Recent activities of RPD of AESJ
Akio Yamamoto
General Chair of RPHA2019
Chair of Reactor Physics Division of AESJ
Nagoya University

RPHA2019, Osaka, Japan, Dec.1-3, 20191

Welcome to RPHA2019
Reactor Physics Asia
(RPHA) was launched in2015 Jeju, Korea
 RPHA2017, Chengdu, China
 RPHA2019, Osaka, Japan Excellent informationexchange meetings onreactor physics
 Enjoy reactor physics aswell as cool & deep cultureof Osaka!
https://www.travel.co.jp/guide/matome/90/2

Recent status of Nuclear
Power in Japan3

Recent status of Nuclear Power in JapanPower plants

Nine PWRs have been restarted
Four BWRs (Kashiazaki-Kariwa, Unit 6&7, ABWR, Tokai-Daini,BWR5, Onagawa, BWR5) received approval from NRA~20 PWRs/BWRs are going to decommission

Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant is under final phaseof approval from NRA Fukushima Daiichi … decommissioningRemoval of spent fuel from SFP – currently unit 3
Fuel debris removal – will start 2021

METI launched NEXIP program in 2019
Looking for “innovation” for nuclear power, focusing on newreactor designs4

Inside Fukushima Daiichi

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Recent activities of RPD/AESJ

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Recent activities of RPD/AESJ
Update of the R&D roadmap in reactor
physics field (2017)
 Reactor physics textbook for novices~400 pages (in Japanese …)
 No mathematical formulation – Yes!
 Physics oriented description : includes thermal
hydraulics, fuel mechanical behavior, plant safetyPortal web page on reactor physics
researches/information for beginners
 Discussion on future of research reactors
7

RPD R&D roadmap 2017


Vision of reactor physics
Reactor physics contributes to sound and sustainable developmentsof human society through a deep understanding of physics andtheir safe control of nuclear systems in the academic field mainly
focusing on interactions of neutrons and nucleus including nuclear
fissionMissions of reactor physics






Propose best nuclear utilization for human society through maximization of
resource value of nuclear materials
Pursuit energy security, environmental affinity, and economics throughout
the whole life-cycle of nuclear utilization while putting the first priority tosafety
Improve our understanding of physics appeared in nuclear systems frommicroscopic to macroscopic scales
Inherit reactor physics and hand over the improved one while consideringthat it is the sole academic area answering the question “why it is a nuclearreactor?”
8Pursuit useful ways to use nuclear reactions for human societyRPD R&D roadmap 2017
Regulatory and standard infrastructures

Human resources infrastructures

17 plans
E.g., develop a reactor physics textbook for novices

Experimental infrastructures

7 plansE.g., develop a standard for critical control during fuel debris
removal6 plansE.g., maintain, improve, and/or replace research reactors

Technology infrastructures

25 plans
E.g., Multi-physics analysis for nuclear safety9New textbook on “physics ofreactors”
1. Physics of reactors
2. Development historyof nuclear power
3. Basics of nuclear
physics
4. Interaction of neutronand nucleus
5. Fission and chain
reactions
6. Multiplication ofneutrons and criticality
7. Whole life of neutrons
8. Burnup

8. Kinetics
9. Power reactors
10. Heat generation andheat transfer
11. Interaction among
multi-physics
12. Critical assemblies
13. Research reactors
14. Safety evaluation ofnuclear power plants15. Criticality safety
10Recent topics in reactor
physics research in Japan11

Major research topics
Uncertainty quantification/data assimilation
 Reduced order model High fidelity simulation methods
 Experiment analysis, V&V
 Criticality safety for fuel debris
 Cross section processing
 ADS experiments/design
 Innovative reactor design, ATF
 50 presentations / AESJ meeting (twice ayear)
12Summary

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Future of reactor physics
Reactor physics is the heat of nuclear
engineering

Can answer “why it is a nuclear reactor?”
 Can provides most important safety principles ofnuclear power

From “reactor physics” to “physics ofreactors”

14Thank you and enjoy themeeting!

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