Radiation monitoring via manned helicopter around the nuclear power station in the fiscal year 2022 (Contract research)

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

JAEA-Technology 2023-027, 146 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-027.pdf:18.12MB

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 applied as a method to quickly and extensively measure the distribution of radiation. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has continuously conducted ARM via manned helicopter around FDNPS. In this report, we summarize the results of the ARM around FDNPS in the fiscal year 2022, evaluate the changes of ambient dose rates and other parameters based on the comparison to the past ARM results, and discuss the causes of such changes. In order to contribute to improve the accuracy of ambient dose rate conversion, we analyzed the ARM data taking into account undulating topography, and evaluated the effect of this method. Furthermore, the effect of radon progenies in the air on the ARM was evaluated by applying the discrimination method to the measurement results.

Criticality safety evaluation of high active liquid waste during the evaporation to dryness process at Tokai Reprocessing Plant

Miura, Takatomo; Kudo, Atsunari; Koyama, Daisuke; Obu, Tomoyuki; Samoto, Hirotaka

Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety (ICNC2023) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2023/10

Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) had reprocessed 1,140 tons of spent fuel discharged from commercial reactors (BWR, PWR) and Advanced Thermal Reactor "Fugen" from 1977 to 2007. TRP had entered decommissioning stage in 2018. In order to reduce the risk of High Active Liquid Waste (HALW) held at the facility, the vitrification of HALW is given top priority. HALW generated from reprocessing of spent fuel contains not only fission products (FPs) but also trace amounts of uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) within the liquid and insoluble residues (sludge). Under normal conditions, concentrations of U and Pu in HALW are very low so that it can not reach criticality. Since FPs with high neutron absorption effect coexists in HALW, even if the cooling function is lost due to serious accident and HALW evaporates to dryness, it is considered that criticality would not been reached. In order to confirm this estimation quantitatively, criticality safety evaluations were carried out for the increase of U and Pu concentrations by evaporation of HALW to the point of dryness. In this evaluation, infinite multiplication factors were calculated for each of solution system and sludge system of HALW with respect to the concentration change through evaporation to dryness. It is confirmed it could not reach criticality. The abundance ratios of U, Pu and FPs were set conservatively based on analytical data and ORIGEN calculation results. Multiplation factors for two-layer infinite slab model of solution and sludge systems of HALW were also calculated, and it was confirmed it could not reached criticality. In conclusion, the result was gaind that there could be no criticality even in the process through evaporation to dryness of HALW in TRP.

Background radiation monitoring via manned helicopter for application of technique of nuclear emergency response in the fiscal year 2021 (Contract research)

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

JAEA-Technology 2022-028, 127 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Technology-2022-028.pdf:15.21MB

A large amount of radioactive material was released by the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company, caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring via manned helicopter has been utilized to grasp rapidly and widely the distribution of the radioactive materials surrounding FDNPS. We prepare the data of background radiation dose, geomorphic characteristics and the controlled airspace surrounding nuclear facilities of the whole country in order to make effective use of the monitoring technique as a way of emergency radiation monitoring and supply the results during an accident of a facility. This report has summarized the knowledge noted above achieved by the aerial radiation monitoring around Ohi and Takahama nuclear power stations. In addition, the examination's progress aimed at introducing airborne radiation monitoring via an unmanned plane during a nuclear disaster and the technical issues are summarized in this report.

Fuel unloading operations -2020- in the decommissioning of the prototype fast breeder reactor "Monju"

Shiota, Yuki; Ariyoshi, Hideo; Shiohama, Yasutaka; Isobe, Yuta; Takeuchi, Ryotaro; Kudo, Junki; Hanaki, Shotaro; Hamano, Tomoharu; Takagi, Tsuyohiko

JAEA-Technology 2022-019, 95 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Technology-2022-019.pdf:7.59MB

In the first stage of "Monju" decommissioning project, "Fuel Unloading Operations" have been carrying out. The operations consists of two processes. The first process is "Fuel Treatment and Storage" is that the fuel assemblies unloaded from the Ex-Vessel fuel Storage Tank (EVST) are canned after sodium cleaning, and then transferred to the storage pool. The second process is "Fuel Unloading" that the fuel assemblies in the reactor core are replaced with dummy fuel assemblies and stored in the EVST. "Fuel Treatment and Storage" and "Fuel Unloading" are performed alternately until 370 fuel assemblies in the core and 160 fuel assemblies in the EVST are all transferred to the storage pool. This is a summary of "Fuel Unloading" in the third quarter of "Fuel Unloading Operation". In fiscal 2020, as "Fuel Unloading", 72 fuel assemblies and 74 blanket fuel assemblies were unloaded from the core, and stored in the EVST. From the EVST, 145 dummy fuel assemblies and 1 fixed absorber were loaded in the core instead. During these operations, a total of 36 cases alarming or equipment malfunctions classified into 4 types occurred. However, these events were estimated in advance, there were no significant events that menaces to safety of fuel assemblies and equipment. Therefore, there were no serious problem like fall of fuel assemblies and events that may affect schedule of the project like stick of gripper of ex-vessel fuel transfer machine. When equipment's work or performance fail, the operation continued with safety by elimination of causes of problem. Fuel handling system of Monju has function that is endemic to sodium cooling fast breeding reactor. Because continuous operations of fuel handling system with actual fuel assemblies start recently, we don't have as much experience as PWR and BWR. With estimation of various troubles, reduction of frequency of trouble occurrence and minimization of impacts on schedule performed.

Distinct variation of electronic states due to annealing in -type LaEuCuO and NdCuO

Asano, Shun*; Ishii, Kenji*; Matsumura, Daiju; Tsuji, Takuya; Kudo, Kota*; Taniguchi, Takanori*; Saito, Shin*; Sunohara, Toshiki*; Kawamata, Takayuki*; Koike, Yoji*; et al.

Physical Review B, 104(21), p.214504_1 - 214504_7, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.104.214504

Background radiation monitoring using manned helicopter for application of technique of nuclear emergency response in the fiscal year 2019 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Sato, Kazuhiko*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kikuchi, Hikaru*; Ishizaki, Azusa; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2020-019, 128 Pages, 2021/02

JAEA-Technology-2020-019.pdf:15.75MB

A large amount of radioactive material was released by the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company, caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring using manned helicopter has been utilized to grasp rapidly and widely the distribution of the radioactive materials around FDNPS. We prepare the data of background radiation dose, geomorphic characteristics and the controlled airspace around nuclear facilities of the whole country in order to make effective use of the monitoring technique as a way of emergency radiation monitoring and supply the results during accidents of the facilities. Furthermore, the airborne radiation monitoring has been conducted in Integrated Nuclear Emergency Response Drill to increase effectiveness of the monitoring. This report is summarized that the knowledge as noted above achieved by the aerial radiation monitoring around Higashidori nuclear power station, the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho village and Shika nuclear power station, the full details of the aerial radiation monitoring in Integrated Nuclear Emergency Response Drill in the fiscal 2019. In addition, examination's progress aimed at introduction of airborne radiation monitoring using unmanned helicopter during nuclear disaster and the technical issues are summarized in this report.

Water distribution in Nafion thin films on hydrophilic and hydrophobic carbon substrates

Ito, Kanae; Harada, Masashi*; Yamada, Norifumi*; Kudo, Kenji*; Aoki, Hiroyuki; Kanaya, Toshiji*

Langmuir, 36(43), p.12830 - 12837, 2020/11

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01917

Development of the residual sodium quantification method for a fuel pin bundle of SFRs before and after dry cleaning

Kudo, Hideyuki*; Otani, Yuichi*; Hara, Masahide*; Kato, Atsushi; Otaka, Masahiko; Ide, Akihiro*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(4), p.408 - 420, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2019.1691069

In a fuel handling system of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), it is necessary to remove the sodium remaining on spent fuel assemblies (FAs) before storing them in a spent fuel water pool (SFP) in order to minimize plant operating loads. A next-generation SFR in Japan has adopted an advanced dry cleaning process which consists of the following steps, argon gas blowing to remove the metallic residual sodium on the FA, moist argon gas blowing to deactivate the residual sodium, and direct storage in the SFP. This three-step process increases economic competitiveness and reduces waste products thanks to a waterless process. In this R&D work, performance of the dry cleaning process has been investigated.

Background radiation monitoring using manned helicopter for application of technique of nuclear emergency response in the fiscal year 2018 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Komiya, Tomokazu; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Seguchi, Eisaku*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Kawabata, Tomoki*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Sato, Kazuhiko*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2019-017, 95 Pages, 2019/11

JAEA-Technology-2019-017.pdf:12.09MB

By the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011, a large amount of radioactive material was released from the FDNPS. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring using manned helicopter was conducted around FDNPS. We have carried out the background radiation monitoring around the nuclear power stations of the whole country to apply the airborne radiation monitoring technique that has been cultivated in the aerial monitoring around FDNPS against nuclear emergency response. The results of monitoring around Shimane and Hamaoka Nuclear Power Stations in the fiscal 2018 were summarized in this report. In addition, technical issues were described.

Dry cleaning process test for fuel assembly of fast reactor plant system, 1; Pilot scale test for fuel pin bundle

Kudo, Hideyuki*; Otani, Yuichi*; Hara, Masahide*; Kato, Atsushi; Ishikawa, Nobuyuki; Otaka, Masahiko; Nagai, Keiichi; Saito, Junichi; Ara, Kuniaki; Ide, Akihiro*

Proceedings of 2019 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2019) (Internet), 10 Pages, 2019/05

A next generation SFR in Japan has adopted an advanced dry cleaning system which consists of the argon gas blowing process to reduce the amount of metallic residual sodium remaining on spent fuel assemblies. This paper describes experimental and analytical work focusing on the amount of residual sodium remaining on a fuel pin bundle before and after the argon gas blowing process. The experiments were conducted using a sodium test loop and a short specimen consisting of a 7 pin bundle. The effects of the blowing gas velocity and the blowing time were quantitatively analyzed in the experiments. On the basis of these experimental results, evaluation models predicting the amount of the residual sodium were constructed.