FUELING COST ESTIMATES FOR THE BURN-UP AND DISCHARGE FUEL CYCLE OF CANDU- TYPE NATURAL-URANIUM DIOXIDE HEAVY WATER POWER REACTORS

Technical Report · Wed Jul 19 04:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4841183

Van Winkle, R

Fuel cycle costs for the "burn-up-and-discard" fuel cycle were estimated for CANDU-type natural-uranium dioxide, heavy water pressure-tube reactors, using the ground rules of the Thermal Breeder Reactor Evaluation group at ORNL, to compare with costs claimed by the Canadians who use slightly different cost accounting bases. The high-capital-cost disadvantage of this type of reactor is expected to be overcome by the attainment of low fuel cycle costs made possible by high burn-ups of low-priced natural uranium in the range of 8700 to 10,000 MWD/ tU. Fuel costs, exclusive of D/sub 2/0 inventory but including fuel inventory charges at 12.7% per year of natural uranium, lie in the range 1.50 to 1.90 mills/ kwhr based on current fabricated fuel prices of to 9O/kg UO/sub 2/. The price of fabricated fuel is expected to decrease to to 6O/kg UO/sub 2/ after 1965, giving fuel costs of 0.94 to 1.28 mills/kwhr. Using an annual fixed charge of 12.7% plus 2% annual loss rate, the D/sub 2/O cost is approximately 1.02 to 1.20 mills/kwhr. Plutonium recovered from natural uranium exposed to 8700 MWVD/t and recycled with spent uranium blended with fresh uranium was found to add approximately 25% to the effective burn-up of natural uranium in one example. Only about 3 kg of fissionable plutonium are present in natural uranium after an exposure of 8700 to 9700 MWD/t. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-028802
• OSTI ID: 4841183
• Report Number(s): CF-61-7-85
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNUP
CANDU
ECONOMICS
FABRICATION
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
PLUTONIUM
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
REPROCESSING
TUBES
URANIUM DIOXIDE