Fuel Cycle Economic Analysis Using an Excel Spreadsheet

摘要

In 2004 the Generation IV Economic Modeling Working Group commissioned the development of a Microsoft Excel-based model capable of calculating the Levelized Unit Electricity Cost (LUEC) for multiple types of reactor systems being developed under the International Generation IV Program. This model is now called G4-ECONS (Generation IV-Excel Calculation of Nuclear Systems) and is based on a Generation IV reactor cost estimating guidelines document [1]. The fuel cycle section of this model had to be capable of handling different types of nuclear fuels and able to calculate the economics of open, partially closed, and totally closed fuel cycles. Basically, the model calculates the fuel cycle contribution to the "mills/kWh" or "$/MWh" busbar LUEC by multiplying unit costs for the required fuel cycle steps by the annual material flows or enrichment requirements (separative work units or "SWUs") for each appropriate fuel cycle processing step.