NEWS

May 22th, 2023 Deadline of Full paper submission has been extended!
Apr 5th, 2023 Full paper submission and registration have been started!
Feb 24th, 2023 Technical tours information has been updated!
Dec 15th, 2022 Registration information (fee, dates,...etc) has been updated!

Previous news
Dec 13th, 2022 Deadline of abstracts submission has been extended!
Dec 13th, 2022 3rd flyer was released.
Nov 28th, 2022 Full-paper format is available ("SUBMISSION" section)
Sep 30th, 2022 Abstract submission system was open ("SUBMISSION" section)
Sep 30th, 2022 2nd flyer was released.
Jul 12th, 2022 1st flyer was released.
Jun 1st, 2022 ICNC2023 Website was open.
Sep 20th, 2019 ICNC2019 was successfully closed in Paris, France on Sep 15th - 20th, 2019.

MESSAGE

Hiroyuki OIGAWA

From organizer of ICNC2023

Ken Nakajima

From General Chair of ICNC2023
Read message

On behalf of the organizer of this conference, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), I welcome all those involved in the criticality safety research and development to the 12th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety. I strongly hope that this conference, which will be held in Japan for the first time in 20 years, will facilitate the exchange of ideas among criticality safety researchers from all over the world and contribute to strengthen the further development of this field, following the last conference in Tokai-mura, Japan in 2003.

JAEA has been the center of nuclear research and development in Japan since 1956, when its predecessor, the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) was established, and has been involved in a wide range of research activities. Criticality safety assessment is a fundamental technology for nuclear energy utilization. JAEA has maintained quite a few facilities for the criticality experiment, and has continued to develop the reactor physics calculation codes and the evaluated nuclear data libraries, which are essential for criticality safety assessment. JAEA has played a role as a world leading R&D center contributing to criticality safety research.

Despite the development of computer simulation technology, the importance of understanding the criticality characteristics of the nuclear material through experiments cannot be overstated. For the new task of handling the fuel debris generated by the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi NPP, JAEA is tackling the modification of the criticality experiment apparatus “STACY” aiming to validate the criticality safety evaluation method for fuel debris.

As a completely new evaluation target is about to be added to the criticality safety evaluation, it is a great honor for JAEA to host this international conference on the criticality safety in Sendai, the central city of the Tohoku region, which is now undergoing a major recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. As the comprehensive nuclear research and development organization in Japan, JAEA considers this conference to be of great significance.

We look forward to meeting you in Sendai, Japan, a beautiful city with green, in October 2023.

Sincerely,

National Research and Development Agency, Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Executive Director, Hiroyuki OIGAWA, Ph.D.

Read message

Welcome to ICNC2023.

It is our great pleasure to organize the 12th International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety ICNC2023, held in Sendai, Japan on October, 2023.

This is the third conference held in Japan, after Tokyo, 1987 and Tokai-mura, 2003. The last ICNC in Japan, ICNC2003 was hosted by JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, the predecessor of JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)) and AESJ (Atomic Energy Society of Japan), and co-hosted by JNC (Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, the predecessors of JAEA). ICNC 2023 is organized by JAEA and co-organized by Reactor Physics Division of the AESJ, and OECD/NEA(Nuclear Energy Agency). ICNC has been held every 4 years, and provided a great opportunity for the communication among researchers, engineers, plant operators, students and regulators related to criticality safety.

We look forward to welcoming you to an attractive city, Sendai, for an enjoyable stay and a fruitful conference.

Sincerely,

Kyoto University

Professor, Ken NAKAJIMA


FLYER


SCHEDULE


SUBMISSION

You can submit your full paper from April 5th, 2023 to May 19th June 2nd, 2023! The format word files for full-paper is available below.


The submission system is here


Abstract format

Full-paper format


REGISTRATION

The registration system is here


Registration Fees


Early-Bird Rate
(Feb 24Apr 5 - Jul 14, 2023)
Standard Rate
(Jul 15 - Aug 25, 2023)
Onsite Rate
(Aug 26 - Oct 5, 2023)
Full Attendance
95,000 JPY 110,000 JPY 115,000 JPY
Student 35,000 JPY 50,000 JPY 55,000 JPY
One Day Attendance 55,000 JPY 55,000 JPY 60,000 JPY
Accompanying Person (Family) 25,000 JPY 25,000 JPY 30,000 JPY
Extra Paper Fee* 15,000 JPY 15,000 JPY -
Banquet Ticket** 20,000 JPY 20,000 JPY -
* Fee per one extra paper for participants who pay Full Attendance or Student fee.
** For One day Attendance participants who attend on Oct 3, 2023.

Registration Category Details

Registration Note
  • If you would like to make a presentation, you are kindly requested to register as Full Attendance or Student. This includes full event access rights (session, coffee break, lunch box, banquet, etc.).
  • If you would like to make an extra presentation, you are kindly requested to bear the expense of an Extra Paper Fee for each extra presentation. Submission of multiple papers is possible by creating an account in the submission system for each paper. In this case, you are requested to make one registration as Full Attendance or Student for one account, and then pay Extra Paper Fee for the other accounts.
  • Participants who register as Student might be asked to show their student ID at the conference registration desk.
  • To be entitled to the Early-Bird Rate, the payment must be processed by Jul 14, 2023. Please note that if the participants do not complete the payment by Jul 14, 2023, the registration will be cancelled and then the Standard Rate will be applied.
  • The participant who makes a presentation should finish the payment by Aug 25, 2023. If not, the registration and paper submission will be cancelled. The submitted paper will not be included in the Proceedings.
  • Registration still opens at the Onsite Rate after Aug 26, 2023, for participants who have no presentation.
  • All dates are in JST (Japan Standard Time; UTC+9).

Payment Information and Cancellation Policy
  • All registration fees must be paid only by credit card. (Visa, MasterCard, JCB, AMEX, and Diners Club are available.)
  • Receipts can be downloaded from each account's My Page.
  • No refunds will be made for canceled participation or presentation.

TRACKS

1. Codes and Other Calculation Methods
2. Nuclear Data
3. Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis
4. Measurements, Experiments, and Benchmarks
5. Standards, Assessment Methodology, Regulations
6. Operational Practices and Safety Cases
7. Storage, Transport, and Disposal Issues
8. Criticality Accidents and Incidents
9. Professional Development Issues and Training
10. Future Challenges

< Special Sessions >

S-1. Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant
S-2. Machine Learning, Deep Learning

Track Details

Technical Program Chair: Tomohiro ENDO (Nagoya Univ., JP)

No. Subject Track Leaders
1.

Codes and Other Calculation Methods

An indispensable tool for nuclear criticality safety practitioners. The advance in calculation methods for more reliable codes. Accurately defining the range of applicability of an analysis based on calculations by an intimate knowledge of the capability of methods.
  • Andrea ZOIA (CEA, FR)
  • Taro UEKI (JAEA, JP)
2.

Nuclear Data

Verification, validation, measurement, evaluation, utilization, and processing of nuclear data.
  • Coralie CARMOUZE (CEA, FR)
  • Kenichi TADA (JAEA, JP)
3.

Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis

The advancement in calculation methods for sensitivity analysis, uncertainty quantification, and data assimilation to assess the impact of uncertainties on a calculated parameter (e.g., keff) in the area of criticality safety.
  • Axel HOEFER (Framatome GmbH, GE)
  • Go CHIBA (Hokkaido Univ., JP)
  • Satoshi TAKEDA (Osaka Univ., JP)
4.

Measurements, Experiments, and Benchmarks

Experiments and its measurement driven by gaps in the nuclear data and by needs of the industry to address planned operations. Efforts to make criticality experiments data more widely available, to better define the uncertainties associated with benchmark experiments, and to improve the numerical prediction of keff based on the data assimilation.
  • Catherine PERCHER (LLNL, US)
  • Masahiro FUKUSHIMA (JAEA, JP)
5.

Standards, Assessment Methodology, Regulations

Challenges including fabrication and management of advanced reactor fuels, integration of risk informed methods in safety analyses, and advanced approaches to address calculation and measurement uncertainties, and the integration of these challenges into safety disciplines.
  • Gregory O’CONNOR (ONR, UK)
  • Tatsuya FUJITA (NRA, JP)
6.

Operational Practices and Safety Cases

Understanding the process variability and upset conditions, that comes from interaction with the operators and understanding the lessons learned from previous incidents and accidents. Operator training, human factors assessments, criticality audits and inspections to obtain the effectiveness of the control process.
  • Mark DEHART (INL, US)
  • Kento YAMAMOTO (NFI, JP)
7.

Storage, Transport, and Disposal Issues

Challenges to understand the compositions and behaviors of widely varying fissile materials. Multiple approaches and techniques that can be employed to establish the safety of these materials in the storage, transport and disposal.
  • Dimitri ROCHMAN (PSI, CH)
  • Yasuhiro HARADA (MHI, JP)
8.

Criticality Accidents and Incidents

Subjects relating criticality accidents and incidents are focused such as experiments and numerical analyses for estimation and evaluation of excursion or risk, as well as preventive work, emergency arrangements and learning from experience.
  • Matthew EATON (Imperial College London, UK)
  • Yuichi YAMANE (JAEA, JP)
9.

Professional Development Issues and Training

Education, training and professional fulfillment of existing staff as well as positive action to establish a pipeline for attracting new talent into the criticality safety profession.
  • John MILLER (SNL, US)
  • Pyeon Cheol Ho (Kyoto Univ., JP)
  • Hiroki TAKEZAWA (Nagaoka Univ. of Tech., JP)
10.

Future Challenges

Future research topics regarding nuclear criticality safety for innovative uses of nuclear energy. Sharing of prospects and experiences to counter nuclear terrorism and other unknown threats.
  • Julie-Fiona MARTIN (OECD/NEA, International org.)
  • Naoto AIZAWA (Tohoku Univ., JP)
S-1.

Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant

Research on criticality safety management, accidents, analysis of fuel debris, issues on the retrieval work, storage, transport, disposal of fuel debris, and so on.
  • Aurélie BARDELAY (IRSN, FR)
  • Yasushi NAUCHI (CRIEPI, JP)
S-2.

Machine Learning, Deep Learning

Brand new approaches of the criticality safety management using machine learning and deep learning techniques.
  • Alexander VASILIEV (PSI, CH)
  • Masahiro TATSUMI (NEL, JP)

PROGRAM

Oct 1 (Sun) Oct 2 (Mon) Oct 3 (Tue)
Workshop
Welcome Cockrail
Plenary Session
Technical Sessions
Technical Sessions (Poster)
Banquet

Oct 4 (Wed) Oct 5 (Thu) Oct 6 (Fri)
Technical Sessions Technical Sessions
Closing Session
Technical Tours

TECHNICAL TOURS

The following technical tours are planned in ICNC2023. Participants can visit nuclear facilities in Japan. Application of the tour can be made on the submission system. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Administration Secretary Office.



Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant


The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant began operation in 1973. The plant was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, resulting in accidents such as core meltdown. Decommissioning of the plant is currently underway.


Location:  Okuma-machi, Fukushima 
Date:  Oct 6th (Fri) 
Time:  7:30 - 18:50 (From/To JR Sendai St.) 
Fee:  JPY9,500 
Capacity:  30 - About 40 people 
How to apply:  Apply through submission system 

Courtesy of TEPCO

Courtesy of TEPCO



NanoTerasu and Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant


NanoTerasu is the next-generation synchrotron radiation facility that enables visualization in the nanoscale world. The emittance is about 1 nmrad in 3 GeV beam energy with a compact ring circumference of about 350 m and it is one of the brightest synchrotron radiation facilities in the world. Construction of the facility began in 2019, and operation is scheduled to start in 2023.

The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant is a boiling water reactor and has been in operation since 1984. It was the closest nuclear power plant to the epicenter of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, but the operating reactors automatically shut down and were safe. Currently, preparations are underway to restart operations.


Location:  Sendai-city, Oshika-gun, Miyagi 
Date:  Oct 6th (Fri) 
Time:  8:30 - 18:30 (From/To JR Sendai St.) 
Fee:  JPY8,500 
Capacity:  30 - About 40 people 
How to apply:  Apply through submission system 

Courtesy of PhoSIC

Courtesy of QST

Courtesy of Tohoku Electric Power Company, Incorporated



STACY and FCA in JAEA


Static Experiment Critical Facility (STACY), which was a homogeneous system using solution fuel, had been used to measure the critical volume of low enriched uranium nitrate solution under various conditions from 1995-2011. The STACY is being renovated to a heterogeneous thermal core in order to satisfy new demands for critical experiments of thermal neutron systems. Its first criticality will be achieved in 2023.

Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) is the country’s only critical assembly for the study of the neutronic characteristics of fast reactors. Its operation started in 1967, and the FCA experiments have made significant contributions to the development of fast reactors by providing experimental data.


Location:  Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 
Date:  Oct 6th (Fri) 
Time:  8:00 - 20:30 (From/To JR Sendai St.) 
Fee:  JPY15,000 
Capacity:  20 - About 30 people 
How to apply:  Apply through submission system 

Courtesy of JAEA

Courtesy of JAEA



WORKSHOPS


Enhancing nuclear criticality analysis with NEA tools


Provide participants with opprtunity for hands-on training course covering NEA software. Participants will learn how to use the efficiency use the Database for ICSBEP (DICE), the how the Nuclear Data Sensitivity Tool (NDsAT) can be used to estimate how integral benchmark predictions will respond to changes in nuclear data.


Location:  Sendai International Center (Conference venue) 
Date:  Oct 1st (Sun) 
Time:  14:00 - 16:30  
Animators:  Ian Hill (NEA)
Julie-Fiona Martin (NEA)  
Fee:  Free (only ICNC2023 participants) 
Capacity:  20 - 30 people 
Requirements:  Laptop computer (Win, Mac) 
How to apply:  Apply through submission system 


VENUE

Sendai International Center

Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city, Miyagi, 980-0856, Japan

Copyright© Aobayama Consortium

Copyright© Aobayama Consortium



Discover Sendai City...


Hotel booking website provided by JTB Corp.


For All participants
For Japanese participants

COMMITTEE

General Chair Ken NAKAJIMA (Kyoto University)
Technical Program Chair Tomohiro ENDO (Nagoya University)
Local Management Directors  Kenya SUYAMA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Satoshi GUNJI (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)

Organizing Committee
Name Affiliation
Ken NAKAJIMA Kyoto University
Go CHIBA Hokkaido University
Naoto AIZAWA Tohoku University
Toru OBARA Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tomohiro Endo Nagoya University
Takanori KITADA Osaka University
Cheol Ho Pyeon Kyoto University
Nozomu Fujimoto Khushu University
Ken NAKAJIMA Kyoto University
Yoshiaki TSURUTA Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc.
Daiichiro ITO Nuclear Fuel Transport Company Ltd.
Satoru Hayami Japan Nuclear Fuel, Ltd.
Yasushi NAUCHI Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
Yamato HAYASHI Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corp.
Yuichi MORIMOTO Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
Yasuhiro HARADA Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Hiroaki NAGANO Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.
Shigeaki AOKI Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
Kenya SUYAMA Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Taro UEKI Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Yuichi YAMANE Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Hiroshi OKUNO Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Kazuhiko IZAWA Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Tomoaki WATANABE   Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Shouhei ARAKI Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Kodai FUKUDA Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Satoshi GUNJI Japan Atomic Energy Agency

International Scientific Advisory Committee
Country Name Affiliation
Belgium Gert VAN DEN EYNDE SCK-CEN Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
Canada Vladimir KHOTYLEV Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
Finland Anssu RANTA-AHO Teollisuuden Voima Oyj
Finland Karin RANTAMAKI Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority
France Aurélie BARDELAY IRSN
France Coralie CARMOUZE CEA Cadarache
Germany Axel HOEFER Framatome GmbH
Germany Robert KILGER Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und
Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH
Germany Dirk SCHULZE GRACHTRUP Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der
nuklearen Entsorgung (BASE)
Germany Maik STUKE BGZ Gesellschaft für Zwischenlagerung
Hungary Gabor HORDOSY Centre for Energy Research
Japan Satoshi GUNJI Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Poland Agnieszka BOETTCHER National Centre for Nuclear Research
Spain Maria Consuelo ALEJANO MONGE  Consejo de Seguridad Nuclea
Sweden Dennis MENNERDAHL E. Mennerdahl Systems
Switzerland Stefano CARUSO Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG
Switzerland Alexander VASILIEV Paul Scherrer Institut
UK Sonny GAN SELLAFIELD, Ltd.
UK Gregory O'CONNOR Office for Nuclear Regulation
USA Catherine PERCHER LLNL
USA Douglas G. BOWEN ORNL
USA William MARSHALL ORNL
International org.  Tatiana IVANOVA OECD Nuclear Energy Agency*1
International org.  Julie-Fiona MARTIN OECD Nuclear Energy Agency*1
Japan Kazufumi TSUJIMOTO Japan Atomic Energy Agency*2
Japan Takanori KITADA Osaka University*2
*1: OECD/NEA (Co-organizer)
*2: Reactor Physics Division, Atomic Energy Society of Japan (Co-organizer)

Administration Office
Local Management Directors  Kenya SUYAMA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Satoshi GUNJI (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Finance Tomoaki WATANABE (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Logistics Shouhei ARAKI (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Website/Flyer Kodai FUKUDA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Logo Design Rima OHUCHI (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
Local Arrangements JTB Corp. SENDAI Branch

BORDER MEASURES

Condition of entry permission into Japan is almost the same condition before COVID-19 pandemic as of Feb, 2023. Please refer to the following table published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.


Quarantine procedure
Visit Japan Web Valid Vaccination Certificate Pre-departure Test On-arrival Test Isolation
Required With Not required - -
Without Required

(from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website)


However, the border measures are changing. Please refer to the the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website for vaccination and inspection requirements, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for visa requirements.


SPONSORS

IRSN - Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire

31, avenue de la division Leclerc - 92260 Fontenay-aux-roses - France
en.irsn.fr/EN/Pages/home.aspx

IRSN is a French public institution with industrial and commercial activities (EPIC). IRSN’s missions have been consolidated by the Act No. 2015-992 of 17 August 2015 concerning Energy Transition and Green Growth (TECV). IRSN is the national public expert on nuclear and radiological risks. IRSN contributes to public policies in the fields of nuclear safety and ionizing radiation protection for public health and environment. As a research and scientific institution it acts in consultation with all stakeholders concerned by these policies, while preserving its independence of judgment. IRSN is supervised jointly by the French Minister of the Ecological transition, the French Minister of Defense, and the French Ministers of Energy transition, Research and Health.


Framatome

Framatome head office 1 Place Jean Miller – Tour Areva 94200 Courbevoie, France
www.framatome.com/en

For more than 60 years, Framatome’s teams have been involved in designing nuclear power plants, supplying nuclear steam supply systems, designing and manufacturing components and fuel assemblies, integrating instrumentation and control systems, and servicing all types of nuclear reactors. Framatome and its 16,000 employees are committed every day to help customers supply ever cleaner, safer and more economical low-carbon energy.


Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation

72-34, Horikawa-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
www.global.toshiba/ww/company/energy.html

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation is a leading supplier of integrated energy solutions. With our long experience and expertise in a wide range of power generating and transmitting systems and energy management technology—such as renewable energy, energy conversation and energy matching—we contribute to achieving carbon neutral. We are promoting to realize the next-generation energy services with advanced IoT and AI technologies utilizing our knowledge and know-how we have accumulated in energy system development and manufacturing.


ADMINISTRATION

ICNC 2023 Secretariat
Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Safety Research Center, Criticality Safety Research Group
2-4 Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
MAIL: icnc2023[at]jaea.go.jp [at]→@