Introduction of a new framework of safety, maintenance and quality management activities in Japan Atomic Energy Agency under the new nuclear regulatory inspection system since FY 2020

Sono, Hiroki; Sukegawa, Kazuhiro; Nomura, Norio; Okuda, Eiichi; Study Team on Safety and Maintenance; Study Team on Quality Management; Task Force on New Nuclear Regulatory Inspection Systems

JAEA-Technology 2020-013, 460 Pages, 2020/11

JAEA-Technology-2020-013.pdf:13.46MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has completed the introduction of a new frame work of safety, maintenance and quality management activities under the new acts on the Regulation of nuclear source material, nuclear fuel material and reactors since April 2020, in consideration of variety, specialty and similarity of nuclear facilities of JAEA (Power reactor in the research and development stage, Reprocessing facility, Fabrication facility, Waste treatment facility, Waste burial facility, Research reactor and Nuclear fuel material usage facility). The JAEA task forces on new nuclear regulatory inspection systems prepared new guidelines on (1) Safety and maintenance, (2) Independent inspection, (3) Welding inspection, (4) Free-access response, (5) Performance indicators and (6) Corrective action program for the JAEA's nuclear facilities. New Quality management systems and new Safety regulations were also prepared as a typical pattern of these facilities. JAEA will steadily improve these guidelines, quality management systems and safety regulations, reviewing the official activities under the new regulatory inspection system together with the Nuclear Regulation Authority and other nuclear operators.

Study of experimental core configuration of the modified STACY for measurement of criticality characteristics of fuel debris

Gunji, Satoshi; Tonoike, Kotaro; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Sono, Hiroki

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 101(Part C), p.321 - 328, 2017/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.03.002

Criticality safety of fuel debris, particularly MCCI (Molten-Core-Concrete-Interaction) products, is one of the major safety issues for decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Criticality or subcriticality condition of the fuel debris is still uncertain; its composition, location, neutron moderation, etc. are not yet confirmed. The effectiveness of neutron poison in cooling water is also uncertain for use as a criticality control of fuel debris. A database of computational models is being built by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), covering a wide range of possible conditions of such composition, neutron moderation, etc., to facilitate assessing criticality characteristics once fuel debris samples are taken and their conditions are known. The computational models also include uncertainties which are to be clarified by critical experiments. These experiments are planned and will be conducted by JAEA with the modified STACY (STAtic experiment Critical facilitY) and samples to simulate fuel debris compositions. Each of the samples will be cladded by a zircalloy tube whose outer shape is compatible with the fuel rod of STACY and loaded into an array of the fuel rods. This report introduces a study of experimental core configurations to measure the reactivity worth of samples simulating MCCI products. Parameters to be varied in the computation models for the experimental series are:(1) Uranium dioxide with U enrichments of 3, 4, and 5 wt.%; (2) Concrete volume fraction in the samples of 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80%; and (3) Porosity of the samples filled from 0 to 80% where the sample void is filled with water. It is concluded that the measurement is feasible in both under- and over-moderated conditions. Additionally, the required amount of samples was estimated.

Study of experimental core configuration of the modified STACY for reactivity worth measurement of MCCI products

Gunji, Satoshi; Tonoike, Kotaro; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Sono, Hiroki

Proceedings of International Conference on the Physics of Reactors; Unifying Theory and Experiments in the 21st Century (PHYSOR 2016) (USB Flash Drive), p.3927 - 3936, 2016/05

Criticality safety of fuel debris including MCCI products is one of the major safety is-sues for decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Criticality or subcriticality condition of the fuel debris is still uncertain since its composition, location, neutron moderation, etc. are not confirmed. Also uncertain in criticality control of fuel debris is the effectiveness of neutron poison in cooling water. A database is being built by computation in JAEA, covering a wide range of possible conditions of such composition, neutron moderation, etc., to facilitate assessing criticality characteristics when fuel debris samples are taken and their conditions are known. The computation also has uncertainties to be clarified by critical experiments, which is planned by JAEA to be conducted with the modified STACY and samples simulating fuel debris compositions. This report introduces a study of experimental core configurations for reactivity worth measurements of samples simulating MCCI products. It is concluded that the measurement is feasible in both under- and over-moderated conditions. Additionally, required amount of samples was estimated.

Mock-up test of the modified STACY (Accuracy verification of water-feed- stop switch detector)

Seki, Masakazu; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Sono, Hiroki

JAEA-Technology 2014-047, 22 Pages, 2015/03

JAEA-Technology-2014-047.pdf:2.33MB

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency is conducting a reactor modification project of the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY). In the modification, STACY is to be converted from a thermal reactor using solution fuel into that using fuel rods and light water moderator. Reactivity of the modified STACY is controlled by the water level fed in the core tank as well as the present STACY. Regarding water level detection, however, a float-type water-feed-stop switch is adopted in the modified STACY because the electro-conductivity-type switch of the present STACY for uranyl nitrate solution cannot detect demineralized water used in the modified STACY. For safety operation of the modified STACY, the float-type switch needs accurate and reliable detection of water level at any temperature. This report describes a mock-up test on accuracy verification of the float-type water-feed-stop switch in whole range of water temperature (room temperature 70C) in the modified STACY operation.

Options of principles of fuel debris criticality control in Fukushima Daiichi reactors

Tonoike, Kotaro; Sono, Hiroki; Umeda, Miki; Yamane, Yuichi; Kugo, Teruhiko; Suyama, Kenya

Nuclear Back-end and Transmutation Technology for Waste Disposal, p.251 - 259, 2015/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55111-9_21

In the Three Mile Island Unit 2 reactor accident, a large amount of fuel debris was formed whose criticality condition is unknown except the possible highest U/U enrichment. The fuel debris had to be cooled and shielded by water in which the minimum critical mass is much smaller than the total mass of fuel debris. To overcome this uncertain situation, the coolant water was borated with sufficient concentration to secure the subcritical condition. The situation is more severe in the damaged reactors of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, where the coolant water flow is practically "once through". Boron must be endlessly added to the water to secure the subcritical condition of the fuel debris, which is not feasible. The water is not borated relying on the circumstantial evidence that the xenon gas monitoring in the containment vessels does not show a sign of criticality. The criticality condition of fuel debris may worsen due to the gradual drop of its temperature, or the change of its geometry by aftershocks or the retrieval work, that may lead the criticality. To avoid criticality and its severe consequences, a certain principle of criticality control must be established. There may be options, such as prevention of the criticality by coolant water boration or by neutronic monitoring, prevention of the severe consequences by intervention measures against criticality, etc. Every option has merits and demerits that must be adequately evaluated toward selection of the best principle.

Major safety and operational concerns for fuel debris criticality control

Tonoike, Kotaro; Sono, Hiroki; Umeda, Miki; Yamane, Yuichi; Kugo, Teruhiko; Suyama, Kenya

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference; Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads (GLOBAL 2013) (CD-ROM), p.729 - 735, 2013/09

JAEA is conducting studies on criticality control of the fuel debris formed in the accident of Fukushima-Daiichi site. A new control principle must be established, referring principles for existing facilities, and based on criticality characteristics of the debris. In accordance with the principle, safe and practical control has to be realized for the debris whose condition is uncertain at present. This report outlines the present condition of debris and Fukushima site, introduces examples of criticality analysis, and discusses control principles. Research subjects are also proposed to realize the control.

Evaluation of nuclear characteristics of light-water-moderated heterogeneous cores in modified STACY

Izawa, Kazuhiko; Aoyama, Yasuo; Sono, Hiroki; Ogawa, Kazuhiko; Yanagisawa, Hiroshi; Miyoshi, Yoshinori

Proceedings of 9th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality (ICNC 2011) (CD-ROM), 11 Pages, 2012/02

For reactor physics and criticality safety researches, the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) will be modified. In the modification, the present STACY, solution-fuel-type homogeneous cores, will be converted to fuel-pin-type heterogeneous cores moderated by light water. For nuclear safety design of the modified STACY, computational analyses have been carried out by using a Monte Carlo code MVP and a transport code system DANTSYS with cross-section data based on the JENDL-3.3. In the analyses, basic nuclear characteristics have been evaluated, such as criticality, water-level worth and reactor shutdown margin. By the results of these analyses, the feasibility of reactivity control mechanism and the sufficiency of reactor shutdown margin of the modified STACY were confirmed. In addition, temperature and void coefficients of reactivity and kinetic parameters were obtained to comprehend nuclear characteristics of the modified STACY.

Analyses of neutronic characteristics of STACY heterogeneous cores composed of 6wt%-enriched uranyl nitrate solution containing gadolinium and 1.5cm-lattice-pitch fuel pins

Izawa, Kazuhiko; Aoyama, Yasuo; Sono, Hiroki; Ogawa, Kazuhiko; Yanagisawa, Hiroshi

JAEA-Technology 2007-001, 40 Pages, 2007/02

JAEA-Technology-2007-001.pdf:2.73MB

A series of critical experiments is conducted in FY 2006 using a heterogeneous core of the Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY) in the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). In the experiment, the core is composed of uranyl nitrate solution (U enrichment 6wt%) containing soluble poison (gadolinium) and 333 pins of uranium dioxide (U enrichment 5wt%) loaded at a latticepitch of 1.5cm. Prior to the experiment, the following neutronic characteristics were analyzed to assess safety of the core and operation parametor limits: criticality, reactivity and reactor shutdown margins. In the analyses, a Monte Carlo code, MVP, and a neutronics code system, SRAC, were used with an evaluated nuclear data library, JENDL-3.3. From these analyses, it was confirmed that the reactor shutdown margins would comply with the safety criteria under all conditions of the fuel used in the experiments. Simplified formulas for criticality and reactivity were also evaluated based on the analyzed values which are utilized to confirm the operation parameter limits during operations of the core.

Assessment of human body surface and internal dose estimations in criticality accidents based on experimental and computational simulations

Sono, Hiroki; Ono, Akio*; Kojima, Takuji; Takahashi, Fumiaki; Yamane, Yoshihiro*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 43(3), p.276 - 284, 2006/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.43.276

For a study on the applicability of a personal dosimetry method to criticality accident dosimetry, an assessment of the human body surface and internal dose estimations was performed by experimental and computational simulations. The experimental simulation was carried out in a criticality accident situation at the TRACY facility. The neutron and -ray absorbed doses in muscle tissue were separately estimated by a dosimeter set of an alanine dosimeter and a thermoluminescence dosimeter made of enriched lithium tetra borate with a phantom. The computational simulation was conducted with a Monte Carlo code taking account of dose components of neutrons, prompt -rays and delayed -rays. The computational simulation was ascertained to be valid by comparison between the calculated dose distributions in the phantom and the measured ones. The assessment based on the experimental and computational simulations confirmed that the personal dosimetry using the dosimeter set provided a first estimation of the body surface and internal doses with precision.

Measurement of neutron and -ray absorbed doses inside human body in criticality accident situations using phantom and tissue-equivalent dosimeters

Sono, Hiroki; Kojima, Takuji; Soramasu, Noboru*; Takahashi, Fumiaki

JAERI-Conf 2005-007, p.315 - 320, 2005/08

https://jopss.jaea.go.jp/pdfdata/JAERI-Conf-2005-007.pdf

Personal dosimeters provide a fundamental evaluation of external exposures to human bodies in radiation accidents. The dose distribution inside the body, which is needed to estimate the exposures from a result of personal dosimetry, has been evaluated mostly by computational simulations, while experimental data to verify the simulations are not sufficiently supplied, in particular, in criticality accident situations. For the purpose of obtaining the experimental data on external exposures inside the body, a preliminary experiment on criticality accident dosimetry was carried out at the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY) using a human phantom and tissue-equivalent dosimeters. The neutron and -ray absorbed doses inside the phantom could be satisfactorily measured by the combined use of an alanine dosimeter and a thermoluminescent dosimeter made of enriched lithium tetra borate. The doses measured in and on the phantom were regarded as reasonable in dose level and distribution by comparison with the doses measured in the free air.