R&D status of HTGR heat utilization system and thermochemical H production IS process

Kubo, Shinji

Shokubai, 67(2), p.71 - 77, 2025/04

no abstracts in English

Overview of HTGR Hydrogen production system and current status of R&Ds

Kubo, Shinji

Kinzoku, 95(1), p.25 - 33, 2025/01

no abstracts in English

Developing an online composition prediction for an HI-I-HO system using deep neural network

Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Takegami, Hiroaki; Noguchi, Hiroki; Kamiji, Yu; Myagmarjav, O.; Ono, Masato; Sugimoto, Chihiro

Chemical Engineering Science, 299, p.120479_1 - 120479_11, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2024.120479

We developed a deep neural network method to predict the composition of the iodine-sulfur process of thermochemical water-splitting hydrogen production using measurable properties. Unlike conventional titration analysis, this approach allows a quick understanding of fluid composition, providing essential information for controlling operating conditions. This study focused on the HI-I-HO three-component system within the IS process. Using Gibbs phase rule, the DNN model was constructed using online measurable parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and density, as input conditions. The model was trained with experimental data, and the structural parameters were tuned. Composition prediction using actual trend data demonstrated good correlation with titration analysis measurements. Furthermore, the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations method was incorporated to gain insights into the significance of input parameters for compositions from the DNN model, providing valuable information on crucial parameters for effective composition control.

JENDL-5 benchmarking for advanced test reactor for preparing burnup analysis using isotopic data from HTGR type fuel irradiation tests

Okita, Shoichiro; Aoki, Takeshi; Fukaya, Yuji; Tachibana, Yukio

Proceedings of 31st International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE31) (Internet), 5 Pages, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICONE31-131748

An Evaluation on Inelastic Thermal Neutron Scattering Cross-Section Data of Crystalline Graphite

Okita, Shoichiro; Abe, Yutaka*; Tasaki, Seiji*; Fukaya, Yuji

Radioisotopes, 73(3), p.233 - 240, 2024/11

https://doi.org/10.3769/radioisotopes.73.233

Project plan of HTTR heat application test facility; Safety design and Safety analysis

Aoki, Takeshi; Hasegawa, Takeshi; Kurahayashi, Kaoru; Nomoto, Yasunobu; Shimizu, Atsushi; Sato, Hiroyuki; Sakaba, Nariaki

Proceedings of 11th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2024), 6 Pages, 2024/10

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) is planning to perform a test named HTTR heat application test coupling HTTR (High temperature engineering test reactor) and a hydrogen production plant. The present study reports results of the safety design and safety analysis for HTTR heat application test facility. As a safety design, safety classification of structures, systems, and components was defined in the test facility based on their safety functions. As a preliminary safety analysis, a thermal-hydraulic analysis was performed with RELAP5 code. The safety analysis revealed that newly identified events for HTTR heat application test facility except for the rupture of heat transfer tube of steam generator was enveloped by the licensing basis events in conventional HTTR. The preliminary analysis proved that the safety criteria is satisfied in the candidate of licensing basis event.

Survey on research and development status of Japanese small modular reactors in OECD/NEA activities (2022-2023)

Takeda, Takeshi; Shibata, Taiju

JAEA-Review 2024-040, 29 Pages, 2024/09

JAEA-Review-2024-040.pdf:1.33MB

An important theme of Japan's 6th strategic energy plan is to indicate the energy policy path towards carbon neutrality by 2050. Policy responses for Japan's nuclear energy research and development (R&D) towards 2030 contain the demonstrations of technologies for small modular reactors (SMRs) through international cooperation by 2030. In light of this energy plan, basic policy initiatives over the next 10 years have been compiled to realize Green Transformation (GX), which simultaneously achieves decarbonization and economic growth. Looking overseas, activities of SMR R&D are active internationally, mainly in the US, Canada, Europe, China, and Russia. These activities are not only by heavy industry manufactures and R&D institutes, but also by venture companies. Under these circumstances, the NEA CSNI has gathered an Expert Group on SMRs (EGSMR) to help estimate the safety effects of SMRs. The EGSMR efforts required the submission of responses to several questionnaires whose main purpose was to collect the latest information on the efforts of SMR deployment and research. The first author of this report responded to this based on information from Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. as well as JAEA. Most of the responses from Japan to the questionnaires are the information that serves as the basis of CSNI Technical Opinion Paper No. 21 (TOP-21). In this report, the Japan's publicly available responses to the questionnaires arranged and additional information are explained, which complements some of the content of the TOP-21. In this manner, the investigation results of R&D related to SMR in Japan, focusing on the EGSMR activities (2022-2023), are summarized. The target of this report is to provide useful information for future discussions on international cooperation concerning SMR as well as nuclear power field human resources development internationally and domestically.

Report of summer holiday practical training on 2023

Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Nagasumi, Satoru; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Kawai, Hiromi*; Wakisaka, Shinji*; Nagase, Sota*; Nakamura, Kento*; Yaguchi, Hiroki*; Ishii, Toshiaki; Nakano, Yumi*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2024-008, 23 Pages, 2024/07

JAEA-Technology-2024-008.pdf:1.69MB

Five people from three universities participated in the 2023 summer holiday practical training with the theme of "Technical development on HTTR". The participants practiced the analysis of HTTR core, the analysis of behavior on loss of forced cooling test, the analysis of Iodine deposition behavior in primary cooling system and the feasibility study of energy storage system for HTGRs. In the questionnaire after this training, there were impressions such as that it was useful as a work experience and some students found it useful for their own research. These impressions suggest that this training was generally evaluated as good.

Countermeasure against Beyond Design Basis Accident of HTTR by using fire engine

Shimazaki, Yosuke; Jidaisho, Tatsuya; Ishii, Toshiaki; Inoi, Hiroyuki; Iigaki, Kazuhiko

JAEA-Technology 2024-005, 23 Pages, 2024/06

JAEA-Technology-2024-005.pdf:5.53MB

HTTR has newly assumed Beyond Design Basis Accident (BDBA) as part of conformity assessment with the new regulatory standards and has established measures to prevent the spread of BDBA. Among these measures, to prevent the spread of BDBA caused by cooling water leaks from spent fuel storage pool, the Oarai Research Institute's fire engine was selected as an equipment to prevent the spread of BDBA, and required performances such as pumping water performance were determined. After all required performances were confirmed by inspections, the fire engine passed the operator's pre-use inspection and contributed to the restart of the HTTR operations.

Proposal of simple model for investigating irradiation behavior of nuclear-grade graphite

Saijo, Tomoaki; Mizuta, Naoki; Hasegawa, Toshinari; Suganuma, Takuro; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Ishihara, Masahiro; Iigaki, Kazuhiko

JAEA-Technology 2024-002, 96 Pages, 2024/06

JAEA-Technology-2024-002.pdf:22.18MB

Nuclear-grade graphite is used for core components of High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) due to excellent heat resistant properties. The physical properties of this graphite change with temperature and neutron irradiation, as well as exhibit complex behavior such as irradiation deformation and creep deformation. Then, stress analysis code has been developed for the graphite. In previous study, the code has been used to evaluate the shutdown stress by residual strain that accumulates with neutron irradiation. However, the effects of change in physical properties such as Young's modulus and thermal expansion-coefficient on shutdown stress have not been fully understood. Therefore, an evaluation model based on a simplified beam model was developed to clarify the effects of changes in physical properties and complex deformations on stresses occurring during operation and reactor shutdown, and to contribute to the development of graphite structures with longer lifetimes. As an application example, the effects of changes on various physical properties on operational and shutdown stresses were clarified for graphite components in the temperature range from 600 to 800C.