Measurement of Np and Am fission reaction rates in lead region at A-core of KUCA

Oizumi, Akito; Katano, Ryota; Kojima, Ryohei; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURNS Progress Report 2020, P. 104, 2021/08

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the fission reaction rate ratios (FRRRs) of Neptunium-237 (Np) or Americium-243 (Am) to Uranium-235 (U) by using a single fission chambers in the KUCA. The results showed that the measured FRRRs of Np/U and Am/U were 0.0480.003 and 0.0420.004, respectively. The measured values will be used for verification of evaluated nuclear data by conducting detailed analyses.

Systematic measurements and analyses for lead void reactivity worth in a plutonium core and two uranium cores with different enrichments

Fukushima, Masahiro; Goda, J.*; Oizumi, Akito; Bounds, J.*; Cutler, T.*; Grove, T.*; Hayes, D.*; Hutchinson, J.*; McKenzie, G.*; McSpaden, A.*; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 194(2), p.138 - 153, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2019.1663089

To validate lead (Pb) nuclear cross sections, a series of integral experiments to measure lead void reactivity worth was conducted systematically in three fast spectra with different fuel compositions on the Comet critical assembly of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center. Previous experiments in a high-enriched uranium (HEU)/Pb and a low-enriched uranium (LEU)/Pb systems had been performed in 2016 and 2017, respectively. A follow-on experiment in a plutonium (Pu)/Pb system has been completed. The Pu/Pb system was constructed using lead plates and weapons grade plutonium plates that had been used in the Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) of Argonne National Laboratory until the 1990s. Furthermore, the HEU/Pb system was re-examined on the Comet critical assembly installed newly with a device that can guarantee the gap reproducibility with a higher accuracy and precision, and then the experimental data was re evaluated. Using the lead void reactivity worth measured in these three cores with different fuel compositions, the latest nuclear data libraries, JENDL 4.0 and ENDF/B VIII.0, were tested with the Monte Carlo calculation code MCNP version 6.1. As a result, the calculations by ENDF/B-VIII.0 were confirmed to agree with lead void reactivity worth measured in all the cores. It was furthermore found that the calculations by JENDL 4.0 overestimate by more than 20% for the Pu/Pb core while being in good agreements for the HEU/Pb and LEU/Pb cores.

Investigations of accelerator reliability and decay heat removal for accelerator-driven system

Sugawara, Takanori; Takei, Hayanori; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 125, p.242 - 248, 2019/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2018.11.001

To realize the feasible accelerator-driven system (ADS) concept, the investigations for the reliable accelerator and conceptual plant design considering safety issues were performed. As the reliable accelerator concept, the double-accelerator concept was proposed to reduce the beam-trip frequency. The estimated beam-trip frequency with the double-accelerator concept using the J-PARC LINAC operation data showed that the beam-trip frequency was significantly improved with the comparison of the single accelerator result. The basic investigation of the primary reactor auxiliary coolant system (PRACS) was performed for the safety design of the LBE cooled ADS. The concept which the PRACS heat exchanger was integrated to the steam generator was proposed and the transient analysis in the loss of heat sink accident was carried out. The result presented that the decay heat removal was appropriate when the operation of the PRACS succeeded.

Measurement of MA reaction rates using spallation neutron source

Oizumi, Akito; Fukushima, Masahiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Yamanaka, Masao*; Sano, Tadafumi*; Pyeon, C. H.*

KURRI Progress Report 2017, P. 50, 2018/08

http://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/PUB/report/PR/ProgRep2017/PR9.pdf

In the nuclear transmutation system such as ADS, the nuclear data validation of MA is required to reduce the uncertainty caused by the nuclear data of MA. This study aims to measure the reaction rates of Neptunium-237 (Np) and Americium-241 (Am) using the nuclear spallation neutron source in the KUCA for 3 hours. The observed distributions of pulse-height of Np and Am fission reactions were significantly different from the ones generally observed in critical and pulsed neutron source (PNS) experiments because of the influence of the -ray generated by the nuclear spallation reaction. On the other hand, the capture reaction rate of Np was measured in this experiment. The capture reaction rate of the critical experiment which was available to be measured the fission reaction rate of Np and Am was almost 8 times larger than that of this experiment. Consequently, reducing the influence of the generated by the nuclear spallation reaction and extending the duration of the irradiation to 24 or more hours would be necessary for detecting signals of fission reactions under the spallation neutron source.

Evaluation of heat removal during the failure of the core cooling for new critical assembly

Eguchi, Yuta; Sugawara, Takanori; Nishihara, Kenji; Tazawa, Yujiro; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Proceedings of 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-26) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2018/07

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE26-82012

In order to investigate the basic neutronics characteristics of the accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS), JAEA has a plan to construct a new critical assembly in the J-PARC project, Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P). This study aims to evaluate the natural cooling characteristics of TEF-P core which has large decay heat by minor actinide (MA) fuel, and to achieve a design that does not damage the core and the fuels during the failure of the core cooling system. In the evaluation of the TEF-P core temperature, empty rectangular lattice tube outer of the core has a significant effect on the heat transfer characteristics. The experiments by using the mockup device were performed to validate the heat transfer coefficient and experimental results were obtained. By using the obtained experimental results, the three-dimensional heat transfer analysis of TEF-P core were performed, and the maximum core temperature was obtained, 294C. This result shows TEF-P core temperature would be less than 327C that the design criterion of temperature.

Conceptual design study of beam window for accelerator-driven system with subcriticality adjustment rod

Sugawara, Takanori; Eguchi, Yuta; Obayashi, Hironari; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 331, p.11 - 23, 2018/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2018.02.011

This study aims to perform the coupled analysis for the feasible beam window concept. To mitigate the design condition, namely to reduce the necessary proton beam current, subcriticality adjustment rod (SAR) was installed to the ADS core. The burnup analysis was performed for the ADS core with SAR and the results indicated that the maximum proton beam current during the burnup cycle was reduced from 20 to 13.5 mA. Based on the burnup analysis result, the coupled analysis; particle transport, thermal hydraulics and structural analyses, was performed. As the final result, the most robust beam window design; the hemisphere shape, the outer radius = 235 mm, the thickness at the top of the beam window = 3.5 mm and the factor of safety for the buckling = 9.0, was presented. The buckling pressure was 2.2 times larger than the previous one and more feasible beam window concept was presented through this study.

Impact of impurity in transmutation cycle on neutronics design of revised accelerator-driven system

Sugawara, Takanori; Katano, Ryota; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 111, p.449 - 459, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2017.09.017

This study aims to review the ADS design based on the outcome for the last dozen years and to investigate the impact of impurities in the transmutation cycle on the ADS neutronics design. The impact of impurities in the transmutation cycle is investigated for the reviewed reference design. For the uranium from the partitioning, the accompaniment of 20 wt.% U against the Pu weight is acceptable although the MA transmutation amount will be decreased slightly. For the rare earth (RE) from the partitioning, the accompaniment of 5 wt.% RE against the MA weight is allowable. In the reprocessing, the decontamination factor, DF=10 for RE is enough from the viewpoint of the neutronics design. The impact of the fuel composition accuracy is also investigated. The uncertainty of the ZrN ratio against the MA fuel should be less than 0.2% to minimize a surplus proton beam current due to the uncertainty.

Investigation of beam window structure for accelerator driven system with subcriticality adjustment rod

Sugawara, Takanori; Iwamoto, Hiroki; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

NEA/NSC/R(2017)3, p.149 - 159, 2017/11

In this study, new beam window concept for accelerator-driven system (ADS) is investigated by changing the design condition. The most important factor for the beam window design is the proton beam current, and the design condition will be mitigated if the proton beam current will be reduced. To reduce the proton beam current, a subcriticality adjustment rod which was a BC control rod was employed and neutronics calculations were performed by ADS3D code. The results of the neutronics calculation indicated that the proton beam current was reduced from 20mA to 10mA by the installation of the subcriticality adjustment rods. Based on the mitigated calculation condition, the investigation of the beam window was performed by the particle transport analysis by PHITS code, the thermal hydraulics analysis by STAR-CCM+ code and the structural analysis by ANSYS code. Through these coupled analyses, more feasible beam window concept which was the hemispherical shape, the outer diameter = 470mm, the thickness at the top = 4.0mm and factor of safety =12, was presented.

Cladding tube burst experiment assumed MA fuel pin for transmutation physics experimental facility

Sugawara, Takanori; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi

JAEA-Research 2017-011, 35 Pages, 2017/10

JAEA-Research-2017-011.pdf:4.88MB

The construction of Transmutation Physics Experimental Facility (TEF-P) is planned in the J-PARC project. TEF-P is a critical assembly and it will treat minor actinide (MA) fuel in the experiment. The temperature when the air cooling for the TEF-P core would stop was estimated but there were no data to evaluate the soundness of the MA fuel pin. To set a tentative limit temperature for the TEF-P core, cladding tube burst experiment was performed. As the result, the cladding tube burst occurred at 660C as the severest case. Through these results and the estimation of creep rupture time, the tentative limit temperature for the TEF-P core was set to 600C.

Present state of partitioning and transmutation of long-lived nuclides, 1; Significance of partitioning and transmutation and partitioning and transmutation systems

Minato, Kazuo; Tsujimoto, Kazufumi; Tanabe, Hiromi*; Fujimura, Koji*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 59(8), p.475 - 479, 2017/08

no abstracts in English