Use of Computer Codes in Estimating Fuel Element Fabrication Costs

Computer codes, which can be used in the evaluation of nuclear reactors, were developed for estimating fuel-element fabrication costs. The codes take into account variables that derive from fuel-element design, fabrication-process design, the type of isotopes fabricated, and the economic parameters that are selected as ground rules for a particular reactor evaluation study. In the estimating procedure used by the codes, the costs are divided into three categories: capital, operating, and fuel-element hardware. The general method used in performing the cost calculations is to determine basic cost values and apply cost factors to them according to their variation with production rate, type of plant, and amount of shielding. Included in the paper are the factors that are applied to the basic cost values and an example of the use of the computer codes. Although prudence should be used in interpreting the results of the codes as absolute values, the method is fast and sufficiently accurate to offer comparative economic evaluation of various possibilities that exist regarding fuel-element design, fuel-fabrication plant parameters, and economic parameters.