Synthesis report on the R&D for the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Project carried out during fiscal years 2015-2019

Nakayama, Masashi; Saiga, Atsushi; Kimura, Shun; Mochizuki, Akihito; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; Ono, Hirokazu; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Takeda, Masaki; Hayano, Akira; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2019-013, 276 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Research-2019-013.pdf:18.72MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary rock at Horonobe Town in Hokkaido, north Japan. The investigations will be conducted in three phases, namely "Phase 1: Surface based investigations", "Phase 2: Construction phase" (investigations during construction of the underground facilities) and "Phase 3: Operation phase" (research in the underground facilities). According to the research plan described in the 3rd Mid- and Long- term Plan of JAEA, "Near-field performance study", "Demonstration of repository design option", and "Verification of crustal-movement buffering capacity of sedimentary rocks" are important issues of the Horonobe URL Project, and schedule of future research and backfill plans of the project will be decided by the end of 2019 Fiscal Year. The present report summarizes the research and development activities of these 3 important issues carried out during 3rd Medium to Long-term Research Phase.

Basic properties of the concrete using the low alkaline cement (HFSC) developed by JAEA

Seno, Yasuhiro*; Nakayama, Masashi; Sugita, Yutaka; Tanai, Kenji; Fujita, Tomoo

JAEA-Data/Code 2016-011, 164 Pages, 2016/11

JAEA-Data-Code-2016-011.pdf:8.45MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2016-011-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:0.1MB

The cementitious materials are used as candidate materials for the tunnel support of the deep geological repository of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW).Generally the pH of leachate from concrete mixed Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) shows a range of 12 to 13. The barrier function of bentonite used as a buffer material and that of host rock might be damaged by the high alkaline leachate from cementitious materials. Therefore, low alkalinity that does not damage each barrier function is necessary for cementitious materials used for the tunnel support system of the HLW geological repository. JAEA has developed a low alkaline cement named as HFSC (Highly Fly-ash contained Silicafume Cement) which the pH of the cement leachate could lower approximately 11. We have confirmed the applicability of HFSC for the tunnel support materials, by using experimentally as the shotcreting materials to the part of gallery wall at 140m, 250m and 350m depth in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. And moreover, HFSC has been used as the cast-in-place concrete for the shaft lining concrete at the depth of 374m-380m. This Data/Code summarized the past HFSC mix proportion test results about the fresh concrete properties and hardened concrete properties, in order to offer the information as a reference for selecting the mix proportion of HFSC concrete adopted to the disposal galleries et al. in the future.

The In-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Examination of backfill material using muck from URL construction

Nakayama, Masashi; Ono, Hirokazu; Tanai, Kenji; Sugita, Yutaka; Fujita, Tomoo

JAEA-Research 2016-002, 280 Pages, 2016/06

JAEA-Research-2016-002.pdf:16.21MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project has being pursued by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formation at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. The URL Project consists of two major research areas, "Geoscientific Research" and "Research and Development on Geological Disposal Technologies", and proceeds in three overlapping phases, "Phase I: Surface-based investigations", "Phase II: Investigations during tunnel excavation" and "Phase III: Investigations in the underground facilities", over a period of around 20 years. Phase III investigation was started in 2010 fiscal year. The in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system (EBS experiment) had been prepared from 2013 to 2014 fiscal year at G.L.-350m gallery (Niche No.4), and heating by electric heater in simulated overpack had started in January, 2015. One of objectives of the experiment is acquiring data concerned with Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled behavior. These data will be used in order to confirm the performance of engineered barrier system. In EBS experiment, the backfill material using mixture of bentonite and muck from Horonobe URL construction was used for backfilling a part of Niche No.4. This report shows the results of properties of the backfill material, confirmation test of compaction method and making backfill material block, and so on. From these results, it was confirmed that the backfill material would satisfy target value of the permeability and the swelling pressure.

Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project; Research and development plan (H22-H26)

Iwatsuki, Teruki; Sato, Haruo; Nohara, Tsuyoshi; Tanai, Kenji; Sugita, Yutaka; Amano, Kenji; Yabuuchi, Satoshi; Oyama, Takuya; Amano, Yuki; Yokota, Hideharu; et al.

JAEA-Research 2011-009, 73 Pages, 2011/06

JAEA-Research-2011-009.pdf:4.41MB

The research and development plan in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory are summarized according to the 2nd Midterm Plan till 2014 fiscal year of JAEA. In this midterm, galleries and the infrastructures for the research and development up to the depth of 350 m are constructed by Private Financial Initiative (PFI). Additionally Phase 3: Operation phase at the galleries begins in parallel to Phase 2: Construction phase. In these phases various research and development including collaboration with other institutes are conducted at the galleries. Generallic applicable techniques on the subject of the investigation of geological environment, facility construction in deep underground and the reliability of geological deposal are developed during the phase. The feasibility and reliance of various technologies concerning geological disposal is demonstrated by widely opening the outcome to the public in the society.

Recent R&D activities of negative-ion-based ion source for JT-60SA

Ikeda, Yoshitaka; Hanada, Masaya; Kamada, Masaki; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Umeda, Naotaka; Akino, Noboru; Ebisawa, Noboru; Inoue, Takashi; Honda, Atsushi; Kawai, Mikito; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 36(4), p.1519 - 1529, 2008/08

https://doi.org/10.1109/TPS.2008.927382

The JT-60SA N-NBI system is required to inject 10 MW for 100 s at 500 keV. Three key issues should be solved for the JT-60SA N-NBI ion source. One is to improve the voltage holding capability. Recent R&D tests suggested that the accelerator with a large area of grids may need a high margin in the design of electric field and a long time for conditioning. The second issue is to reduce the grid power loading. It was found that some beamlets were strongly deflected due to beamlet-beamlet interaction and strike on the grounded grid. The grids are to be designed by taking account of beamlet-beamlet interaction in three-dimensional simulation. Third is to maintain the D- production for 100 s. A simple cooling structure is proposed for the active cooled plasma grid, where a key is the temperature gradient on the plasma grid for uniform D- production. The modified N-NBI ion source will start on JT-60SA in 2015.

Application of PLC to dynamic control system for liquid He cryogenic pumping facility on JT-60U NBI system

Honda, Atsushi; Okano, Fuminori; Oshima, Katsumi; Akino, Noboru; Kikuchi, Katsumi; Tanai, Yutaka; Takenouchi, Tadashi; Numazawa, Susumu*; Ikeda, Yoshitaka

Fusion Engineering and Design, 83(2-3), p.276 - 279, 2008/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2008.01.005

The control system of the cryogenic facility in the JT-60 NBI system has been renewed by employing the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system. The original control system was constructed about 20 years ago by specifying the DCS (Distributed Control System) computer to deal with 400 feedback loops. Recently, troubles on this control system have increased due to its aged deterioration. To maintain a high reliability of the cryogenic facility, a new control system has been intended with PLC and SCADA system. By optimizing the function blocks and connecting them in the FBD language, the feedback loops in the new control system have been successfully replaced from DCS to PLC without software developer. At present, the new control system has worked well. This is the first application of the marketable PLC to the actual system with feedback loops of 400 produced by the user itself.

Technical design of NBI system for JT-60SA

Ikeda, Yoshitaka; Akino, Noboru; Ebisawa, Noboru; Hanada, Masaya; Inoue, Takashi; Honda, Atsushi; Kamada, Masaki; Kawai, Mikito; Kazawa, Minoru; Kikuchi, Katsumi; et al.

Fusion Engineering and Design, 82(5-14), p.791 - 797, 2007/10

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2007.05.077

Modification of JT-60U to a superconducting device (so called JT-60SA) has been planned to contribute to ITER and DEMO. The NBI system is required to inject 34 MW for 100 s. The upgraded NBI system consists of twelve positive ion based NBI (P-NBI) units and one negative ion based NBI (N-NBI) unit. The injection power of the P-NBI units are 2 MW each at 85 keV, and the N-NBI unit will be 10 MW at 500 keV, respectively. On JT-60U, the long pulse operation of 30 s at 2 MW (85 keV) and 20 s at 3.2 MW (320 keV) have been achieved on P-NBI and N-NBI units, respectively. Since the temperature increase of the cooling water in both ion sources is saturated within 20 s, further pulse extension up to 100 s is expected to mainly modify the power supply systems in addition to modification of the N-NBI ion source for high acceleration voltage. The detailed technical design of the NBI system for JT-60SA is presented.

PLC control of NBI cryogenic facility on JT-60U

Honda, Atsushi; Okano, Fuminori; Oshima, Katsumi; Akino, Noboru; Kikuchi, Katsumi; Tanai, Yutaka; Takenouchi, Tadashi; Numazawa, Susumu*

JAEA-Technology 2006-020, 20 Pages, 2006/03

JAEA-Technology-2006-020.pdf:2.96MB

no abstracts in English

Design Studies on the Engineered Barrier System and on the in-situ Experiments under the Conditions of Geological Environment in Horonobe

Kurihara, Yuji; Yui, Mikazu; Tanai, Kenji; Kawakami, Susumu; Sugita, Yutaka; Taniguchi, Naoki; Hirai, Takashi

JNC TN8400 2004-006, 59 Pages, 2004/04

JNC-TN8400-2004-006.pdf:5.97MB

Following studies have been done in this papers in order to apply the technologies based on H12 report to the actual geological conditions of Horonobe underground research laboratory. 1.reconsidering the process of repository design, 2. arrangement of the relations between geological conditions and the performance of engineering barrier systems, 3.present the appropriate form of geological informations, 4.study on the stability of deposition hall.

Basic Examination of the Backfilling Material under Synthetic Seawater Condition

Kikuchi, Hirohito*; Tanai, Kenji; Sugita, Yutaka

JNC TN8430 2003-008, 31 Pages, 2003/11

JNC-TN8430-2003-008.pdf:0.63MB

In geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, closure of repository is the technique of filling clearance using the backfilling material to preserve barrier performance of the engineered barrier system. One of the expecting behaviors of the tunnel backfilled with backfilling material is appearance of a clearance between backfilling material and concrete lining due to alteration of the concrete lining. Therefore, filling (swelling) performance is one of the required performances of the backfilling material. Then, basic examination of the backfilling material is performed. This examination focused on the feasibility of the backfilling material described in H12 report and the adequate bentonite/sand mixture to obtain conservative filling clearance performance.Results of the examination showed, under test conditions that 30% of the volume of concrete lining decreases due to alteration and such volume become clearance between the backfilling material and concrete lining, in distilled water condition, the specification (bentonite/sand mixture) of the backfilling material described in H12 report almost filled the clearance. However, in synthetic seawater, 50% and more bentonite was required to fill the clearance.Since this examination fixed the clearance, water stopping performance will be examined in next phase. Through the synthetic seawater examination, the basic clearance filling curve was obtained.