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.

Thermochronology of hydrothermal alteration zones in the Kii Peninsula, southwest Japan; An Attempt for detecting the thermal anomalies and implications to the regional exhumation history

Sueoka, Shigeru; Iwano, Hideki*; Danhara, Toru*; Niwa, Masakazu; Kanno, Mizuho; Kohn, B. P.*; Kawamura, Makoto; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

Earth, Planets and Space (Internet), 75(1), p.177_1 - 177_24, 2023/12

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-023-01921-5

Fluid-inclusion and thermochronometric analyses have been applied to hydrothermal alteration zones and their host rocks outcropping in the Hongu area of the Kii Peninsula, southwestern Japan in an attempt to detect thermal anomalies related to hydrothermal events and quantify the thermal effects on the host rocks. Hydrothermal events at ca 150 deg. C and ca 200 deg. C were identified by fluid-inclusion microthermometry of quartz veins in the alteration zones. For the host rocks and alteration zones, in the youngest population zircon yielded U-Pb dates ranging between ca 74.7-59.2 Ma, fission-track dates of ca 27.2-16.6 Ma, and (U-Th)/He single-grain dates of ca 23.6-8.7 Ma. Apatite yielded pooled fission-track ages of ca 14.9-9.0 Ma. The zircon U-Pb dates constrain the maximum depositional ages of the sedimentary samples. However, the fission-track and (U-Th)/He dates show no clear trend as a function of distance from the alteration zones. Hence, no thermal anomaly was detected in the surrounding host rocks based on the thermochronometric data patterns. The fission-track and (U-Th)/He dates are rather thought to record regional thermal and exhumation histories rather than a direct thermal imprint of fluid flow, probably because the duration of such activity was too short or because fluid flow occurred before regional cooling events and were later thermally overprinted. Apatite fission-track ages of ca 10 Ma may reflect regional mountain uplift and exhumation related to the obduction of the SW Japan lithospheric sliver onto the Shikoku Basin, or the rapid subduction of the Philippine Sea slab associated with the clockwise rotation of the Southwest Japan Arc.

Application of ESR thermochronology for mountains in Japan; An Assessment of ESR signal variation caused by sample preparation

Kajita, Yuya*; Sueoka, Shigeru; Tani, Atsushi*; Isotani, Shusuke*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fisshion, Torakku Nyusureta, (36), p.6 - 8, 2023/12

no abstracts in English

Distribution of Quaternary volcanic dike under the edifices and evaluation of central conduit stability by topographic analysis using contour lines

Nishiyama, Nariaki; Kawamura, Makoto; Umeda, Koji*; Niwa, Masakazu

Oyo Chishitsu, 64(3), p.98 - 111, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5110/jjseg.64.98

It is important to accumulate research examples on the spatial distribution of dikes under volcanic edifices for risk assessment in volcanic disaster prevention and site selection and safety assessment for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The topography of volcanoes is considered to represent the location of magma intrusion associated with volcanic activity and its history. In this study, we attempted to determine the predominant orientation of radial dikes and evaluate the central conduit stability based on the distribution, centroid, and area of contour lines comprising the volcanic edifices using GIS-based topographic analysis. As a result of the topographic analysis, the predominant orientation of the dikes was successfully shown for the volcanoes with stable conduits. On the other hand, this analysis was not suitable for determine the predominant orientation of dikes in volcanoes with unstable conduits, thus the applicable range of this analysis is considered to be determined by the conduit stability. In addition, the conduit stability can be evaluated by using the area data of contour polygons, which represents the scope of application to the method for determination of the predominant orientation of dikes. This means that the conduit stability during volcanic activity can be evaluated even for volcanoes of which activity history is not yet known, and that topographic analysis is a useful tool for this purpose. The use of topographic analysis in this study will be expected to provide a new scale for the history of volcanic activity.

Development plan for coupling technology between high temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR and hydrogen production facility, 1; Overview of the HTTR heat application test plan to establish high safety coupling technology

Nomoto, Yasunobu; Mizuta, Naoki; Morita, Keisuke; Aoki, Takeshi; Okita, Shoichiro; Ishii, Katsunori; Kurahayashi, Kaoru; Yasuda, Takanori; Tanaka, Masato; Isaka, Kazuyoshi; et al.

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

Development plan for coupling technology between high temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR and Hydrogen Production Facility, 2; Development plan for coupling equipment between HTTR and Hydrogen Production Facility

Mizuta, Naoki; Morita, Keisuke; Aoki, Takeshi; Okita, Shoichiro; Ishii, Katsunori; Kurahayashi, Kaoru; Yasuda, Takanori; Tanaka, Masato; Isaka, Kazuyoshi; Noguchi, Hiroki; et al.

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 6 Pages, 2023/05

Experimental investigation of spray cooling behavior in 44 simulated fuel bundle

Nagatake, Taku; Shibata, Mitsuhiko; Yoshida, Hiroyuki; Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Kaji, Yoshiyuki

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(3), p.320 - 333, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2022.2096146

In Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, failure of cooling system for spent fuel pool occurred and there was a concern that the spent fuels were damaged. Then a safety measures for SFP cooling in severe accident condition is required. As a countermeasure for SFP severe accident, it is considered that a portable spray is used for SFP cooling in such condition. In this research project, the numerical simulation methods have been developed in order to evaluate the applicability of portable spray system for cooling SFPs. And experiments were also performed in order to get a knowledge of spray cooling phenomena and validation data for the numerical simulation methods. As one of the experiments, a cooling experiment by using 44 simulated fuel assembly were performed and temperature distribution during spray cooling process were measured. In this paper, the results of a cooling experiment are reported.

A Quantitative method of eutectic reaction study between boron carbide and stainless steel

Hong, Z.*; Pellegrini, M.*; Erkan, N.*; Liao, H.*; Yang, H.*; Yamano, Hidemasa; Okamoto, Koji*

Annals of Nuclear Energy, 180, p.109462_1 - 109462_9, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2022.109462

A series of experiments were conducted using BC material and SUS304 tubes as a simulant of the real control rods. Reaction rate constant data in the 1450K-1500K range were obtained, and are consistent with the reference values. The reaction layer microstructure observation and the associated chemical composition analysis were also carried onto the experiment samples.

Estimation of thermal/denudation histories in the Tanigawa-dake area based on thermochronological methods

Minami, Saki*; Sueoka, Shigeru; Fukuda, Shoma; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Kohn, B. P.*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; Kajita, Yuya*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fisshion, Torakku Nyusureta, (35), p.22 - 26, 2022/12

no abstracts in English

Structural change by phosphorus addition to borosilicate glass containing simulated waste components

Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Shiwaku, Hideaki; Shimamura, Keisuke*; Kobayashi, Hidekazu; Nagai, Takayuki; Inose, Takehiko*; Sato, Seiichi*; Hatakeyama, Kiyoshi*

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 570, p.153962_1 - 153962_13, 2022/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnucmat.2022.153962

Simulated nuclear waste glass samples containing phosphorus, which increase the solubility of molybdenum, were prepared and analyzed using synchrotron X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) analysis for some constituent elements and Raman spectroscopic analysis of their complex structure. Changes in local structure and chemical state due to different phosphorus additions and waste loading rates were systematically studied. Consequently, no crystalline phase due to the molybdate compound was observed even at a maximum waste content of 30 wt% (corresponding to 1.87 mol% MoO). Oxidation proceeded when the waste-loading rate was increased, whereas the reduction proceeded when phosphorus was added. In some cases, the effects of oxidation and reduction were offset. The local structure around specific elements can be classified as follows; Zn that is affected mainly by the waste-loading rate, Ce that is affected by both the waste-loading rate and phosphorus addition, and Zr element that is not affected by either of them. From the comparison between the analytical results of Mo and other elements, it was considered that the added phosphorus exists as a free PO structural unit and may deprive the alkali metal coordinated to the molybdate ion.