CHAPTER 14 ~ NUCLEAR PLANTS investment charges, % | 12.5 B 2 Maintenance, mills per | 1 1 1 gross kwhr ‘Avg annual plant- | 6,100 5,800 6,800 personnel salary, dollars per yr Plant personnel 120 5 110 Neutron loss, % 20 10 2 Solution: {a} Annual generator output = 90,000 x 7500 = 6.75 x 10° kwhr per yr Annual reactor output = 6.75 x 10° x 12,900 = 8.71 x 10" Btu per yr [At an energy release of 3.5 x 10°” Btu per Ib of fissionable uraniums the fuel consumed for no losses in the reactor is, 8.7110" 35x10" With 20% losses in the reactor, the fuel consumption of fissionable U-235 is 249/0.80 = 311 Ib per year. But since natural uranium contains only 0.7% of fissionable uranium and it was stated that the fuel was to be depleted by only 50% (i.e, only half of the fissionable portion of the natural uranium would be consumed), the quantity of natural uranium required would be 311 / {0.007 x 0.50) = 88,857 Ib per yr of natural uranium. The annual cost of uranium would be £88,857 x $250 = $22,214,250. The annual plant investment cost is 100,000 x $640 x 0.125 = $8,000,000. Annual labor cost is 120 x $6100 = $732,000 and the annual maintenance is $0.001, x 6.75 x 10" = $675,000. Since auxiliary power takes 10% of the generator output, the net output is (1.0 ~ 0.10)x(6.75 x 10° = 6.08 x 10° kwhr for an annual cost of $22,214,250 + $8,000,000 + $732,000 + $675,000 = $31,621,250. The average cost of energy leaving the plant is 31.621 x 10° mills / 6.08 x 10° kwhr = 52 mills per kwhr. Annual generator output = 180,000 x 8000 = 1.44 x 10° kwhr per yr Annual reactor output = 1.44 x 10° x 11,000 = 1.584 x 10" Btu per yr At an energy release of 3.5 x 10" Btu per Ib of fissionable uraniums the fuel consumed for no losses in the reactor is. 1.58410" 35x10" With 10% losses in the reactor, the fuel consumption of fissionable U-235 is 453/0.90 = 503 Ib per year. But since natural uranium contains only 0.7% of fissionable uranium and it was stated that the fuel was to be depleted by only 50% (i.e, only half of the fissionable portion of the natural uranium would be consumed), the quantity of natural uranium required would be 503 / (0.007 x 0.50) = 143,714 Ib per yr of natural uranium. The annual cost of uranium would be 143,714 x $125 = $17,964,250. The annual plant investment cost is 200,000 x $550 x 0.13 = $16,300,000. Annual labor cost is 95 x $5800 = $551,000 and the annual maintenance is $0,001 x 1.44 x 10° = $1,440,000. Since auxiliary power takes 7% of the generator output, the net output is (1.0 ~ 0.07)x(1.44 x 10° )= 1.339 x 10° kwhr for an annual cost of $17,964,250 + $14,300,000 + $551,000 + $1,440,000 = $34,255,250. The average cost of energy leaving the plant is 34.255 x 10° mills / 1.339 x 10° kwhr = 25.6 mills per kwhr. {c) Annual generator output = 250,000 x 8200 = 2.05 x 10” kwhr per yr Annual reactor output = 2.09 x 10° x 10,100 = 2.11 x 10" Btu per yr 49 Ib per yr of U-235, o 453 Ib per yr of U-235,