The credit analysis of recycling beryllium and uranium in BeO-UO2 nuclear fuel |
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| Authors: | Sungki Kim Wonil Ko W. Zhou Shripad T. Revankar Yanghon Chung |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1045 Daedeokdaero , Yuseung-gu , Daejon , 305-353 , Republic of Korea;2. School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University , 400 Central Drive West, Lafayette , IN , 47907 , USA;3. Department of Management Science , Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology , 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu , Daejeon , 305-701 , Republic of Korea |
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| Abstract: | This study quantifies the credits of beryllium and uranium which are used as the raw materials for BeO-UO2 nuclear fuel by analyzing the influence of their credits on the nuclear fuel cycle cost was analyzed, where the credit was defined as the value of raw materials recovered from spent fuel and the raw materials that were re-cycled. The credits of beryllium and uranium at 60 MWD/kg burn-up were –0.22 Mills/kWh and –0.14 Mills/kWh, respectively. These findings were based on the assumption that the optimal mixing proportion of beryllium in the BeO-UO2 nuclear fuel is 4.8 wt%. In sum, the present study verified that the credits of beryllium and uranium in relation to BeO-UO2 nuclear fuel are significant cost drivers in the cost of the nuclear fuel cycle and in estimating the nuclear fuel cycle of the reprocessing option for spent nuclear fuels. |
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| Keywords: | credit analysis direct material cost beryllium cost driver nuclear fuel cycle cost |
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