Requisite Accuracy for Hot Spot Factors in Fast Reactors

In the thermal design of a fast reactor, it should be most effective to reduce hot spot factors to the lowest possible level compatible with safety considerations, in order to minimize the design margin for the temperature prevailing in the core. Hot spot factors account for probabilistic and statistic deviations from nominal value of fuel element temperatures, due to uncertainties in the data adopted for estimating various factors including the physical properties. Such temperature deviations necessitate the provision of correspondingly large design margins for temperatures in order to keep within permissible limits the probability of exceeding the allowable temperatures.

Evaluation of the desired accuracy for hot spot factors is performed by a method of optimization, which permits determination of the degree of accuracy that should minimize the design margins, to give realistic results with consideration given not only to sensitivity coefficients but also to the present-day uncertainty levels in the data adopted in the calculations. A concept of “degree of difficulty” is introduced for the purpose of determining the hot spot factors to be given higher priority for reduction.

Application of this method to the core of a prototype fast reactor leads to the conclusion that the hot spot factors to be given the highest priority are those relevant to the power distribution, the flow distribution, the fuel enrichment, the fuel-cladding gap conductance and the fuel thermal conductivity.     

Image‐based Continuous Displacement Measurements Using an Improved Spectral Approach

Digital Image Correlation algorithms capable of determining continuous displacement fields are receiving growing attention in the field of mechanical properties identification. In this paper, we develop an Improved Spectral Approach (ISA) to reconstruct continuous displacements based on their Fourier decomposition. This approach leads to a time and memory‐efficient algorithm, thanks to the fast Fourier transform. Moreover, the Fourier‐based decomposition enables accurate heterogeneous measurements. Improvements consist in increasing the accuracy and convergence rate as well as dealing with non‐periodic displacements and images. Furthermore, a theoretical framework is presented to quantify the noise sensitivity of the ISA from which useful information is retrieved. The approach is evaluated using synthetic images deformed by heterogeneous displacement fields. Comparisons show that the introduced modifications lead to lower uncertainties by one order of magnitude in the case of non‐periodic images and displacement field studied. Moreover, first‐order (SO1) and second‐order (SO2) subset‐based Digital Image Correlation algorithms are compared with the ISA. The comparisons herein reveal that the uncertainties of the ISA are 6–9 times smaller than those of the SO1 due to insufficiency of the first‐order shape function for the estimation of heterogeneous displacements, while being slightly smaller than those of the SO2. Moreover, as the image smoothness decreases, the uncertainties of the SO2 deviate from those of the ISA and the exact displacements. The presented approach shows great potentials for challenging applications such as strain measurements at microstructural levels.     

Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (JENDL)

Three versions of Japanese Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (JENDL) are briefly explained. The first version, JENDL-1, was made aiming mainly at application to fast reactors. The second version, JENDL-2, was built as a bigger general purpose evaluated nuclear data library. It stores nuclear data for 181 nuclides. It has, however, some drawbacks particularly for fusion neutronics calculation. To remove these drawbacks of JENDL-2 and further extend its applicability, the third version, JENDL-3, has now been made. JENDL-3 includes photon-production data for some nuclides, in addition to the data contained in JENDL-2.     

Dieaway Measurements of Fast Neutrons in an Iron Assembly using Californium-252

The fast transient behavior of the fast neutron population in an iron assembly immediately following the burst was measured by changing the energy response of the neutron detector with use made of ²⁵²Cf as a randomly pulsed source.

Comparison between experiment and calculation proved that this type of transient experiment would be useful for evaluating the method of calculation adopted in solving space-time-dependent problems.     

New Uni-Resonance Approximation Technique for Reaction Rate of Higher Resonances in Activation Detectors

As a high efficiency solid sample analysis technique based on resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS). Resonant Laser Ablation (RLA) is available. RLA combines Laser Ablation (LA) and RIS simultaneously with a single laser device. We have proposed the new dosimetry technique for a solid sample based on RLA.

We have attempted the detection of ²⁶Al (T _1/2: 7.2×10⁵yr) produced in the high purity Al irradiated by 14MeV neutrons at Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS). Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Some interference effects are observed in the trace element detection experiments. These interference effects interrupt the detection of ²⁶Al. In conclusion. it is difficult that ²⁶Al is recognized clearly. We have mainly discussed the origins and elimination methods of these interference effects to detect the trace elements produced by nuclear reactions.     

自适应连续多级分区与初始阈值估计的快速模板匹配方法

归一化互相关测度在光照改变时比采用绝对差之和测度（SAD）要稳定，但是归一化互相关测度的缺陷在于它的计算量非常大。为此，提出了一种结合自适应连续多级分区和初始阈值估计的基于归一化互相关（NCC）的快速模板匹配算法。根据模板图像中不同模块的梯度值，将模板图像进行逐级分区，通过分区顺序将互相关之和分为不同的层，得到各层互相关的上界，运用柯西-施不等式得到上界间的关系，形成自适应连续多级分区淘汰方法。同时，为了加快匹配速度，利用初始阈值估计产生一个较大的边界阈值，以淘汰初始搜索时的大量非匹配点，减少搜索点数目。实验结果表明:所提出的算法具有较好的鲁棒性，且算法的执行速度优于传统算法。     

Verification of Homogenization in Fast Critical Assembly Analyses

In the present paper, homogenization procedures for fast critical assembly analyses are investigated.

Errors caused by homogenizations are evaluated by the exact perturbation theory. In order to obtain reference solutions, three-dimensional plate-wise transport calculations are performed. It is found that the angular neutron flux along plate boundaries has a significant peak in the fission source energy range. To treat this angular dependence accurately, the double-Gaussian Chebyshev angular quadrature set with S24 is applied.

It is shown that the difference between the heterogeneous leakage theory and the homogeneous theory is negligible, and that transport cross sections homogenized with neutron flux significantly underestimate neutron leakage. The error in criticality caused by a homogenization is estimated at about 0.1%Δ/k/kk' in a small fast critical assembly. In addition, the neutron leakage is overestimated by both leakage theories when sodium plates in fuel lattices are voided.     

一种快速测定重油密度的方法

以四种不同的重油为研究对象,采用标准方法与探索实验法分别对重油密度进行测定,验证探索实验法测定重油密度的可行性。考察了油品加热时间、搅拌方式、固含量等因素对重油密度测定的影响。结果表明:在仪器准确度方面,标油不同温度时密度与给定标准值偏差均很小,试样1高温密度法与GB/T 2013—2010测定值、高温密度法20℃计算值与GB/T 13377—2010测定值偏差均很小;在实验测定影响因素方面,测定试样范围为固含量小于0.41的重质油。使用探索实验法测定重质油密度比现有国标方法更为快速,准确度及精密度更高。     

Manipulation of chemical species in bio-oil using in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis in both a bench-scale fluidized bed pyrolyzer and micropyrolyzer

In situ catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of biomass was conducted with base or acid catalysts in a bench-scale fluidized bed pyrolyzer. Complete mass balances were performed, allowing for quantitatively investigating the catalytic impacts on the final bio-oil composition. Acidic catalysts exhibited relatively higher activities for decomposition of sugar and pyrolytic lignin, dehydration, decarbonylation, and coke formation, as relative to base catalysts. Carbon balances revealed that a significant amount of carbon in bio-oil was transformed to coke during CFP. Due to the decrease in the bio-oil yield during CFP, significantly less energy was recovered in CFP products than in control fast pyrolysis products. CFP was also performed in micropyrolyzer and the results were compared with those in the bench-scale reactor to determine the consistency across the experimental systems. Different from the bench-scale pyrolyzer, the basic catalyst more strongly influenced the micropyrolyzer products and the discrepancies suggest a more rapid deactivation of the basic catalyst.