MAAP code analysis for the in-vessel phase of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 and comparison of the results among Units 1 to 3

Sato, Ikken; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Yamashita, Takuya; Shimomura, Kenta; Cibula, M.*; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 422, p.113088_1 - 113088_24, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2024.113088

MAAP code analysis focusing on the fuel debris conditions in the lower head of the pressure vessel in Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 3

Sato, Ikken; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Yamashita, Takuya; Shimomura, Kenta; Cibula, M.*; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 414, p.112574_1 - 112574_20, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112574

MAAP code analysis focusing on the fuel debris condition in the lower head of the pressure vessel in Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2

Sato, Ikken; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Yamashita, Takuya; Cibula, M.*; Mizokami, Shinya*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 404, p.112205_1 - 112205_21, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2023.112205

Based on updated knowledge from plant-internal investigations, experiments and model simulations until now, the in-vessel phase of Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 was analyzed using the MAAP code. In Unit 2, it is considered that the core material enthalpy was relatively low when it relocated to the lower plenum of the pressure vessel, then, cooled by the coolant and solidified there. Although the MAAP code tended to underestimate the degree of core-material oxidation during the relocation, this probable underestimation was compensated for by an existing study that was considered more reliable, so that more realistic debris conditions in the lower plenum could be obtained. Basic validity of the former prediction of the Unit 2 accident progression behavior was confirmed and detailed boundary condition for the later phase was provided. This boundary condition should be utilized for future studies addressing debris reheating process leading to lower head failure and debris relocation toward the pedestal.

Recent improvements of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System; PHITS version 3.33

Sato, Tatsuhiko; Iwamoto, Yosuke; Hashimoto, Shintaro; Ogawa, Tatsuhiko; Furuta, Takuya; Abe, Shinichiro; Kai, Takeshi; Matsuya, Yusuke; Matsuda, Norihiro; Hirata, Yuho; et al.

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 9 Pages, 2023/00

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2275736

The Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) is a general-purpose Monte Carlo radiation transport code that can simulate the behavior of most particle species with energies up to 1 TeV (per nucleon for ions). Its new version, PHITS3.31, was recently developed and released to the public. In the new version, the compatibility with high-energy nuclear data libraries and the algorithm of the track-structure modes have been improved. In this paper, we summarize the upgraded features of PHITS3.31 with respect to the physics models, utility functions, and application software introduced since the release of PHITS3.02 in 2017.

BWR lower head penetration failure test focusing on eutectic melting

Yamashita, Takuya; Sato, Takumi; Madokoro, Hiroshi; Nagae, Yuji

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 173, p.109129_1 - 109129_15, 2022/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109129

Development plan of failure mitigation technologies for improving resilience of nuclear structures

Kasahara, Naoto*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Nakamura, Izumi*; Demachi, Kazuyuki*; Sato, Takuya*; Ichimiya, Masakazu*

Transactions of 26th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT-26) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2022/07

Utilizing fracture control, we are developing a technology to suppress the expansion of damage caused by an event that exceeds the design assumption. We made a plan to develop three issues; (1) Technology for mitigating failure consequence at extremely high temperatures, (2) Technology for mitigating failure consequence against excessive earthquakes, and (3) Methodology for improving reactor structure resilience.

Fundamental study for decorporation of plutonium by chelating agents; Coordination analyses of simulated plutonium with chelating agents by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Uehara, Akihiro*; Shuhui, X.*; Sato, Ryotaro*; Matsumura, Daiju; Tsuji, Takuya; Yakumaru, Haruko*; Shiro, Ayumi*; Saito, Hiroyuki*; Tanaka, Izumi*; Ishihara, Hiroshi*; et al.

Advances in X-Ray Chemical Analysis, Japan, 53, p.223 - 229, 2022/03

no abstracts in English

Space weather benchmarks on Japanese society

Ishii, Mamoru*; Shiota, Daiko*; Tao, Chihiro*; Ebihara, Yusuke*; Fujiwara, Hitoshi*; Ishii, Takako*; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi*; Kataoka, Ryuho*; Koga, Kiyokazu*; Kubo, Yuki*; et al.

Earth, Planets and Space (Internet), 73(1), p.108_1 - 108_20, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-021-01420-5

We surveyed the relationship between the scale of space weather events and their occurrence rate in Japan and we discussed the social impact of these phenomena during the Project for Solar-Terrestrial Environment Prediction (PSTEP). The information was compiled for domestic users of space weather forecasts for appropriate preparedness against space weather disasters. This paper gives a comprehensive summary of the survey, focusing on the fields of electricity, satellite operations, communication and broadcasting, satellite positioning usage, aviation, human space activity, and daily life on the Earth's surface, using the cutting-edge knowledge of space weather. Quantitative estimations of the economic impact of space weather events on electricity and aviation are also given.

Technical Note: Validation of a material assignment method for a retrospective study of carbon-ion radiotherapy using Monte Carlo simulation

Chang, W.*; Koba, Yusuke*; Furuta, Takuya; Yonai, Shunsuke*; Hashimoto, Shintaro; Matsumoto, Shinnosuke*; Sato, Tatsuhiko

Journal of Radiation Research (Internet), 62(5), p.846 - 855, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1093/jrr/rrab028

With the aim of developing a revaluation tool of treatment plan in carbon-ion radiotherapy using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, we propose two methods; one is dedicated to identify realistic-tissue materials from a CT image with satisfying the well-calibrated relationship between CT numbers and stopping power ratio (SPR) provided by TPS, and the other is to estimate dose to water considering the particle- and energy-dependent SPR between realistic tissue materials and water. We validated these proposed methods by computing depth dose distribution in homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms composed of human tissue materials and water irradiated by a 400 MeV/u carbon beam with 8 cm SOBP using a MC simulation code PHITS and comparing with results of conventional treatment planning system (TPS). Our result suggested that use of water as a surrogate of real tissue materials, which is adopted in conventional TPS, is inadequate for dose estimation from secondary particles because their production rates cannot be scaled by SPR of the primary particle in water. We therefore concluded that the proposed methods can play important roles in the reevaluation of the treatment plans in carbon-ion radiotherapy.

First observation of a nuclear -state of a hypernucleus,

Yoshimoto, Masahiro*; Fujita, Manami; Hashimoto, Tadashi; Hayakawa, Shuhei; Ichikawa, Yudai; Ichikawa, Masaya; Imai, Kenichi*; Nanamura, Takuya; Naruki, Megumi; Sako, Hiroyuki; et al.

Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (Internet), 2021(7), p.073D02_1 - 073D02_19, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptab073