Misuse scenario analysis of accelerator-driven system and the effects of dual C/S and design information verification

Oizumi, Akito; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Dai-44-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2023/11

Research and development of transuranium (TRU) fuel cycles with accelerator drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. Since ADS could be misused to illegally produce Pu by using neutrons generated by the accelerator, a different approach from a conventional nuclear reactor would be needed. In this study, we have analyzed possible misuse scenarios of ADS quantitatively evaluated Pu that can be illegally produced within the design tolerance of ADS, and evaluated the effects of the Dual Containment and Surveillance(C/S) and the design information verification methods. As a result, it was quantitatively clarified that 10-60 kg of Pu could be generated clandestinely, and the dual C/S and design information verification with monitoring of the operation history of both accelerators and reactors could detect and prevent all the misuse scenarios effectively.

Development of a method for the determination of plutonium in fuel debris by dual times neutron measurements

Nagatani, Taketeru; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Kosuge, Yoshihiro*; Nakaguki, Sho; Nomi, Takayoshi; Okumura, Keisuke

Dai-43-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 3 Pages, 2022/11

Non-proliferation features in partitioning and transmutation cycle using accelerator-driven system, 2; Evaluation of of uranium in ADS fuel assembly

Oizumi, Akito; Sugawara, Takanori; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Dai-42-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2021/11

Research and development of partitioning and transmutation cycle with accelerator drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides (MAs) separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. Since the chemical form and composition of the fuels are different from those of the current commercial cycles, it is necessary to examine the inspection goal of the safeguards (SGs) and the design level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the partitioning and transmutation cycle. In this study, of the uranium (U) in the fuel assembly in the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility was evaluated and it was compared with the plutonium (Pu) in the MOX fuel assembly for a general boiling water reactor (BWR). As a result, it made clear that the U in the ADS fuel assembly had equal to or less attractive than the Pu in the BWR MOX fuel assembly. Moreover, a new issue has been extracted. It is difficult to determine whether the ADS fresh fuel should be considered as non-irradiated or irradiated fuel under the current regulatory standards because the ADS fresh fuel contains many MAs, rare-earths, and U rich U.

Non-proliferation features in partitioning and transmutation cycle using accelerator-driven system; Evaluation of of fuel assembly in early period of burnup cycle

Oizumi, Akito; Sugawara, Takanori; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Dai-41-Kai Nihon Kaku Busshitsu Kanri Gakkai Nenji Taikai Kaigi Rombunshu (Internet), 4 Pages, 2020/11

Research and development of partitioning and transmutation cycle with accelerator drive systems (ADSs) transmuting minor actinides (MAs) separated from the commercial cycles has been continuously conducted to reduce the high-level radioactive waste (HLW) contained in spent fuel discharged from nuclear power plants. Since the chemical form and composition of the fuels are different from those of the current commercial cycles, it is necessary to examine the accuracy of the safeguards (SGs) and the level of physical protections (PPs) which are required for the partitioning and transmutation cycle. In this study, of the first cycle fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) in the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility was evaluated and it was compared with that of the MOX fuel assemblies (fresh and spent fuels) for a general boiling water reactor (BWR). As a result, it made clear that the fuel storage pool in the ADS facility storing the first cycle fuel assemblies were required the SG detection accuracy and PP level equal to or lower than the MOX fuel assembly of the BWR since the ADS fuel assembly in the first cycle was less attractive than the MOX fuel assembly for the BWR.

Proliferation resistance evaluation of an HTGR transuranic fuel cycle using PRAETOR code

Aoki, Takeshi; Chirayath, S. S.*; Sagara, Hiroshi*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 141, p.107325_1 - 107325_7, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107325

The proliferation resistance (PR) of an inert matrix fuel (IMF) in the transuranic nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) of a high temperature gas cooled reactor is evaluated relative to the uranium and plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX) NFC of a light water reactor using PRAETOR code and sixty-eight input attributes. The objective is to determine the impacts of chemical stability of IMF and fuel irradiation on the PR. Specific material properties of the IMF, such as lower plutonium content, carbide ceramics coating, and absence of U, contribute to enhance its relative PR compared to MOX fuel. The overall PR value of the fresh IMF (an unirradiated direct use material with a one-month diversion detection timeliness goal) is nearly equal to that of the spent MOX fuel (an irradiated direct use nuclear material with a three-month diversion detection timeliness goal). Final results suggest a reduced safeguards inspection frequency to manage the IMF.

A Simple method to create gamma-ray-source spectrum for passive gamma technique

Shiba, Tomooki; Maeda, Shigetaka; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Ishimi, Akihiro; Tomikawa, Hirofumi

Energy Procedia, 131, p.250 - 257, 2017/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.446

In the present paper, the ray source data was developed for the debris composition based on "best estimates", and the subsequent photon transportation calculation was performed to evaluate the leakage ray spectra according to the fuel debris. Since the creation of the line spectrum source requires a great deal, we have developed the relatively simple but accurate enough method to build up ray source, coupling of baseline spectra evaluated by ORIGEN2 code and several line spectra of interest. One of the advantages of the method is taking bremsstrahlung X rays into consideration by utilizing the bremsstrahlung libraries of ORIGEN2. The new ray source was used to calculate the detector response of HPGe detector and the results was compared as a benchmark with experimental measurement results of irradiated fuel pins. As the result, the simulated ray spectrum shape agreed well with the shape of ray spectrum obtained by the experiment.

Applicability evaluation of candidate technologies for nuclear material quantification in fuel debris at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station; Passive gamma technique

Shiba, Tomooki; Tomikawa, Hirofumi; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Ishimi, Akihiro

57th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM 2016), Vol.1, p.365 - 374, 2017/02

Fission products (FPs) such as Ce and Eu seem to be very low volatile even in high temperature environment in the severe accident of nuclear reactors. They are supposed to chemically coexist with nuclear fuel. In our passive gamma ray spectroscopy, gamma rays from such FPs are measured and their amount and burnup are estimated. Then we multiply the mass ratio of the FPs and nuclear materials, and we obtain the mass of nuclear material of interest. According to hypothetical fuel debris and canister models, we performed simulation of leakage gamma rays from canister of debris. gamma ray source spectra were derived from the composition of the hypothetical fuel debris and the photon transport calculation was carried out. In addition, we conducted experiments of gamma ray measurement from intact spent fuels irradiated in the Experimental Fast Reactor Joyo in order to validate the prediction performance of the simulation by the comparison of the experiments and simulation.

Passive gamma spectrometry of low-volatile FPs for accountancy of special nuclear material in molten core material of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant; Evaluation of detector response from various hypothetical fuel canister

Shiba, Tomooki; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Tomikawa, Hirofumi

56th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM 2015), Vol.3, p.1735 - 1741, 2016/00

In response to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, passive gamma spectrometry is being researched and developed as one of the candidates of a mass measurement method for the special nuclear materials in molten core material. Among Fission Products (FPs) accompanied in molten core materials, some of them are very low-volatile and emit high-energy gamma rays, which enable us to derive the mass of those FPs by passive gamma spectrometry. Using the mass ratio of the FPs and nuclear materials, this technique provides the mass estimation of nuclear materials. This technique is relatively simple and was applied to the analysis of nuclear materials in the clean-up process of damaged Three Mile Island unit-2 (TMI-2) reactor. In this paper, we show the characteristics of leakage gamma rays from removed fuel canisters simulated by MCNP. Different detector responses to gamma rays from fuel debris are also evaluated supposing NaI, LaBr and HPGe.

Effect of radial zoning of Am content on homogenization of denatured Pu with broad range of neutron energy based on U irradiation test in the experimental fast reactor Joyo

Shiba, Tomooki*; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Onishi, Takashi; Koyama, Shinichi; Maeda, Shigetaka; Han, C. Y.*; Saito, Masaki*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 51, p.74 - 80, 2013/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2012.08.017

The design consideration of DU-Am oxide fuel pin was performed for Pu denaturing in the framework of the protected plutonium production based on the irradiation analyses of the depleted U (DU) samples irradiated in the environment of broad range of neutron energy in the experimental fast reactor Joyo. From the results of irradiation analyses of DU, it was confirmed that there is a strong dependence of transmutation behavior of DU on the resonance neutron ratio even in a fast reactor. Also, it was confirmed that there is a strong effect of sample material form and shape on generated Pu nuclide inventory especially near the reflector area (20% resonance neutron ratio), because of the intensive self-shielding of U, though less is expected for Am. Sensitivity study of hypothetical DU-Am oxide fuel pellet irradiation on neutron energy and burn-up was performed to evaluate significant gradient of radial Pu isotopic composition profile (e.g., from 12 to 18% distribution in 3% Am doping, in 30% resonance neutron ratio and in 4.010 [n/cm] of neutron fluence inside a large pellet with softened neutron spectrum), and vulnerability of the fuel pellet surface in terms of Pu denaturing was revealed. Design consideration of radial zoning of Am content was introduced to flatten the radial distribution of isotopic composition of Pu. The results of radial zoning of Am (4% and 3% of Am in the outer and inner zone of DU-Am oxide fuel pellet) in hypothetical irradiation neutronics analysis showed the radial profile of produced Pu is over 15 at.% of Pu isotopic composition in any zone and meets the criteria of Kimura et al. based on decay heat of Pu to impede utilization to fission explosive devices.

Protected plutonium production at fast breeder reactor blanket; Chemical analysis of uranium-238 samples irradiated in experimental fast reactor Joyo

Onishi, Takashi; Koyama, Shinichi; Shiba, Tomooki*; Sagara, Hiroshi*; Saito, Masaki*

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 57, p.125 - 129, 2012/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2011.11.013

In order to develop blanket fuel with high proliferation resistance in fast breeder reactor, chemical analysis of nine U samples irradiated in experimental fast reactor Joyo and Pu contents and Pu isotopic composition of the samples were measured. As results, dependence of Pu production behavior from U on neutron spectra was revealed.