectiveness of alternative steam generator injection by a portable pump was estimated. We demonstrate the use of this simulation-based dynamic PRA methodology to evaluate the risk induced by a combination of hazards.

Quantitative evaluation of long-term state changes of contaminated reinforced concrete considering the actual environments for rational disposal (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; The University of Tokyo*

JAEA-Review 2022-057, 98 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Review-2022-057.pdf:8.5MB

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 FY2021. 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 "Quantitative evaluation of long-term state changes of contaminated reinforced concrete considering the actual environments for rational disposal" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to construct a database for quantitative prediction of contaminated reinforced concrete inside the reactor building. In FY2021, data on deformation and water movement caused by drying and reabsorption of mortar were obtained to evaluate the mesoscale cracking behavior of concrete. A rigidbody spring model was used to develop a program that can consider changes in concrete age and temperature, water, and stress conditions. To evaluate the long-term penetration behavior of radionuclides into the factual matrix, data on sorption …

Summaries of research and development activities by using supercomputer system of JAEA in FY2021 (April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022)

HPC Technology Promotion Office

JAEA-Review 2022-035, 219 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Review-2022-035.pdf:10.94MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) conducts research and development (R&D) in various fields related to nuclear power as a comprehensive institution of nuclear energy R&Ds, and utilizes computational science and technology in many activities. As shown in the fact that about 20 percent of papers published by JAEA are concerned with R&D using computational science, the supercomputer system of JAEA has become an important infrastructure to support computational science and technology. In FY2021, the system was used for R&D aiming to restore Fukushima (environmental recovery and nuclear installation decommissioning) as a priority issue, as well as for JAEA's major projects such as research and development of fast reactor cycle technology, research for safety improvement in the field of nuclear energy, and basic nuclear science and engineering research. This report presents a great number of R&D results accomplished by using the system in FY2021, as well as user support, operational records and overviews of the system, and so on.

A 3D particle-based simulation of heat and mass transfer behavior in the EAGLE ID1 in-pile test

Zhang, T.*; Morita, Koji*; Liu, X.*; Liu, W.*; Kamiyama, Kenji

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 179, p.109389_1 - 109389_10, 2022/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109389

Quantitative analysis of radioactivity distribution by imaging of high radiation field environment using gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy (Contract research); FY2020 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Kyoto University*

JAEA-Review 2022-027, 85 Pages, 2022/11

JAEA-Review-2022-027.pdf:5.72MB

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 FY2020. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F), 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 FY2018, this report summarizes the research results of the "Quantitative analysis of radioactivity distribution by imaging of high radiation field environment using gamma-ray imaging spectroscopy" conducted from FY2018 to FY2021 (this contract was extended to FY2021). Since the final year of this proposal was FY2021, the results for four fiscal years were summarized. In this study, ETCC, a gamma-ray imaging system, was modified to be a portable device that can be used in 1F decommissioning project and can operate in high-dose environments. ETCC is the world's first gamma-ray camera capable of complete bijective imaging, the same as an optical camera. Therefore, ETCC can make general quantitative image analysis methods applicable to radiation, …

Assessment report of research on development activities in FY 2021 Activity; "Computational Science and Technology Research" (Result and in-advance evaluation)

Center for Computational Science & e-Systems

JAEA-Evaluation 2022-003, 61 Pages, 2022/11

JAEA-Evaluation-2022-003.pdf:1.42MB
JAEA-Evaluation-2022-003-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:6.16MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as "JAEA") consults an assessment committee, "Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Computational Science and Technology Research" (hereinafter referred to as "Committee") for result and in-advance evaluation of "Computational Science and Technology Research", in accordance with "General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R&D) Activities" by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, "Guideline for Evaluation of R&D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology" and "Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R&D Activities" by the JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Center for Computational Science and e-Systems (hereinafter referred to as "CCSE"). The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of the CCSE based on explanatory documents prepared by the CCSE, and oral presentations with questions-and answers.

Experimental and numerical study on energy separation in vortex tube with a hollow helical fin (Joint research)

Kureta, Masatoshi; Yamagata, Yoji*; Miyakoshi, Ken*; Mashii, Tatsuya*; Miura, Yoshiaki*; Takahashi, Kazunori*

JAEA-Research 2022-007, 28 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Research-2022-007.pdf:8.17MB

To enhance energy separation in a counter-current Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube, a newly designed hollow helical fin was inserted into the hot tube of the vortex tube. In this study, the effect of the fin on the energy separation was investigated using three types of the vortex tube, and then computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation has been conducted to understand the experimental results and discuss the flow structure in the vortex tube with the hollow helical fin. As a result, it was found from the experimental data that the fin effectively enhanced energy separation, and that the tube length could be shorten. When the inlet air pressure was 0.5 MPa, the maximum temperature difference from the inlet to the cold exit was 62.2C. The CFD code employing the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) turbulence model was used to analyze the fluid dynamics in the vortex tube. As a result, it was confirmed that the temperature, velocity, and pressure distributions changed significantly at the stagnation point, and that the distributions in the tube with the fin were completely different from those without the fin. It was thought that a strong reversing helical vortex flow with small recirculating vortex structure formed between the fin end and the stagnation point on the cold exit side would enhance energy separation in the vortex tube with the hollow helical fin.

Numerical simulation of annular dispersed flow in simplified subchannel of light water cooled fast reactor RBWR

Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Horiguchi, Naoki; Ono, Ayako; Furuichi, Hajime*; Katono, Kenichi*

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2022/08