Development of a large-area alpha imaging detector for hand and foot monitors

Morishita, Yuki; Higuchi, Mikio*; Kaneko, Junichi*; Kitagawa, Yuichi*; Akedo, Jun*; Soma, Mitsugu*; Matsui, Hiroaki*

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1057, p.168702_1 - 168702_8, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168702

This paper describes the development of a large-area imaging detector capable of measuring the detailed distribution of alpha particles on hands and feet for use in entry/exit control monitors in decommissioning sites such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The detector was developed using a commercially available ZnS(Ag) scintillator and an electron multiplying CCD camera. The effectiveness of the detector was evaluated by measuring several types of radiation sources, and the results showed that it was possible to detect the position of alpha particles in a very short time, and contamination levels of up to 11 Bq/cm could be visualized. As a result of the minimal detectable surface activity concentration evaluations, 2.0 minutes or more is required to achieve 4 Bq/cm, and 25.0 minutes or more is required to achieve 0.4 Bq/cm. The field of view of the detector was also checked, and it was confirmed that the setup had a field of view that could cover most of the hand and the sole of the shoe. This detector is expected to be useful for preventing internal uptake and decontamination.

Study on engineering technologies in the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (FY 2015); Development of recovery and mitigation technology on excavation damage (Contract research)

Fukaya, Masaaki*; Takeda, Nobufumi*; Miura, Norihiko*; Ishida, Tomoko*; Hata, Koji*; Uyama, Masao*; Sato, Shin*; Okuma, Fumiko*; Hayagane, Sayaka*; Matsui, Hiroya; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2016-035, 153 Pages, 2017/02

JAEA-Technology-2016-035.pdf:37.6MB

The researches on engineering technology in the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project in FY2016, detailed investigations of the (mechanical) behaviors of the plug and the rock mass around the reflood tunnel through ongoing reflood test were performed as part of (5) development of technologies for restoration and/or reduction of the excavation damage. As the result, particularly for the temperature change of the plug, its analytical results agree fairly well agree with the measurement ones. This means cracks induced by temperature stress can be prevented by the cooling countermeasure works reviewed in designing stage. In addition, for the behaviors of the plug and the bedrock boundary after reflooding the reflood tunnel, comparison between the results obtained by coupled hydro-mechanical analysis (stress-fluid coupled analysis) with the ones by several measurements, concluded that the model established based on the analysis results is generally appropriated.

Accuracy of prediction method of cryogenic tensile strength for austenitic stainless steels in ITER toroidal field coil structure

Sakurai, Takeru; Iguchi, Masahide; Nakahira, Masataka; Saito, Toru*; Morimoto, Masaaki*; Inagaki, Takashi*; Hong, Y.-S.*; Matsui, Kunihiro; Hemmi, Tsutomu; Kajitani, Hideki; et al.

Physics Procedia, 67, p.536 - 542, 2015/07

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phpro.2015.06.072

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed the tensile strength prediction method at liquid helium temperature (4K) using the quadratic curve as a function of the content of carbon and nitrogen in order to establish the rationalized quality control of the austenitic stainless steel used in the ITER superconducting coil operating at 4K. ITER is under construction aiming to verify technical demonstration of a nuclear fusion generation. Toroidal Field Coil (TFC), one of superconducting system in ITER, have been started procurement of materials in 2012. JAEA is producing materials for actual product which are the forged materials with shape of rectangle, round bar, asymmetry and etc. JAEA has responsibility to procure all ITER TFC Structures. In this process, JAEA obtained many tensile strength of both room temperature and 4K about these structural materials, for example, JJ1: High manganese stainless steel for structure (0.03C-12Cr-12Ni-10Mn-5Mo- 0.24N) and 316LN: High nitrogen containing stainless steel (0.2Nitrogen). Based on these data, accuracy of 4K strength prediction method for actual TFC Structure materials was evaluated and reported in this study.

Behavior of NbSn cable assembled with conduit for ITER central solenoid

Nabara, Yoshihiro; Suwa, Tomone; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Hemmi, Tsutomu; Kajitani, Hideki; Ozeki, Hidemasa; Sakurai, Takeru; Iguchi, Masahide; Nunoya, Yoshihiko; Isono, Takaaki; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 25(3), p.4200305_1 - 4200305_5, 2015/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2014.2360562

Evaluation of the performance of the shields in the EPMAs used for radioactive samples

Matsui, Hiroki; Suzuki, Miho; Obata, Hiroki; Kanazawa, Hiroyuki

JAEA-Technology 2014-017, 57 Pages, 2014/06

JAEA-Technology-2014-017.pdf:20.43MB

The Reactor Fuel Examination Facility in JAEA has been used for Post Irradiation Examinations to verify the reliability and safety of the nuclear fuels irradiated in commercial reactors. EPMA (Electron Probe Micro Analyzer) has been utilized for the qualitative analysis of the fission product in the fuel pellet and the detailed observation of the oxide layers formed at the inner and outer surfaces of fuel cladding. Commercial EPMAs were remodeled so that the EPMAs can be applied for radioactive samples. Several shields was set in the EPMA to avoid the -rays which radiate from a radioactive sample to the proportional counter in the EPMA. It is important to calculate this shielding performance adequately to maintain the precision of analysis. This report describes the results of re-evaluation of the performance of the shields in the EPMAs in the RFEF by using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System and the examination results of -ray effect to the X-ray spectrum data by using a radioactive sample.

Investigation of strand bending in the He-inlet during reaction heat treatment for ITER TF Coils

Hemmi, Tsutomu; Matsui, Kunihiro; Kajitani, Hideki; Okuno, Kiyoshi; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Ishimi, Akihiro; Katsuyama, Kozo

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 24(3), p.4802704_1 - 4802704_4, 2014/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2013.2297685

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), as Japan Domestic Agency, has responsibility to procure nine ITER Toroidal Field (TF) coils. The TF coil winding consists of a NbSn Cable-In-Conduit conductor, a pair of joints and a He-inlet. The current capacity of 68 kA is required at the magnetic field of 7 T around the He-inlet region in the TF coil winding. During reaction heat-treatment, the compressive residual strain in NbSn cable is induced by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficients between the NbSn cable and stainless steel jacket. The strands bending in the NbSn cable of the He-inlet is anticipated since there is the compressive residual strain and a gap between the NbSn cable and the He-inlet to introduce SHE flow. If the strand is bent, the variation of mechanical behaviors, such as the elongation of He-inlet during the reaction heat-treatment and the thermally induced residual strain on the jacket around the He-inlet, are expected. To investigate the strands bending in the NbSn cable of the He-inlet, the following items are performed; (1) elongation measurement during reaction heat-treatment, (2) residual longitudinal strain measurement using strain gauges by sample cuttings, (3) nondestructive inspection on the cable and strands using high resolution X-ray CT, Detail of test results and investigation of the strands bending in the NbSn cable of the He-inlet are reported and discussed.

Evaluation of inter-laminar shear strength of GFRP composed of bonded glass/polyimide tapes and cyanate-ester/epoxy blended resin for ITER TF coils

Hemmi, Tsutomu; Nishimura, Arata*; Matsui, Kunihiro; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Nishijima, Shigehiro*; Shikama, Tatsuo*

AIP Conference Proceedings 1574, p.154 - 161, 2014/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4860618

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), as Japan Domestic Agency, has responsibility to procure 9 ITER Toroidal Field (TF) coils. The insulation system of the ITER TF coils consists of 3 layers of insulations, which are a conductor insulation, a double-pancake (DP) insulation and a ground insulation, composed of multi-layer glass/polyimide tapes impregnated a resin. The ITER TF coils are required to withstand an irradiation of 10 MGy from -ray and neutrons since the ITER TF coils is exposed by first neutron ( 0.1 MeV) of 10 n/m during the operation of 20 years in the ITER. Cyanate-ester/epoxy blended resins and bonded glass/polyimide tapes are developed as insulation materials to realize the required radiation-hardness for the insulation of the ITER TF coils. To evaluate the radiation-hardness of the developed insulation materials, the inter-laminar shear strength of glass-fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) fabricated using developed insulation materials is measured as one of most important mechanical properties before/after the irradiation in a fission reactor of JRR-3. As a result, it is demonstrated that the GFRPs using the developed insulation materials have a sufficient performance to apply the ITER TF coil insulation.

Examination of NbSn conductors for ITER central solenoids

Nabara, Yoshihiro; Hemmi, Tsutomu; Kajitani, Hideki; Ozeki, Hidemasa; Iguchi, Masahide; Nunoya, Yoshihiko; Isono, Takaaki; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Matsui, Kunihiro; Koizumi, Norikiyo; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 23(3), p.4801604_1 - 4801604_4, 2013/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2013.2244159

no abstracts in English

ITER magnet systems; From qualification to full scale construction

Nakajima, Hideo; Hemmi, Tsutomu; Iguchi, Masahide; Nabara, Yoshihiro; Matsui, Kunihiro; Chida, Yutaka; Kajitani, Hideki; Takano, Katsutoshi; Isono, Takaaki; Koizumi, Norikiyo; et al.

Proceedings of 24th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2012) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2013/03

http://www-naweb.iaea.org/napc/physics/FEC/FEC2012/papers/578_ITR24.pdf

The ITER organization and 6 Domestic Agencies (DA) have been implementing the construction of ITER superconducting magnet systems. Four DAs have already started full scale construction of Toroidal Field (TF) coil conductors. The qualification of the radial plate manufacture has been completed, and JA and EU are ready for full scale construction. JA has qualified full manufacturing processes of the winding pack with a 1/3 prototype and made 2 full scale mock-ups of the basic segments of TF coil structure to optimize and industrialize the manufacturing process. Preparation and qualification of the full scale construction of the TF coil winding is underway by EU. Procurement of the manufacturing equipment is near completion and qualification of manufacturing processes has already started. The constructions of other components of the ITER magnet systems are also going well towards the main goal of the first plasma in 2020.

Tensile mechanical properties of a stainless steel irradiated up to 19 dpa in the Swiss spallation neutron source

Saito, Shigeru; Kikuchi, Kenji*; Hamaguchi, Dai; Usami, Koji; Endo, Shinya; Ono, Katsuto; Matsui, Hiroki; Kawai, Masayoshi*; Dai, Y.*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 431(1-3), p.44 - 51, 2012/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2011.11.028

To evaluate the lifetime of the beam window of an accelerator-driven transmutation system (ADS), post irradiation examination (PIE) of the STIP (SINQ target irradiation program, SINQ; Swiss spallation neutron source) specimens was carried out. The specimens tested in this study were made from the austenitic steel JPCA (Japan primary candidate alloy). The specimens were irradiated at SINQ Target 4 (STIP-II) with high-energy protons and spallation neutrons. The irradiation conditions were as follows: the proton energy was 580 MeV, irradiation temperatures ranged from 100 to 430C, and displacement damage levels ranged from 7.1 to 19.5 dpa. Tensile tests were performed in air at room temperature (R.T.), 250C and 350C. Fracture surface observation after the tests was done by SEM (Scanning electron microscope). Results of the tensile tests performed at R.T. showed the extra hardening of JPCA at higher dose compared to the fission neutron irradiated data. At the higher temperatures, 250C and 350C, the extra hardening was not observed. Degradation of ductility bottomed around 10 dpa, and specimens kept their ductility until 19.5 dpa. All specimens fractured in ductile manner. The result from a microstructure observation on a specimen irradiated to 19.3 dpa at 420C indicates that some agglomeration of bubbles on grain boundaries was observed in the specimen irradiated to 19.3 dpa at 420C. However the tensile specimen irradiated up to 18.4 dpa at 425C still exhibited little loss of ductility. Since He/dpa was very high on SINQ target irradiations, the formation of highly dense small bubbles in the matrix consequently avoided the accumulation of He on grain boundaries, which might have resulted in avoiding grain boundary embrittlement.