Study on techniques for examination of property changes and application limits of temperature and strain sensors in fusion reactors

• Project/Area Number: 16K06945
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nuclear fusion studies
• Research Institution: National Institute for Fusion Science
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Teruya 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 准教授 (30353444)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菱沼 良光 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 准教授 (00322529) ; 吉野 正人 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (10397466) ; 坂上 裕之 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 助教 (40250112) ; 佐藤 文信 大阪大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (40332746)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,810,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,110,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: 核融合炉 / 熱電対 / センサー / 核変換 / 照射損傷 / 組成変化 / イオンビーム / ひずみセンサー / 照射効果 / 薄膜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been confirmed that fabrication of ingot specimens with altered compositions is applicable for examination of property changes of metal sensor materials, e.g., thermocouples, due to nuclear transmutation in fusion reactors. The response degradation of K and N-type thermocouples has also been evaluated by altering the compositions based on transmutation calculations assuming long-term usage in a fusion blanket region. Regarding techniques to examine the effects of irradiation damages on sensor responses in ion beam irradiations, thin film specimens fabricated with a sputtering method is applicable. Responses of thin film specimens of K-type thermocouples can be examined at high temperatures and high-fluence ion beam irradiation conditions.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究対象とした2つの中性子環境下材料状態変化の模擬手法は、核融合発電炉以外の中性子発生システムも含めて様々なセンサー材料の特性変化を評価するための技術として適用できる。また、核融合炉を対象にこれら手法を用いて今後蓄積される特性変化のデータについても、核変換量やはじき出し損傷量を共通パラメーターとして、エネルギーや強度の異なる中性子発生環境における特性変化予測につなげることができる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Examination of Transmutation Effect on Responses of K-Type and N-Type Thermocouples at Fusion Blanket (2019)
  • Author(s): Tanaka Teruya、Noto Hiroyuki、Sato Fuminobu、Hishinuma Yoshimitsu、Sakaue Hiroyuki A.、Yoshino Masahito
  • Journal Title: Fusion Science and Technology Volume: 75 Issue: 8 Pages: 1076-1083
  • DOI: 10.1080/15361055.2019.1658039
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Applicability Study of Blanket Systems with Liquid Tritium Breeder/Coolant and Liquid Neutron Multiplier in Helical Reactor FFHR designs (2019)
  • Author(s): Teruya Tanaka, Junichi Miyazawaa, Masatoshi Kondo, Juro Yagi, Takuya Gotoa, Akio Sagara, Hitoshi Tamura, Nagato Yanagi and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: 14th International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] クロメル、アルメル材料の電気特性に対する核変換及び照射損傷の影響評価 (2018)
  • Author(s): 田中照也、能登裕之、佐藤文信、菱沼良光、坂上裕之、吉野正人
  • Organizer: 日本原子力学会 2018年秋の大会
• [Presentation] Examination of transmutation effect on responses of k-type and n-type thermocouples at fusion blanket (2018)
  • Author(s): Teruya Tanaka, Hiroyuki Noto, Fuminobu Sato, Yoshimitsu Hishinuma, Hiroyuki A. Sakaue, Masahito Yoshino
  • Organizer: The Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE 2018)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Fabrication of thin-layered sensor samples for examination of property changes under ion beam irradiation (2017)
  • Author(s): T. Tanaka, H. A. Sakaue, Y. Hishinuma, F. Sato, M. Yoshino
  • Organizer: The 18th International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM-18)
  • Int'l Joint Research