Analysis of fuel assemblies inclination due to upper core support plate deflection for reactivity evaluation

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nemoto, Toshiyuki*

Transactions of the 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2024/03

To investigate possibility of the insertion of the reactivity by the deflection of the upper core support plate, structural mechanics analyses of the domain consisting of the fuel assemblies and core support plates and evaluation of the reactivity due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies in EBR-II were carried out. As a result, it was indicated that the upper core support plate deflected downward larger at the low flowrate condition than that at the high flowrate condition and positive reactivity was inserted due to the inclination of the fuel assemblies at the low flowrate condition.

Development of virtual plant model for design rationalization of fast reactors by multi-level simulation system; Confirmation of functionality in application to U.S. experimental fast reactor EBR-II

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Nakamine, Yoshiaki*; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Iida, Masaki*; Tanaka, Masaaki

Dai-27-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/09

In Japan Atomic Energy Agency, a virtual plant model of the sodium-cooled fast reactor plant composed in a computer is being developed to reduce the development cost, by replacing the experiments to the numerical simulations with coupled analyses of the physical phenomena accounting for the interaction between components under various plant conditions. Through the numerical analysis of the ULOHS test in the U.S. experimental fast reactor named EBR-II, applicability of the virtual plant model was confirmed in comparison with the measured data including the core inlet temperature and the reactor power.

First observation of O

Kondo, Yosuke*; Achouri, N. L.*; Al Falou, H.*; Atar, L.*; Aumann, T.*; Baba, Hidetada*; Boretzky, K.*; Caesar, C.*; Calvet, D.*; Chae, H.*; et al.

Nature, 620(7976), p.965 - 970, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06352-6

no abstracts in English

Improvement of reactivity model of core deformation in plant dynamics analysis code during unprotected loss of heat sink event in EBR-II

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/05

The benchmark analyses for the unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) tests in the pool-type experimental SFR in the United States, EBR-II (BOP-301 and BOP-302R) have been conducted in order to validate the evaluation method of the reactivity feedback equipped in the plant dynamics analysis code named Super-COPD. In this study, 1D-CFD coupled analyses adding the core bowing reactivity model were conducted. Through the analysis, the applicability of the modified reactivity model was confirmed for the BOP-301 test. For the BOP-302R test, consideration of the core restraint system in the core and modeling the control rod driveline expansion reactivity was indicated.

Application of 1D-CFD coupling method to unprotected loss of heat sink event in EBR-II focusing on thermal stratification in cold pool

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Fujisaki, Tatsuya*; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 29th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 29) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2022/08

To confirm the applicability of the reactivity model, the authors have been conducting the benchmark exercises of the unprotected loss of heat sink event tests in a pool-type experimental fast reactor EBR-II. In the blind phase in the benchmark analyses using the plant dynamics analysis (1D) code in which the cold pool was modeled by means of the perfect mixing volume, it was found the increase of the core inlet temperature was evaluated lower than that of the measured data and the feedback reactivity was underestimated, because the thermal stratification in the cold pool was ignored. Then, the detailed model of the cold pool for the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code was introduced and the 1D-CFD codes coupling method was applied to the benchmark analyses. It was confirmed that both the thermal stratification in the cold pool and the increase of the core inlet temperature were successfully reproduced.

High spatial resolution neutron transmission imaging using a superconducting two-dimensional detector

Shishido, Hiroaki*; Nishimura, Kazuma*; Vu, TheDang*; Aizawa, Kazuya; Kojima, Kenji M*; Koyama, Tomio*; Oikawa, Kenichi; Harada, Masahide; Oku, Takayuki; Soyama, Kazuhiko; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 31(9), p.2400505_1 - 2400505_5, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2021.3111396

In this study, we employed a superconducting detector, current-biased kinetic-inductance detector (CB-KID) for neutron imaging using a pulsed neutron source. We employed the delay-line method, and high spatial resolution imaging with only four reading channels was achieved. We also performed wavelength-resolved neutron imaging by the time-of-flight method. We obtained the neutron transmission images of a Gd-Al alloy sample, inside which single crystals of GdAl were grown, using the delay-line CB-KID. Single crystals were well imaged, in both shapes and distributions, throughout the Al-Gd alloy. We identified Gd nuclei via neutron transmissions that exhibited characteristic suppression above the neutron wavelength of 0.03 nm. In addition, the Gd resonance dip, a dip structure of the transmission caused by the nuclear reaction between an isotope and neutrons, was observed even when the number of events was summed over a limited area of 15 m 12 m. Gd selective imaging was performed using the resonance dip of Gd, and it showed clear Gd distribution even with a limited neutron wavelength range of 1 pm.

Validation of evaluation method of feedback reactivity for plant dynamics analysis code during unprotected loss of heat sink event in sodium-cooled fast reactors

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Igawa, Kenichi*

Proceedings of 28th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE 28) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2021/08

The numerical results of the benchmark analyses for the unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) tests in the pool-type experimental SFR in the United States, EBR-II (BOP-302R and BOP-301) are discussed in order to validate the evaluation method of the reactivity feedback equipped in the in-house plant dynamics analysis code named Super-COPD. By comparing the numerical results and the experimental data, the profiles of the increase of the core inlet temperature and the decrease of the reactor power calculated by Super-COPD were comparable with those of the experimental data and the applicability of the evaluation method for the reactivity feedback was indicated during the ULOHS event.

Safe and rapid development of capillary electrophoresis for ultratrace uranyl ions in radioactive samples by way of fluorescent probe selection for actinide ions from a chemical library

Haraga, Tomoko; Ouchi, Kazuki; Sato, Yoshiyuki; Hoshino, Hitoshi*; Tanana, Rei*; Fujihara, Takashi*; Kurokawa, Hideki*; Shibukawa, Masami*; Ishimori, Kenichiro; Kameo, Yutaka; et al.

Analytica Chimica Acta, 1032, p.188 - 196, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2018.05.077

The development of safe, rapid and highly sensitive analytical methods for radioactive samples, especially actinide (An) ions, represents an important challenge. Here we propose a methodology for selecting appropriate emissive probes for An ions with very low consumption and emission of radioactivity by capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF), using a small chemical library of probes with eight different chelating moieties. It was found that the emissive probe, which possesses the tetradentate chelating moiety, was suitable for detecting uranyl ions. The detection limit for the uranyl-probe complex using CE-LIF combined with dynamic ternary complexation and on-capillary concentration techniques was determined to be 0.7 ppt. This method was successfully applied to real radioactive liquid samples collected from nuclear facilities.

Radiochemical analysis of rubble collected from around and inside reactor buildings at Units 1 to 4 in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Sato, Yoshiyuki; Aono, Ryuji; Konda, Miki; Tanaka, Kiwamu; Ueno, Takashi; Ishimori, Kenichiro; Kameo, Yutaka

Proceedings of 54th Annual Meeting of Hot Laboratories and Remote Handling (HOTLAB 2017) (Internet), 13 Pages, 2017/00

http://hotlab.sckcen.be/proceedings

no abstracts in English

Study on radionuclide analysis of rubble and plants for decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Seki, Kotaro; Sasaki, Takayuki*; Akimoto, Yuji*; Tokunaga, Takahito; Tanaka, Kiwamu; Haraga, Tomoko; Ueno, Takashi; Ishimori, Kenichiro; Hoshi, Akiko; Kameo, Yutaka

JAEA-Technology 2016-013, 37 Pages, 2016/07

JAEA-Technology-2016-013.pdf:2.09MB

In this study, based on the simple and rapid analytical method established from the wastes from research facilities, we created analytical schemes which is applicable to rubble and plants collected at Fukushima Daiichi, then transported to Nuclear Science Research Institute of JAEA. We examined the applicability, and confirmed quantifiability of radioactivity concentration with high recovery rate without being affected by fission products such as Sr and Cs.