Patents Assigned to Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
  • Patent number: 8236251
    Abstract: Suppression or enhancement of various properties of a liquid fluid is aimed by improving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles by means of making a state in which no oxidized film exists on the surfaces of the nanoparticles to be dispersed in the liquid fluid. The location of the liquid fluid is confirmed with ease by enhancing the brightness of light emission of the fluid through uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the liquid fluid containing a material having a flame reaction. In this way, as to liquid fluids utilized in various industries, it is possible to offer a technology to desirably enhance or suppress a property desired to be enhanced and a property desired to be suppressed among various properties that its constituents have.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Mikio Toda, Toshiro Nishi, Nobuki Oka, Hiroyuki Tsutaya, Kuniaki Ara, Hiroaki Ohira, Kazuya Kurome, Naoki Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 8036335
    Abstract: In a reactor vessel thermal load reducing system near the surface level of a coolant, the present invention is characterized in that a heat conductive member is installed not contacting the reactor vessel wall in an area above and below the coolant liquid surface, and the heat conducting member is attached to a guard vessel, the heat conducting member being made of material of good heat conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Naoto Kasahara, Masanori Ando
  • Patent number: 8004175
    Abstract: A light-emitting material is provided allowing a light-emitting body having an excellent low-excitation characteristic and high brightness to be obtained by using a light-emitting material containing a light-emitting base material that emits light through radiative transition of electrons in material atoms, the light-emitting base having nanoparticles added thereto and dispersed therein, the light-emitting material also allowing a reduction in excitation energy and an increase in brightness to be simultaneously achieve, thereby allowing, for a wide range of light-emitting bodies, a reduction in excitation energy and a significant improvement in brightness to be achieved in a simple structure. Also provided is a light-emitting body having the light-emitting material and a light-emitting method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Mikio Toda, Toshiro Nishi, Nobuki Oka, Hiroyuki Tsutaya, Kuniaki Ara, Hiroaki Ohira, Kazuya Kurome, Naoki Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7910627
    Abstract: Suppression or enhancement of various properties of a liquid fluid is aimed by improving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles by means of making a state in which no oxidized film exists on the surfaces of the nanoparticles to be dispersed in the liquid fluid. The location of the liquid fluid is confirmed with ease by enhancing the brightness of light emission of the fluid through uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the liquid fluid containing a material having a flame reaction. In this way, as to liquid fluids utilized in various industries, it is possible to offer a technology to desirably enhance or suppress a property desired to be enhanced and a property desired to be suppressed among various properties that its constituents have.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Mikio Toda, Toshiro Nishi, Nobuki Oka, Hiroyuki Tsutaya, Kuniaki Ara, Hiroaki Ohira, Kazuya Kurome, Naoki Yoshioka
  • Publication number: 20100322828
    Abstract: Suppression or enhancement of various properties of a liquid fluid is aimed by improving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles by means of making a state in which no oxidized film exists on the surfaces of the nanoparticles to be dispersed in the liquid fluid. The location of the liquid fluid is confirmed with ease by enhancing the brightness of light emission of the fluid through uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the liquid fluid containing a material having a flame reaction. In this way, as to liquid fluids utilized in various industries, it is possible to offer a technology to desirably enhance or suppress a property desired to be enhanced and a property desired to be suppressed among various properties that its constituents have.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Mikio TODA, Toshiro Nishi, Nobuki Oka, Hiroyuki Tsutaya, Kuniaki Ara, Hiroaki Ohira, Kazuya Kurome, Naoki Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7635421
    Abstract: An electrolytic apparatus for an oxide electrolytic method includes an interior of an electrolytic vessel, a common cathode and two types of anodes different in shape and arrangement, a first electrolysis controller is connected between the cathode and the first anode, and a second electrolysis controller is connected between the cathode and the second anode. The electrolytic processing of the substance in the electrolytic vessel is carried out such that a pair of the cathode and one of the anodes is used for main electrolysis and a pair of the cathode and the other anode is used for auxiliary electrolysis. By this apparatus, prevention of the ununiform distribution of the electrodeposit, improvement of the processing speed and improvement of the durability of the crucible are achieved, whereby the recycling of spent nuclear fuels based on the nonaqueous reprocessing method is made feasible in a commercial scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Kenji Koizumi, Nobuo Okamura, Tadahiro Washiya, Shinichi Aose
  • Patent number: 7578922
    Abstract: There is provided a method for thermochemically producing hydrogen from water by using sulfuric acid as a kind of reactant, combining a plurality of chemical reactions inclusive of sulfuric acid decomposition reaction and circulating reactants. The sulfuric acid decomposition reaction is carried out at a temperature of 600° C. or less by electrolysis using a partition wall of oxygen ion-permeable solid electrolyte and oxygen is separated simultaneously with the electrolysis to thereby carry out the method for producing hydrogen by chemical process using heat with electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventor: Toshio Nakagiri
  • Patent number: 7550072
    Abstract: A nitric acid solution containing ions of any one element selected from the group consisting of rare element FP of Ru, Rh and Pd and a rare element of Re is electrolytically reduced by electrolyzing at a constant current to thereby deposit the ions of the element on an electrode. Alternatively, a nitric acid solution containing ions of two or more elements selected from the group consisting of rare element FP of Ru, Rh and Pd and a rare element of Re is electrolytically reduced by electrolyzing at a constant current to thereby collectively deposit the ions of the elements on an electrode. Alkaline water is electrolyzed by using the thus obtained electrodeposit electrode directly as it is as a catalytic electrode to efficiently generate hydrogen. Thus, a clean and sustaining energy system integrating the nuclear energy with the fuel cell power generation is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Masaki Ozawa, Tetsuo Ikegami
  • Patent number: 7491345
    Abstract: Extraction mixture capable of recovering actinide elements such as U, Pu and transplutonium elements from radioactive liquid waste in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. One embodiment of the extraction mixture includes a solution of bidentate organophosphorus extractant, dihexyl-N, N-diethylcarbamoyl phosphonate in a polar diluent, wherein bis-tetrafluoropropyl ether of diethylene glycol is used as the polar diluent at the following ratio of components: 0.1-1.2 M/L of bidentate extractant and the rest of diluent. Another embodiment of the extraction mixture includes a solution of bidentate organophosphorus extractant, phenyloctyl-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylphosphine oxide in a polar diluent, wherein a mixture of metanitrobenzotrifluoride with trialkylphosphate is used as the polar diluent at the following ratio of components: 0.1-1.2 M/L of bidentate extractant, 0.3-1.1 M/L of TBP, and the rest of MNBTF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Masaki Ozawa, Vasily Alexandrovich Babain, Yury Stepanovich Fedorov, Andey Yurievich Shadrin, Valery Nikolaevich Romanovsky, Igor Valentinovich Smirnov, Boris Yakovlevich Zilberman
  • Patent number: 7375336
    Abstract: A ZnS (Ag) scintillation detector comprises a ZnS (Ag) scintillators layer 22 which is excited by incident ?-rays and emits a scintillator light, a photomultiplier tube 16 which converts the scintillator light into an electric pulse signal, and a counting rate meter 34 which counts the obtained pulse signal. The scintillator layer has a thickness which is not less than a range of ?-rays from ?-ray emitting nuclides (natural radioactive nuclides) to be separated, which enables energy absorption of ?-rays from the ?-ray emitting nuclides to be separated to entirely occur in the scintillator layer, and which enables light shielding of the scintillator light generated in the scintillator layer by the scintillator layer itself to be neglected. A pulse height discrimination circuit 32 is further provided in a preceding stage of the counting rate meter. Thereby, the effect of the natural radioactive nuclides can be reduced and the contamination control can be efficiently and smoothly performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Ichiro Hasegawa, Kenji Izaki, Hirohide Kobayashi, Kazuo Ino, Nobuyuki Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20080107226
    Abstract: In a reactor vessel thermal load reducing system near the surface level of a coolant, the present invention is characterized in that a heat conductive member is installed not contacting the reactor vessel wall in an area above and below the coolant liquid surface, and the heat conducting member is attached to a guard vessel, the heat conducting member being made of material of good heat conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: JAPAN NUCLEAR CYCLE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Naoto Kasahara, Masanori Ando
  • Patent number: 7366644
    Abstract: An irradiated state diagram that expresses a relation of a degree of long range order S to a variable R of an irradiated state related to a damage rate and an irradiation temperature is prepared according to an ordered structure of an alloy on basis of an evaluation formula related to an effect of irradiation on an irradiated state of the alloy by using, as parameters, a first threshold value Sth1 at which the degree of long range order begins to decrease greatly under irradiation, a second threshold value Sth2 at which the degree of long range order substantially reaches equilibrium after this decrease, and a degree of long range order in an equilibrium state Seq. An R-value is calculated and an S-value corresponding to the R-value is found. An Sth1-value, an Sth2-value and an Seq-value at the R-value are found and compared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventor: Taiji Hoshiya
  • Patent number: 7361235
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel excellent in high-temperature creep strength having a coarse grain structure. The method comprises mixing alloy powders and an Y2O3 powder, subjecting the mixed powder to mechanical alloying treatment, solidifying the alloyed powder by hot extrusion, and subjecting the extruded solidified material to final heat treatment involving heating to and holding at a temperature of not less than the Ac3 transformation point and slow cooling at a rate of not more than a ferrite-forming critical rate which comprises, 0.05-0.25% C, 8.0-12.0% Cr, 0.1-4.0% W, 0.1-1.0% Ti, 0.1-0.5% Y2O3 by weight, with the balance being Fe. In this method, by using a TiO2 powder as a Ti component to be mixed at the mechanical alloying treatment or by adding a Fe2O3 powder, the bonding of Ti with C is suppressed, and the C concentration in the matrix does not decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Satoshi Ohtsuka, Shigeharu Ukai, Takeji Kaito, Masayuki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 7326368
    Abstract: Nano-particles 1 of a metal or the like are dispersed in a liquid fluid 2. Thereby, the reactivity or toxicity of the liquid fluid can be reduced when the liquid fluid has reactivity or toxicity. The flow resistance of the liquid fluid can be raised, and the leakage of the liquid fluid from minute cracks can be reduced. By using the liquid fluid as a heat transfer medium of a heat exchanger, the heat transfer performance equivalent to or higher than the heat transfer performance of the original heat exchanger can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ohira, Kuniaki Ara, Mamoru Konomura
  • Patent number: 7323032
    Abstract: This invention is provided for improvement of corrosion-resistant property of a crucible and for promotion of safety in a pyrochemical reprocessing method for the spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is dissolved in a molten salt placed in the crucible. In a pyrochemical reprocessing method, the nuclear fuel is deposited, and the crucible (2) is heated by induction heating. Cooling media (5, 6) are supplied to cool down, and a molten salt layer (7) is maintained by keeping balance between the heating and the cooling, and a solidified salt layer (8) is formed on inner wall surface of the crucible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hayashi, Tsutomu Koizumi, Tadahiro Washiya, Kenji Koizumi
  • Patent number: 7323153
    Abstract: Fluorine or a fluorine compound is subjected to a reaction with a spent oxide fuel to produce fluorides of uranium and plutonium, and recovering the fluorides using a difference in volatility behavior. The method includes steps of: subjecting a mixture of UO2 and PuO2 with hydrogen fluoride mixed with hydrogen to HF-fluorinate uranium and plutonium into UF4 and PuF3; subjecting UF4 and PuF3 with a fluorine gas to F2-fluorinate uranium and plutonium into UF6 and PuF6; and fractionating UF6 and PuF6 using a difference in phase change of obtained UF6 and PuF6, removing a part of UF6, and volatilizing the remaining UF6 and PuF6 at the same time. By such a reprocessing method, PuF4 hard to undergo a reaction is prevented from being formed as an intermediate fluoride, the material of a reactor is hard to be corroded, and a consumption of expensive fluorine gas is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Ippei Amamoto, Koji Sato
  • Patent number: 7279139
    Abstract: An agitation type powder dissolving apparatus comprises a dissolving tank into which powder of spent nuclear fuel is to be supplied, an agitating member rotatably disposed in the dissolving tank, and rise inhibiting structure, disposed in the dissolving tank above the agitating member, for inhibiting the powder from swirling and rising due to rotation of the agitating member. The rise inhibiting structure is composed of a plurality of fixed blades for causing powder, which would otherwise swirl and rise due to rotation of the agitating member, to move downward. Each fixed blade has a descending slope with respect to a swirling direction during swirling and rising. This dissolving apparatus prevents non-dissolved particles from overflowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Hideki Yamai, Masato Ooura, Kazunari Uchida, Tadahiro Washiya, Tomozo Koyama
  • Patent number: 7273584
    Abstract: An oxide dispersion strengthened martensitic steel excellent in high-temperature strength having residual ?-grains can be manufactured by a method comprising mixing either element powders or alloy powders and a Y2O3 powder; subjecting the resulting mixed powder to mechanical alloying treatment; solidifying the resulting alloyed powder by hot extrusion; and subjecting the resulting extruded solidified material to final heat treatment involving normalizing and tempering heat treatment to thereby manufacture an oxide dispersion strengthened martensitic steel in which Y2O3 particles are dispersed in the steel, wherein ?to ?transformation is not allowed to occur during the described hot extrusion and the proportion of residual ?-grains in which oxide particles are finely dispersed in high density is increased by controlling the mixture ratio of the powders for the mechanical alloying treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
    Inventors: Satoshi Ohtsuka, Shigeharu Ukai, Takeji Kaito, Takeshi Narita, Masayuki Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20070163386
    Abstract: This invention is provided for improvement of corrosion-resistant property of a crucible and for promotion of safety in a pyrochemical reprocessing method for the spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is dissolved in a molten salt placed in the crucible. In a pyrochemical reprocessing method, the nuclear fuel is deposited, and the crucible (2) is heated by induction heating. Cooling media (5, 6) are supplied to cool down, and a molten salt layer (7) is maintained by keeping balance between the heating and the cooling, and a solidified salt layer (8) is formed on inner wall surface of the crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: JAPAN NUCLEAR CYCLE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hayashi, Tsutomu Koizumi, Tadahiro Washiya, Kenji Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20070160177
    Abstract: Suppression or enhancement of various properties of a liquid fluid is aimed by improving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles by means of making a state in which no oxidized film exists on the surfaces of the nanoparticles to be dispersed in the liquid fluid. The location of the liquid fluid is confirmed with ease by enhancing the brightness of light emission of the fluid through uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles in the liquid fluid containing a material having a flame reaction. In this way, as to liquid fluids utilized in various industries, it is possible to offer a technology to desirably enhance or suppress a property desired to be enhanced and a property desired to be suppressed among various properties that its constituents have.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: JAPAN NUCLEAR CYCLE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Mikio Toda, Toshiro Nishi, Nobuki Oka, Hiroyuki Tsutaya, Kuniaki Ara, Hiroaki Ohira, Kazuya Kurome, Naoki Yoshioka