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Hamamoto, Shimpei; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Tochio, Daisuke; Homma, Fumitaka; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Sekita, Kenji; Watanabe, Shuji; Furusawa, Takayuki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; et al.
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 388, p.111642_1 - 111642_11, 2022/03
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：53.91(Nuclear Science & Technology)Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency adapted High-Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to meet the new regulatory requirements that began in December 2013. The safety and seismic classifications of the existing structures, systems, and components were discussed to reflect insights regarding High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) that were acquired through various HTTR safety tests. Structures, systems, and components that are subject to protection have been defined, and countermeasures to manage internal and external hazards that affect safety functions have been strengthened. Additionally, measures are in place to control accidents that may cause large amounts of radioactive material to be released, as a beyond design based accident. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission rigorously and appropriately reviewed this approach for compliance with the new regulatory requirements. After nine amendments, the application to modify the HTTR's installation license that was submitted in November 2014 was approved in June 2020. This response shows that facilities can reasonably be designed to meet the enhanced regulatory requirements, if they reflect the characteristics of HTGRs. We believe that we have established a reference for future development of HTGR.
Kamiya, Junichiro; Kotoku, Hirofumi*; Kurosawa, Shunta*; Takano, Kazuhiro; Yanagibashi, Toru*; Yamamoto, Kazami; Wada, Kaoru
Physical Review Accelerators and Beams (Internet), 24(8), p.083201_1 - 083201_23, 2021/08
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.02(Physics, Nuclear)Through the operation of the vacuum system in J-PARC, it becomes evident that the high-power beam has more powerful effects on the vacuum system than expected. Those effects are the malfunction of vacuum equipment and the large pressure rise. The former is the failure of the turbomolecular pump (TMP) controller. The TMP itself is also damaged by a bearing crush due to a touch-down. We have developed a TMP controller that can connect with long cables of more than 200 m lengths to install the controller in a control room where there is no radiation influence. The TMP with high-strength bearing has been also developed. The latter is an extreme pressure rise with increasing the beam power. It is indicated that the pressure rise mechanism is a result of ion-stimulated gas desorption. It is finally confirmed that the dynamic pressure during the high-power beam is effectually suppressed by additionally installing the NEG pumps.
Hirahara, Toru*; Otrokov, M. M.*; Sasaki, Taisuke*; Sumida, Kazuki*; Tomohiro, Yuta*; Kusaka, Shotaro*; Okuyama, Yuma*; Ichinokura, Satoru*; Kobayashi, Masaki*; Takeda, Yukiharu; et al.
Nature Communications (Internet), 11, p.4821_1 - 4821_8, 2020/09
Times Cited Count：41 Percentile：93.11(Multidisciplinary Sciences)Takada, Shoji; Ngarayana, I. W.*; Nakatsuru, Yukihiro*; Terada, Atsuhiko; Murakami, Kenta*; Sawa, Kazuhiro*
Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 7(3), p.19-00536_1 - 19-00536_12, 2020/06
In this study reasonable 2D model was established by using FLUENT for start-up of analysis and evaluation of heat transfer flow characteristics in 1/6 scale model of VCS for HTTR. By setting up pressure vessel temperature around 200
C about relatively high ratio of heat transfer via natural convection in total heat removal around 20-30%, which is useful for code to experiment benchmark in the aspect to confirm accuracy to predict temperature distribution of components which is heated up by natural convection flow. The numerical results of upper head of pressure vessel by the 
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-SST intermittency transition model, which can adequately reproduce the separation, re-adhesion and transition, reproduced the test results including temperature distribution well in contrast to those by the -
model in both cases that helium gas is evacuated or filled in the pressure vessel. It was emerged that any local hot spot did not appear on the top of upper head of pressure vessel where natural convection flow of air is separated in both cases. In addition, the plume of high temperature helium gas generated by the heating of heater was well mixed in the upper head and uniformly heated the inner surface of upper head without generating hot spots.
Takada, Shoji; Honda, Yuki*; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Sekita, Kenji; Nemoto, Takahiro; Tochio, Daisuke; Ishii, Toshiaki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro*
Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2018/10
Nuclear heat utilization systems connected to HTGRs will be designed on the basis of non-nuclear grade standards for easy entry of chemical plant companies, requiring reactor operations to continue even if abnormal events occur in the systems. The inventory control is considered as one of candidate methods to control reactor power for load following operation for siting close to demand area, in which the primary gas pressure is varied while keeping the reactor inlet and outlet coolant temperatures constant. Numerical investigation was carried out based on the results of nuclear heat supply fluctuation tests using HTTR by non-nuclear heating operation to focus on the temperature transient of the reactor core bottom structure by imposing stepwise fluctuation on the reactor inlet temperature under different primary gas pressures below 120C. As a result, it was emerged that the fluctuation absorption characteristics are not deteriorated by lowering pressure. It was also emerged that the reactor outlet temperature did not reach the scram level by increasing the reactor inlet temperature 10 C stepwise at 80% of the rated power as same with the full power case.
Ono, Masato; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Kondo, Toshinari; Kojima, Keidai; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 4(2), p.020906_1 - 020906_8, 2018/04
On March 11th, 2011, the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred. When the great earthquake occurred, the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) had been stopped under the periodic inspection and maintenance of equipment and instruments. A comprehensive integrity evaluation was carried out for the HTTR facility because the maximum seismic acceleration observed at the HTTR exceeded the maximum value of design basis earthquake. The concept of comprehensive integrity evaluation is divided into two parts. One is the "visual inspection of equipment and instruments". The other is the "seismic response analysis" for the building structure, equipment and instruments using the observed earthquake. All equipment and instruments related to operation were inspected in the basic inspection. The integrity of the facilities was confirmed by comparing the inspection results or the numerical results with their evaluation criteria. As the results of inspection of equipment and instruments associated with the seismic response analysis, it was judged that there was no problem for operation of the reactor, because there was no damage and performance deterioration. The integrity of HTTR was also supported by the several operations without reactor power in cold conditions of HTTR in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Additionally, the integrity of control rod guide blocks was also confirmed visually when three control rod guide blocks and six replaceable reflector blocks were taken out from reactor core in order to change neutron startup sources in 2015.
Nishimura, Akihiko; Takenaka, Yusuke*; Furusawa, Akinori; Torimoto, Kazuhiro; Ueda, Masashi; Fukuda, Naoaki*; Hirao, Kazuyuki*
E-Journal of Advanced Maintenance (Internet), 9(2), p.52 - 59, 2017/08
no abstracts in English
Honda, Yuki; Fujimoto, Nozomu*; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 3(1), p.011013_1 - 011013_4, 2017/01
The operating data of the HTTR with burn-up is very important for developments of HTGRs. There is a temperature distribution in a core in full power operation. The temperature distribution in a core makes it difficult to validate of calculation code. On the other hands, the data of the control rod position at criticality at zero power have been measured at the beginning of each operation cycle. The temperature distribution in a core at zero power is uniform. Therefore, the data at zero power are suitable for validation of calculation code. In this study, the calculated control rod positions at zero power criticality with burn-up are compared with the experimental data with correlation of core temperature. The calculated results of criticality control rod position at zero power show good agreement to the experimental data. It means that calculated result shows appropriate decrease in uranium and accumulation in plutonium decrease in burnable absorber with burn-up.
Honda, Yuki; Fujimoto, Nozomu*; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 3(1), p.011005_1 - 011005_6, 2017/01
In the HTTR, a two-step control rods insertion method for reactor scram is adopted. In the method, control rods at reflector region are inserted at the scram signal is initiated. The core should keep its subcriticality by reflector region control rods. Therefore, precise evaluation of control rods reactivity worth for reflector region is necessary. However, all cross section of control rods has been prepared for control rod in fuel region because the reactivity value of control rods in the fuel region is larger than that of control rods in the reflector region. This paper proposed the revised method of preparing the control rod cross section for first step control rod in reflector region.
Ono, Masato; Shimizu, Atsushi; Kondo, Makoto; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shinohara, Masanori; Tochio, Daisuke; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 2(4), p.044502_1 - 044502_4, 2016/10
In the loss of forced core cooling test using High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), the forced cooling of reactor core is stopped without inserting control rods into the core and cooling by Vessel Cooling System (VCS) to verify safety evaluation codes to investigate the inherent safety of HTGR be secured by natural phenomena to make it possible to design a severe accident free reactor. The VCS passively removes the retained residual heat and the decay heat from the core via the reactor pressure vessel by natural convection and thermal radiation. In the test, the local temperature was supposed to exceed the limit from the viewpoint of long-term use at the uncovered water cooling tube by thermal reflectors in the VCS, although the safety of reactor is kept. Through a cold test, which was carried out by non-nuclear heat input from gas circulators with stopping water flow in the VCS, the local higher temperature position was specified although the temperature was sufficiently lower than the maximum allowable working temperature, and natural circulation of water had insufficient cooling effect on the temperature of water cooling tube below 1C. Then, a new safe and secured procedure for the loss of forced core cooling test was established, which will be carried out soon after the restart of HTTR.
Inaba, Yoshitomo; Sekita, Kenji; Nemoto, Takahiro; Honda, Yuki; Tochio, Daisuke; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 2(4), p.041001_1 - 041001_7, 2016/10
The nuclear heat utilization systems connected to High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) will be designed on the basis of non-nuclear grade standards in terms of the easier entry of chemical plant companies and the construction economics of the systems. Therefore, it is necessary that the reactor operations can be continued even if abnormal events occur in the systems. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed a calculation code to evaluate the absorption of thermal load fluctuations by the reactors when the reactor operations are continued after such events, and has improved the code based on the High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) operating data. However, there were insufficient data on the transient temperature behavior of the metallic core side components and the graphite core support structures corresponding to the fluctuation of the reactor inlet coolant temperature for further improvement of the code. Thus, nuclear heat supply fluctuation tests with the HTTR were carried out in non-nuclear heating operation to focus on thermal effect. In the tests, the coolant helium gas temperature was heated up to 120C by the compression heat of the gas circulators in the HTTR, and a sufficiently high fluctuation of 17C by devising a new test procedure was imposed on the reactor inlet coolant under the ideal condition without the effect of the nuclear power. Then, the temperature responses of the metallic core side components and the graphite core support structures were investigated. The test results adequately showed as predicted that the temperature responses of the metallic components are faster than those of the graphite structures, and the mechanism of the thermal load fluctuation absorption by the metallic components was clarified.
Shimazaki, Yosuke; Sawahata, Hiroaki; Kawamoto, Taiki; Suzuki, Hisashi; Shinohara, Masanori; Honda, Yuki; Katsuyama, Kozo; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 2(4), p.041008_1 - 041008_5, 2016/10
Maintenance technologies for the reactor system have been developed by using the high-temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR). One of the important purposes of development is to accumulate the experiences and data to satisfy the availability of operation up to 90% by shortening the duration of the periodical maintenance for the future HTGRs by shifting from the time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance. The technical issue of the maintenance of in-core neutron detector, wide range monitor (WRM), is to predict the malfunction caused by cable disconnection to plan the replacement schedule. This is because that it is difficult to observe directly inside of the WRM in detail. The electrical inspection method was proposed to detect and predict the cable disconnection of the WRM by remote monitoring from outside of the reactor by using the time domain reflectometry and so on. The disconnection position, which was specified by the electrical method, was identified by non-destructive and destructive inspection. The accumulated data is expected to be contributed for advanced maintenance of future HTGRs.
Nakajima, Norihiro; Nishida, Akemi; Miyamura, Hiroko; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Kashika Joho Gakkai-Shi (USB Flash Drive), 36(Suppl.2), 4 Pages, 2016/10
Since nuclear power plants have dimensions approximately 100m
and their structures are an assembly made up of over 10 million components, it is not convenient to experimentally analyze its behavior under strong loads of earthquakes, due to the complexity and hugeness of plants. The proposed system performs numerical simulations to evaluate the behaviors of an assembly like a nuclear facility. The paper discusses how to carry out visual analysis for assembly such as nuclear power plants. In a result discussion, a numerical experiment was carried out with a numerical model of High Temperature engineering Test Reactor of Japan Atomic Energy Agency and its result was compared with observed data. A good corresponding among them was obtained as a structural analysis of an assembly by using visualization. As a conclusion, a visual analytics methodology for assembly is discussed.
Ueta, Shohei; Sakaba, Nariaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Annals of Nuclear Energy, 94, p.72 - 79, 2016/08
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：10.71(Nuclear Science & Technology)In the shielding design for the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR), special attentions shall be needed to avoid neutron streaming, since helium gas as a coolant does not work for shielding. Japan Atomic Energy Agency has demonstrated the performance of shielding through testing operations of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) in order to establish design method for shielding of the Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) as a Generation-IV nuclear power system. As results of the test, it was confirmed that dose equivalent rates for neutron and 
-ray at on-operating acceptable areas were less than detection limit and as low as background, respectively. The measured dose at the stand-pipe room corresponded to the detection limit, and it was found that over 90% of dose derived from fast neutron. It was indicated that there was still a margin of factor 50 in addition to the design which excluded the safety factor. The measured dose rates showed good agreement with the predicted considering the control rod withdrawing effect. The knowledge on the design method and the demonstration of shielding by the HTTR will strongly contribute to realizing and optimizing the designs of future VHTRs.
Ono, Masato; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Tochio, Daisuke; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro; et al.
Proceedings of 24th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-24) (DVD-ROM), 12 Pages, 2016/06
On March 11th, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred. When the great earthquake occurred, the HTTR had been stopped under the periodic inspection and maintenance of equipment and instrument. In the great earthquake, the maximum seismic acceleration observed at the HTTR exceeded the maximum value in seismic design. The visual inspection of HTTR facility was carried out for the seismic integrity conformation of HTTR. The seismic analysis was also carried out using the observed earthquake motion at HTTR site to confirm the integrity of HTTR. The concept of comprehensive integrity evaluation for the HTTR facility is divided into two parts. One is the inspection of equipment and instrument. The other is the seismic response analysis using the observed earthquake. For the basic inspections of equipment and instrument were performed for all them related to the operation of reactor. The integrity of the facilities is confirmed by comparing the inspection results or the numerical results with their evaluation criteria. As the result of inspection of equipment and instrument and seismic response analysis, it was judged that there was no problem to operate the reactor, because there was no damage and performance deterioration, which affects the reactor operation. The integrity of HTTR was also supported by the several operations without reactor power in cold conditions of HTTR in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Ono, Masato; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Tochio, Daisuke; Shimizu, Atsushi; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Takada, Shoji; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Proceedings of International Topical Meeting on Research Reactor Fuel Management and Meeting of the International Group on Reactor Research (RRFM/IGORR 2016) (Internet), p.363 - 371, 2016/03
HTTR is graphite moderated and helium gas-cooled reactor with prismatic fuel elements and hexagonal blocks. Here, the graphite block is brittle materials and might be damaged by collision of neighboring blocks by the large earthquake. A seismic observation system is installed in the HTTR site to confirm a behavior of a seismic event. On March 11th, 2011, off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred. After the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the safety of nuclear reactors is the highest importance. To confirm the seismic integrity of HTTR core components, the seismic analysis was carried out using the evaluation waves based on the relationship between the observed earthquake motion at HTTR site and frequency transfer function. In parallel, confirmation tests of primary cooling system on cold state and integrity confirmation of reactor buildings and component support structures were also carried out. As a result, it was found that a stress value of the graphite blocks satisfied an allowable value, and the integrity of the HTTR core components was ensured. The integrity of HTTR core components was also supported by the operation without reactor power in cold conditions of HTTR. The obtained data was compared with the normal plant data before the earthquake. As the result, the integrity of the HTTR facilities was confirmed.
Ishizawa, Akihiro*; Idomura, Yasuhiro; Imadera, Kenji*; Kasuya, Naohiro*; Kanno, Ryutaro*; Satake, Shinsuke*; Tatsuno, Tomoya*; Nakata, Motoki*; Nunami, Masanori*; Maeyama, Shinya*; et al.
Purazuma, Kaku Yugo Gakkai-Shi, 92(3), p.157 - 210, 2016/03
The high-performance computer system Helios which is located at The Computational Simulation Centre (CSC) in The International Fusion Energy Research Centre (IFERC) started its operation in January 2012 under the Broader Approach (BA) agreement between Japan and the EU. The Helios system has been used for magnetised fusion related simulation studies in the EU and Japan and has kept high average usage rate. As a result, the Helios system has contributed to many research products in a wide range of research areas from core plasma physics to reactor material and reactor engineering. This project review gives a short catalogue of domestic simulation research projects. First, we outline the IFERC-CSC project. After that, shown are objectives of the research projects, numerical schemes used in simulation codes, obtained results and necessary computations in future.
Nishida, Akemi; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Li, Y.
Proceedings of 2015 ASME Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP 2015) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2015/07
The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of differences between methods for evaluating the seismic safety of the equipment and piping of a nuclear facility. For the input ground motion, one wave was chosen from among 200 waves of input ground motions of maximum acceleration of 700-1100 cm/s
created for the Oarai District of the Ibaraki Prefecture. Seismic safety evaluations were performed using the conventional method, which relies on floor response spectrum data, and using the multi-input method. The differences between the two methods were summarized. The target equipment and piping system were cooling systems in a model plant. It was found that the response predicted by the multi-input method was approximately half of the response predicted by the conventional method. The third trial evaluation method using the floor response of a three-dimensional building model as input was also reported.
Honda, Yuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Takada, Shoji; Tochio, Daisuke; Sakaba, Nariaki; Sawa, Kazuhiro
JAEA-Technology 2015-012, 17 Pages, 2015/06
JAEA-Technology-2015-012.pdf:11.38MB
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) proposed a draft safety requirement, which consists of the requirements for constructing a H
plant under conventional chemical plant regulations as well as the requirements for collocation of a nuclear facility and a H plant. One of the key requirements is to maintain reactor normal operation condition during every possible condition in the H plant. In order to show that the requirement can be reasonably achieved, a system analysis code is validated with the HTTR experimental data obtained in January 2015. The validated code is applied for the evaluation of a postulated abnormal event in H plant to be connected to the HTTR. The results showed that the evaluation items such as reactor power and reactor outlet coolant temperature do not exceed evaluation criteria. As a conclusion, a feasibility of H plant construction under non-nuclear regulations is validated by showing that the stable reactor operation can be achieved against temperature transients induced by abnormal conditions in the H plant.
Nishida, Akemi; Nakajima, Norihiro; Kawakami, Yoshiaki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko; Sawa, Kazuhiro
Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE-23) (DVD-ROM), 7 Pages, 2015/05
The R&D on the three dimensional vibration simulation technologies for a nuclear facility is one of missions of Center for Computational Science and e-Systems, Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Until now, three dimensional building and equipment models of HTTR (High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor) have been constructed and been performed validation of the models by comparison with seismic observed records. In this report, the results obtained by seismic observation simulation on the Tohoku earthquake occurred in the 3/11/2011 using three dimensional models of the HTTR building are shown. The simulation results show good agreement with the real observation data.
