Computer code analysis of irradiation performance of axially heterogeneous mixed oxide fuel elements attaining high burnup in a fast reactor

Uwaba, Tomoyuki; Yokoyama, Keisuke; Nemoto, Junichi*; Ishitani, Ikuo*; Ito, Masahiro*; Pelletier, M.*

Nuclear Engineering and Design, 359, p.110448_1 - 110448_7, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2019.110448

Coupled computer code analyses of irradiation performance of axially heterogeneous mixed oxide (MOX) fuel elements with high burnup in a fast reactor were conducted. Post-irradiation experiments revealed local concentration of Cs near the interfaces between MOX fuel and blanket columns including the internal blanket of the fuel elements as well as an increase in their cladding diameters. The analyses indicated that the local Cs concentration occurred as a result of Cs axial migration from the MOX fuels toward the blanket pellets near the interfaces. Swelling of the blanket pellets induced by the formation of low-density Cs-U-O compound was not sufficient to cause pellet-to-cladding mechanical interaction (PCMI). The PCMI analyzed in the MOX fuel column regions was insignificant, and the cladding diameter increases were caused mainly by void swelling in cladding and irradiation creep due to fission gas pressure.

Phase 1 code assessment of SIMMER-III; A Computer program for LMFR core disruptive accident analysis

Kondo, Satoru; Tobita, Yoshiharu

JAEA-Research 2019-009, 382 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Research-2019-009.pdf:22.82MB

The SIMMER-III computer code, developed at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA, the former Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation), is a two-dimensional, multi-velocity-field, multi-component fluid-dynamics code, coupled with a space- and time-dependent neutron kinetics model. The code is being used widely for simulating complex phenomena during core-disruptive accidents (CDAs) in liquid-metal fast reactors (LMFRs). In parallel to the code development, a comprehensive assessment program was performed in two phases: Phase 1 for verifying individual fluid-dynamics models; and Phase 2 for validating its applicability to integral phenomena important to evaluating LMFR CDAs. The SIMMERIII assessment program was participated by European research and development organizations, and the achievement of Phase 1 was compiled and synthesized in 1996. This report has been edited by revising and reproducing the original 1996 informal report, which compiled the achievement of Phase 1 assessment. A total of 34 test problems were studied in the areas: fluid convection, interfacial area and momentum exchange, heat transfer, melting and freezing, and vaporization and condensation. The problems identified have been reflected to the Phase 2 assessment and later model development and improvement. Although the revisions were made in the light of knowledge base obtained later, the original individual contributions by the participants, both positive and negative, are retained except for editorial changes.

Development of numerical analysis code LEAP-III for tube failure propagation

Uchibori, Akihiro; Yanagisawa, Hideki*; Takata, Takashi; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

Nippon Kikai Gakkai Rombunshu (Internet), 86(883), p.19-00353_1 - 19-00353_6, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1299/transjsme.19-00353

Evaluation of occurrence possibility of tube failure propagation under sodium-water reaction accident is an important issue. In this study, a numerical analysis method to predict occurrence of failure propagation by overheating rupture was constructed to expand application range of an existing computer code. Applicability of the method was constructed through the numerical analysis of the experiment on water vapor discharging in liquid sodium.

Prototype fast breeder reactor "Monju" start of unloading operation of the fuel assembly from the core

Koga, Kazuhiro*; Suzuki, Kazunori*; Takagi, Tsuyohiko; Hamano, Tomoharu

FAPIG, (196), p.8 - 15, 2020/02

The prototype fast breeder reactor Monju has already started (from June 2017) the unloading operation period (about 5.5 years: until the end of 2022) of the fuel assembly, which is the first stage of decommission. Among them, the first "Processing of fuel assembly" operation (86 in total) was conducted from August 2018 to January 2019 as the first handling of the fuel assembly. Fuji Electric provided technical support, such as dispatching technicians throughout the period, in cooperation with Japan Atomic Energy Agency for the "Processing of fuel assembly" operation, and contributed to the completion of the operation while experiencing various troubles. This manuscript introduces the contents of the first "Processing of fuel assembly" operation and the overview of the trouble status. This manuscript is a sequel to FAPIG No.194 "Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Monju Decommissioning and Unloading Operation of the Fuel Assembly from the Core", please refer to it.

Extraction mechanism of lanthanide ions into silica-based microparticles studied by single microparticle manipulation and microspectroscopy

Otaka, Toshiki*; Sato, Tatsumi*; Ono, Shimpei; Nagoshi, Kohei; Abe, Ryoji*; Arai, Tsuyoshi*; Watanabe, So; Sano, Yuichi; Takeuchi, Masayuki; Nakatani, Kiyoharu*

Analytical Sciences, 35(10), p.1129 - 1133, 2019/10

https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.19P155

Thermophysical properties of stainless steel containing 5 mass%BC in the solid phase

Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Yamano, Hidemasa

Nuclear Technology, 205(9), p.1164 - 1174, 2019/09

https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2019.1607136

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 1; Project overview

Yamano, Hidemasa; Takai, Toshihide; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Kikuchi, Shin; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji; Fukuyama, Hiroyuki*; Higashi, Hideo*; Nishi, Tsuyoshi*; Ota, Hiromichi*; et al.

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.418 - 427, 2019/09

Eutectic reactions between boron carbide (BC) and stainless steel (SS) as well as its relocation are one of the key issues in a core disruptive accident (CDA) evaluation in sodium-cooled fast reactors. Since such behaviors have never been simulated in CDA numerical analyses, it is necessary to develop a physical model and incorporate the model into the CDA analysis code. This study is focusing on BC-SS eutectic melting experiments, thermophysical property measurement of the eutectic melt, and physical model development for the eutectic melting reaction. The eutectic experiments involve the visualization experiments, eutectic reaction rate experiments and material analyses. The thermophysical properties are measured in the range from solid to liquid state. The physical model is developed for a severe accident computer code based on the measured data of the eutectic reaction rate and the physical properties. This paper describes the project overview and progress of experimental and analytical studies by 2017. Specific results in this paper is boron concentration distributions of solidified BC-SS eutectic sample in the eutectic melting experiments, which would be used for the validation of the eutectic physical model implemented into the computer code.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 4; Effect of BC addition on viscosity of austenitic stainless steel in liquid state

Ota, Hiromichi*; Kokubo, Hiroki*; Nishi, Tsuyoshi*; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.858 - 860, 2019/09

A viscosity measurement apparatus has been developed. It is known that the measurement of the viscosity of molten alloy at elevated temperatures is difficult due to the difficulty of handling for low viscosity fluids such as the stainless steel (SS)+BC alloy. In this study, the viscosities of the molten nickel (Ni) and stainless steel (SS) were measured by the oscillating crucible method to confirm the performance of the viscosity measurement apparatus as a first step. This method is suitable for high temperature molten alloys. A crucible containing molten metal is suspended, and a rotational oscillation is given to the crucible electromagnetically. The oscillation was damped by the friction of molten metal. The viscosity is determined from the period of oscillation and the logarithmic decrement. The crucible was connected to a mirror block and an inertia disk made of aluminum, and whole of them was suspended by a wire made of platinum-13% rhodium alloy. A laser light is irradiated to the mirror. The reflection light is detected by the photo-detectors, and then, the logarithmic decrement of molten metal is determined. The viscosities of molten nickel and SS melts were measured up to 1823 K. In these results, the measured viscosity values of molten Ni and SS were close to those of the literature values of molten Ni and SS. By the equipment, the viscosity of molten SS+BC alloys are measured. The BC concentration dependence of the viscosity of molten SS+BC alloys is to be clarified.

Study on eutectic melting behavior of control rod materials in core disruptive accidents of sodium-cooled fast reactors, 5; Validation of a multi-phase model for eutectic reaction between molten stainless steel and BC

Liu, X.*; Morita, Koji*; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference / Light Water Reactor Fuel Performance Conference (Global/Top Fuel 2019) (USB Flash Drive), p.47 - 51, 2019/09

Investigation of the eutectic reaction in a core disruptive accident of sodium cooled reactor is of importance since reactor criticality will be affected by the change in reactivity after eutectic reaction. In this study, we performed 1st step of validation analysis using a fast reactor safety analysis code, SIMMER-III, with the developed model based on a new series of experiments, where a BC pellet was immersed into a molten stainless steel (SS) pool. The simulation results showed the general behavior of eutectic material formation measured in the experiments reasonably. The eutectic reaction consumes solid BC and liquid SS, and then the liquid eutectic composition is produced at the early stage of reaction due to the high temperature of molten SS. Movement of the eutectic material in the molten pool leads to the redistribution of boron element. Molten SS pool then freezes to solid SS and movement of eutectic material is stopped by surrounding solid SS. Boron concentration in the pool was measured after molten SS freezes into a solid. Simulation results indicate that boron tends to accumulate in the upper part of the molten pool. This is attributed to the buoyancy force acting on lighter boron in the molten SS pool. A parametric study was also conducted by changing the initial temperature of BC pellet and SS to investigate the temperature sensitivity on the eutectic reaction behavior.

Comparative study on the thermal behavior of structural concretes of sodium-cooled fast reactor

Kikuchi, Shin; Koga, Nobuyoshi*; Yamazaki, Atsushi*

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 137(4), p.1211 - 1224, 2019/08

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08045-7

In this study, two siliceous concretes with similar specification as structural concretes of SFR were selected for the comparative study of the thermal behavior. The thermal behavior of the structural concretes was investigated in a temperature range from room temperature to 1900 K using TG-differential thermal analysis (DTA) and other supplementary techniques. The softening and melting of the concretes initiated in the thermal decomposition product of the cement portion in the temperature range 1400-1600 K. Because the compositional difference between the cement portion of two different siliceous concretes was characterized by different Ca(OH)/CaCO ratios, the melting temperature ranges of those thermal decomposition products are not so significantly different. On the other hand, the melting of the aggregate is directly influenced by the initial composition of SiO compounds.