Development of a practical tritiated water monitor to supervise the discharge of treated water from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Sanada, Yukihisa; Oshikiri, Keisuke*; Kanno, Marina*; Abe, Tomohisa

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 1062, p.169208_1 - 169208_7, 2024/05

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2024.169208

As part of the decommissioning work at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), the release of stored treated water began in 2023. In this study, we developed a practical tritium monitor to continuously monitor the concentration of tritiated water, as confirmed by batch sampling measurements at the FDNPP. The monitor is arranged with a flow cell detector comprising inexpensive plastic scintillator pellets and incorporating simultaneous measurements by three detectors, a veto detector, and lead shielding to reduce the influence of environmental -rays. The system reached a detection limit of 911 Bq L-1 with a measurement time of 30 min, which is lower than the discharge standard for tritiated water of 1,500 Bq L-1. The system can also qualitatively distinguish the presence of disturbances due to interfering radionuclides other than tritium or background radiation using the -ray spectrum.

Background radiation monitoring via manned helicopter and development of technology for radiation monitoring via unmanned airplane for application of nuclear emergency response technique in the fiscal year 2022 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Sasaki, Miyuki; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Akutsu, Yuichiro*; Arai, Yoshinori*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2023-026, 161 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-026.pdf:14.66MB

By the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), caused by tsunami triggered by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, a large amount of radioactive material was released into the surrounding environment. After the accident, Airborne Radiation Monitoring (ARM) via manned helicopter has been utilized as a method to quickly and extensively measure radiation distribution surrounding FDNPS. In order to utilize ARM and to promptly provide the results during a nuclear emergency, information on background radiation levels, topographical features, and controlled airspace surrounding nationwide nuclear facilities have been prepared in advance. In the fiscal year 2022, we conducted ARM around the Mihama Nuclear Power Station of Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), the Tsuruga Power Station of Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC), and the Ikata Power Station of Shikoku Electric Power Company (YONDEN), and prepared information on background radiation doses and controlled airspace. In addition, we have developed an aerial radiation detection system via unmanned airplane, which is expected to be an alternative to ARM, during a nuclear emergency. This report summarizes the results and technical issues identified.

Quantum critical behavior of the hyperkagome magnet MnCoSi

Yamauchi, Hiroki; Sari, D. P.*; Yasui, Yukio*; Sakakura, Terutoshi*; Kimura, Hiroyuki*; Nakao, Akiko*; Ohara, Takashi; Honda, Takashi*; Kodama, Katsuaki; Igawa, Naoki; et al.

Physical Review Research (Internet), 6(1), p.013144_1 - 013144_9, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.013144

Development of irradiation capsules with adjusting neutron spectrum

Fuyushima, Takumi; Takabe, Yugo; Sayato, Natsuki; Kimura, Akihiro; Takemoto, Noriyuki

The IV International Scientific Forum "Nuclear Science and Technologies"; AIP Conference Proceedings 3020, p.040007_1 - 040007_6, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0192860

We studied irradiation tests of structural materials simulating fast reactor conditions in JMTR. We fabricated capsules that can simulate fast reactor irradiation in JMTR by using He/dpa ratio as index. To simulate fast reactor, cadmium, which shield thermal neutrons, was placed inside the capsule to adjust the neutron spectrum. According to the result of irradiation tests by neutron spectrum adjusting capsule, we confirmed that it can simulate the He/dpa ratio of fast reactor. Currently, since it is impossible to conduct irradiation tests in Japan, a plan is underway to partly replace the irradiation function of JMTR with overseas reactors. The alternative irradiation will be carried out by succeeding and developing the irradiation technology accumulated in the JMTR, and as a part of this, a trial of such irradiation in which the neutron spectrum is adjusted is under consideration.

Neutron scattering study of antiferromagnet UPtAl

Ota, Kyugo*; Matsumoto, Yuji*; Watabe, Yuki*; Kaneko, Koji; Tabata, Chihiro; Haga, Yoshinori

New Physics; Sae Mulli, 73(12), p.1170 - 1173, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.3938/NPSM.73.1170

We have performed the neutron scattering study of antiferromagnet UPtAl with the honeycomb lattice to determine the magnetic structure. UPtAl exhibits two phase transitions at = 9 K and = 26 K. In phase I at , the magnetic reflections described by a propagation vector = (1/3, 0, 0) were observed. In phase II at , magnetic reflections of = (1/3, 0, 0) and = (1/2, 0, 0) were observed and the magnetic reflection intensity of = (1/3, 0, 0) is weak but finite. The hysteresis in the temperature dependent intensities is observed across the phase transition at , suggesting that the transition at is of first order.

Numerical simulation technologies for safety evaluation in plant lifecycle optimization method, ARKADIA for advanced reactors

Uchibori, Akihiro; Doda, Norihiro; Aoyagi, Mitsuhiro; Sonehara, Masateru; Sogabe, Joji; Okano, Yasushi; Takata, Takashi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Enuma, Yasuhiro; Wakai, Takashi; et al.

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 413, p.112492_1 - 112492_10, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112492

The ARKAIDA has been developed to realize automatic optimization of plant design from safety evaluation for the advanced reactors represented by a sodium-cooled fast reactor. ARKADIA-Design offers functions to support design optimization both in normal operating conditions and design basis events. The multi-level simulation approach by the coupled analysis such as neutronics, core deformation, core thermal hydraulics was developed as one of the main technologies. On the other hand, ARKAIDA-Safety aims for safety evaluation considering severe accidents. As a key technology, the numerical methods for in- and ex-vessel coupled phenomena during severe accidents in sodium-cooled fast reactors were tested through a hypothetical severe accident event. Improvement of the ex-vessel model and development of the AI technology to find best design solution have been started.

Structural changes of polystyrene particles in subcritical and supercritical water revealed by in situ small-angle neutron scattering

Shibata, Motoki*; Nakanishi, Yohei*; Abe, Jun*; Arima, Hiroshi*; Iwase, Hiroki*; Shibayama, Mitsuhiro*; Motokawa, Ryuhei; Kumada, Takayuki; Takata, Shinichi; Yamamoto, Katsuhiro*; et al.

Polymer Journal, 55(11), p.1165 - 1170, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00817-1

Update of Bragg edge analysis software "GUI-RITS"

Oikawa, Kenichi; Sato, Hirotaka*; Watanabe, Kenichi*; Su, Y. H.; Shinohara, Takenao; Kai, Tetsuya; Kiyanagi, Yoshiaki*; Hasemi, Hiroyuki

Journal of Physics; Conference Series, 2605, p.012013_1 - 012013_6, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2605/1/012013

Ion beam induced luminescence analysis of europium complexes in styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer-coated spherical silica by proton and argon ion beams irradiation

Nakahara, Masaumi; Watanabe, So; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Yuyama, Takahiro*; Ishizaka, Tomohisa*; Ishii, Yasuyuki*; Yamagata, Ryohei*; Yamada, Naoto*; Koka, Masashi*; Kada, Wataru*; et al.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 542, p.144 - 150, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2023.06.012

The structures of Eu complexes in the adsorbents prepared with various extractants were evaluated by ion beam induced luminescence analysis in an extraction chromatography for minor actinides recovery. The luminescence of Eu was measured with a proton beam obtained from the single-ended accelerator and an argon ion beam obtained from the azimuthally varying field cyclotron in Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application in National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology. In this study, it was confirmed that the spectral shape of Eu complexes in the adsorbents varied depending on the kinds of extractants, and the correlation between the change in the spectra and the structures of Eu complexes was investigated.

A Terrestrial SER Estimation Methodology Based on Simulation Coupled With One-Time Neutron Irradiation Testing

Abe, Shinichiro; Hashimoto, Masanori*; Liao, W.*; Kato, Takashi*; Asai, Hiroaki*; Shimbo, Kenichi*; Matsuyama, Hideya*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Kobayashi, Kazutoshi*; Watanabe, Yukinobu*

IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 70(8, Part 1), p.1652 - 1657, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2023.3280190

Single event upsets (SEUs) caused by neutrons is a reliability problem for microelectronic devices in the terrestrial environment. Acceleration tests using white neutron beam provide realistic soft error rates (SERs), but only a few facilities can provide white neutron beam in the world. If single-source irradiation applicable to diverse neutron source can be utilized for the evaluation of the SER in the terrestrial environment, it contributes to solve the shortage of beam time. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of the SER estimation in the terrestrial environment by any one of these measured data with the SEU cross sections obtained by PHITS simulation. It was found that the SERs estimated by our proposed method are within a factor of 2.7 of that estimated by the Weibull function. We also investigated the effect of simplification which reduce the computational cost in simulation to the SER estimation.