Study on the difference between BC powder and BC pellet regarding the eutectic reaction with stainless steel

Hong, Z.*; Ahmed, Z.*; Pellegrini, M.*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Erkan, N.*; Sharma, A. K.*; Okamoto, Koji*

Progress in Nuclear Energy, 171, p.105160_1 - 105160_13, 2024/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2024.105160

In this study, it is found that the eutectic reaction between BC powder and stainless steel (SS) is considerably more rapid than that between the BC pellet and SS. The derived reaction rate constant values for powder and pellet cases are consistently based on the reference values. Also, a composition analysis using SEM/EDS was conducted for the detailed microstructures of the powder and pellet samples. In the powder case, only one thick layer is found as the reaction layer consisting of (Fe, Cr)B precipitate, including BC powder. In the pellet case, two layers are found in the reaction layer.

Development of failure mitigation technologies for improving resilience of nuclear structures, 6; Resilience improvements of fast reactors by failure mitigation for excessive earthquake

Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Ando, Masanori; Kurisaka, Kenichi

Transactions of 27th International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology (SMiRT 27) (Internet), 11 Pages, 2024/03

In this study, the dynamic structural analysis of the reactor vessel for excessive earthquake using the FINAS/STAR code has shown the elephant foot buckling deformation and calculated the cumulative fatigue failure fraction. Using the calculation results, this paper describes the fragility curve using the safety factor method, indicating the significantly improved curve compared the previous one.

Density, surface tension, and viscosity of molten Ni-based superalloys using the maximum bubble pressure and oscillating crucible methods

Nishi, Tsuyoshi*; Matsumoto, Saori*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Hayashi, Kiichiro*; Endo, Rie*; Bell, M. R.*; Neubert, L.*; Volkova, O.*

Steel Research International, p.2300766_1 - 2300766_6, 2024/00

https://doi.org/10.1002/srin.202300766

The density of Ni-based superalloys is measured using the maximum bubble pressure (MBP) method. The viscosity is evaluated using the oscillating crucible method. The surface tension is simultaneously measured using the MBP method.

Development of safety design technologies for sodium-cooled fast reactor coupled to thermal energy storage system with sodium-molten salt heat exchanger; Project overview

Yamano, Hidemasa; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Takano, Kazuya; Kikuchi, Shin; Kondo, Toshiki; Umeda, Ryota; Shirakura, Shota*

Dai-27-Kai Doryoku, Enerugi Gijutsu Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 5 Pages, 2023/09

This project studies investigation on safety design guideline and risk assessment technology for sodium-cooled fast reactor with the molten-salt heat storage system, development of evaluation method for heat transferring performance between sodium and molten-salt and improvement of the performance, and evaluation of chemical reaction characteristic between sodium and molten-salt and improvement of its safety. The project overview is presented in this report.

JENDL-5 benchmark test for shielding applications

Konno, Chikara; Ota, Masayuki*; Kwon, Saerom*; Onishi, Seiki*; Yamano, Naoki*; Sato, Satoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(9), p.1046 - 1069, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2164372

JENDL-5 was validated from a viewpoint of shielding applications under the Shielding Integral Test Working Group of the JENDL Committee. The following benchmark experiments were selected: JAEA/FNS in-situ experiments, Osaka Univ./OKTAVIAN TOF experiments, ORNL/JASPER sodium experiments, NIST iron experiment and QST/TIARA experiments. These experiments were analyzed with MCNP and nuclear data libraries (JENDL-5, JENDL-4.0 or JENDL-4.0/HE, ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3). The analysis results demonstrate that JENDL-5 is comparable to or better than JENDL-4.0 or JENDL-4.0/HE, ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.3.

Development of probabilistic risk assessment methodology against strong wind for sodium-cooled fast reactors

Nishino, Hiroyuki; Yamano, Hidemasa; Kurisaka, Kenichi

Mechanical Engineering Journal (Internet), 10(4), p.22-00387_1 - 22-00387_20, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1299/mej.22-00387

For nuclear power plants, probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) should be performed not only against earthquake and tsunami, which are critical events especially in Japan, but also other external hazards such as strong wind. The aim of the present study is to develop a practical PRA methodology for sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) against strong wind, paying attention to the final heat sink, ambient air, that removes decay heat under accident conditions. First, this study used Gumbel distributions to estimate hazard curves of the strong wind based on weather data recorded in Japan. Second, it identified important structures, systems and components (SSCs) for decay heat removal, and developed an event tree that results in core damage, focusing on the impacts of missiles (e.g., steel pipes) caused by strong wind. It also identified missiles that can reach SSCs at elevated places, and calculated the fragility of the SSCs against the missiles as a product of two probabilities. One is a probability of the missiles that would enter an inlet or outlet of the decay heat removal system, and another is a probability of failure caused by missile impacts. Finally, it quantified conditional decay heat removal failure probabilities by introducing the fragilities into the event tree. The core damage frequency (CDF) was estimated at about 5x10-10/y. The dominant sequence is that strong wind causes offsite power loss and missiles, the missiles penetrate the diesel fuel tank, cause a fire, and the fire increases air temperature around the reactor building where air cooler inlets of decay heat removal systems are installed, leads to loss of power for the diesel generator for forced circulation cooling, resulting in loss of decay heat removal. Through the above, this study has developed the practical PRA methodology for SFRs against strong wind.

Preliminary analysis of severe accident in sodium-cooled fast reactor using eutectic reaction model of boron-carbide control-rod material

Yamano, Hidemasa; Morita, Koji*

Proceedings of 20th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal Hydraulics (NURETH-20) (Internet), p.4295 - 4308, 2023/08

https://dx.doi.org/10.13182/NURETH20-41341

This study applied the SIMMER-IV code with the newly developed model to a preliminary SA analysis of the SFR. The analysis results show that the eutectic reaction is caused by the contact between the liquid SS and the broken BC pellets which are released to the coolant channel after the failure of cladding which is melted by the mixture of liquid SS and fuel particles coming from the neighboring fuel assemblies. The liquid eutectic material formed by the reaction moves from the control assembly to the neighboring fuel assemblies. The lower density of the eutectic melt than molten SS drives the upward motion of the eutectic in the molten core pool. This analysis indicated that the SIMMER-IV code using the eutectic reaction model has successfully simulated the eutectic reaction and the relocation of the eutectic melt as well as the reactivity transient behavior caused by the molten core material relocation.

Development of transient behavior analysis code for metal fuel fast reactor during initiating phase of core disruptive accident

Ota, Hirokazu*; Ogata, Takanari*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Futagami, Satoshi; Shimada, Sadae*; Yamada, Yumi*

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 8 Pages, 2023/05

Effectiveness evaluation methodology of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures at ultra-high temperature

Onoda, Yuichi; Kurisaka, Kenichi; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/05

The objective of this study is to develop an effectiveness evaluation methodology of the measures for improving resilience of nuclear structures at ultra-high temperature by using the failure mitigation technology. At the beginning, to identify the accident sequences having the potential to improve resilience, the characteristics of a next-generation loop-type sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) in Japan has been investigated by analyzing the event tree of level-1 and level-2 probabilistic risk assessment. As a result, event sequences of loss of heat removal systems (LOHRS) are identified. The effectiveness of the measures for improving resilience is evaluated by quantifying the reduction rate of core damage frequency before and after the introduction of the measures for improving resilience for all the accident sequences leading to LOHRS. To examine applicability of the developed methodology, a trial evaluation has conducted for a next-generation loop-type SFR in Japan. Through the applicability examined, the method for the effectiveness evaluation was developed successfully. The refinement of the conditional success probability of the measures for improving resilience is the future work.

Validation of feedback reactivity evaluation models for plant dynamics analysis code during unprotected loss of heat sink event in sodium-cooled fast reactors

Yoshimura, Kazuo; Doda, Norihiro; Igawa, Kenichi*; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Hidemasa

Journal of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science, 9(2), p.021601_1 - 021601_9, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4055328

Feedback reactivity automatically caused by radial expansion of the core is known as one of the inherent safety features in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). In order to validate the evaluation models of the reactivity feedback equipped in the in-house plant dynamics analysis code named Super-COPD, the benchmark analyses for the unprotected loss of heat sink (ULOHS) tests of BOP-302R and BOP-301 in an experimental SFR, EBR-II were conducted and the applicability of the evaluation method for the reactivity feedback was indicated during the ULOHS even, by comparing the numerical results and the experimental data.