Characterization of high-temperature nuclear fuel-coolant interactions through X-ray visualization and image processing

Johnson, Mike; Journeau, Christophe; Matsuba, Ken-ichi; Emura, Yuki; Kamiyama, Kenji

doi:10.1016/j.anucene.2020.107881

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…FCI experimental facilities, such as KROTOS and MELT, consist, in simplest terms, of a crucible for the melting of metal and metal oxide nuclear fuel analogues, a funnel to discharge the melt as a coherent jet, a test section containing a pool of liquid coolant, and a radiographic imaging system to visualise the interaction within the optically opaque environment. To demonstrate the application of PTV to FCI experimental images, the FCINA-30-1 experiment (Johnson et al (2021b)) conducted at the JAEA's MELT facility (Matsuba et al (2016); Emura et al (2019)) will be investigated. This experiment was conducted between a jet of molten stainless steel and a pool of sodium coolant.…”

Section: Fuel-coolant Interaction Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This experiment was conducted between a jet of molten stainless steel and a pool of sodium coolant. A detailed explanation of the MELT facility and experimental procedure can be found in Johnson et al (2021b). The radiographic images were acquired at a frame rate of 1000 fps for a field of view in the order of ∼ 12 cm in diameter (Johnson et al (2021b)).…”

Section: Fuel-coolant Interaction Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both of these hypothetical scenarios have been the subject of extensive experimental research. The JAEA's MELT facility (Matsuba et al (2016); Emura et al (2019); Johnson et al (2021b)) and CEA's KROTOS facility (Zabiego et al (2010); Tyrpekl et al (2014)) have been used to investigate FCIs for sodium-cooled and water-cooled reactor configurations respectively, using X-ray imaging to visualise the interactions within the optically opaque test vessels (Berge et al (2018); Johnson et al (2021b)). The CEA's VULCANO facility has been employed to investigate the discharge of molten corium-thermite mixtures and their subsequent spreading on concrete or ceramic substrates (Journeau et al (2003(Journeau et al ( , 2006; Johnson et al (2021a)).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coalescence events present similar complications, particularly as these can be difficult to distinguish from quasi-coalescence whereby distinct particles temporarily by-pass each other at different depths in the X-ray photon path. Different FCI experimental facilities generate X-ray images with frame rates ranging from 100-1000 fps (Zabiego et al (2010); Emura et al (2019); Johnson et al (2021b)) and the size of imaging fields of view vary significantly, requiring that the PTV algorithm tolerates a wide range of particle densities and offers flexibility in the particle matching criteria to account for the different rates of inter-frame particle deformation. A PTV algorithm is presented whereby candidate particle pairings are assessed in terms of a weighted similarity index enabling the rejection of candidate particles of insufficient likeness to the paired sighting prior to particle matching.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A PTV algorithm is presented whereby candidate particle pairings are assessed in terms of a weighted similarity index enabling the rejection of candidate particles of insufficient likeness to the paired sighting prior to particle matching. The application of this PTV approach is demonstrated for (1) the FCINA-30-1 FCI experiment (Johnson et al (2021b)) between a jet of molten steel and liquid sodium, performed at the MELT facility, and (2) the VE-U9-ceramic experiment (Johnson et al (2021a)) of a corium-thermite melt spreading on a zirconium substrate, performed at the VULCANO facility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applications of Particle Tracking Velocimetry to severe nuclear accident experimentation

Johnson¹,

Journeau²

2021

ISPIV21

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Experimental research into severe nuclear accidents may entail the discharge of a very high-temperature lava-like molten fuel mixture, corium, either into a pool of less-dense, more-volatile coolant or onto a solid substrate where the corium will spread and cool. In both instances, remote, high-speed video imaging is usually required to interpret these transient interactions and PTV represents a powerful tool for the characterisation of the dynamic properties of discrete melt fragments or distinctive features in the surface of the melt during spreading. Nuclear fuel-coolant interactions present particular challenges for PTV analysis as a molten jet and its fragments can exhibit high rates of inter-frame deformation and undergo fragmentation with a relatively high frequency. A PTV algorithm, adapted to these challenges, is presented whereby a user-defined tolerance in the evolution of certain particle properties is used to refine the potential candidate particles prior to particle matching. This candidate refinement step is used to distinguish between acceptable levels of deformation between successive sightings of a given particle, and more substantial changes consistent with fragmentation or coalescence, requiring the tracking of a new particle. Implementation of the PTV algorithm is presented for (1) an X-ray video from the FCINA-30-1 experiment between a jet of molten stainless steel and liquid sodium, conducted at the JAEA’s MELT facility, and (2) video imaging of the VE-U9-ceramic experiment of a molten corium-thermite mixture spreading on a zirconium substrate, conducted at the CEA’s VULCANO facility. The latter case-study enabled the characterization of > 70,000 local velocity vectors at locations corresponding to distinctive temperature heterogeneities in the surface of the spreading melt, providing extensive insight into the spreading dynamics for the validation of corium spreading models.

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Section: Fuel-coolant Interaction Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fuel-coolant Interaction Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applications of Particle Tracking Velocimetry to severe nuclear accident experimentation

Johnson¹,

Journeau²

2021

ISPIV21

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Achieving High Operating‐Temperature Self‐powered X‐Ray Detection in Multilayered Hybrid Perovskites through Arylamine Intercalation

Li,

Zhu,

et al. 2024

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Polar metal halide hybrid perovskites (PHPs) that exhibit outstanding bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE), excellent semiconductor features, and strong radiation absorption ability, have shown prominent advantages in highly sensitive direct X‐ray detection. However, it is still a challenge to explore PHPs with high BPVE temperature ranges, answering the demand of developing thermally stable passive X‐ray detection. Herein, by intercalating arylamine into lead tribromide and inducing order‐disorder phase transition, a 2D multilayered PHPs (BZA)2(MA)Pb2Br7 (BZPB, BZA = benzylamine, MA = methylamine) is synthesized. BZPB crystallizes in a polar space group Aea2 at a low‐temperature phase and demonstrates a significant open‐circuit of 0.3 V deriving from BPVE under X‐ray irradiation. Meanwhile, the strong X‐ray absorption coefficient and outstanding carrier transport capability of the bilayered lead halide framework associated with the polar BPVE give BZPB excellent X‐ray detection abilities. At 0 V bias, the impressive sensitivity of BZPB is 98 µC Gy−1 cm−2. Importantly, the introduction of the rigid BZA ring increases the energy barrier of phase transition and thus dramatically enhances the X‐ray detection operating temperature of BZPB up to 409 K without significant performance degradation. This work strongly reveals the great potential of rational design of metal halide hybrid perovskites for X‐ray detection applications.

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Further R&D needs

Bertrand,

Bachrata,

Journeau

et al. 2025

Severe Accidents in Sodium Fast Reactors

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Characterization of high-temperature nuclear fuel-coolant interactions through X-ray visualization and image processing

Cited by 21 publications

References 38 publications

Applications of Particle Tracking Velocimetry to severe nuclear accident experimentation

Applications of Particle Tracking Velocimetry to severe nuclear accident experimentation

Achieving High Operating‐Temperature Self‐powered X‐Ray Detection in Multilayered Hybrid Perovskites through Arylamine Intercalation

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