Calculate the cost of 1 kg of uranium-fabricated fuel at the time the fuel goes

Question

Calculate the cost of 1 kg of uranium-fabricated fuel at the time the fuel goes into the core, assuming 12.5% cost of money compounded monthly. Also assume the following:

Enrichment (at 3.2% enrichment, 0.2% tails, and $105 per SWU) costs approximately $500/kg..

Enrichment losses are 487.1%.

Conversion losses are 0.5%.

U3O8 costs $60 lb /U3O8 .

Conversion costs $10/ kgU

Fabrication-transportation costs $220/kg.

Loss in Fabrication is 0.8%.

Start of operation is date zero (fuel goes into the core).

Uranium was paid for 24 months before date zero.

Conversion costs were paid 15 months before date zero.

Enrichment costs were paid 10 months before date zero.

Fabrication costs were paid 3 months before date zero.

Explanation / Answer

Given: Annual interest rate 4%, price of uranium is $40/lb, price of conversion is $10/kgU, price of SWU is $112/kgSWU, price of fuel fabrication is $280/kgU, losses in conversion are 0.15%, losses in fabrication are 0.1%

Compute the cost of fuel (per kg fabricated) for a reactor with 4.3% enrichment and a tails assay of 0.25wt% at the time where it is loaded in the reactor where interest is compounded monthly (i.e. considering the time value of money). Assume the fuel is purchased 2 years in advance, conversion is paid 20 months in advance, enrichment is procured 18 months in advance, and fabrication is paid 12 months in advance.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse C
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.