FABRICATION COSTS FOR PLUTONIUM FUEL ELEMENTS PART E:THE VARIATION IN FABRICATION COST WITH SOME FUEL DESIGN PARAMETERS

摘要

The variable fabrication costs for vibrationally compacted plutonium fuel elements were analyzed and shown to vary in a consistent manner which may serve as a basis for predicting fabrication costs for other similar geometries. The dominant factors affecting variable costs are the weight of fuel, the size of the fuel rod, the cladding cost, and the plutonium enrichment. Unit costs per kg are nearly constant for preparing the UO2-PuO2 bulk fuel, and unit costs per piece are nearly constant for fuel rod fabrication.