Microcomputers facilitate scoping analysis of nuclear fuel cycles

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Power; (United States)

OSTI ID:5613985

Geller, L; Franks, W A; Goldstein, L

The capital cost of nuclear power plants makes it important to keep their capacity factor as high as possible. The ability of the nuclear-fuel manager to rapidly screen different fuel-cycle strategies to meet changes in plant operation is essential. The microcomputer or personal computer (PC) has been found to be a very powerful, convenient, and cost-effective fuel-cycle-scoping tool for this purpose. This article describes the typical functions of electric utility out-of-core nuclear fuel managers and the computer programs needed by them. These functions are performed to support the purchasing and scheduling of fuel supply for a nuclear generating station. Some of the computer programs available to out-of-core fuel managers are also used by the in-core fuel manager or the fuel designer. These, in general, are more detailed and costly in computer expense and manpower than the out-of-core manager requires. The different classes of computer programs are compared here in terms of the information they generate, the staffing needed for analysis, and the cost of their use. Based on experience, simple scoping codes -such as Placem, described below- run on a personal computer are most cost effective and responsive to the fuel manager's needs.

• Research Organization: SM Stoller Corp.
• OSTI ID: 5613985
• Journal Information: Power; (United States), Journal Name: Power; (United States) Vol. 130:4; ISSN POWEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210802* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Economics-- Fuel Cycle
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERS
COST ESTIMATION
DIGITAL COMPUTERS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUEL CYCLE
FUELS
MATERIALS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROPROCESSORS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
P CODES
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
POWER PLANTS
PROGRAMMING
PUBLIC UTILITIES
REACTOR MATERIALS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS