PARTIALLY ENRICHED FUEL CYCLES

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4648262· OSTI ID:4648262

The lowest fuel cycle costs for converter reactors can be achieved by use of natural uranium fuels in heavy water-moderated reactors of very large size. Natural uranium fuel cycles operated at cycle capacities of 10 t/d and larger offer overall fuel costs that are small, about 0.05 mill/kwhr thermal, or 0.18 mill/kwhr electricity at 28% thermal efficiency. These costs assume 14%/yr charge on capital, a 5.5% charge on consumable inventories, burnup of 7000 Mwd/ ton of uranium and a plutonium credit of 70/g. If plutonium is not recovered but discarded, the costs are approximately 0.9 mills/kwhr electricity. Plutonium can be recovered and recycled with depleted uranium to the same reactor system for approximately 20% increase in fuel cycle costs over the natural uranium case. This natural uranium cycle is probably a factor of five less costly than the least expensive partially enriched uranium case if plutonium (where initial U/sup 235/ is 1.5 wt% or higher) is recovered and sold; a factor of two less than the least expensive enriched case if plutonium is not recovered, particularly in fuel cycles of less than several tons per day capacity; and its attractive economically if the plutonium produced is recycled with depleted uranium. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-17-036876
• OSTI ID: 4648262
• Report Number(s): ORNL-TM-678; CONF-178-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BREEDING
BURNUP
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICITY
ENRICHMENT
FUEL CYCLE
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
PLUTONIUM
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
URANIUM 235